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LoVe in the Time of Hate
Veronica held the cool, wet paper towel to the back of her neck, completely dazed and disoriented by the kiss she'd just shared with Logan. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Two public make-out sessions? In the halls of Neptune High? On your first day back to school? What are you thinking?" She took a few deep breaths and waited for answers she knew would never come, then she hopped up on the bathroom sink, needing one more minute to herself before she joined Logan for lunch.
It was the best kiss they had ever shared. The best kiss she'd ever shared with anyone. Hands-down, move to the front of the line, chalk it up in the record books, Best Kiss Ever. Her eyes crossed, her knees went weak, her heart sped up like she was running a marathon. She could swear she heard frinkin' music playing in her head! And when Logan finally let her go, and she saw how difficult it was for him to release her, he stared at her, as if he was seeing her for the first time.
She banged the back of her head against the mirror. Ugh! There she was, being all cliche-girl again. But, god, it was so true!
Something had changed. Veronica couldn't put her finger on it, but something had changed. Even though he'd asked her to kiss him, the second their lips touched, Logan had taken control. And there was a... a desperation in his kiss, almost like he was trying to tell her something without words.
The detective in her, that nagging little junior PI who always needed to know the truth, wanted to ask him what he was thinking. But her girl instincts, and sometimes she swore most of them died when Lilly did, told her it wasn't the time to push. So she didn't. And it wasn't because she respected Logan's privacy - please! And it wasn't because she thought Logan wouldn't tell her. No, she hadn't asked because she was afraid he would tell her. And whatever was going on inside his head, she wasn't sure she was prepared to deal with it.
But the kiss... Ooooh... the kiss was incredible. And definitely something she'd like to do again. Soon. With less people around. And maybe, if she didn't freak out, fewer clothes involved.
Of course, she wasn't sure about that either. It was probably just her hormones talking.
--- VVV
After a small argument, it was decided that Logan would sit with the '09ers and Veronica would sit at her usual lunch table. Things were bad enough, he didn't need to agitate his friends by dissing them at lunch, and there was no way in hell she was eating with Madison Sinclair. That left them with one option.
Logan walked her to her table where Wallace was waiting. He said hey, and shifted nervously while she explained that he wouldn't be eating with them. Wallace seemed to understand, and as soon as Logan knew he hadn't lost points with Veronica's best friend by ditching them, he joined the '09ers. Dick and Beav had saved him a seat and he slid in between the two brothers. Someone had ordered Chinese; Logan wasn't sure who. He grabbed an eggroll, absently ate it, and paid no attention to the conversation going on around him.
Truthfully, Logan didn't put up too much of a fight about the lunch arrangements. He needed a little distance from Veronica before he accidentally blurted out the one sentence that still occupied most of his brain functions. He'd seen the way she looked at him after they kissed, could almost hear the question poised on the tip of her tongue. And god knew if she'd asked, he wouldn't have been able to hold it in. But she'd didn't, so he didn't, and now he needed to find a way not to until she was ready to hear it.
Christ! He was in love with her. What the hell was he supposed to do with that piece of information? He couldn't tell her. He couldn't. First off, there were way too many other things going on, and if told her, they'd have to deal with it. He'd have to explain. Try to convince her. She'd say it was too soon, and then he'd have to admit he thought it was something that had been there for quite a while. As in years. That it might be one of the reasons he'd felt so betrayed when she told Lilly about him kissing that other girl. Because he loved her. And she'd ratted him out. To his girlfriend. No, that wouldn't be an awkward conversation at all.
Then there was the whole running thing. Because Veronica was a runner. A sprinter. She'd be gone before he finished the sentence. She'd stay in the hotel suite until her father was released from the hospital, but Logan's bedroom privileges would definitely be revoked. And when she did move back home, she'd use every means possible to avoid him. Logan was open with his emotions; he always had been. His prominent emotion being anger, but still. Veronica on the other hand, liked to keep her emotions tucked away, and if told her how he felt, she'd bury them even deeper. She was scared of getting hurt again, he knew that, especially by him. Any mention of the word love would terrify her.
