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Chapter One: A Moment of Revelation
“Er . . . Veronica?” With her report clamped between her teeth, Veronica was unable to give any more than a grunt to Mac’s hesitant hello. Hurrying across the Hearst campus holding a bag full of clothing from the last case, a box of her favorite take-out, her backpack, and her camera bag with her head was bent sideways to hold the cell phone to her ear, Veronica Mars looked a sight.
“Veronica, do you have a new boyfriend?” The report dropped from Veronica’s mouth at Mac’s unexpected question. She was so startled the phone fell from her shoulder and crashed to the ground, followed quickly by the bag of clothing hitting the ground and scattering clothing everywhere. All Mac received in reply to her question was a distant, “Frak!” while Veronica crawled around on her knees, attempting to stop the pages of her report from flying away in the wind.
“Mac, I’m going to have to call you back,” Veronica said, dropping the phone back on the ground as she chased after a run-away sock. When she picked it up from beside a red-haired boy sitting on a bench reading a book, her gave her a puzzled expression. “Thanks for the help, bud,” she deadpanned before grabbing the sock and stuffing it into her bag.
Ten minutes later she had somehow managed to turn the report in on time, albeit with a mud stain on the back page, gathered all her things and was in her car making her way back to the dorm she and Mac shared, dialing Mac’s number as she drove. “Hey Mac-attack,” Veronica greeted.
“I think we’ve been over this, Mars,” Mac replied with a loud sigh. “You are under no circumstance aloud to call me Mac-attack.”
“What if I was dying and it was my last wish?” Veronica faux pouted over the line.
“Well,” Mac paused, silent as though contemplating, “No.” Veronica only shook her head, the smile on her face invisible to Mac.
“Sorry about earlier,” Veronica said, “What were you saying before I had to stop talking?”
“Before you hung-up you mean?” Mac offered.
“Busy life of a P.I. ect, now, what were you saying about a boyfriend?”
“Do you have a new one?” Mac repeated her question from earlier as Veronica pulled into the parking lot outside the dorm.
“Nope,” Veronica answered, parking the car. “Why do you ask?” she questioned, genuinely curious. Since her most recent and longest break-up with Logan nearly seven months ago, Veronica had been on less than three or four dates, all ending with her working on a case and the guy forgotten by nine the night of the date.
“Maybe you should come back to the dorm and see,” Mac said uncertainly, her tone of voice perking Veronica’s curiosity even further.
“Already on my way up the outside steps, see you in a sec, Mac-attack,” Veronica snapped the cell phone shut before Mac could reply, unlocking the dorm door with her ID card and entering the large building for juniors. After freshman year, Veronica had decided it was time to move out of the nest, especially considering her father had gotten back together with Alicia Fennel. As living with a stranger was not an option, Veronica had opted to live with Mac sophomore year and then again this year.
Pushing open the door of the dorm room, Veronica dropped her bags on the ground and turned to Mac, “This better be good . . .” her voice trailed off into nothing as she looked around the room. On every surface in every direction she turned covering the whole room were pink and yellow orchids. There were more bouquets than she could count. Petals were sprinkled across the ground, over the bed, and on the window sill. It was something out a romantic fairy tale.
“There was a letter on your bed.” Veronica took the letter Mac offered her, seeing her name written nearly across the envelope. Quickly Veronica tore it open, unfolding the letter and reading it eagerly.
It may be cliché,
But there’s no better way,
Than flowers from above,
To tell the girl you love,
That’s she’s the one . . .
Happy Valentine’s Day Veronica
“What does it say?” Mac asked. With wide eyes and her mouth hanging open slightly, Veronica turned to face her friend, holding the letter out for her to take.
“Apparently, I have a secret admirer.”
“The poetry is no Poe,” Mac noted.
“Hey there!” Veronica warned, “That’s my secret admirer you’re bashing,” she batted her eyelashes and extracted a laugh from her friend before reaching down and picking up an orchid, twirling it between her fingers.
“Do you know who it is?” Mac asked, setting the letter down on her desk before moving aside some flowers so she could sit down on her bed.
“No,” Veronica said, picking up the letter and reading it again, remembering junior year of high school and Meg Manning. “But I have experience in the area of secret admirers,” Veronica grinned at her. “The moment they leave another clue, I’ll have enough to pin them to the wall.”
