Drunk Logan
Chapter 5

A/N: So this chapter should firm up the time line a bit, although not everything is going to be in order. The last chapter Wallace and Veronica were already to the BFF stage. In the actual show, that didn't happen this early. Oh, well...just go with it.

Disclaimer: Also, there is a scene that comes from the show. You'll know it.

As she gets out of her car and walks toward the doors of the school, she is disappointed to see the ugly yellow monstrosity he calls a car already in the lot. She stiffens and slips on her mask. Prepared for the insults, the innuedo's about what may have happened when she drove Logan home and the "love notes" she was sure were gracing her locker door. Veronica opens the main door and walks into the foyer. She looks straight ahead, bound and determined to not pay attention to anyone as she makes a beeline for her locker. All she has to do is get the books she needs for her morning classes and then she can sneak back here during lunch when she is sure everyone is busying themselves in the quad.

She gets to her locker without anyone taunting her and there are no love notes. She knows, though, she can feel his eyes on her. She quickly collects her books as she waits for him to pounce. She closes her locker door and turns to leave. She is stopped momentarily when she hears it. This is what she's been expecting...only it's not Logan's voice.

Dick's voice is louder than normal when he asks Logan how his ride home was after the party. "Was it long and slow or hard and fast? Did Veronica show you her backseat?" He's laughing his obnoxious laugh now. "Yeah, Dude. Up high, Man."

She sees Logan look at her for just a moment and watches an odd expression cross his face.
She starts walking away, but internally is waiting for his response. She doesn't hear one and is shocked by what comes next. Dick's voice again. "Dude, where you going? Don't leave me hangin'."

Veronica turns in time to see Logan walking away, head down, from the group of guys he calls his friends. She's completely perplexed by his lack of response to Dick's taunting. Normally he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to get in on some Veronica Mars harassment.

She's so deep in thought about Logan that she isn't paying attention to where she's going. The next thing she knows, she's running smack into the back of one Troy Vandergraff.

"Umph!" He grunts as he turns around to look at her. When he sees her, his mouth forms into a little smirk.

Troy had been hitting on her pretty much since his first day at Neptune High. She hadn't been ready for that, any of it. She hadn't been ready to start dating again. Not only that, but he was an 09er. She hadn't been sure she could trust him and she knew she didn't want any more contact with the 09ers than necessary. Even with her reservations, she couldn't help but notice how good-looking he was.
"Oh, sorry, Troy." She mumbles. She's not sure what rumors he's heard already this morning.

"There is no need for 'sorry'. Anytime a gorgeous blonde wants to make body contact with me, well let's just say, it's alright with me. Remember that." Troy cocks his head, raises an eyebrow and winks. He has the slightest smile on his face.

Veronica could take offense to his semi-lewd comment, but the look on his face shows her his playful intentions. She smiles back and decides that maybe she's found the perfect distraction in Troy. After all, she was hoping to stop her constant thoughts of Logan and "the incident." That is how she has decided to refer to it from now on, not as the kiss, only as "the incident."

As he turns to leave, she takes a chance, "Let's go out."

"Finally, the girl comes to her senses." The look on his face is hilarious. They make plans to go out to dinner, and they're both looking forward to it. (A/N: In case you didn't recognize it, that's the part taken from show).

Troy's happy that all of his efforts to "woo" her are finally paying off. He'd started to give up. Veronica is relieved that she feels like she's taking a step forward. She'd been stuck for so long, living in the past. She'd been mourning the loss of Lilly, regretting her 09er status, agonizing over Duncan's decision to break up with her without even telling her, avoiding thoughts of Shelly's party and missing her mom and her old life. She'd been reminded daily of the events leading up to and following her decision to stick by her father when he went after the Kane's. She wasn't even sure what was true anymore.

Now, though, she feels like she's really making progress. With renewed confidence and a smile on her face, she continues onto her next class. She has forgotten all about Logan and "the incident" for the moment.

Logan decided to go to school early on Monday. He still wasn't sure what he'd do when he saw her. Sunday had ushered in another sleepless night for him, and he still hadn't come up with a plan.

As he entered the parking lot, he searched for her car, but didn't find it. He grabbed his books and rushed into the school. After replacing his books with the ones he'd need for his morning classes, he shut his locker and turned to leave. He was stopped when Dick, Beaver, Sean and Enbom walked up to him. They were laughing and talking wildly about Saturday night's party. A party is always more exciting when the cops break it up.

