Chapter Three: The Big Reveal
"It's horrible Veronica. He just…shut me down. I'm so insulted!" Lilly wailed when she climbed into the front seat.
"Hey…Duncan was gonna…" Veronica began, but Lilly held up her hand in silence.
"You and Duncan are over. This seat has returned to my possession." Lilly hissed. Veronica was so surprised at her tone that she let it slide. Duncan walked outside of the door and stared for a second at Lilly pouting in the front seat. His shoulders visibly sunk, and he climbed silently into the seat behind Lilly's.
"Am I picking up Logan too?" Veronica asked, pulling away from the house. Lilly refused to respond, still sulking about Aaron and his refusal to acknowledge Lilly's baby might be his.
"If you don't mind." Duncan replied from the back seat.
"It's no problem." Veronica responded. Lilly suddenly sat up ramrod straight, and her famous smirk appeared on her face. Veronica knew that look too well, and wondered what her friend had planned. Before she could comment on Lilly's sudden change in attitude, Lilly opened the passenger door.
"Lilly!" Duncan and Veronica screamed in unison as Veronica slammed down on the brakes. Veronica quickly pulled over so as not to block traffic.
"I feel carsick up here. I'm moving into the back." She announced. Veronica's mouth slid open, leaving her with a truly stunned expression. Duncan unbuckled his seatbelt like he planned to switch places with Lilly but his sister shook her long blonde hair at him.
"You need to stay there, brother. I refuse to sit back here with my ex-boyfriend." Lilly proclaimed, sliding into the seat behind Veronica's.
"Seriously Lilly, if you and Logan are gonna sulk at each other all day, I don't think I want to go to the beach with you guys." Duncan groaned, slouching back into his seat.
"Don't even worry about it, Duncan Donuts. I just don't want to sit by him, in case he tries any funny business." Lilly giggled, more at the childish nickname than at the idea of her ex-boyfriend flirting with her. Veronica glared at Lilly in the rearview mirror, not liking the idea of Logan hitting on Lilly. Lilly merely grinned in return. Duncan stared out the window, sulking even more than his sister had been earlier.
"Hey guys! Where am I supposed to sit?" Logan played dumb, acting like he expected Lilly or Duncan to climb into the middle seat to make room for him.
"C'mon Logan, don't make Ronnie a chauffer! Get in the front!" Lilly commanded. If it was possible, Logan's already goofy smile grew into an absolutely huge one, making Lilly smirk, Duncan sink lower into the seat, and Veronica smile just a little. He swung into the seat beside Veronica, his grin becoming infectious. Even Duncan cracked a tiny smile.
"So, what are we going to at the beach today, friends? Hardly surfing weather." Logan remarked. Duncan nodded in agreement, and Lilly shrugged. Veronica continued to drive in silence, pretending to be focused on the road. At one point, as though it was his mission to earn her attention, Logan deliberately brushed her hand when she reached for the radio, as though he too wanted some music and it was a coincidence he reached for the dial exactly as she did. Veronica has smiled inwardly, but refused to hurt Duncan by acknowledging the brush.
"We can still swim in the ocean, you know." Veronica reminded the boys. Duncan and Logan both nodded, and Lilly rolled her eyes.
"I don't like swimming Ronnie." Lilly reminded her friend.
"You don't like getting your hair wet, Miss Perfect." Logan chided. Lilly scowled at him in return, and he grinned.
"Do you have a swimsuit on Mars?" Logan asked innocently. Veronica glanced at him, and saw him staring at her clothes.
"Why is it your business, Echolls?" Veronica snapped back. Logan laughed out loud, and Duncan's eyebrows came closer together.
When they reached the beach, Duncan and Logan both held back to wait for Veronica to walk with them. They stared at each other, waiting to see who Veronica would acknowledge first.
"Looks like you've got yourself an entourage, Veronica." Lilly commented, waving at some boys throwing a Frisbee on the beach. They became so distracted, one actually threw the Frisbee into his friend's face. Lilly threw her head back and laughed at her power.
Veronica took Duncan's hand when he offered it, and Logan's face darkened just a little. To most, it was unnoticeable, but Veronica recognized it immediately. She wondered why Duncan didn't just accept defeat, and chalked it up to both male stupidity as well as the hatred for losing most boys had.
