Surprisingly enough I didn't get grounded for giving my parents a full week of the silent treatment. There were no recriminations at all really, my Mom was solicitous, my Dad was contrite, and I apparently walked on water.
Logan and I were getting along well, I was doing my damned best to prove to him I wasn't like Lilly. Not really, not where it counted.
Logan was driving me home after school. We'd made plans to get together and watch movies, tame and boring, but watching movies with Logan was a whole new experience. He openly mocked the actors that he'd known since he was a small infant, having lived in and around them his whole life. He made fun of their acting ability, their clothes, told anecdotes on their personal lives, this one was a junkie, that one had affairs, that one was really gay, and he always carried on until the end of the movie.
It was like being at a movie with a professional heckler. I had never spent so much time laughing in my entire life. My face actually hurt at the end of the day from smiling so much. Life, life was good at the moment, even with the test of doom hanging over my head.
I'd decided I couldn't wait for the DNA test my Dad had scheduled. To be honest three days after Lilly had let the big secret out, that I might be a Kane, I'd ordered a DNA test online, they send you a package, a few drops of blood and a few weeks later you'd have your results. I'd held off on actually doing the test. Until Lilly had dropped the second bombshell that my father had known all along he wasn't my father.
I tried not to feel guilty, tricking my dad into doing the DNA test. I tried to think of it as the right thing for me. No matter the results, he was my father, but I had to know. Had to know if Duncan and I were actually related, if only for my own peace of mind.
I'd told my father it was for a health class project, convinced him I was squeamish; it had been all too easy to lie right to his face. He'd pricked his finger without a fuss, smiling at me. I think he was just glad to be back to semi-normal, without the silent treatment.
Lilly and I had dubbed it the test of doom, there was an elaborate naming ceremony as I'd poked myself with the tester stick to place on the small sheet of paper. I already had my father's; Lilly came with me when I dropped the envelope in the mail. She'd held my hand and told me we were sisters no matter what the results were.
I was drawn out of my thoughts by Logan's arm sliding around me. He placed a soft kiss on the back of my neck, before his voice whispered in my ear, "How about we skip the movie and go to the beach? We'll go to your place, get your suit, and we'll go swim in the ocean like dolphins." I could hear the smile in his voice.
"You just want to go surfing with the boys!" I laughed out before turning in his arms to place a kiss on his cheek.
"Guilty as charged Sugar puss." He laughed.
"No deal. You promised me movies." I pouted for a moment and he gave in gracefully, or not gracefully if the long suffering sigh was anything to go by.
"Okay. Movies at your place, dinner with your family, and then, maybe, just maybe if I'm a good boy, a walk on the beach?" He tilted his head and batted his eyelashes at me and I couldn't help but laugh.
"You're such a ham! As for the good boy part, I much prefer you when you act like yourself." I puckered my lips and blew him a raspberry. I finished up in my locker and he slung his arm around my shoulder, leading me out of the school.
"C'mon Veronica, you know I try to be a good boy for you." His voice was high-pitched and very little boy-esque. I laughed up into his face, which meant I wasn't watching where I was going and bumped into someone.
I stopped to apologise, the words stumbling out of my mouth, as I blushed. The young man I bumped into laughed it off, smiling as Logan tried ineffectually to pull me away.
"Don't worry 'bout it superfly. No big, no bruises, no broken bones." He smiled and I couldn't help but notice the whiteness of his teeth against his dark skin. He has a beautiful smile.
"Veronica Mars." I held out my hand for him to shake as Logan rolled his eyes.
"Wallace Fennel." He shook my hand before gently dropping it, probably because of Logan's scowl. "As you can probably tell it's my first day here. I'm not quite sure what to make of the place. I've gotten lost more times than I can count today." He laughed self-depreciatively before shaking his head.
"Look for us tomorrow at lunch. We'll be in the quad, I'll give you a tour." I smiled and then laughed outright at the look on Logan's face. "This is Logan, since he's too rude to introduce himself. Logan Echolls." I watched the recognition slide across Wallace's face and smiled knowingly. "Of the Hollywood Echolls." I said in my best snooty voice.
Wallace laughed; Logan scowled more, tugging on my hand, yet to say a word. Sometimes he could be so rude. "But I've got to be going, tomorrow, lunch, quad! Don't forget!" I waved as Logan practically dragged me away.
"It wouldn't kill you to be friendly once in awhile you know. He wouldn't have given you cooties." My voice sounded sterner than I'd meant it too, I smiled to soften the effect.
"For you? I'll be friendly tomorrow, but today! Today we have plans!" Logan laughingly swung me up and around in his arms, spinning me around twice before setting me on my feet. "Get your cute little ass in the car, we have movies, and the sooner we get the movies and dinner over with, the sooner we get to the beach!" He practically shoved me in the door.
