A/N : Loving the supportive reviews that tell me you guys are loving this fic - rock on all you readers/reviewers, and thanx muchly :-)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 11 - Dance The Night Away
"So, how is it for you so far?" Logan asked Veronica as they sat together on two garden chairs, not far from the pool, a drink each in their hands.
"It's actually pretty good" the blonde nodded, as she looked around, laughing as she saw others having fun, dunking each other in the water, "Or at least it was" the smile slid from her face as she saw Lilly arrive at the party.
Logan followed her eyeline and hated that he spotted his ex. He'd kind of hoped she wouldn't attend this party, and yet he'd known she obviously would. Madison was one of Lilly's clique, and there was no way she'd be a no-show tonight, unless Jake and Celeste physically locked her up, and he doubted they'd bother even trying. Grounding wouldn't change Lilly, a near-death experience hadn't. Logan honestly wondered if anything ever would.
"Veronica!" Lilly suddenly squealed, hurrying towards them, apparently not noticing that neither her old friend or ex looked at all glad to see her, "Wow, look at you. Liking the dress" she said as she looked Veronica over, the blonde just glanced away since she was neither bothered by her ex-best-friends opinion of her outfit, or wishing to look at how slutty Lilly was dressed right now.
"So what's the deal, Lil?" Logan asked her, catching her attention, "You stop by on your way to audition at Pole Dancers R Us?"
"Yeah, actually I was hoping you could give me directions, since you go there so much" she replied with faux-innocence.
Logan just faked a laugh and walked away, shooting an apologetic look at Veronica when she made to follow him and was stopped by Lilly taking his seat.
"So, you guys are getting pretty close, huh?" she began asking, but Veronica just turned away.
"Y'know what, Lilly? That's none of your business" she told her, getting angry, "It stopped being your business when we stopped being friends, and in case you forgot that happened when I found out what a bitch you really are" she said, slamming her drink down on the nearby table as she got to her feet and stormed away.
"Well, you did say the reception might be a little frosty with her" Lilly's new guy smirked as he came to stand before her.
"Frosty" she echoed, "Any colder and I'd have icicles hanging off me" she rolled her eyes, "But whatever, I'm actually kinda proud of her" Lilly shrugged as she got back to her feet and wrapped her arms around Weevil's neck, "It's good to know she got some balls lately, and besides I am a bitch"
"Ain't that the truth" her boyfriend agreed as they kissed, catching the attention of the last few 09ers that hadn't quite noticed the leather-clad biker in the centre of their party, "So, now you talked to Little Miss Priss, can we split?" he asked her, "I'm kinda standing out like, well, a Mexican at a white chick's party" he smirked.
"Me? Leave a party before I have to?" Lilly gasped, "Not a chance in hell" she said dramatically, grabbing Veronica's abandoned Coke and taking a gulp, "Eeew, this needs vodka!"
"I'm sorry" Logan apologised immediately that Veronica caught up with him, and they both watched from the other side of the patio as Lilly made an exhibition of herself with a drink in one hand, her other arm wrapped around Weevil's neck.
"It's okay" Veronica assured him, "It has to be tougher for you than me. She was my best friend, but you loved her, and the way she cheated on you... I can't understand how she ever got so twisted" she said, for lack of a better word.
"Lilly has always been Lilly" Logan half-smiled, shaking his head, "I think maybe we changed, got less tolerant of her crappy attitude"
"Maybe" Veronica agreed as silence fell over their particular corner of the party, "This sucks" she said suddenly, and with such volume and conviction that Logan almost dropped his drink, "We were having a really great time before Lilly and El Dirtbag showed up" she told her friend, "Why should that change?"
"Er, maybe because my ex is here with a sleaze and..." he changed what he was going to say as he spotted something that made much more of a difference than his previous sentence, "and your ex just showed up with Princess Barbie" he finished, pointing in the general direction of Duncan, who had just taken a seat pool-side with Meg Manning.
Veronica was a little surprised. Despite having dumped her some time ago, Duncan hadn't been seen out in public, or anywhere for that matter, with another girl. It was one thing Veronica was grateful to him for, that he hadn't rubbed her face in the fact he could easily get another girlfriend. Duncan had some decency left in him it seemed, despite the disgusting way in which he had dumped Veronica by simply stopping seeing her.
"I am so sick of the Kanes running my life" she said suddenly getting to her feet, grabbing Logan's hand as she did so and dragging him up with her.
"Is this the part where you use me physically to get over Duncan?" Logan asked, with a wicked smirk and glint in his eye.
"You wish" she shot back at him, wondering if he'd really meant that as a pure joke or not, and knowing deep down that getting that close to Logan seemed far from a repulsive idea, though she wouldn't be doing it because of Duncan at all - that ship had sailed.
"So, what are we doing?" Logan wanted to know as he was pulled towards the bar.
"I lost my drink" she explained, "So I'm going to get another one, and then we're going to dance, and laugh, and have fun at this party, even if it kills us both" she told Logan firmly.
He smirked at her sudden bout of determination to have a good time, in spite of the fates conspiring against them. It was just one more thing to add to the list of stuff that made Veronica Mars so amazing to him. The more time they spent together the more he realised just how much he was really starting to like her in a way that went far beyond the bounds of friendship.