“I’m sure that’s what they envisioned when they paid the fortune of small third-world country to surround you with orchids,” Mac said, “To be,” she raised her fingers into air quotes, “Pinned to the wall.”
Veronica only smiled. “Try and keep a secret from Veronica Mars,” she said with a smug smile on her face. Mac only shook her head before opening up a textbook and putting her attention to it. Falling back onto a bed sprinkled with petals, Veronica allowed herself a smile. While she would never admit it, she couldn’t help but be flattered by the gesture. Who could it be though? Her mind was whirling with possible contenders when a voice interrupted her.
“Hey, girls, how’s it going?” Kaila Margray from the room next door was standing in the doorway, smiling cheerfully at them. She was as petite as Veronica but with thick curly black hair and brilliant green eyes, in direct contrast to Veronica, as well as a cheerful disposition and always happy attitude that took up spades with Veronica. “I saw them delivering all these flowers. Have a new lover just in time for Valentine’s Day, Veronica?” Kaila wiggled her eyebrows and Veronica only smiled.
“No,” Mac answered from behind her textbook, “Veronica has a secret admirer.”
“Really?” Kaila asked with excitement, grinning. “Valentine’s Day is in two days, this is so sweet! Do you have any idea who it is?” In the time Veronica had known her, Kaila had turned out to be a hopeless romantic, the type that were always the most crushed when Veronica had to tell them their husband was cheating on them.
“No,” Veronica began, the wheels in her mind already turning, “But maybe you could help me?” When Kaila nodded her hand, ready and willing, Veronica’s smile widened. Nobody could keep a secret from Veronica Mars.
A small bell dinged above her head as she entered the store and her nose was bombarded with flowery smells. Going over her story in her head one last time, Veronica headed over to the tiny old woman that sat behind the counter reading a Bride magazine with a pair of spectacles perched on her nose.
“Hi, um, excuse me?” Veronica asked with large eyes and a voice dripping sweetness.
“Can I help you, dear?” the woman asked, smiling at her and putting away her magazine while pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose to magnify her brown eyes.
“I have a secret admirer!” Veronica gushed, smiling brightly and bursting with excitement as she looked at the woman.
“Good for you, sweetheart,” the woman said kindly, smiling again.
“So, the thing is, I just have to know it is! I mean, Valentine’s Day is like, tomorrow, and I really want to know who it is. He bought me flowers, and left them in my room, and they were like, beautiful,” Veronica smiled, delight plastered to her face. “So, one of the girls in my dorm saw them delivered, right, and she said they came from here.”
“You’re wondering if I could tell you who put in the order?” the woman asked, smiling at Veronica as a doting Grandmother would to her favorite granddaughter.
“Exactly,” Veronica said, keeping her sorority girl-like appearance on overdrive.
“Do you know what time the flowers were delivered?” the woman asked, “and what type of flower they were?”
“Two o’clock,” Veronica answered, “And they were these absolutely gorgeous pink and yellow orchids. I mean, I just love orchids, I wonder how he knew!” Hope shining off her face, she bit her lip and smiled at the woman, knowing her disguise was working magic.
“You’re Veronica!” the woman exclaimed happily, smiling brightly.
“How did you know that?” Veronica gasped.
“I wrote down that card that was sent with those flowers,” the woman told her, “I remember that order. I thought it was sort of odd, come to think of it. It was made by a thirteen-year-old girl.” Veronica tried not to let her appearance drop with her surprise.
“You mean my secret admirer is a thirteen-year-old girl?” Veronica said. The woman let out a loud laugh.
“No, dear, it means your secret admirer is very clever. Whoever the lucky boy is, he knew to have someone else come in and buy the flowers in case you should trace them back here.” Veronica had figured this out, but she smiled gratefully at the woman nonetheless.
“Okay, then, thanks anyway,” Veronica said.
“Don’t worry sweetie, I’m sure he won’t stay secret for long,” the woman assured her. Veronica nodded, making a beeline to the door and freedom from her role playing. Once outside and heading to her car, Veronica’s mind was whirling. This opened a whole new realm of possibility. Did the guy have a little sister? Did he just ask a girl outside the shop to go in and buy the flowers and offer to pay her for her efforts? It could be a girl the guy’s sister baby-sat for all Veronica knew — it was impossible to figure anything out from that.