Logan owned up to the fact he was a little terrified too. Veronica kept assuring him she wanted to be with him, but Duncan still worried him. If Mr. I'm-Not-Your-Brother-After-All made a play for her, Logan knew he didn't stand a chance. And Duncan making a play was almost a forgone conclusion. Meg was doing a fine job of announcing to the world exactly how her ex felt about Veronica. If Logan admitted how he felt and then lost her, it would hurt too much. It was going to hurt enough when it eventually happened. No need to let her know how invested he was.
Someone bumped into him. The guy mumbled an apology; Logan barely noticed. But it did pull him out of his own head long enough to see Madison staring at him. "What?" Logan asked harshly.
Madison tilted her head and pouted, a move that could get Veronica anything she wanted, but only made the other girl look constipated. "So," she started slowly. "You and Veronica? That's a joke, right? I mean, I know what you said at that party a few weeks ago, but you weren't serious."
Logan noticed quite a few ears perk up and conversation die down around him. Seemed everyone was interested in his love life. "What I said at my house still stands. Anyone who's got a problem with Ronnie isn't someone I need to know. She's my girlfriend, and nobody talks bad about my girlfriend." There was no mistaking the threat that lay beneath his words.
Madison's lip curled in disgust. "But she's, like, Veronica Mars. And you hate Veronica Mars. You're the President of the I Hate Veronica Mars Club." She leaned over so her top gaped open. "Come on, Logan. You can tell us the truth. What kind of game are you playing?"
Logan kept his eyes locked on Madison's face, purposely ignoring the free show she intended to give him. "You know what they say, Maddie. There's a thin line between love and hate." He smirked, quirked an eyebrow. "Why are you so interested in who I date? Trust me, you'd never make the list."
Madison quickly righter herself, visibly stung by Logan's comment. "As if I'd date the son of a murderer," she said, doing her best to look repulsed instead of resentful, and failing miserable. Then she hopped up from the table and strutted away.
Logan smiled at her retreating form. He could always count on Madison to open a can of worms. He slowly looked around the table, noticed no one would make eye contact with him, not even Dick or Beaver. He hated it, hating the waiting, and all the bitterness he felt earlier came crashing back in on him. "Ah, come on, guys. Just say what you're thinking. My dad killed Lilly. My dad slept withher, videotaped it, and then killed her." Logan stood up, his voice growing louder the angrier he became. "My dad fucked my girlfriend, videotaped it, then killed Jake and Celeste's little girl. See? It's not that difficult. I bet there are a hundred different ways you can say it." His outburst had caught the attention of the entire quad by now. Lunches were forgotten as all eyes fixed on him. He hit the table with his fists, scattering flatware and paper plates, spilling someone's drink. "Just do it! Get it over with! Say what your thinking! Grow a pair and stop waiting around for Duncan's fucking approval!" He caught sight of Veronica, knew she was seconds away from coming to him. If she tried to comfort him, he'd breakdown, and he refused to do that in the middle of the quad. He stormed off before she could get the chance.
Veronica threw her notebook into her messenger bag, intent on following Logan wherever he went, but Wallace's hand on her arm stopped her. "Don't go after him."
Veronica wrenched her arm away. "Are you nuts? Did you not see what just happened?"
"Yeah, I saw it." Wallace stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "You know what else I saw? I saw him look at you, and go in the opposite direction. If he wanted you, he would have walked over here. It's obvious he wants to be alone." She tried to side step him and Wallace grabbed her arm again. "Veronica! Listen to me! Leave him alone! It's what he wants!"
She watched Logan slam through the doors of the school, and her heart broke for him. But he never turned around, never glanced back in her direction. She stopped straining against Wallace and slumped back down to her seat. "You're right. I know you're right. But I can't stand to see him in that much pain and not do anything."
