I hadn't initially planned to write more on this story, but there seemed to be some interest in me doing so, so here it is. Hope you like it.
Summary: Veronica needs a ride and there is only one person around to give it to her.
Do I own it? Sadly no, but I love it as if it were my very own.
Please R&R.
"Man. I just can't believe you actually used to be friends with that guy." Wallace remarked as he and Veronica sat down to lunch. She looked over in the direction her friend was staring to see Logan Echolls and Dick Casablancas playing keep away with some freshman's notebook.
"Yeah, well he wasn't always such a..." Veronica grasped for the right word.
"Jackass." Wallace supplied.
Veronica cocked her head to one side and thought about it, "Well no, actually he was always kind of a jackass. He just used to be more of a good-natured jackass as opposed to a mean spirited one" She explained. "Lilly's death changed him." She added taking on a much more somber tone. Just then ex- boyfriend Duncan Kane walked into her field of vision, greeting Logan with a nod, not lifting a finger to stop the taunting of the young freshman was enduring at the hands of his best pal. Veronica shook her head at the image. "It changed all of us."
"Even you?" Veronica hadn't realized how far she had drifted in her own head space until Wallace's voice broke through.
"Huh?"
"You said' it changed all of us.' , is that including you?"
Veronica's lips pulled back thinking about what she had been like a year ago. She said, "Especially me."
"Really?" Wallace was curious, "How so?"
"Well," Veronica considered, "for starters, the person I was a year ago probably wouldn't have cut you down from the flag pole." She said bluntly and took a bite out of her sandwich.
Wallace's brow furrowed, he couldn't believe that at first. "For real?"
"Mmm- hmm," she mumbled. When she finished chewing, she added. "I most likely would have gotten principal Clemmons or one of the janitors to cut you down. But I doubt I would have done personally, and draw attention to myself? No way."
Wallace was dubious, "I can't imagine Veronica Mars afraid of attracting attention."
She shrugged, "Like I said, I've changed. Back then I just wanted to blend in. I was a wallflower. The last thing I ever wanted to do was stand out. Then Lilly died and everything happened with my dad, and I was kind of pushed out. The rest, as they say, is pretty much history"
"Hmm." Wallace remarked. His face suddenly clouded over with seriousness.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Ah nothing, I was just thinking..."
"What?" She prodded, "spit it out, Wallace."
"Well, it's just that," he sighed miserably, "it's kind of like if it wasn't for you best friend dying we might never have become friends."
Veronica wanted to argue his logic, but thinking about it, she really couldn't. True, she would give anything to have Lilly back, but the idea of a Wallace-less life? She didn't like the sound of that either.
"Well," she ventured, clearing her throat, "way to kill the mood, pal." she playfully punched hin in the arm. They both laughed defusing the situation.
The bell rung and they gathered their things. "You wanna hang out later?" Wallace asked. "I gotta shift at the sack-n-pack until six, but..."
"Yeah, you want to me at my house at, say, sevenish?"
He nodded. "Cool, see ya."
"Later."
"Ugh! You have got to be kidding me!" Veronica cried out in frustration. She banged on her steering wheel, then sighed and turned the key in the ignition for the third time, saying a little prayer while she did so. It didn't work, though, the engine made the same unhealthy noises as it did the first two times. She whimpered and let her head fall forward on the wheel causing the horn to blare. She snapped it back up and climbed out of the car after popping the hood.
She was usually pretty good with being able to perform simple repairs, but one look at what was going on and she knew the problem was well beyond her skill level. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up skyward, "Why me?" she groaned. What was she going to do? She couldn't call Wallace. He was still at work. Her dad couldn't pick her up. He was tracking down a skip in Sacramento. She looked around the parking lot. It was fairly deserted. She had stayed late working on a journalism assignment, most everyone, teachers included had left by now. There were a few cars still left in the lot, none of them belonged to anyone she knew though, that was of course except for one, A bright yellow SUV.
She didn't have to guess to much as to the reason Logan would have for being at the school so late, detention. 'And speak of the devil.' She thought as Logan exited the building. He walked toward the parking lot, a big grin on his face, twirling his keys around his finger.
"Mm, car trouble?" he asked sounding delighted at her misfortune.
Veronica folded her arms over her chest, shaking her head in disgust as he climbed into his vehicle and back out of his slot.
