So did you really think I was going to let Meg off the hook? No way!

And I know everyone wants some LoVe, it's coming!

Filling the Void – Ch. 7: The Blame Game

………………………………………………………………………………………………

I looked at the box for the third time, trying to make sure I had the right directions. And since every time I look, the instructions don't get any different, I'm thinking that Meg is indeed pregnant. Oh boy.

"Meg…?" I asked cautiously, turning to look at the exhausted girl.

"I'm pregnant, aren't I?" She said with a break in her voice.

I nodded my head reluctantly, "I'm so sorry Meg."

"Me too."

……………

'Since most of my extra-curricular activities cannot be divulged under state law, my guidance counselor strongly suggested I indulge in a little resume packing. So as of now, Veronica Mars…' I paused the ramble in my head as I opened the door to the classroom. '…is a Future Business Leader of America.'

I walked forward into the room and smiled at Mr. Pope as I passed.

"Okay," Mr. Pope begins before clapping to bring the class to order, "I'd like to begin our local profile series by introducing the CEO of Casablancas Enterprises, Mr. H Richard Casablancas." Mr. Pope points to his desk where 'Big Dick' is leaning, to which the students sitting in a horseshoe shape applaud.

I start to make my way over to where there is an empty desk next to Duncan, amid the whoops and shouts and applause. I'm walking behind Cassidy and then Dick, who looks up at me, so I pause. "Uh, sure you're not looking for the Future Bootlickers of America?" He says teasingly, and I give him a 'you're so funny' laugh. "Aww, I'm just kiddin' Ronnie." I roll my eyes and move on.

'So what am I doing in Neptune High's own little billionaire boy's club instead of joining French Club or Model United Nations?' My thought process ends for a moment as I settle into the desk next to Duncan, setting down my bottle of water and salad. 'I blame my billionaire half-brother, Duncan Kane.'

I turn to him and we share a smile. I whisper, "So who are we exploiting now?"

"The workers." He responds with a smile.

"Ehhxxx-cellent." I say in Mr. Burns fashion while wiggling my fingers together in faux evil genius.

Duncan laughs, and then I hear Logan laughing as well so I turn to look at him. "You know, I think that little display has made me lose my appetite." Logan then drops his burrito onto the tray on his desk. Duncan and I laugh; Logan then grins and picks his burrito back up and takes a large bite out of it.

Big Dick then starts talking about his company. I flip through a brochure and look at a picture of the Sandpiper Luxury Hotel and Resort. Then Mr. Casablancas continues.

"But, forget the eye-candy. Here's a chart of our market capitalization versus earnings over the last two years." He shows a new slide of a bar chart in his powerpoint. "Now, how's that look?"

"Awesome." Logan replies to him.

I look up at Logan and then the other 09ers. 'It looks like it's always looked. The rich get richer, and everybody else hopes for scholarships. But wait? Aren't I one of the rich now? Even if nobody else knows it?'

……………

Logan and I are walking out of school together as he talks on and on about what Big Dick informed us of today. I roll my eyes and focus on other things. Like the schedule Cassidy gave me in order to find out if Kendall is cheating. I looked over the list again and then put it in my messenger bag. Logan and I slow down and eventually stop when we see Deputy Sacks leaning against his police cruiser.

"Sheriff wants to ask you some questions." Sacks states towards me.

Logan gives me a questioning glance, but I ignore him. "My answer was final. I will not go to prom with him."

Logan tries, unsuccessfully, to hold in his laughter. Sacks opens the passenger door to the cruiser, "Now."

"Deputy Sacks, take me away!" I tease while holding out my arms.

"Hey, I'll pick you up there, okay?" Logan says to me. I look at him and see concern written all over his face.

"Yeah, sure."

……………

Lamb and I are seated across from each other in one of the interrogation rooms, having a stare down. I've crossed my arms; my own personal form of protection. Lamb is leaning back in his chair with a mug of coffee and a file sitting on the table in front of him. Where is the questioning?

Finally, after taking a sip of his coffee, Lamb speaks. "So, I guess you know why you're here. You wanna tell me about it?"

I stare at him for another moment, then say seriously, "Okay." I lean forward and put my elbows on the table. I then take a deep breath and say, "I confess." After pounding my fist on the table I look to the heavens. "God, you're good!" Lamb isn't amused by this, so I sit back in my chair and fold my arms again. "I have no idea why I'm here. So… are you gonna tell me why or should I just sit back and enjoy your impression of a mildly-constipated David Caruso."

"What can you tell me about your relationship with this man?" He slides the file across the table towards me. I open it and see a mug sheet for David 'Curly' Moran.

"Ah yes, I remember that summer. He was a roadie for Whitesnake; I was singing back-up for Boyz II Men. They said it would never work, but—"

"I'm glad that you find this amusing. Mr. David 'Curly' Moran. You've never seen him before in your life?"