Wallace sat down beside her, his hand on her arm for support, not restraint. "At least he got to handle it on his own terms. He stood up to them. He didn't hide from it. You've got to be proud of him." Hell, he was proud of Logan. It took guts to do what he'd done, calling out his friends like that. And Wallace developed a little more respect for Logan Echolls.
Veronica shot a murdering glance at the '09er table. They were all hurriedly talking now and she could see the looks of absolute glee of their faces. To them Logan's emotional outburst was nothing more than something to gossip about, to laugh at. They were enjoying it! He was in pain and they were enjoying it. "Bunch of back-stabbing bastards. I can't believe I used to think those people were my friends. Any of them hurt him and I will make them regret it."
Wallace chuckled. "Now that's more like it. That's the girl the brotha likes to see." The corner of Veronica's lip turned-up in a half-smile. Wallace pulled her head down to his shoulder. "He's gonna to be alright, Veronica. He's got you in his corner. He doesn't need anything else."
--- VVV
Veronica was nervous and pre-occupied for the rest of lunch. Her eyes flitting to the school doors, looking for any sign of Logan, but he didn't return, and she started questioning the wisdom of not going after him in the first place. Then, about fifteen minutes before the end of the period, she got a text-message. She checked the ID and smiled with relief. It was Logan. She flipped open her phone. Girl's locker room. She typed in a quick reply, then beamed at Wallace. "It's Logan. I gotta go."
Wallace waved her on. "Well, yeah. Get the hell out of here." He watched her practically run through the quad, while he shook his head and smiled.
As she walked through the hallway she vaguely wondered why Logan had picked the girl's locker room and not her 'office' for their meeting. Of course, there was no PE class scheduled after lunch, so maybe he wanted a place he knew was going to be deserted for a while. She had no problem skipping French to spend time with him, not if he needed her. She might even suggest skipping the rest of the day. Her dad would just have to understand. She pushed the door to the locker room open and called his name. "Logan?" She looked around, walked passed the line of lockers. "Logan, where are you?" she asked, her worry and concern evident.
She was completely unprepared for the hand that grabbed her wrist, twisted her arm behind her back, and slammed her against the concrete wall. "Sorry, Veronica," the threatening voice said from behind her. "I'm afraid Logan's not here right now." Her messenger bag was quickly stripped off her arm and thrown across the room before she had time to register what was going on. "It's just you and me, baby."
Veronica turned her head to see Tad Wilson looming over her. The last time she'd seen the '09er, he was taped to the flagpole and she'd ripped the bandage off his shoulder, exposing his new, unauthorized tattoo to the world. This was not good. Not good at all. She tried to grasp at him with her free hand, hoping to jab her nails into whatever exposed skin she could find, but he was staying far enough to her left that she couldn't reach him. "Whatever you have planned, you're not going to get away with it."
She felt Tad's free hand roam over her thigh and suppressed the urge to gag. "Now see, the first thing most girls would do is scream for help. But not you." His hand drifted higher, under the front of her shirt. "Not the great Veronica Mars." He dug his fingers into the tender flesh of her stomach. "What do I have to do to make you scream? Make you beg?"
A wave of panic washed over her and Veronica tried to push it aside, but it was difficult. Her taser was in her messenger bag, far out of reach. She'd told Wallace she was meeting Logan, but didn't tell him where she was going. None of her friends were in her French class, so no one would miss her when she didn't show up. And the locker room was practically sound proof and deserted for the next hour. She was on her own. But she only needed to get away from him for a second. Just a second and she could lung for her bag. "I don't beg!" She braced her legs, pushed back from the wall with everything she had.
But Tad was prepared for her. He slammed her back again, her forehead hitting the wall so hard, she grew dizzy. "You ruined my life, Veronica."
Oh god, the way he said her name. He sounded so much like Aaron. She couldn't pass-out. No matter what happened she couldn't pass-out. She couldn't be unconscious, completely at his mercy. Two images fused in her mind. Waking up in Shelley's guest bedroom and waking up in the freezer. She couldn't let it happen again.
