A/N: sorry about the long wait, I've been finding it really hard to write this chapter. First off I wanna thank all of the observant people who realised that I'd published the fifth chapter of Closure again in place of this story. That was a mistake that has been rectified, so make sure you read the correct chapter first. Once again, I'm a bit nervous about the feedback I'm gonna get for the intense scene in that chapter, what with it not being something I know much about. But here is the next one anyway, and I hope its not as disjointed as the times I wrote it were! I feel I should stress that as well as not owning Veronica Mars, I also don't own Jack Daniel's Whiskey, or Stolichniya Vodka. Enjoy…
The next day at school, Veronica is aware that the dynamic has shifted slightly. There are no insults scrawled across her locker, and when she goes out to her car at the beginning of lunch she finds all of her tyres intact, and her windows whole. However, it is most noticeable when she and Wallace sit down at their usual table to eat. It's not what she hears – there are no apologies, or declarations of allegance from Logan – but what she doesn't hear. There are no insults, or if there are any then they've been said only for the amusement of the exclusive 09er group.
Glancing over at their table, she catches Logan's eye, and they both nod imperceptibly at eachother. He then nods at Wallace, before turning back to his friends. The two outcasts look at eachother, surprised by the richer boys actions, but quickly decide to just treat everything as if it was normal.
"Can I have a fry?" Veronica asks, before reaching over and pinching one. Wallace has long since learned not to complain when she steals bits of his lunch – taking it as one of the quirks and perks of being Veronica's best friend. "I think I could get used to this whole invisibility thing." She remarks, through a mouthful of fries. "Not having to sort out car problems every day, eating lunch in peace, not having to listen to the 09ers unoriginal insults…Lovely."
Wallace chuckles. "Well we know who to thank for that, don't we? Speaking of whom, don't you have a five grand money shot to give to that kid?"
"Holy crap, you're right. What is the world coming to? Logan Echolls is being civil and Veronica Mars is forgetting to claim a salary!" Veronica laughs, as she digs around in her bag and pulls out an unmarked brown envelope. "Back in a few, BFF." She tells him as she stands up and saunters towards the 09er table, unsure of the welcome she will receive.
As she reaches the table, Madison Sinclair and Shelley Pomeroy begin whispering frantically to Lilly, but the guys merely look at her curiously. Duncan feels a shock of hurt go through him as once again Veronica doesn't even look at him, but walks straight over to Logan's side of the table.
"I hope you have that five grand in cash, Echolls." She says, leaning against the table in front of him. Duncan notices that her body language is not as hostile towards his best friend as it used to be, and Logan is even smiling at her.
"Well, lets just see if the shot is worth it, shall we Mars?" Logan smirks, and holds out his hand expectantly.
"You know damn well that these shots are worth ten, easily." She murmurs, so quietly that Duncan has to strain to keep track of the conversation. He wonders what on earth his ex-girlfriend is talking about. "Here, lets see what you make of these."
Logan opens the envelope and slides out the photos, angling them so that even Lilly – who is now leaning over his shoulder to get a peace of the action – can't tell what's on them. His face lights up, but he looks slightly sickened, even through his satisfaction.
"What is it, lover?" Lilly asks, glaring at Veronica and obviously jealous of the way Logan is talking exclusively to Veronica.
"It's none of your business, Lil." Logan snaps, before reaching into his pocket. "Dick and I were gonna go to a strip club last night, before I got caught up, so the first grand is all in ones." He smirks as he says this, and hands over a large wad of cash.
Veronica counts it, biting her lip as she does, and doesn't even realise that all the guys on the table – even Dick and Sean – are watching her nimble fingers move, and her teeth chew at her lips, and thinking dirty thoughts. "Well, everything seems to be in order." She starts walking away, but turns back and grabs an eggroll from Logan's chinese takeout lunch, winking at him, "Thanks."
Logan, Duncan and Lilly all gawk after her – they too know that the stealing of food is practically Veronica's highest mark of friendship. She doesn't notice the stares, nor had she noticed what she'd done to get her hands on the eggroll she's currently eating. But to Logan, her act of thievery is the highest compliment – it shows she thinks of him as someone close to her, someone she cares about – and between the fact that he has one less eggroll and the fantastically incriminating photographs, he feels that his day could hardly get any better.