I lay down the first sheet and pick up the next. It's a picture of Curly in a loud shirt by a motorcycle. I recognize him from when I helped him light a candle at the Bus Crash memorial. I keep staring at the picture and am shocked that I recognize him, and that this man is now dead.

Lamb must've seen my face because he says, "So you have. I thought so." Then he pulls out a small, clear evidence envelope. "Missing and earring?" The earring is a square on square with diamonds. Lamb drops it on the table.

"I'm not exactly a diamonds kind of girl—"

"It was found outside the Road Hog, biker bar up the PCH, last place Curly here was seen."

"Again, what does this have to do with me?" I ask more persistently.

"It seems that Curly had your name on him."

"On him?" I ask perplexed.

Lamb pulls another file from the side and tosses it in front of me. I open it quickly and find more photographs. The first is an overhead of his body, and on the second is a close-up of his left-hand, on which is written 'Veronica Mars'.

"This body washed up on the beach… beaten to death." Lamb rises and leans on the table, looming over me. "Amusing, huh?"

I stare up at him. I'm definitely not amused.

……………

When I walk out of the interrogation, I see Logan jump up from a chair out of the corner of my eye. But before I walk over to him I go talk to Leo. We haven't really talked much since I broke up with him when I couldn't find any time to see him, or perhaps I just didn't want to see him. "Hey Leo." I said to him cautiously as I approached.

"Veronica," he started in his usual drawl, "How've you been?"

"Okay… better I guess, how about you?"

"I'm fine. At least now that you're out. Echolls over there was going nuts waiting for you."

"Really?" I questioned, looking over to Logan who was leaning against the wall.

"Yeah," Leo chuckled, "So what'd you do this time, huh?"

"Well the lovely sheriff was just trying to pin something on me I had no clue about. Honestly, though, I'm quite flattered that I, a high-school student, am his first suspect."

"Well you are no average high-schooler Veronica Mars."

"That's for sure. See ya' Leo."

"Take care Veronica." I gave him a half-wave and then joined Logan who has tapped his hand on his leg to some inner beat.

"You okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine? Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, I was just making sure."

"Okay, well can you take me to my car at school now?"

"Of course. Let's go." We walked out to the Xterra in silence, but I had only just buckled my seatbelt when he questioned, "Why'd Lamb have to talk to you?"

"Oh you know Lamb, always trying to pin something on me." I answered, trying to avoid the subject.

"Veronica, what was he trying to pin on you?"

"Nothing really, and it doesn't matter. I didn't do it. And he hardly has any reason to think I did." Besides my name written on his hand.

"But he does have some reason to think you did it."

"Logan," I sighed, "why does it matter?"

"Because I – I'm worried about you."

I looked out the window and closed my eyes. I thought of the nightmares keeping me up at night, my orphaned state, my new-found dad and brother, the close call to death which led to the time-consuming bus crash investigation, and now this dead guy with my name on his hand. "This guy was found dead, washed up on the beach, and he had my – my name on his hand."

I refused to look at Logan but I heard his sharp intake of breath. But by this time we had arrived at the school and as soon as he parked I jumped out, muttering a 'bye' before I closed the door.

……………

I'm sitting in my room looking at the Planet Zowie search results from Kendall, topped with Curly Moran's info via Prying Eyez, then Moran's rap sheet, and finally a picture of Kenall.

Don't they make a cute couple?

I bring the Planet Zowie page to the top, where eight images are visible. Kendall lacey Casablancas, nee Lacey Shifflet. Just another Arizona State dropout turned feature music video background dancer turned Laker Girl, living off a ten-thousand dollar a year salary, a purse full of credit cards and a string of baler boyfriends. Until a twice-divorced white knight swept her away to bimbo paradise.

Then I bring up the Prying Eyez page. And for a 'True Hollywood Story' without the happy ending, David 'Curly' Moran. One-time stunt-man who crashed his career in the eighties. Just remember kids, crystal meth and precision driving don't mix. Between the three-year stint at San Quentin for assault and washing up on the beach with my name on his hand, Curly made his living at… I look at the webpage and see the listing for his last employer… Symbolic Motor Car Company. I write down the name and address. A compelling life-story to be sure, but what does any of it have to do with me? And why would this man have my name magic-markered across his hand? Did I get really drunk at a biker bar?

A light knock on my door drags me away from my thoughts and I quickly close my laptop as the door to my room opens and Duncan walks in. "What's up Veronica?"

"None of your beeswax." I retort, flashing a grin. But the grin is fake. Because right now what's really up is I'm wishing that had been my dad walking in and that I was in my old room, even though it was in a crappy apartment.

Duncan folds his arms over his chest and looks down at me smiling. "What are we five?"

"Yep." I say perkily right when there's a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." He says before turning around and walking out of my room. I get up and follow, standing in my doorway to see who it is.