He pulled her back and slammed her against the wall once more. She heard her shirt rip as her body scraped down the concrete. His mouth was close to her ear and she could feel his hot breath an her cheek. "You're going to pay, you nosy bitch!" he spat.
"Get off of her, Wilson!" Veronica heard another voice say. Unfortunately as familiar as the voice was, it didn't inspire confidence, despite his words.
Tad tensed behind her, then turned to see the intruder and relaxed. "Echolls isn't here, you don't have to pretend. You hate this slut as much as I do. You know she deserves it. Turn around and walk out."
"No!" Veronica cried out in fear. Tad shoved her hard into the wall as punishment, but she didn't care. This was her only chance. "Please!" and she was begging, like Tad had wanted.
Dick took a menacing step closer, his hands fisted at his sides. "You can let her go or I can make you let her go. Your choice."
"Fuck you!" Tad yelled.
And then Veronica was thrown across the room, Tad's nails dragging along her wrist and down her hand as he tried to keep a hold of her. She landed on her hip. The same hip she'd landed on three days earlier when she scaled the fence at Logan's house. The same hip she'd bruised in her fight with Aaron. She groaned in pain as she scurried away from the two boys fighting in front of her, searching for her messenger bag and realizing she'd have to get passed them to get to it, to get to her taser, to get out.
Fortunately, that wasn't going to be necessary. Tad was no match for Dick and the fight lasted only long enough for Dick to land two solid punches to Tad's midsection and one powerful punch to his jaw. Tad was grappling for control, but it was a lost cause.
And then another voice filled the room. "A party and I wasn't invited?" Veronica saw Weevil, and she half cried - half laughed as her body sagged in relief. Weevil gave Dick a passing glance. "You got that?" he said as walked passed him and headed straight for Veronica.
"Yeah, I got it." Dick slammed Tad up against the wall, held him there by his throat as the beaten boy continued to struggle.
"Keep him there for a second." Weevil crouched down in front of Veronica, his voice filled with concern. "You okay, V?"
"Oh god, Weevil!" Veronica cried as she launched herself into his arms, clutching him to her despite her throbbing muscles. "How did you know?"
He held her close, running a protective hand over her head and down her back. "Carmen's still got some '09er friends. She heard something, passed it along to me. I didn't know how reliable the information was, but I figured I should watch out for you."
Carmen, Tad's ex-girlfriend. Veronica owed her now. She buried her head in Weevil's chest, feeling safe and secure, and yet at the same time wishing he was Logan. "You should have told me."
"I did. I told you to stick close." Weevil put a little distance between them so he could check her injuries. He lightly touched her forehead. The slightly healed bruise was red and agitated again. "What the hell are you doin' in here?" The question came out harsher than he intended, but the possibility of what might have happened to her, scared the hell out of him.
"I got a text from..." Veronica's voices trailed off as her panic returned full force. "He's got Logan's phone." She tried to stand, but her hip was killing her "What did you do to Logan! Where is he?" she screamed.
"Easy there, tiger." Weevil helped her to stand, but kept her close. "You're boyfriend's fine. He's in the library. He's been there since he left the quad. Felix is watching him."
Veronica sagged back against him. She was trying to put the pieces together, but they weren't making any sense. There was no way Logan had anything to do with this. "I got a text-message from Logan. It said to meet him here."
Dick did a quick search of Tad's pockets and pulled out a cell phone. He held it up so Veronica could see. "Yeah, it's Logan's. I'm not sure how he got it though."
Weevil stepped in front of Veronica, gently but firmly putting his hands on her shoulders, as he looked into her eyes. "V, I hate to do this, but we gotta make a quick decision here. I can get Clemmons and you can report this. Or I can take this guy outta here right now, and you won't have to worry about it. You already know how I feel."
Tad, who'd been making all sorts of noises no one was listening to, grew quiet as the meaning of the PCHers words sunk in. Veronica looked at him over Weevil's shoulder, looked back at Weevil. Her first instinct was to report it; she was the sheriff's daughter after all. And Tad deserved to be in jail. But he'd get bail and when Logan found him... She tried to balance what was right with what was necessary. Finally, she drew a deep breath. "You can't kill him," she said earnestly.