"So, you caused quite a stir at lunch today." Wallace remarks, as he sits on the couch in Mars Investigations, waiting for Veronica to finish work so that they can go get some food.
"Did I?" Veronica is juggling several heavy boxes, and not really paying attention to her friend's words.
"Yeah, you had the whole 09er table staring at you. Logan's eyes practically popped out of his head when you left." He tells his oblivious friend. "Probably had something to do with that eggroll you took off him."
"Why would that shock him?" Veronica is unaware of her little quirk and doesn't get why people always seem to take her food stealing habits as a great compliment.
"Because, haven't you noticed?" When his friend shakes her blonde head, Wallace just sighs and explains her screening process to her, "Because you only take food from people you trust, people who are your real friends."
"I do? Really? How weird. How do you know?" Veronica has put down the boxes of files, and is sitting on the coffee table, drinking in Wallace's answers.
"Yeah, you do. And I can tell because, come on, have you ever taken food off of Madison's plate?"
"Madison doesn't eat, Wallace, that's how she stays so thin." Veronica tells him, in the voice she reserves for idiots and especially young children.
"Okay, so that wasn't the best example, but have you ever taken food from Dick? Or Casey? Or Sean? You only started taking food from me after a few days." He reasons with her, and Veronica finally sees what everyone else sees.
"So that's why people always gauge my feelings towards them by how much food I leave on their plates." She muses. "I can't believe I hadn't noticed."
She finishes work and they drive to Cho's Pizza for dinner. "It's on me, since I'm rich now!" Veronica laughs, as she forks over the ten dollars for three pizzas; one for Wallace, one for her, and one for them to 'share', which of course meant that Wallace gets a slice and Veronica gets the other seven. They sit down with their food, and pass the time amiably chatting about anything but what Aaron did to her. They don't even notice when a crowd of 09ers enter and sit down at the next table. Lilly, Logan, Duncan and Dick are the only ones that stick around for longer than five minutes, and they definitely notice Veronica and Wallace.
"Well, well, well, it's the Ronster and her piece of tail." Dick proclaims to the whole restaurant. A few customers get up and leave, sensing a brewing storm. "Why must you even take our pizza place?"
"Uh, maybe because I was the one who introduced you all to Cho's?" Veronica asks sarcastically. "If it wasn't for me you'd still be getting your Italian shipped over from LA."
"Yeah, but we're in the majority here, so you should leave." Logan is trying to get him to shut up, and even Lilly seems reluctant to join in with Dick, but he won't shut up.
"Hadn't you heard? Jocks count as four people in any official headcount or vote." Wallace remarks. Veronica turns to look at him, shocked and impressed by his outburst – the first sarcastic thing he's said to someone other than herself.
"Dude, is that true?" Dick sounds truly shocked and worried that it might be.
"Of course not. Fennel over there was just demonstrating some of the wit that's rubbed off from Veronica." Logan mutters, keeping his eyes on his garlic bread.
"But regardless of whether or not its true, we aren't leaving, Dick." Veronica says, with an air of finality. "Can I have a strip of garlic bread, Echolls?"
"Sure thing, why ask?" He jokes, meeting her eyes with a wicked smirk on his face. She tears off a piece from his plate, and goes back to her seat.
"So how about buying some ice cream and heading to the beach after this?" She suggests, through a mouth full of pizza.
"I will never get over your ability to eat twice as much as me – the hungry jock." Wallace laughs, before agreeing readily. "Cookie Dough or Chunky Monkey?"
"Cookie Dough, duh." She replies, doing a good imitation of one of the mindless kids at their school.
"I don't suppose we can tag along? Cookie Dough is my favourite flavour after all." Logan asks, as his friends stare at him incredulously.
"It's a free country." Veronica shrugs. "If you do come, though, I'm not buying you ice cream." She and Wallace finish their meal, pay and leave.
They wander along to the Sac n Pac, and then down to Dog Beach, perching on the Fab Four's rocks. They chat for awhile, before they notice the four 09ers walking down the beach towards them. Logan waves hesitantly, and Veronica returns it with more confidence. Even Lilly doesn't look to bothered about seeing her ex-best friend.
