"Well thank god!" Wallace Fennel declared as he approached his locker to see Veronica Mars, his best friend standing swapping over her books getting ready for her first period English class. "Where the hell you been Mars?" he asked, frowning in frustration.

"In Neptune for the last 18years 2 months and 23 days? Or did you have a particular timeline?" She smirked.

"Last night?" he elaborated. "Jackie and I called by.. after that stuff you sent me about the fight with Duncan, I wanted to make sure you was ok" his brown eyes demanding an explanation. He was her best friend, the first person she had ever fully trusted after the memories of her night at Shelly Pomorys party had surfaced, she could tell him almost anything. Plus their parents were dating, so that made him practically her brother these days.

"Did you mention that to your mom?" she asked, panicked. Their parents had been currently spending the previous few nights in San Diego promoting her father's new book, they had taken Wallace's younger brother with them, spending most of the day yesterday at the zoo.

"No! As usual I covered for you, I thought you two might have been over trying to work things out.. Less I know the better, but your car still wasn't there this morning when I drove by" Wallace scolded.

"Yeah… I wasn't at home, and I wasn't with Duncan, please don't say anything" she pleaded nervously as she closed her locker door.

"You working on a case?" he asked as he twirled the combination to his locker. "Is that a hickey?" he declared suddenly, pointing at her neck line.

"No…" Veronica squirmed, fixing her scarf over the lower part of her collar bone. It was in moments like this she envied his chocolate complexion, her cheeks flushed and he raised his eyebrows at her, expecting an answer. The mark on her neck was a left over from when Logan had bitten down a little as he had thrust inside her… even the memory of their night together made her blush like mad, everywhere.

"I thought you said you weren't with Duncan…?" he accused, lifting the book out of his locker.

"I wasn't" she confessed, her blue eyes finally met his, guilty.

"Veronica Mars….? Oh hell no!" he glowered. "Please tell me you weren't with Logan Echolls?" his voice was critical.

Veronica looked at him helplessly, unable to deny it.

"Girl, you really are something… that guy is dangerous!" Wallace scolded. Veronica knew just what he was thinking, he had given her the same lecture many times before about how compromised her decision making was when it came to Logan Echolls. It was true though, so much of her judgement got cloudy when it came to him, there was so much history wrapped up in their journey to and from each other. So many memories of Lilly in there too.

"What kinda dude makes you have a secret relationship? I mean.. look what he did to your car!"

"What kind of guy.. doesn't know anything about his girls best friend? He doesn't even know my name!"

"You nearly got killed in a god damn drive by!"

If there was one thing other than sports that fused Keith Mars and Wallace Fennel into a cohesive team, it had been their adamant tag-team that she should end the relationship last summer with Logan after the arson of the local swimming pool.

She knew Wallace liked Duncan her ex-boyfriend, the two of them were in athletics together, the three of them regularly hung out at lunch, went on double dates together with the girls who Wallace dated. It was normal, she got to be a regular teenage girl with Duncan, homecoming dances and movie nights with friends.

"The heart wants what the heart wants Wallace…" she told him. She knew this was just a taste of the judgement she would be facing over this decision, most of the 09ers hadn't bothered with her today. Duncan was also suspended for the next few days after the fight, which was a relief to not have to see him as well.

"You… are perfect for the Veronica, who had Lilly as her best friend.. the girl whose dad was Sheriff.. but I've changed since we lost her Duncan… who I was, will always love you.. but who I am… can't"

She had explained and he seemed to have taken it well enough, perhaps it made the struggle he had over loyalties to Meg on life support right now and those of being her attentive boyfriend that much more simple, because she could have sworn part of him seemed relieved. She just wasn't sure if he was still going to be as relieved when he found out that she and Logan had reconnected… she couldn't exactly say what they were at this moment, was she his girlfriend? His Lover? Was he her Soulmate?

"The heart wants..?" Wallace shook his head, perhaps it was something in the way she looked kind of lost, but his face softened a little. "He's still bad news, V.. we almost lost you last time you got involved with him.. his dad.. tried to burn you alive.. in a freezer. Your dad is not going to be ok with this"

"Then can you see why I need my best friend right now?" she pleaded.

"You know I always got your back Veronica… I just sure hope you know what you are doing" Wallace told her before he walked off to class. She watched him leave and saw Weevil Navarro and some of the other PCHers looking in her direction before skulking off down the corridor. Their war with Logan and the rest of his toadies was still on-going and by dating Logan, she had pretty much drawn a line in the sand. It was like picking a side.

So do I Wallace… she thought. So do I.