Annoyed at the dead end, Veronica hurried to her next class, deciding she would wait for the next clue. Knowing she was late, she had broken into a run to get there on time and never saw him coming. She collided with him and would have fallen to the ground if his hands hadn’t reached out and caught her at the last minute.
“Chasing a bad guy, Ronnie?” he asked, and she looked up to the face of her ex-boyfriend, the one and only Logan Echolls. “Or with that flushed face, maybe you’re just eager to see me?” he grinned that degrading, smug grin at her.
“You know me, nothing gets me hot like the spawn of Satan,” she assured him with a look of seriousness before smiling sarcastically at him, her smile more of a grimace.
“Spawn of Satan?” he asked, feigning surprise, “who me?” He paused, a pensive look crossing his face. “Wait, I mean, I guess that does make sense. I mean, no regular guy could be as good in bed as me, but—” he paused, his grin spreading across his whole face, “You already know that, don’t you?”
He succeeded in making Veronica flush at that. They had dated on and off since the end of senior year in high school, and at times she had nearly lived in his room at the Neptune Grand. Before something sassy and witty could escape her, a tall boy she had seen once or twice in passing came up beside her. “This guy bothering you?” he asked Veronica. He was extremely good-looking, with dark grey eyes and white blonde hair.
“Oh Veronica,” Logan clapped his hands together, taking on a high-pitched girly voice, “Your very own knight-in-shining armor!” He gave a little squeal before shaking his head, grinning at her. “I’ll leave you two love birds alone then,” he said, winking at her and beginning to walk away, patting the blonde boy on the shoulder and telling him to, “go wild.”
“Sorry about him,” Veronica said to the boy, turning to face him. “I’m Veronica—”
“—Mars,” he finished for her before blushing magnificently, “I’ve heard about you. I’m Derek Harper, we actually have class together. He nodding at the building Veronica had been rushing to before she ran into Logan.
“The class we’re both later for,” Veronica said.
“Shall we?” he replied, smiling at her and motioning at the building. She nodded and they walked toward it, climbing the stairs that led to the large, glass doors. “So,” he began as he held the door open for her, “I guess you’re not getting back together with Echolls anytime soon?” When Veronica looked at him in surprise a deep flush crept across his face again. “Sorry, sorry, I — I didn’t mean to intrude or anything. He just seemed like he was being a jerk, that’s all.”
“How did you know we dated?” Veronica questioned as they crossed the hall to the lecture room. He let out a sharp breath, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Everybody’s heard of Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls, plus,” he blushed again, “I’ve noticed you around.”
“Noticed me?” Veronica asked, her eyebrows rising an inch on her forehead. “Like, hanging-from-a-tree-outside-my-window-with-binoculars noticed me or—”
“Just noticed you,” he said quickly. “I mean you’re smart, sassy, pretty — what’s not to notice?” he gave her a brave smile as he opened the door of the lecture room for her. She didn’t have time to answer, but her blue eyes were trained on him as he headed to the other side of the room while she went to sit beside Parker.
She had hardly been in class for ten minutes before a freshman appeared in the door, drawing the Professor’s attention. “Can I help you?” Professor McGuire asked, already having lectured Veronica and Derek on arriving late.
“I’m here to deliver a candy-gram and balloons to a Veronica Mars,” he indicated the large, wrapped box in one hand and the bunch of nearly ten Valentine’s Day balloons.
“Valentine’s Day already interrupting class,” Professor McGuire sighed. “Alright, Miss Mars is right there,” she pointed at Veronica. The boy ran darted into the classroom and handed a shocked Veronica the balloons and wrapped box of candy.
“The message is,” the boy pulled a note card out of his pocket, “To Veronica, Your moony face, so inaccessible, your inner mind, so inexpressible, Love, Him.” The class broke out into muttering as they heard him say the senseless message.
“Wait, ah, what’s your name?” Veronica asked him as he turned to leave, having delivered the gifts and message.
“Tom Williamson,” he told her, “But I didn’t send you that, I mean—”
“I know, I know,” Veronica assured him, accepting the note card with the message scribbled across it when he held it out for her.
“Ahem, are you done, young man?” Professor McGuire asked the boy, her sharp stare scaring him from the room and leaving Veronica to spend the next hour and a half with her mind going at one hundred miles an hour while the class whispered around her and the Professor droned on in the background.
The moment class let out, Veronica walked straight over to Derek. “Want me to carry something for you?” he offered, “Maybe your books?”