None of them noticed that Logan was looking around and fidgeting with his sleeve. He wanted to escape before Veronica entered the school. Unfortunately their lockers were in the same hall. He was about to make any excuse he could to just get out of there, when he saw Veronica out of the corner of his eye. He was stuck. If he left then, he'd have to walk right past her. At least if he stayed with his friends, he wouldn't have to deal with her just yet. He decided to ignore her and concentrate on what his friends were saying.
Just as Veronica was about to leave, Logan heard Dick speak up. He asked Logan about the ride home. He was taunting Veronica, which drew Logan's attention to her.

"Oh, Geez." Logan muttered under his breath as his eyes traveled down her body. She was dressed in a yellow halter top with a short jean skirt and calf-high boots. Logan's mouth went totally dry and his body started to react to the sight in front of him and the memory of her lips. He imagined himself kissing down her neck to where her black choker was wrapped around her throat.

He knew that Dick was taunting her and trying to get him to join in. Normally he would've loved it. In fact, usually he would have beaten Dick to the punch.

'I've gotta get out of here before I really embarrass myself.' Logan ducked his head and blushed as he put his books in front of him and walked away. As he left, he heard Dick's voice, "Dude, where you going? Don't leave me hangin'."

Logan didn't stop until he turned the corner. Once he was sure everyone had gone about their business, he looked back down the hall just in time to see Veronica collide with that Troy kid. He watched them as Troy smiled and winked at her while they talked. Her back was to him, but it was obvious to Logan that they were flirting and it irritated him.

He hated admitting it to himself, but he knew this feeling. It was jealousy. He'd have to be stupid to not know that he was jealous. It was a known fact that Logan had a jealous streak, he used to show it all the time with Lilly. Veronica, though, wasn't his girlfriend, she wasn't even his friend anymore. He just didn't know why he was jealous or what to do about it.

'Why am I jealous over Veronica? Sure, I used to adore her, although she was too sweet for me. I would have broken her back then. I can admit, too, that she used to be pretty. Now, since she cut her hair and changed her clothes and her attitude, she's totally hot. Does that mean that I have feelings for her, though? I mean, I hate Veronica Mars! In what twisted world would I have real feelings for her? She betrayed us, remember that, Logan.' He reminds himself. 'I must just be horny and lonely right now. This will pass.' Logan's mind was racing trying to wrap itself around this situation.

He turned to go to his first class, determined that there would be no more thoughts of Veronica. He was lucky he wouldn't have to deal with her until lunch.

The rest of the morning went as planned. Veronica was able to avoid Logan and the rest of them by going straight to her classes. At lunch, she looked out into the quad and was able to relax a little after seeing the 09ers at their table. She went to her locker and replaced her morning books with the books for her afternoon classes. Dread set in, though, as she headed toward her next class. She had Journalism 4th period with none other than Logan Echolls. She decided to just eat her lunch in the empty classroom so she wouldn't have any premature run-ins with anyone.

Meanwhile, Logan is sitting at his normal lunch table with the normal people surrounding him, talking about all of the stuff they always talk about...surfing, shopping, rumors and parties. He's not really listening, though. He's too busy, too focused. He's continually scanning the quad, looking over at the empty table across the quad, looking at the doors that lead into the quad.
'Where is she? Not that I care.' He tells himself. 'Of course, it is strange that the first day back to school since the party and she's nowhere around. I wonder if she's avoiding me.' Logan actually thinks it's kind of funny if she is.

'Here we are avoiding each other over something that only one of us should be aware happened.'

"I've got something to do. I'll catch you guys later." Logan tells his buddies as he gets up to leave.

"See ya."

"Later, Dude."

'So much for getting her out of my mind! Here I am actually seeking her out. What am I doing?' Logan shakes his head and just allows his feet to keep propelling him forward, in search of Veronica Mars.

Reviewers: Thank you so much for your great and kind reviews. I love that you are loving the story. It's been an obsession of mine. I am almost done with it...I'm writing ch. 43 and I think I should have in wrapped up in about 5 chapters. I already have an idea for another story and it has started taking over my brain. It's still a S1, but pretty different than most of what I've read. Anyway, thanks again!