"Come on, don't flake on me now, Mars" Logan complained as she gave up dancing with him and tripped over to an abandoned sun-lounger to sit down for a minute.
"I'm too tired for more dancing" she told him, though honestly that was only half the reason she'd chosen this particular moment to sit.
The tempo of the music in this latest mix and slowed considerably, and Veronica wasn't sure she could handle a slow dance with Logan yet. She'd had a couple of mildly alcoholic drinks amongst several of the soft variety, but she was slightly unsteady and giggly and didn't trust herself to be held in has arms right now.
She was feeling things that she really never expected to for her ex-best friend's ex-boyfriend. The problem was, they were pretty much all that each other had right now. Moving from friendship to something more, Veronica and Logan were gambling what was between them, and could easily end up being even more alone than they already were. The temptation could not be worth the risk.
"I guess we kinda danced the night away enough" Logan agreed with a sigh as he sat down beside her, noticing as she had now, the change in music style and tempo.
Slow dancing with Veronica was not something he'd experienced before and whilst he quite liked the idea of it, he knew deep down it was a bad idea. It was clear she wasn't willing from her sudden need to not be dancing, plus it would only ruin their friendship in the long run, and Logan couldn't bear that.
"Meg, over here!" Lilly yelled, catching the attention of half the party, "Bring Donut too, it's time for Truth or Dare!" she declared with a flamboyant gesture, from her position in Weevil's lap.
"Oh, great" Meg sighed as she and Duncan passed by Veronica and Logan, not looking overly impressed at the invitation, "I don't suppose you two want to join us, spread out the odds a little?" she asked the pair.
Duncan looked at Veronica with a decidedly uncomfortable expression before glancing away. Most of her secrets, sexy or otherwise, involved him. He'd been her first and only serious boyfriend after all.
"Hmm, Truth or Dare with my ex and her new boyfriend" Logan said raising one hand in front of him, the other to follow as he continued, weighing up options as if on scales, "or staying here and avoiding the whole bitching thing by talking to the one person with a brain at this party? It's a stumper" he shook his head.
"C'mon, Meg" Duncan pulled his date by the hand, and she shot Veronica a half-smile as they walked away.
"Wow" the blonde turned to Logan, "You seem to have acquired this very weird habit of complimenting me tonight, Mr Echolls" she said with a smirk, finding that she could manage to cover her embarrassment at his praise quite well by making a semi-joke about it.
"If it annoys you, I can stop" he smirked back at her, "I do a good line in spoilt rich kid, but I think we've all had enough of that one for a while" he said with a wry smile as Lilly decided to make her presence known once again.
"Hey guys, c'mon!" she yelled to them, "Don't be chickens, it's just a game" she urged them.
"Did she just imply that we're chicken?" Veronica asked Logan, with semi-faked shock.
"I thought she did, but I can hardly believe she'd dare" he said, with similar expression, "Oh no wait, I can" he suddenly changed expression and tone, making them both smile.
"Well, never let it be said Veronica Mars can't rise to any given challenge" the blonde said, lifting her chin and holding her hand out for Logan to take, "I'm game, you with me?"
"All the way" he nodded with a look in his eye that made Veronica shudder involuntarily as he took her offered hand and they headed over to join the game.
"Okay, who's up next...?" Lilly asked as she played ring leader in the monster game of Truth or Dare that half the party now seemed to be playing.
Logan and Veronica stood behind the people opposite Lilly, Weevil, Madison, and the birthday girl, Shelley. All their eyes were suddenly upon the two reluctant players and Madison grinned almost evilly.
"Maybe it should be Veronica's turn" she suggested, "We haven't heard a peep out of her tonight"
"What do you say, V?" Lilly asked her old friend with a grin, "Truth or Dare?"
"I'll go with Truth" she said, "You know I always do"
Logan was kind of worried by now, though he didn't show it, just kept a tonight hold of Veronica's hand out of view of most of the people around them. She could get any kind of question here, especially from Lilly. She knew just what to say to really embarrass the both of them, and he was sure she would if she could.
"I have a question" Shelley suddenly raised her hand, bouncing in her seat like Tigger on speed, and honestly, neither Logan nor Veronica was sure whether to be less worried or more so.
"Okay, Shelley" the blonde said bravely, "Let's hear it"
"Something I wanna know for sure, Veronica Mars" she smirked, "Are you still a virgin?"
An audible gasp and general giggle went round the table as all eyes turned to Veronica alone. Logan was pretty sure he knew what answer was coming, although she could always lie if she wanted to. He wasn't sure which answer would get a better reaction.
"Oh, Shelley, is that the best you can do?" she asked with an appropriate eye roll, "Of course I'm still a virgin" she told her easily, "I'm sure Lilly already told you that anyway, so it was kind of a pointless question" she sighed, coming off so terribly nonchalant and yet Logan could feel her shaking beside him.
The look he gave her as she glanced his way told her he'd never been so proud in his life, and she was glad of his support. It had taken a lot for her to say that in front of everybody and yet she shouldn't have to worry about it.
"We have nothing to be ashamed of, right?" she whispered the words that had almost become their motto these past few days, and Logan nodded in agreement as the game continued.
To Be Continued...