Lilly and Veronica busied themselves with laying out the towels while Logan and Duncan continued towards the water, under the guise of testing the temperature. In reality, they just didn't want to have to work at even the smallest task.
"When are you just gonna tell Duncan?" Lilly asked. Veronica turned to face her, and her normally strong expression faltered.
"I don't know. I keep hoping he'll just dump me." Veronica admitted, her focus on angling the umbrella perfectly.
"Well, you better step up soon before they challenge each other to a shootout at noon for your hand." Lilly removed her shirt, making about half the boys on the beach turn to stare. She was wearing a bikini underneath of course, but still. Veronica opted for a less showy change, quickly removing her sundress to reveal a black one-piece underneath.
"You know nothing about men, Veronica. How are you gonna keep either of them in a one-piece?" Lilly shook her head, not understanding her friend's shyness. Logan and Duncan returned before Veronica could answer the question.
"How's the water?" Lilly asked.
"Feels great." Duncan replied, laying down on the towel to the left of Veronica. Logan sat on the one to her right, leaving Veronica sandwiched between the two boys. Out of Veronica and Lilly's eyesight, Logan and Duncan signaled to each other.
"Aaah!" They screamed. Logan charged Veronica, while Duncan went towards Lilly less enthusiastically. Logan and Duncan picked both girls up with ease. Duncan swung Lilly up over his shoulder fireman style, while Logan opted for the thresh hold style for Veronica. Both girls shrieked, and Lilly kicked Duncan repeatedly. Veronica squirmed, but Logan's method was much harder to fight than Duncan's. They marched the girls ceremoniously towards the water.
"Duncan! Don't you dare! Don't you dare, I swear to God I will tell Dad! Or even worse, I'll tell Mo-" Lilly's threats were drowned out when Duncan dropped her into ocean without warning.
"Dammit Duncan! I'm gonna kill you!" Lilly spurted, resurfacing quickly. Her hair was drenched, and her mascara was beginning to run.
"Always wear waterproof to the beach Kane!" Logan called out. Lilly splashed water at him, and Veronica cringed.
Logan and Veronica were only at the edge of the ocean, as Duncan had walked much quicker to drop Lilly. As they entered deeper water, Veronica remained dry, thanks to Logan's tall physique. He continued to walk with her though, rather than drop her as Duncan had.
"Oh my god, this is cold!" Veronica called when one particularly big wave hit her thigh. Logan laughed, and slowly lowered Veronica into the water.
"Jesus!" Veronica managed, as her shoulders slipped below the surface. Standing much shorter than Logan, what had only reached his chest nearly covered her entire head.
"Here, I'll help you." Logan offered his two hands, and Veronica searched around for Duncan before accepting. He was splashing Lilly, consciously ignoring his best friend and girlfriend who were a few feet away from him. Veronica placed her hands on top of his, and he pushed her body up, supporting her tiny weight.
"Having fun?" Logan asked when Veronica finally got used to the water. She grinned, and splashed him.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that one Mars!" Logan swore as Veronica kicked to get away quickly. He grabbed her leg though, and pulled her closer. Veronica splashed him again, and he pulled her under. Before she could kick back up, he planted a kiss on her lips underwater. She would've remained there for hours, had the need for air not taken priority. She burst from the water and took in a large breath. Logan was laughing, and Veronica was smiling widely, her lips pink from the kiss. She swam towards Logan again, before noticing Duncan on the beach, pretending to read a magazine. She saw the hurt cross his eyes, before the acceptance did. He nodded politely at her, and gestured towards Logan. Veronica then continued her swim, before noticing Lilly keeled over at the edge of the water.
"Lilly!" She cried out, changing her course. Duncan look towards his sister and burst up from his chair. Veronica and Duncan reached Lilly at the same time, Logan following Veronica closely behind.
"Lilly?! What's the matter?" Veronica asked. Lilly moaned in response, and lifted up her palm to reveal something sticky and red.
"Is that blood?" Logan flinched, as Lilly moaned one more time.
"So it's just her…you know…" Duncan gestured towards Lilly, signaling he thought it was women's troubles. But Veronica, who knew better, looked at Lilly.
"I'm losing it Ronnie. Losing it…" Lilly gasped, before passing out on the beach.