He stopped just in front of her and rolled down his window. Veronica expected some sort of lame ass comment and nearly choked when he said, "Hop in."
She froze, shocked, completely unable to speak.
"Well do you need a ride or not?" he pressed
"Uh, I don't know," Veronica replied, finding her voice, "I might be able to just skate home now, given as hell just froze over."
Logan chuckled. "Well make up your mind. This is a once in a lifetime offer, going once, going twice," he revved his engine.
"Fine!" Veronica shouted over the noise. It was unseasonably hot out and a long walk did not appeal.
She went around to the passenger's side and got in.
"Good girl," Logan remarked, "I knew there was apart of you still capable of reason."
Veronica just rolled her eyes as she buckled in.
The first few minutes of the drive was filled with a not in the tiniest bit comfortable silence. Veronica thought how just a few weeks ago she was recalling the last time Logan gave her a ride. No chances of this one ending up like that one had. She stared out the window. 'God this is going to be the longest ten minutes ever.' She thought.
"Oh yeah, while I have you here," Logan's voice intruded into the silence. "I've been meaning to say thank you."
Veronica's head snapped toward him, she was utterly surprised, again she couldn't find her words. Eventually she said, "Seriously Logan give the people in hell a break, would ya? They're going to get frost bite."
Logan chuckled, "I mean it though, thanks."
"For what?" she wondered, confused.
"The tapes you gave me, of Lilly." he elaborated, "Without them the memorial video would have been a complete disaster."
"Yeah." She softly replied, "well I wanted to make sure Lilly's memory was honored in a way she would have approved of."
They shared a quick glance, both smiling somberly, then silence descended again.
"Shit." Logan muttered.
"What?"
He shook his head, "Everything's so fucked up. Look at us barely able to have a conversation. It didn't used to be this way, so hard."
"Yeah, I know."
They came to a stop light, the chatter slowed as well. Logan tapped anxiously on the steering wheel and blew out a long breath.
"Look I'm sorry about your headlights." He blurted suddenly.
"Why, because they're so small?" Veronica preemptively quipped. Making a joke was the best way she knew how to cut through the weirdness.
Logan laughed, "No, but nice one. I wish I had come up with it. I was referring to the one's that I bashed in."
"Ah, right that."
"Yeah, that. It was fucked up of me. I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted." Veronica replied. "So, I guess I should say I'm sorry too, about the bong."
"Should say?"
"Well, I can't say I am completely sorry. It was pretty damn funny. Come on you have to admit it was funny. A year ago you and I would have laughed about."
"A year ago a lot of things were different." He remarked.
"Yeah." Agreed Veronica, with a somber sigh she turned back to the window.
"Shit." Logan uttered again a block later.
"What, was that like on your word of the day calender or something? You're using it an awful lot."
"Toilet paper." Logan corrected, "Word of the day toilet paper."
Veronica snickered.
Logan hated this. He hated how hard it was to be comfortable around Veronica now. It used to be so easy. In fact used to be she was one of his favorite people to be around. Every now and again he found himself longing for how it used to be between them and he wanted than back. But then he'd remember he was suppose to hate her and she hated him. Too much had happened. He doubted it was possible for them to ever really get back to the way things were. But that didn't mean they had to continue being the way they are now.
"So what do you say about me and you calling a cease fire?" Logan posed. "I'm not saying that we carved Logan and Veronica BFF into a tree or anything, just that we stop going out of our way to make each other miserable."
Veronica nodded slowly, "I could get on board with that." She agreed.
"Good, so no more planting drug paraphanalia on my person and/or property?"
"Well, technically it was the school's property I put the bong in."
Logan gave her a look.
She smiled, "I promise. And do you promise not to commit any more acts of vandalism on my person and/or property?"
"Deal."
"Great, then it's settled."
"Truce." Logan took one hand of the wheel and offered it to Veronica.
"Truce." Veronica put her hand out, but just before Logan touched it she whipped it back, "Psych!"
They laughed.
"Why Ms. Mars I do believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Veronica's brow rose dubiously.
"Not." Logan added.
Veronica smiled. The rest of the ride finished the same as it began, quietly. But it was a much less tension charged quiet this time.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya." Veronica bade when they came to a stop in front her apartment complex. She clamored out of the cab.
"Not if I see you first." Logan countered with a smug smirk and sped away.
Veronica crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head watching him as he drove away, a pleasant smile playing on her lips.