Weevil smirked at her. "Yeah, I can, but I won't. Gotta admit, I've had plans for this guy since Carmen, but you'd feel responsible and I can't let that happen. But only for you, chica." He was reluctant to leave her, but he needing to get Tad out of the building before the halls flooded with students. He turned to Dick. "You take care of her?" Dick nodded and Weevil sighed, not liking the fact he had to trust the '09er, but not having much of a choice. "Then I'll take that off your hands now." Dick happily released Tad into the PCHer's custody. Weevil's grip was firm around Tad's arm. "Don't even think about runnin'. My boys are waitin' for you right outside that door."
"Wait!" Weevil stopped at Veronica's command. She limped over to them, Dick's hand materializing around her waist to lend support. She stood in front of Tad, needing an answer only he could provide. "Why risk it? You graduate in three weeks, then you're off to Annapolis. I could still e-mail that web page to your friends, your new college buddies. Why risk all that coming after me?"
Tad might be beaten and unsure of what the PCHers were going to do to him, but his anger at Veronica hadn't diminished. "Do you know how painful it is to have a tattoo removed? How many times I have to go under that fucking laser? Carmen got what was coming to her and you will too. This isn't over."
"See, that's where you're wrong." Weevil flashed a smile that didn't quite go with the anger in his eyes or his body language. "You ain't coming after my girl again. You ain't even gettin' close."
"I'm not scared of you." Tad struggled, but Weevil's hand tightened painfully. "Are you willing to go to jail for this bitch? You haven't done anything yet. Let me go now and I won't press charges."
"Press charges?" Dick started to laugh and it echoed through the room. "Dude, you attacked her. You took your shot, and you got busted. Now, you're gonna get the beat-down you deserve, and then you're gonna fade away. You're not gonna report it to the sheriff. You're not gonna do a damn thing. Don't kid yourself, man. It is over."
Tad knew Veronica and the PCHer were friends, but Dick's presence in the locker room made no sense. "Why the hell are you involved in this, Casablancas? It's none of your business."
Dick shrugged and bopped on his heels, a giant California blond surfer boy with no worries or responsibilities. "It's Logan's business, which makes it mine. We're all a little protective of our Ronniekins right now." Then his expression turned dark, and the surfer boy faded away, revealing a man emanating power and aggression. "I'll destroy you, Wilson. You get within ten feet of her again, and the PCHers will be the least of your worries." Tad took a step back from the alpha '09er, true fear registering for the first time. Dick moved closer, bent his head so he was inches from Tad's face. "I will destroy you," he repeated quietly. It wasn't a threat; it was a promise.
After the little exchange, Weevil dragged Tad out the door, leaving Dick and Veronica alone. Now that the danger was over, Dick wasn't sure how to approach her. He knew she had no reason to trust him. "Ronnie?" he said uncertainly. Veronica leaned forward and Dick bundled her in his arms. "Nothing's going to happen to you, Ronnie. Not this time." And then he held her as she cried.
When she was numb from the tears, Veronica finally pulled back. "What are you doing here?" she asked, completely confused and still shaken from what had happened only ten minutes earlier. Dick, Dick Casablancas, a person she considered one of the lowest forms of life on the planet, had saved her.
Dick sheepishly grinned. "I heard the same rumors. I knew I couldn't tell Logan; he'd go ballistic. And I wasn't sure you'd believe me, so I followed Wilson. I lost him for a minute, but then I saw you heading towards the gym, and that didn't seem right." His grin faded and he frowned down at her. "If I hadn't checked the boy's locker room first, I would have been here before he could touch you. I'm sorry."
Veronica gave him a weak smile as she awkwardly patted his arm, feeling like she was living in the Twilight Zone. "Nothing to be sorry about. You got here just in time."
