A/N: Wow, thanks to everyone who took the time to read and/or review Chapter 1! It was a nice surprise to get notifications in my e-mail inbox, especially when I wasn't expecting anyone to stumble upon this little mentalgasm of mine. I had intended to just stick with Veronica's p.o.v., but Logan was so insistent for his side to be seen, I didn't have the heart to deny the lovable psychotic jackass. Enjoy!

First Day of Junior Year and the Last Day of Freedom

If someone were to ever ask Logan to pinpoint the moment when his life deviated from its normal humdrum life of surfing, alcohol, and friends, he knew the exact time down to the minutes and seconds. How could he not? She stood as a blazing sentinel of his darkest memories, her goddamn cat eyes tearing back the layers of skin to the truth he'd always hidden deep inside, away from everyone except her.

The first day of school started as it always did with him and Dick floating on the water in a last farewell to the summer and freedom. Sure they could still surf on the weekends or get up at the ass crack of dawn to come down before school, but it wasn't the same as the lazy hazy days of beach and water, with no expectations or knowledge of time's endless passage.

Most of the teachers at Neptune knew of their first day ritual and never bothered to reprimand them for skipping class (and why would they since their fathers were such large contributors to the school?), but in the months between sophomore and junior year, they'd gotten a new hard-ass Vice Principal who apparently did have some expectations of his students and waited for them in Logan's preferred parking spot, his foot tapping with impatience as he pointedly stared at the watch on his wrist.

"Mr. Echolls. Mr. Casablancas."

"Mr. Clemmons," they both chorused back. "Now that we've all introduced ourselves, Dick and me need to go to class," Logan mocked, sliding out of his yellow X-terra with lithe athleticism, school bag causally slung over one shoulder.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be late on the first day," Dick snickered, ready as always to back him up. It was one of the reasons Logan kept him around, despite his friend's decided lack of intelligence and common sense.

"That would be commendable, gentlemen, if you were here prior to first bell. Instead, you're barely here in time for your fourth class. I believe Mr. Moorehead would like to see you in his office."

"And I'm just as sure he would prefer we go to class instead and learn like good little boys."

"I really think you should go to the Principal's office." The edge in the Vice Principal's voice gave even Logan pause, the spoiled son unused to authority actually challenging him.

Despite what many might think, it was actually this moment when Logan gave into Mr. Clemmons' demand that his life changed course, but naturally it went unheralded and unnoticed until much, much later.

"Dude, why did you give into him? You know Moorehead can't do shit to us."

"It wasn't worth getting into a full blown fight in the parking lot." Especially since it could possibly lead to a call to the parental units, something Logan tried avoiding with all his might.

"But…" Dick's voice faded into background noise as small short-haired blonde walked out of the Principal's office, the echoing rhythm of her clunky black boots sounding remarkably like the opening strains of Vader's Imperial March.

Meager interest peaked at the appearance of someone new, even if only a freshman judging by her tininess, because nothing ever changed at Neptune High and it would do much to ease the ennui blanketing him at the sameness of his life. Logan could tell her clothing was not fashionably faded, but worn from use, so she definitely wasn't from his zip code; he idly wondered which of the 09ers parents employed hers, but his interest had already started to wane when she turned and looked at him.

She was older than he assumed, perhaps his age or a year younger. The stark angles of her chin and the hollows of her cheeks formed an intriguing assembly of features too fierce to be called pretty, but not symmetrical enough for classic beauty. It was her eyes, however, that caught and held his attention: cold alien intelligence and feral intensity warred deep within the cerulean depths.

It brought a sharp memory of waking up a few months ago on his pool deck after a drunken night of debauchery, almost nose to nose with a young female bobcat that had slipped from the hills for a drink of water. He remained motionless as she debated his worth as prey, sickeningly aware of the small warmth of her body near his, grayish brown fur a knuckle-length from him. Her mouth had opened as she breathed in his scent, the sharp white bones of her teeth taunting him with visions of bloodshed and pain. Agonizing minutes ticked by before she deemed him harmless and dismissed him with the flick of her ear and bobbed tail as she lightly sprang away back to her own environs.

"Earth to Mars, earth to Mars."

This human bobcat broke their staring contest and turned towards the lanky black baller Logan vaguely remembered was named Walsh or Wallace or some shit like that. Giggling a little madly in the privacy of his mind, he checked the girl's ass in case she was hiding a tail, but couldn't see anything beneath the bulkiness of the hideous green army jacket she wore.

"You're Veronica Mars, right? I have your schedule if you want it."

He knew she could tell he was checking her out because her muscles tightened until her body was so tense, he expected her to whip around and spring for his throat.

Finally come to kill me after all, Bobcat? Logan was peripherally aware of the absurdity of his thoughts, but was too caught up in this strange fascination she exerted over him with the merest of glances, to break himself free.

Fortunately, Dick chose that moment to be, well, a dick, as he hollered at an older woman hooker-hipping her way to the door.

"Damn that some fine ass I'd like to hit, if you know what I mean."

Veronica bared her verbal fangs and ripped into Dick. "No, I don't think we know what you mean. Why don't you pantomime it for those who can't read dick."

"How'd you know my name is Dick?"

"There's a Dick in every school."

Their little verbal slap and tickle was interrupted by the clearing of Mr. Moorehead's throat. He looked kind of red in the face, like he was about to burst something. "Ms. Mars I believe you need to get to English. Mr. Casablancas, Mr. Echolls, in my office already? Come in boys and explain how it wasn't your fault this time...again."

Logan could feel his mouth hanging open in stunned surprise at her temerity to mock one of the golden heirs, and doing it without once looking in their direction. Dick, on the other hand, was trying to understand the buried insult even as they walked into Moorehead's office.

They sat there for the prerequisite lecture about tardiness, cutting classes, and sly references to how their fathers could smooth over any "issues," with a small monetary donation, then released back into the general population.

"Dude, you were right to do that. We've missed fourth period and now its lunch time!"

Logan let Dick scurry off to the quad where the rest of their group would be hanging out, but he went to the bathroom for a much needed splash of cold water in his face. He didn't understand his visceral reaction to the new girl; he and Lily had just gotten back together again, and normally she sucked up all his attention until no one existed but her. It was startling to be so aware of someone else.

"Don't be a chick, Logan. Just go see your girlfriend and everything will be fine again."

Yes, everything will be fine.