I was laughing so hard I could barely catch my breath. Sometimes Logan bordered on the ridiculous. His enthusiasm at times was absolutely over the top. It was one of the reasons I loved him.
Loved him. I paused, my laughter dying abruptly.
Oh shit.
Sudden realisations, they tend to knock your feet out from underneath you. Or your whole world, I'm not even sure how it happened. One second I was enjoying myself, hanging out and having a good time, and the next second? I was head over heals I love with Logan Echolls.
Logan got into the truck still smiling, but it faded away as he noticed the look on my face. "You okay Veronica?" His voice sounded concerned and unsure; obviously he wasn't sure what had changed in his walk around the vehicle.
"I'm fine," I hesitated for a moment before I said the only thing that came to mind, "I just remembered I have an essay due for AP English, I'll work on it tonight." I smiled, but I could tell it looked forced.
"That look came from an essay? I was sure you'd been told the world was ending tomorrow." He tried to make light of the situation, making a joke like he always did. It didn't lighten my mood.
I'm in love with Logan Echolls. I turned to stare at him as he started the vehicle, taking in his profile, the set to his jaw, and the line of his nose.
"See something you like?" He smirked as he turned to face me, meeting my eyes before putting the truck in gear and pulling out of the parking lot.
"Yes. As a matter of fact I do." I smiled when he grinned before continuing. "See that cute guy over there, the one with the blonde highlights? He's totally hot." I managed to say it with such a straight face that Logan actually turned around to stare. I burst out laughing at the look on his face.
"You, you think you're so cute don't you." His voice was gruff as he leaned over to kiss me lightly. He slowly pulled out of the parking lot, focusing on the road. "You sure I can't convince you to change our plans? Do something other than movies before we have dinner with your parents?" He smiled that smile, the one that told me he was up too something.
"Not the beach, what else did you have in mind?" I smiled at him. There was no way I could tell him how I felt. Not now, not till things were settled between us.
"You'll see Veronica. You'll see." I love it when he plays the mysterious card. Logan has a romantic streak as big as the Grand Canyon. It used to annoy Lilly to no end, but there was something about a guy that loved to keep you on your toes that had me smiling at odd times.
When we pulled up to the boardwalk I was slightly confused, even more so when Logan held my door open, helped me out, but led me in the opposite direction of the actual boardwalk.
"Where are we going?" I craned my head back to see the festival behind us.
"Here." He stopped in front of a small store, no signs, just an address on the front door.
"Logan?" I asked questioningly, this was odd even for Logan.
He opened the front door, holding it open for me, and ushering me inside. The shop was small and intimate, a front desk, a vase of fresh flowers. The walls were white, the carpet was grey, and I still had absolutely no clue as to why we were here.
A tiny woman came from a concealed back room, stepping gracefully to the front desk, and smiling at Logan. "Mr. Echolls, you're early. We weren't expecting you until eight thirty." Her smile was friendly; I could tell she dealt with difficult people on a regular basis.
"Some of our plans fell through Sandy, could you possibly fit us in now?" He smiled that charming smile and I could feel the room suddenly heat up a few degrees.
"As a matter of fact we can. Yours was the last appointment of the day. This way we can take care of you and then call it a day." She smiled as she stood up; she finally turned towards me, extending her hand. "Cassandra Cruise," she paused for a moment before smiling, "no relation to Tom Cruise." We shook hands, my grip slightly unsure. I still had no idea what was going on.
Logan took my arm as he led me through the partition behind the desk; it wasn't hidden at all, just an optical illusion, looking like one solid wall. We stepped into the back room, which had hard wood floors, and mirrors, hundreds of mirrors lining the walls.
Logan had taken me to a dance studio.
"Ballroom dancing, the dance of love, elegance, and style." He smiled at my unsure gaze. "Mom's having a soiree next month, formal, traditional dancing, I would be honoured if you would considering the invitation of attending as my guest." He bowed low over my hand before smirking at me. "And this way, I won't step on your toes and squash them into mush."
I couldn't help but laugh. This was probably the weirdest gift I'd ever received. "You're not afraid I'd step on your toes?" I asked curiously.
"Nope. You weigh about as much as a mouse, if you step on my toes the worst you'll do is get closer to me." He grinned, laughing as I lightly smacked his arm.
Cassandra called us over and our first dance lesson commenced.
Dance lessons with Logan Echolls. Who would have thought? I mean, he's not exactly the most social person, and to want to take me to a shindig his parents were throwing? That was a huge step. At this point I was still refusing to hope that he might love me. I knew he liked me, wanted me, but I wasn't holding out for love.
We danced, we laughed, and we stepped on each other's toes. By the end of the night my toes were black and blue and I was threatening to buy steel-toed dancing shoes. Logan's feet weren't doing much better, for all his jokes about my weighing next to nothing; apparently stepping at the wrong moment could lead to severe bruising.
We barely made it back to my house in time for dinner.