A/N - Sorry about the delay, my computer isn't working so I have limited internet time. Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews. I appreciate everyone who has stuck around, but there's no L/V love in this part. But there is some in the next one. I promise!
XIV.
Duncan watched as Veronica and Logan hopped out of her car and walked into the school. His heart always skipped a beat whenever he saw Veronica. But seeing Logan with her all the time was certainly squashing that feeling.
"So, do you think he's banging her?" Duncan turned around and gave Brad Jenkins an icy stare.
"What! Veronica's a fine piece of ass and Logan's pretty lucky with women…" Brad trailed off as Duncan took a step toward him.
"Shut up! Veronica's smarter than that."
"Hey, I'm just saying everybody's noticed them hanging around each other a lot lately. You've got to wonder."
"No…you don't. Now, what's going on with you and that Sandra girl?" As Brad gave him a play-by-play, Duncan thought back on the situation with Logan and Veronica. He thought it was time to find out exactly what was going on.
ooooooooooooooooo
Logan had left Veronica with Wallace, and was looking for Jake Thompson. He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not that Jake had been talking to some shadowy guy about Veronica and the next day a photo of her appeared. But he knew the only way to find out was to go to the source.
He'd finally tracked Jake down in the library reading a Runaways comic. Logan walked over and sat beside him. He didn't say a word but just stared at Jake.
"What are you staring at, man?" Jake said as he looked up from his comic.
"A try-hard who gets his shits and giggles by paying another asshole to put up pathetic photographs of people." Jake's eyes widened.
"How do you know about that?" He whispered.
"I just do. Now…" Logan reached over and grabbed Jake roughly by the shirt. "What the hell do you have against Veronica?" Jake's eyes darted around for help but no-one could see them.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he gritted out. Logan tightened his hold a little bit.
"Don't fucking lie to me. Why did you pay for that photo of Veronica?"
"I didn't! I didn't." Logan gripped harder. "I paid for a photo of Dick. I swear."
Logan looked into Jake's eyes and realized that he was telling the truth. He let go of Jake's shirt which had tightened around his throat and sat back. Jake took long gasps of air.
"Continue," Logan said.
"I was getting back at Dick for stealing my clothes and sending me naked through assembly. That's all."
"Who was the guy you paid?" Fear shone in Jake's eyes as Logan asked the question.
"No way. Uh, uh."
"You know I'm going to hurt you."
"I don't care. You've seen what this guy can do. I'm not taking the chance."
"Fine. Can you at least tell me how you found out about him." Jake looked around him and then leaned in closer.
"It's a website, As he spoke, Jake stood up. "That's all I'm saying…got it."
"I'd be watching my back if I was you," Logan called out as he got up to go in search of Veronica.
oooooooooooooooo
"I asked my mom about Logan. She said it's fine, but she'd like to talk with him."
"No problem. I'll tell him."
Wallace and Veronica were leaning against their respective lockers, observing their fellow students.
"So, we finally get some Veronica-Wallace time, huh?" Wallace asked as he nudged her.
"I knew you couldn't resist all of this," said Veronica as she gestured to her body.
"Now I know why you and Logan get along so well. Matching egos."
"Hey…"
"Hi, Veronica." She turned her head to see Duncan standing next to her.
"Hello…Duncan." Duncan looked at Wallace and then back at Veronica.
"Could we maybe talk alone?" Wallace got the hint. He walked a couple of metres up the hallway and leaned against the wall. He could just make out what they were saying.
"Duncan, I think we've said all we have to say. Don't you think?"
"No, and you honestly don't believe that." As Wallace listened, he felt someone come up beside him.
"What's going on?" Logan asked him.
"Hey man. At the moment, I have no idea. All I know is that he wanted to talk to her." Logan absently nodded as he watched Veronica and Duncan intently. He had no idea what Duncan would want to talk about with Veronica. But, whatever it was, it couldn't be good for himself.
"Look, Duncan, I really don't have anything more to say to you. So, just forget about it." Veronica was about to leave but was stilled by Duncan's next words.
"I love you." Veronica searched his eyes and found that he was speaking the truth.
Logan tensed up beside Wallace. Wallace knew that Logan had some kind of feelings for Veronica, and now he knew exactly what those feeling were. Logan, himself, had been coming to terms with his sudden attraction to Veronica. He knew that he wasn't ready for a relationship, but every time he made her smile the feeling of worthlessness he carried around disappeared.
Logan knew that this one conversation could change everything and truthfully, it scared him.
"Did you hear me?" Duncan spoke after waiting unsuccessfully for Veronica to say something.
"Huh…yeah…you…love….me."
"Don't sound so surprised. You must know that I've always loved you." Veronica looked at him skeptically.
"You could have fooled me. And where is this coming from all of a sudden? After yesterday…"
"Yesterday! Yesterday was about Logan, this is about you and me. It's about me telling you that I love you."
"Look, Duncan…" He held up a hand to stop her.
"Just answer me. Do you love me?"
"I love you…" Veronica answered. Wallace heard Logan's breath catch. "I love the you that would do anything for your friends. The you that I fell in love with. But if you're asking if I love the you of the past few months or who could hit Logan…then no. I don't love you anymore. There's too much that has come between us." A look of anger passed over Duncan's face.
"This is about Logan. I've seen you coming to school together. Are you fucking him, Veronica?"
Logan was about to step forward, but Wallace held him back.
"Trust me, Logan. Let her finish this herself." Wallace answered off the questioning look in Logan's eyes. Meanwhile, Veronica was getting mad.
"This has nothing to do with Logan. As you yourself put it, this is about you and me. And this is me telling you that I don't love you. I'm trying to be your friend, but you're making it so hard." It didn't matter what Veronica had said, because Duncan wasn't listening to it anymore.
"You know what. Forget about it. I don't know what came over me." Before Veronica could say anything, Duncan had already walked off.
She took a deep breath and saw Wallace and Logan watching her. As she looked into Logan's eyes, she knew that she had made the right decision to stand by him. He cared about her and he didn't ask for anything in return.
"I guess you heard all of that?" Veronica asked as they walked over to her.
"No, not at all," Wallace said sarcastically.
"I'm in training for my inevitable appearance on Jerry Springer. All I need…"
"Veronica…" Logan interrupted seriously, but she stopped him.
"No, Logan. I'm starting to get major déjà vu from all this Duncan talk. What do you say we skip the last few periods and go try and get our hands on a police report?"
"Sorry guys, I've got basketball practice. But I'll call you later, okay?" Veronica nodded as Wallace walked off. She looked over at Logan.
"Looks like it's me and you, Papa Smurf." Logan could see by the look on her face that she was trying desperately to get some normality back in her day. He wanted to talk seriously with her at some time in the future, but for the present time he was happy to oblige.
"I'm down with that, Scrappy Doo."
"Scrappy Doo!"
"Yeah, you know, small, annoying, thinks he knows everything…"
"Hey!" Veronica exclaimed as she slapped him on the arm. "I'll go all Puppy Power on your ass."
"Is that a promise?"
oooooooooooo
