About one year later…
"Logan Echolls!" Logan walked up the three steps to the outdoor stage, accepted his diploma and shook the principal's hand. He moved his tassel to the other side. Looking out into the crowd, Logan noticed Keith Mars beaming as if Logan were his own son. It made Logan simultaneously happy and sad. Keith had been so good to him over the past year, but every little kindness just reminded Logan that he had no family left in this world. Oh, but Aaron was still kicking. Somewhat unbelievably. He was finally going to trial for the murder of his wife, something he continued to deny having any part in to anyone who would listen. People didn't really want to listen though. In Neptune, Aaron Echolls' word was mud. He was white trash hoodlum scum. Still, nobody really knew his motive or, shit, even his weapon. It was all a big mess but the silver lining was that Logan hadn't seen his father since the day at the hospital. Duncan and Lilly were being called to testify but not Logan (even though he had stories to shock the jury). Lilly was surely pissed off that she had to leave her new home of New York City to return to podunk little Neptune for the trial. Apparently Lilly was sleeping with two of her professors (one male, one female) at Columbia-not for the grades, mind you, but for the sheer hell of it. At least that's what she told Veronica. Meanwhile, Aaron had brought a sort of unwelcome notoriety to the Echolls family. Logan thought about getting out of Neptune too someday and starting over. Kids at school looked at him funny but so what? Logan had no father as far as he was concerned…
"Duncan Kane!" Duncan loped onto the stage and smiled big for his dad's Nikon camera. Duncan had gotten off with little more than a slap on the wrist for shooting a man in front of the cops. In some ways, he had a charmed life. The Kanes weren't the type of family to send their kids to Hearst College. Sure, it was a good school but they could afford to send their kids anywhere and Duncan had the grades to go somewhere great. Duncan was leaving it all behind and moving out East to join his sister. He was actually going to Brown, not Columbia, but they'd be close enough to see each other every once in a while. New York was a little bit much for Duncan-whenever he went there with his parents, he got a little anxious. Lilly on the other hand was in heaven.
"Veronica Mars!" Veronica stepped carefully in her high heels and waved to her dad. High school, in many ways, had sucked. She was so glad to be moving on with her life. Hearst was going to be the beginning of her real life. She was going to live with her dad for the first year, while Logan went to community college and tried to pull his grades up so Hearst would admit him as a sophomore. Then they would get an apartment together. It was all planned out… Logan had told Veronica in no uncertain terms that he couldn't live with Keith anymore now that he was turning eighteen and they were graduating. Logan was working his old ice cream job and also as a surf instructor and had his security deposit all saved up for his first solo apartment. He felt pathetic about how excited he was over this development. Even though Keith Mars was great, Logan still walked on eggshells in the Mars house because it wasn't his home. He didn't want to screw anything up, piss anybody off; he still felt like he didn't know all the rules. And now that he and Veronica were officially dating and yet living under her dad's roof… She would stroke his arm or kiss his lips and he would push her away. He couldn't let her dad think Logan was taking advantage of his daughter and the situation. Veronica wasn't scared of her dad at all, but Logan still was. When you're used to people fucking with you, it's hard to relax.
Logan and Veronica threw their caps up in the air and then raced to go find each other. He picked her up and swung her around. They kissed. Veronica whispered in his ear: "It's all going to be ok."
Logan pulled back a little and looked Veronica dead in the eye. For this first time in his life, he agreed and wasn't lying. "I know. I've got you." It felt like the world around them had disappeared, even as Keith and Duncan were approaching. At the start of junior year, Logan pretty much didn't think happiness was possible. Living with his father, every day felt like a tense eternity. But now he knew, you could make your own life. Whatever shit other people put on you, it wasn't your fault. And fuck 'em all.