The opened door reveals Meg, who's definitely been crying and looks extremely nervous. "Um, Duncan, can I, uh, talk to you." She looks at me and I understand that she's going to tell Duncan about the baby.

"I'll just, be in here." I point to my room and then quickly walk in and flop down on the plush bed.

……………

I'm sitting at my usual lunch table, looking over the pictures of Kendall's 'adventures' when I see Wallace walking towards me, so I slip it and the others back into the envelope as Wallace sits down.

"What are you looking at?"

"Just… tawdriness." I watch as he takes out his lunch from a paper bag, the first thing being a pudding cup.

"What are you looking at now?"

"The opposite of tawdriness," Then in a baby voice, "Wallace and his pudding cup."

"Yeah, Mom seems to forget I'm not five anymore."

"Well who can blame her?" Then again in the baby voice, "Wallace and his-"

I stop as I see Wallace waving frantically at someone behind me. I turn to look and see Jackie. And his new pal, the hot bitchy transfer from New York. I guess he really isn't five anymore.

Wallace must have noticed my change in enthusiasm, "Wh- You met Jackie right?"

"I didn't realize you were lunch buddies."

"I'm going for lunch buddies with privileges. Help a brother out."

"Well if you wanna play in her league, you'd better hide your little pudding."

Wallace quickly grabs the pudding cup and hides it on the bench. Then he notices my skepticism. "Hey, I like her, okay? Retract claws."

I hold out my hands and spread my fingers. "Claws, what claws?"

"Hey, Wallace." Jackie says as she sits down next to Wallace.

"Hey, Jackie. You guys met."

"Yes, actually, she requested I step outside my job description at Java the Hut the other day."

"Hey, I'm sorry about that. I forgot to leave the New York attitude in New York."

I nod, but I still haven't exactly 'warmed up' to Miss Cook.

"So, how you doing?" Wallace asks her.

"Awful. No matter how many schools I get kicked out of, I can't seem to escape this thing." She throws a copy of Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' onto the table. "Six-hundred pages of pasty white chicks cat-fighting over some stick-up-his-butt dude's prospects."

"Hey, I got the Cliff Notes. Only eight pages. You can borrow it sometime, if you want, or something."

"Even one page of this pre-Victorian corset crap puts me to sleep. Why can't we read Burroughs or something?"

All right, brother, prepare to be helped out. "Ah, Duncan, Meg, and I were gonna rent the BBC series of it. We can fast-forward through the corsets and the bitching, and Colin Firth is in it, if you guys wanna join."

"Hot damn! Colin Firth is in it." Wallace exclaimed, to which Jackie laughs.

"Yeah, sure." She says dismissively.

Wallace gives me a wink, and I severely hope that this is worth it.

……………

After walking into the FBLA room I sit down between Logan and Duncan and start thinking. Maybe it's just a coincidence: an ex-con shows up with my name on his hand when I'm the key witness in his benefactor's murder trial? And maybe it's another coincidence that Curly Moran was following me that day on the cliff. But I doubt it.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Duncan interrupts me.

"Just… fine European automobiles."

"Since when have you ever thought about fine European automobiles?" Logan asks, leaning over towards me.

"Ever since I became a Future Business Leader of America." I say like it's the most obvious thing in the world, and Logan chuckles deeply.

Mr. Pope disrupts the three of us when he begins speaking to the class. "Congratulations, FBLAers. You are now worth exactly one million dollars."

"What?" Logan cries outrageously.

"All right!" Some random student shouts.

"You mean I've lost money?" Logan continues, "Heads will roll."

"I assume that you have all heard about my stock market game," Mr. Pope begins, "In fact, I think many of you have played before. Over the course of the school year, each club member will control a virtual portfolio. Now, you may invest your money any way you see fit, as long as it's legal." Mr. Pope points at Dick.

"Dude, dog racing is totally legal."

"But, hardly lucrative, as I recall from your performance last year." The conversation draws on to reveal more about the stock game and Mr. Pope's plans for retirement.

After class ends Duncan, Logan, and I are walking out. "Hey Duncan, do you mind if Wallace and Jackie join us for Pride and Prejudice?"

"Yeah sure." He responds.

"What are you guys doing, having a reading party? You could start your own book club!" Logan snarks.

"If you must know," I begin, "We are renting the BBC series so we don't have to read the book."

"Hey, do you mind if I join? Better yet, we could watch it at my place. I've got that hardly used theater room that'd be perfect."

"Sounds awesome, I'll let Meg know." Duncan then runs off to find said girlfriend.

"Look at you, being all accommodating."

"Well what can I say, I was born to accommodate. In many different ways."

I laugh outright at the sexual innuendo and punch him lightly in the arm. "You keep thinking that Echolls, just keep thinking that."

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Thank you all for your reviews!!! I really appreciate them. Sorry that I take so long to update… I've been busy and this new idea for a story has been clogging my mind. Hope you all enjoy.