"I hope you brought your own ice cream, because our tub won't stretch to six." Veronica calls out as they approach. Duncan holds up two tubs, and is rewarded with a conspiritorial smile from his ex. He and Logan both sit down on the rocks, leaving Lilly and Dick standing on the sand ambiguously. "Oh just sit your asses down." She orders, and surprisingly they both obey silently.
"So…" Logan tries to find a neutral conversation topic, but realises its impossible. "How about a game?"
"Truth or dare or I've Never?" Veronica queries, as they all turn inwards to make a little circle.
"Both, duh, don't you remember, Veronica? When faced with a choice always do both." Lilly reminds her, and surprisingly the two girls both smile at eachother. Logan thinks that there might be a reconciliation on the horizon, and continues trying to relax the tension among the group.
He pulls a bottle of vodka and a bottle of whiskey out of his pockets. "I've never had a threesome." He proclaims.
"Why Logan, you disappoint me," Veronica teases, "Who am I supposed to look to as the nympho of the school now?"
"Well, you could always look me up, Ronica, because someone has got to pass me the JD." Dick leers at her, as he takes a swig of from the bottle of Jack Daniels. He ignores her comment of 'gross' and thinks for a minute. "I've never been in love."
Duncan, Logan, Veronica and Wallace all reach for the bottles.
"Mm, Stolichniya, my favourite." Veronica comments, as she takes a swig.
"New rule, new rule, we've gotta say when it happened, or who it was with or whatever." Lilly announces, before turning to her on-again-off-again boyfriend. "Don't tell me you were in love with me, Logan."
"I wasn't actually." He says, before blushing slightly. "I was in love with my best friend's girl." Is all he says, leaving the rest of the group to wonder which best friend, and which girl he is referring to. "Veronica."
"Well, I thought I was in love with Duncan, but I didn't really have anything to reference it to, so who knows." She says, cheekily.
The others admit their loves, and it falls to Veronica to say the next thing she'd never done. "It may seem unoriginal, but I've still never been skinny dipping."
"Still? That was almost a year ago, Veronica." Logan laughs, before downing some whiskey. "I feel we ought to remedy that right now."
Surprisingly, Veronica just nods and discards her hoodie. "Anyone gonna join me?" Logan jumps up quickly, discarding his own shirt and trousers, following her to the edge of the water, and walking till he is waist deep before taking off his boxers. Veronica is already chucking her underwear towards the shore, and splashing around happily.
"Man, why didn't I try this before?" She laughs, as Logan sends a splash of water her way. The two of them swim and chat for a bit before wading back to the shore, both keeping their eyes averted, and pulling on their clothes. "Has anyone seen my bra?" Veronica asks the rest of the teenagers, as she and Logan resume their spots on the rocks. About half of each bottle has been drunk in their absence.
"Dick stole it while you two were flirting." Duncan remarks, wryly, as Veronica turns to glare at the blonde surfer. "I've never not known how many people I've slept with."
"And there was me thinking you had a grand total of zero, Duncan." She, Logan and Lilly all say in unison. Duncan flushes red as Logan, Lilly, Dick and a hesitant Veronica all take sips. Everyone turns to stare at the PI as she hunches over her knees, and avoids everyone's eyes. Even Wallace looks surprised at her revelation.
"I thought you were still a virgin, Veronica." Lilly murmurs.
"Well, so did I, until the day after Shelly Pomeroy's sweet sixteen." Veronica is talking quietly, as if she doesn't want her admissions to be heard. "I'm a virgin in the consensual sense, I guess."
"What? That is such crap, Veronica!" Duncan suddenly yells. "It took two people to do what we did that night."
Veronica looks at him with wide eyes before sliding off the rock and striding away down the beach, eyes full of tears. Logan, Wallace and Lilly all jump down onto the sand and follow her. Her shoes have been kicked off as she runs, and it's so dark that the three of them can barely see her fleeing the tipsy teenagers. All three of her friends put on an extra burst of speed, but she's already over a fence and on the roads by the time they start closing the distance.
"We can take my car." Logan says, as the three of them catch their breath. They quickly make their way back to the parking lot, and start cruising the streets of Neptune, searching for a blonde who had recently received life changing news. "Does anyone really understand whats going on?"
"Nope." "Not a clue." Are the simultaneous responses from Veronica's past and present best friends. "But I know it matters." Lilly whispers.