Dick brushed her hair back from her head, looked at her hands. "You've got a nasty bump and your hand and wrist aren't looking too good. Did he... do anything else?" His stomach quaked at the question, remembering what she hadn't told him a few nights earlier.
"I'll have a couple more bruises, but I think that's all. Can you help me to the mirror? I want to see how bad it is." Dick helped her walk to the length of mirrors opposite the showers. She leaned forward to get a better look at her forehead, her hip screaming in pain. She wasn't sure what grudge the universe held against her hip, but it was definitely getting the brunt of abuse. She checked out her face, her hands, rolled up her sleeves to get a better look at her lower arms, lifted her shirt to see the developing bruises on her stomach. With all the damage from her fight with Aaron, most people wouldn't be able to see the new injuries, but her friends would know. Her friends, and Logan, and her dad. Oh, her dad. She pushed him to the back of her mind to be dealt with later.
Dick hovered beside her, watching her closely. "What are you going to tell Logan?"
"The truth," Veronica said on a sigh as she turned to him. "He'll see through any lie I try to tell him. But I don't want anyone else to know, not unless I tell them." She glanced away from him, biting her bottom lip as she thought over the next few sentences she had to say. "Logan told me you're... sorry about what happened to me. I'm not sure I believe that, but I promised him I'd at least consider your apology. Actions mean more to me than words, so I'm going to trust you not to say anything about this. It's difficult for me to do, but I don't have a choice. "
Dick nodded solemnly, knowing there was nothing he could say, nothing she'd believe. Veronica wanted action, and that's what he'd give her. "Let's get you cleaned up." She told him where to find the first aid kit in the PE teacher's office and Dick rummaged around the locker room until he found her a shirt to replace her torn one. Her turned his back without being asked so she could change. Once she was cleaned up and dressed, he guided her back to the bench so she could sit down. "I think the story should be that you fell on the back stairs outside the building. You went to the car to get a book you left inside and you fell coming back in. You tried to brace yourself with your hand, that's why it's all messed up, and you bumped your head on the railing. Your jeans are a little scuffed, which would make sense if you fell, and it explains why you're sore and how you tore your shirt. Your other hands okay because it was holding the book. Does that cover everything?"
Veronica was actually impressed. She titled her head, and looked at him with surprise. "That's not bad for spur of the moment. You're good at this."
Dick smiled down at her. "Yeah, well, if you fall down drunk as many times as I have, and have to make up stories so your dad doesn't get pissed, you get good at it." He offered her his hand. "I'll walk you to class."
But Veronica didn't take it, instead she let out another little sigh. "Can we... stay here... a little longer?" Her eyes pleaded with him. "I'm not ready to face anyone yet."
"Sure, Ronnie. Whatever you want." He sat down next to her on the bench, keeping a small distance between them so she wouldn't feel crowded.
Veronica moved closer and tentatively laid her head against his shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper. "Thank you, Dick."
Dick didn't say a word.
--- VVV
Veronica normally saw Wallace between French and study hall, but not seeing her wouldn't raise any suspicion. She'd gotten a few strange looks from people she considered partial friends, people she'd done favors for in the past, and when they asked her what happened, she repeated the story Dick created. Everyone seemed to buy it. There were some comments made about her clumsiness, but she could live with them. It was better than the alternative. She avoided seeing Mac and Meg by taken a different route to her locker after study hall, but avoiding Logan wasn't going to be an option.
A part of her, a tiny part, hoped he'd been so upset earlier, that he left school for the day. But Weevil had assured her Logan retreated to the library after what happened in the quad, and she saw the Xterra still parked in the school lot, so she knew she couldn't hide for long. She patiently waited for him to show up at her locker, her face buried inside, not wanting him to catch sight of her from down the hall. She grew more and more tense as the seconds ticked away, and then she heard his voice.
"I know I owe you an apology." Logan's arms wrapped around her from behind. Veronica couldn't contain the wince of pain nor the gasp that escaped. He abruptly let her go. "What's wrong?"
