"Morning Wallace" Veronica smiled as she entered the Neptune High School parking lot, carrying the small box of Homecoming Sweetheart Pins she had made the night before, there was a plan and she needed his help.
"Wow… you drove yourself to school today?" he exclaimed in surprise as he saw her familiar black convertible parked up beside the school bus.
"Yeah, my dad took me out over the weekend and he's pretty happy that I know my way around now… at least enough to trust letting me out of the house. If I didn't have my appointment this afternoon and he wasn't working, I don't think he would have let me though" she explained as they fell into step beside each other.
"That's right… brain training, how's that going?" he asked cautiously.
"Frustrating… I wish it was as simple as I put an Out of my Mind, back in 5 minutes sign up.. but I just let mine wander and it didn't come back" she joked.
"I wish you would forget how to make those Amnesia jokes" he laughed.
"You say that like you are suffering Sodapop" she joked and she watched as his expression changed. "What?"
"You just called me Sodapop…" Wallace told her.
"So?" she frowned.
"You used to do that all the time" he said raising his eyebrows at her.
"Yeah… little things like that have been happening recently" she admitted.
"Little things… like what?" he prompted.
"Like knowing how to make my dad's coffee without being told? Fixing the heater in the office… and there was some stuff I remembered in class… just little things" she told him.
"It's a start" he smiled.
"Yeah… so you better watch out encase you lose your Basketball buddy" she grinned and froze as she caught Logan's smouldering stare trained on her from across the parking lot. She'd been dreaming last of their time together in the back of his car yesterday and a blush crept up into her cheeks.
"Never gonna happen Supafly… I saw you cheering!" he laughed.
"You mean you saw Meg cheering… in her uniform…" Veronica teased.
"Oh come on! What are we on Gilmore Girls?" he complained.
"You should just ask her…." Veronica told him.
"To Homecoming? I ain't no 09er… you seen the kind of guys I have to compete with" He protested as Veronica placed the box of pins into her locker and fumbled with the small spy bugs in her handbag.
"And yet... she spends all our gym sessions talking about how great you look in your basketball outfit" Veronica teased.
"That's playing dirty" he said.
"And how great you look running around the court…" she giggled.
"Girl, you are teasing me!" Wallace groaned.
"What big strong arms you have… all the better to whisk me away to the dance!" she smiled dramatically. "Be brave Wallace… make a move" she winked before walking off towards Mac and Meg who were waiting for her.
"What was all that about?" Mac giggled.
"Life coaching…" she said conspiratorially. "Hey can I ask you guys a favour?"
"Sure" Mac and Meg replied in unison.
"I found a video tape at home… of Lilly, my dad says it's from Homecoming last year… since I can't remember having been there.. I was curious. Is there something around here that might fit this so I could watch it?" Veronica explained holding up the small video cassette.
"I think the AV club has a camcorder that would work" Meg said as she examined the small tape.
"I think there's equipment in the Media lab to turn it digital… but it's on loan for this week" Mac explained. "But I am sure whoever is using it won't mind helping you out"
"Cool" she smiled as they headed into class.
Veronica scanned the halls for her intended targets for today. She had to be strategic about this, it couldn't look like she was digging... hence the video. Get everyone nostalgic, play on the whole brain injury thing.
Weevil Navarro, leader of the schools PCH motorcycle gang.
Duncan Kane and the school's soccer team from last year.
Cassidy and Dick Casablanca's and a few of the other 09ers.
They had information she wanted and didn't have... and who better to get them talking than the most self-absorbed Gossip Queens of Neptune high?
"Hey Madison" Veronica smiled as she slipped into the seat beside her in Mr Rooks history class.
"Hi" she replied coldly before she shifted seats and went to sit beside Pam and Dick. Student's in Neptune High tended to move in a similar fashion to those animals on the documentaries her father made her watch. Each group had it's own little ecosystem, and she was going to infiltrate them one way or another… the first phase. Observation, then tagging, with the occasional catch and release.
"Veronica… I've set up the equipment for your video in the computer lab" Mac smiled as she approached her at the lunch table.
"Thanks Mac" she smiled gratefully.
"Video file?" Troy asked curiously.
"Just an old tape I found…" Veronica replied quietly as she cast a nervous glance at Duncan. Apparently she'd been his date to Homecoming last year; she dreaded to think what she would find.
"Yeah? Anything good?" Natalie asked, she was vice chair on the school student council.
"Not sure yet" she answered as she played with her salad.
"Well if it's the winning lottery numbers, I want in" Troy flirted, for someone she had told she wasn't going to the dance with, he had taken the news very well.
"How are the dedication ceremony preparations coming?" Veronica asked Natalie. "Anything I can do to help?" she offered.
"You could come by home economics after school and help with the baking if you want?" Natalie beamed.
"Sure" Veronica smiled.
"I'll see you guys later" Duncan said quietly before he left and went back inside the school building.
"Is everything okay?" she asked Troy.
"He's just a little preoccupied with the whole dedication" he explained.
"It must be awful… anniversaries are hard" Meg sighed.
"Part of me is just glad I can't remember" Veronica declared.
"Yeah? I wish I could… I have never seen my mom so upset" Natalie told her. "She's the one who organised the car wash fundraiser the day Lilly was murdered"
"Wasn't that at Ryan's dads place?" Meg asked.
"Yea" she nodded.
"What was at Ryan's dad's place?" Cassidy Casablanca's asked as he slid into the seat next to Mac at the table and smiled shyly as he took a piece of pizza.
"The car wash the day Lilly was killed" Troy told him and Cassidy shifted uncomfortably.
"Do we have to talk about this at the table?" May asked.
"It's hard to believe it's almost been a year" Natalie sighed. "It feels like yesterday I was just in getting my pedicure with Kimmy and Alicia when we got the call"
"It's just so awful" May agreed.
"I can't remember what I was doing" Veronica joked.
"You are lucky" Natalie assured her.
"Weren't you there though?" May asked her.
"Amnesia, remember?" Dick joked as he joined them at the table. "Weren't she where?"
"At the Kane's the night Lilly Kane was murdered" Natalie explained.
"So I hear… I was in Mexico with Logan and Beaves" he said loudly as he took the unopened soda that was sitting in front of Cassidy and stole one of his fries.
"Come on.." Cassidy complained as his older brother took his drink.
"Trust me though… that is not something that you want to remember" May told Veronica earnestly.