Chapter 8: Childhood Memories
Veronica emerged 15 minutes later, clad in a simple white dress with heels. Keith was still watching the embarrassing home video, and Veronica rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him on the couch. On screen, 6-year old Veronica was running around with one of those ribbons attached to a stick, looking cheerful and innocent. She softened slightly at the image, until Keith looked down at his watch.
"Oh, honey. Show's about to start." He smiled. Veronica moaned.
"Do you have to?" She pleaded, as Keith pulled his old gun into his lap and started to polish it with a washcloth. Veronica sighed, exasperated.
"I did it to Duncan, didn't I? You didn't fight this much when I did it then." Keith noted. Veronica turned red. Suddenly, the picture on the screen changed to Veronica sitting at the table, eating a bowl of ice cream. Her father was holding the camera, so you couldn't see him, but you could sure hear him.
"Veronica? What's your whole name?" He asked. Veronica smiled sweetly at him, ice cream dripping down her chin.
"Veronica Lianne Mars." She replied, her voice high and squeaky. Veronica winced, both at the sound, and at the knowledge of what followed on this little home video.
"How old are you, Veronica?" Keith fed her another line.
"I'm 6 and a half." She responded in that same little voice. Besides the now big Veronica, Keith started to countdown.
"5...4...3..." Before he could say two, the door bell rang. Veronica reached for the remote, but Keith held it out of her reach.
"Why don't you go let our guest in, Veronica?" Keith motioned gently towards the door. Veronica scowled at him, but stood up to let Logan in. On the television, Keith was still feeding little Veronica questions. They were innocent for now, just when her birthday was and where she lived, and right now she was rattling off her address and phone number. There were only a few more innocent questions until the embarrassment would begin. Veronica prayed she'd be able to get herself and Logan out before those started.
She opened the door, and Logan turned to face her. His face lit up when he saw her, and he hugged her tightly.
"Hey, Ronnie. What's up?" He asked. All of Veronica's tension and stress melted away, and she smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"Ready?" He started to ask, and Veronica was about to nod, but Keith intervened.
"Oh, Logan? Would you like to come here for a second?" Keith called. Logan looked down at Veronica, and she shook her head furiously. Logan laughed, and pushed his way past her into the apartment, holding her hand as he went to sit in the chair facing Keith's position on the couch.
To Veronica's dismay, Keith had paused the home video. He obviously didn't plan on letting Logan miss any of the good stuff when it came to this video.
"Hello, Mr. Mars. How are you this evening?" Logan greeted politely. Keith shook Logan's hand, and Logan turned to face the screen, pretending to be oblivious to the gun Keith was polishing. Keith was the sheriff for God's sakes, Logan had known he had a gun, as well as the power to put him in jail if he wanted to.
"I'm doing just fine, Logan. Just watching an old home video. Care to join me for a second?" Keith requested innocently, grinning widely. Logan ignored Veronica's frantic blonde head shaking wildly, and smiled.
"Sounds wonderful. Are they of your beautiful daughter?" Logan inquired. Veronica's eyes grew to the size of saucers.
"Indeed, they are. I think you'll rather enjoy it." Keith laughed, and pushed play on the remote.
"Veronica? Do you like any boys?" Keith asked. Veronica visibly thinks about the question before responding.
"I like Eric from the Little Mermaid. And this boy in my class." Veronica replied. Veronica's face turned bright red as she remembered who the boy was.
"Really? Which boy?" Keith questioned her. Veronica smiled sweetly. Logan was shaking with silent laughter on the couch.
"There are two, actually. I kind of like Duncan, but not really. He's just cute. And I also like Logan. I like him a lot." Veronica responded, her voice spinning with sugar. Veronica was now officially the color of a rose, and Logan was crying from the laughter.
"Logan and Duncan, huh? They're two nice boys. Which one are you going to marry?" Keith asked.
"Neither. I'm gonna marry Aladdin or the Beast from Beauty & The Beast. After he turns into a prince, of course." Veronica informed Keith matter of factly. Tears were still streaming down Logan's face, and Veronica was now nearly purple from the embarrassment.
"Are you gonna have babies?" Keith asked.
"Maybe. But I'm not gonna try making any until I'm married, duh." Little Veronica rolled her eyes like Keith's questions were ridiculous. Logan's laughter had abruptly ended, although it was only because he was trying to be polite for Veronica's sake.
"Pinky promise?" Keith asked, in a sad attempt to hook his daughter into a life-long chastity promise. 6-year old Veronica smiled and held out her pinky, and took Keith's. They shook, and then Veronica was off like a shot, no longer visible in the screen of the camera.
Veronica grabbed the remote and quickly turned off the television. Her cheeks were still blood red, and Keith turned to look at Logan, who had watery eyes from all the laughing.
"Well, that was nice of you to hold off on your date Logan. And remember, she did pinky promise." Keith joked. Logan burst into another bought of laughter, as Veronica stomped towards the door. She tapped her foot impatiently and Logan walked over to her.
"No worries sir. We'll be in the company of others the entire evening. Veronica will stay true to that pinky promise of hers." Logan assured him. Veronica stomped out of the door without saying goodbye to her father. Keith waved from the open door though, watching as Logan and Veronica descended down the stairs leading out of the apartment.
"Aladdin huh?" Logan snickered, as Veronica buckled her seatbelt in the front seat of the Xterra.
"Shut up, Logan." She snapped. He only laughed.
"You liked me when you were 6? That's pretty surprising. As I recall it, you poured red finger-paint on my head." Logan recalled. Veronica loosened up a bit at the memory.
"Only because you cut all the hair off my Detective Barbie." She reminded him.
"I did that cause I liked you. You wouldn't pay any attention to anyone unless they would play with that doll with you." Logan laughed. Veronica joined in, finally over the embarrassment of the home movie fiasco.
"Yeah, well. I poured the red paint on you, even though it was my favorite. That should've clued you in." She giggled.
"Oh, yeah. If you'd used yellow like you did on Duncan, then it would've meant you couldn't stand me." He hit his head, miming like he was such an idiot for thinking otherwise.
"Yellow was my 2nd favorite, for your information. I can't stand pink, which is what I poured on Madison Sinclair's head." She responded. Logan laughed.
"You pulled that paint thing on everyone except for Lilly, girl." Logan mocked. Veronica blushed slightly, as she remembered how many times her parents had gotten called in for her dumping paint on people.
"You know me." Veronica joked. Logan chuckled, and threw his arm around her as he drove. Veronica leaned into his shoulder. It was fate, she supposed, that her dad had recorded that video, and shown it to Logan, when it included Veronica confessing her childhood crush on Logan, a crush that had never stopped.