She wished she could avoid doing this in the hall, but whether they were in the hall or in journalism class, she knew he was going to explode. "Don't yell and I'll explain everything." She slowly turned to face him.
Logan saw the additional bump on her head and it's accompanying bruise. His jaw tightened and his eyes blazed. "Who did this to you? And where else are you hurt?" he asked threw clenched teeth.
Veronica did her best to play it off, smirking up at him. "A caring boyfriend would have asked about my injuries first." Logan growled at her, obviously not appreciating the joke, and she gave up. She stroked his cheek with her good hand. "I'm okay, Logan, really." She held up her other hand for inspection, which is exactly what he did as she continued to talk. "There are a few more bruises, which I can't show you at the moment, and I fell on my hip. The one that was already bruised, so it's a little tender."
Logan placed a delicate kiss on her palm before raising his eyes to hers. "You winced when I touched your stomach."
There it was again. The gentleness he showed her, even through his anger. Veronica wanted nothing more than to curl up into him and let him take care of her, but she couldn't do that. She stopped showing that type of weakness in public long ago. "That's one of the bruises I can't show you right now. Unless you want me to flash the entire student body."
"You'll show me everything later." It was a statement, not a request. Still, Veronica nodded in agreement. Logan's eyes turned dangerous again, his voice low and menacing. "Who, Veronica. Give me a name."
She shook her head. "I'm not going to do that." He started to protest, but she held up her hand to stop him. "I'll tell you when we get home, I promise, but not now. And yelling at me isn't going to get you the information you want, so don't even think about it," she warned him.
She was being stubborn, and Logan's anger turned to agitation. "Did you report it? Because I sure as hell haven't seen the cops around. And since it happened to you, I know Burrows would be here."
This situation kept getting better and better... Veronica knew he wasn't going to like the next part either. "I didn't report it, but it's being... handled."
Whatever control Logan had, finally snapped. "It's being handled?" he yelled. "What the hell does that mean?"
She flinched as his voice flooded the hall. People were staring now, which was exactly what she didn't want; they were getting enough attention as it was. "Logan, calm down."
"Calm down? Are you serious? You get attacked and you won't tell who did it. Then you tell me you didn't report it, but it's being handled? Who's handling -" Understanding dawned on Logan's face. He took a step back from her, running his hands through his hair. "Weevil." Veronica slowly nodded, and watched as his emotions twisted from anger to jealousy. "Since you are my girlfriend, I'd prefer to handle it myself, but if it's Weevil! I'm so glad he was around to take care of it for you."
It was the snarky Logan tone of old and Veronica's own control snapped. She narrowed her eyes and poked her finger in his chest. "I didn't report it because I knew you would go after the guy, and you can't afford to do that. I didn't choose Weevil over you, and I didn't run to him for help. He was there, and he offered, and I knew it was the best way to deal with the situation. For all of us." She swiftly turned and snatched her books out of her locker. "I don't like what I did. I don't like it at all. I was trying to protect you." She slammed the locker shut, but refused to look at him. "You want to be mad at me? Fine! But stay the hell away from me. This is the second time today I've been attacked. I don't appreciate it." Then she stormed off down the hall before he could stop her.
---TBC
For those who reviewed the last chapter, thank you, thank you, thank you. We all knew Logan would be first to admit how he feels, but I knew it wasn't time for him to say it yet.
I like making Veronica dense when it comes to love, because honestly, I think she is. She has a tendency to ignore the good stuff and only want to see the bad. It takes time to get through that thick skull of hers.
Tad Wilson is the creeping boyfriend who blackmailed his girlfriend Carmen to stay with him (episode 1.20 M.A.D). I always felt he would try to get back at Veronica. He wasn't the type to let anything go. And it made the perfect situation for Dick to start redeeming himself.
In case you missed it, Logan got 'bumped' at lunch. That's when someone took his phone. And Weevil hinted to Veronica in the parking lot that something was up, but he never got a chance to tell her what it was.
Please review. I crave the attention!