A/N: Here's chapter nine. It's not the best but it fills in between the last chapter and the next, which is already done just for you! I got in another LoVe quote from the episode "Look Who's Stalking", I don't know how well it fit, but the moment snuck in there.
Disclaimer: I don't own VMars. They are the creations of the God-like Genius: Rob Thomas.
Chapter Nine
Life Is a B Movie
Once they arrived at the theater Logan paid for two tickets to the next showing. They had compromised and were seeing a comedy, even though there was a romance and an action adventure playing. They picked up some drinks and licorice at the concession stand on their way to the theater. They found a couple seats near the middle of a row and settled in for the movie.
Veronica was very aware of how close Logan was to her. She could feel his warmth from his seat next to her. It was unnerving because she had never really paid attention to that sort of thing. She had been this close to Logan thousands of times during their friendship. Yet for some reason it had felt strange being near him all day. Maybe strange was the wrong word for it, because she didn't want to imply that it felt wrong or out of place. It was just different.
It was hardly noticeable, but now that she had noticed she couldn't stop seeing little differences. How he held her hand to guide her, but didn't let go even after she had followed. How he put his arm around her shoulders. How he had been incessantly flirting with her. It probably meant nothing, but she was becoming a little obsessed over it. And Veronica was not the kind of person that liked to feel that out of control.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the lights in the theater dimming and the previews beginning. As she focused her attention on the screen, she was less concentrated on the closeness. A little back in control of her senses, Veronica began to calm down.
Then, as the opening credits of the movie appeared on the screen, Logan shifted and brought his arm over her shoulders.
At first, Veronica tensed at the contact. After a moment, though, she relaxed into him. She was no longer thinking about why she shouldn't, and was thinking more about how it was comfortable and soothing. Still that scared her just a bit, because it wasn't just a this is my best friend who is there for me kind of comfortable. And that meant that she couldn't keep avoiding the question, did that mean something?
Veronica was almost certain that it had to mean something, but she didn't want to think about what it meant. Since they confided in each other when they were thirteen they had grown closer. However, since they began this trip, she had felt a stronger connection. And not matter how much she wanted to ignore that, it was impossible to do so. Could it be that she was—no, she wasn't going to go there. Not yet, at the very least.
Once again Veronica returned her attention to the movie screen. As she got into the movie, she was able to get her mind off her dilemma. The movie was funny and she was able to laugh with Logan. That little fact astounded her. Back home things had been getting so bad that even when she did laugh the joy didn't last for long. The last few days, though, had been some of her best and when she laughed the feeling lingered. It didn't dissipate. She felt as if being happy didn't have to be as much of a struggle as it had been the last few years. And that both elated her and amazed her.
Glancing sideways, Veronica took in Logan's smile at the latest punch line in the movie. It was not the smile that warranted her attention. It was the way the smile actually reached his eyes. For weeks, even months, prior to them leaving Neptune the light had left Logan's eyes. Even when he was happy or laughing, it never reached his eyes. A person had to really look for it, to see that his eyes always remained somber, as if carrying a heavy burden. Not many people they knew cared enough to look. Even Duncan and Lilly were bred by their environment to ignore anything that didn't somehow benefit them in some way. The behavior of the 09ers was bordering on hedonism. Veronica had been raised differently. While the Kanes and the Sinclairs and Pomeroys and Casablancas could uphold a façade of denial, she could not be that self involved. She had seen the way his eyes remained empty when he smiled, and she had always wanted to fix that. And now it was happening and she couldn't have been happier for him and herself both.
The movie eventually began to draw to a close. Even as the credits began to roll neither moved from where they were. Sometime during the movie, Veronica had began to lean into Logan, her head coming to rest against his shoulder, and Logan had started to play with her hair, his hand ever so lightly brushing against her neck every so often. It was completely unintentional and neither had been aware of what they had been doing until the last minute. Once they had noticed both jumped from their seats and filed out with the rest of the moviegoers.
They exited the theater and headed for the car. Veronica took a deep breath as she got into the passenger seat, she didn't understand what she was feeling and that was disconcerting. What she didn't know was that Logan was doing the same thing at that exact moment. As they drove back to the hotel, the air within the car was anxiously tense. Neither knew what to say or do. Finally, Logan spoke up.
"So, did you enjoy the movie?"
"Yeah, it was pretty good," Veronica answered automatically, not removing her gaze from the passenger side window.
"You sure?" Logan frowned.
"Of course, why?"
Logan glanced at her, "You've got that look."
"What look?" Veronica questioned.
"You have that 'I'd rather be making out with a broken bottle look.'" Logan tried to keep his tone light.
Veronica broke a small smile, "This?" She pointed at her face as she dropped the smile and tried to look serious. "This is my 'I'd rather be spelunking look.' It's like you don't know me at all."
"You're sure you're okay?" Logan confirmed.
Veronica nodded, "I'm fin, Logan."
"Okay, if you're sure." Logan smiled. "I'm going to drop you off. I want to go to the store real quick."
"I can go with you," Veronica offered. "I don't mind."
"No, it's okay," Logan shook his head, "But I'll bring you back something special."
Veronica took in the smirk that formed on his lips. She raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be?"
"You'll see."
A/N2: There it is! Look for confessions in the next chapter. Just your average everyday confessions…And I got the inspiration for the title of this chapter from Ani Difranco:
"Life is a B movie: it's stupid and it's strange,
It's a directionless story, the dialogue is lame,
But in the 'he said, she said' sometimes there's some poetry,
If you turn your back long enough
And let it happen naturally."