“Thanks but no thanks,” she said, “I’ve got it.” He smiled and headed out of the room alongside her.
“So, who got you the balloons and candy?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she answered in all honesty, “I have a secret admirer.”
He nodded, “That’s fun,” was all he said as, for the third time that day, he held a door open for her. “Well, I’m supposed to meet with the rest of the tennis team in ten minutes, but I’ll see you around, Veronica,” he paused, “count on it.”
“See you around then,” she said. He had only gone a few feet when she called out to him, “Oh Derek?” He turned back around to face her. “This might seem odd, but do you have a little sister?” His face broke out into a rather proud grin.
“Yeah, Amanda, she’s thirteen. Do you?” Veronica shook her head.
“Okay well, knock ‘em dead with those tennis rackets, Big D.” He didn’t seem to notice the nickname and as soon as he was out of sight Parker appeared out of nowhere and was suddenly walking beside Veronica on her way to her car.
“Do you think that’s him?” she asked excitedly. Veronica opened her car door, stuffing the balloons and candy into the back before answering.
“It might be,” she admitted. He had known what class she was going to be in, he certainly seem to know her, he had a little sister the right age to order flowers for him. Well, what do you say Derek Harper? Are you Veronica Mars Secret Admirer material? “Hey, Parker, the message that boy gave me, what did it sound like to you?” she asked.
Parker shrugged, “It sounded like a poem or something,” she said. “I’ve got to go though, good luck finding your one!” she gushed before running off, receiving only a small wave from an already otherwise engaged Veronica.
Settling herself in the front seat of her car, Veronica pulled up Google on her laptop. That message might be the workings of a great poet, but considering his previous note, I wouldn’t bet my secret admirer is the next E. E. Cummings. Instead, he might just be the proud owner of an ipod. Quickly, Veronica typed the sentence from the note card into the computer and clicked search. “Well what do you know,” she muttered at sight of the first result.
“Mike Doughty: Music,” she read aloud. Clicking on the link she found herself staring at the lyrics of the song I Hear the Bells, by one of her favorite singers, Mike Doughty. Among these lyrics, staring out proudly at her was her message.
“Look, girl, I asked all my sources, and all I found out was that he was a senior Pi Sig,” Wallace answered as they both looked up at the frat house, the afternoon after Veronica had received her candy-gram, balloons and message from a song.
“Who knew? My secret love, a frat boy — it’s heart-breaking,” Veronica shook her head, ignoring her best friend’s silent laughter. “Well, I suppose we must learn more of this could-be admirer. Onward, dear Wallace,” Veronica threw her arm forward and began to march to the door of the house, as though walking into battle. “Here’s to hoping they’ve forgotten how much they hate me,” she declared, knocking on the door.
“Veronica Mars?” the boy who answered the door looked startled to see her, and even more startled at the satisfied grin that spread across her face.
“Tom Williamson,” she smirked, “I haven’t seen you in what . . . six hours?”
“What are you doing here?” he asked
“I’m here to see Derek Harper,” Veronica explained, watching his face for any change of expression. Beyond slight surprise, none came.
“Uh, sure, come on in,” he opened the door further and stepped back, allowing them to enter the house. “He’s uh, in the kitchen I think,” Tom said awkwardly. Without answering, Veronica headed through the frat house she had hoped never to enter again after freshman year, Wallace following behind.
She was about to push open the kitchen door when the conversation drifting from it caught her attention. “Dude, Logan Echolls is going to kill you!” There was much laughter at this exclamation. Veronica motioned at Wallace to stay quiet, her curiosity perked at the mention of Logan.
“Come on, they’ve been broken up for like, six months,” another boy said.
“Yeah,” the first one replied, “But everyone knows that’s what they do. They break-up, they get back together, they break-up, and they get back together. Besides, just the other day, Sam, Collin, Dick and I all went to this party at the beach, and Dick brought Logan, and the boy didn’t go near a girl! I mean, it was a bunch of drunken bitches like throwing themselves at him, and he didn’t touch ‘em.”
“That doesn’t sound like Echolls,” a third boy spoke up.
“It’s ‘cause he’s hung up on Veronica,” one boy insisted. “I’m telling you, man, he’s going to kill you when he finds out.” There was another round of laughter and what sounded like the clinking of beer bottles.
“Yeah well,” finally a voice Veronica recognized spoke, that of Derek Harper, “A bet’s a bet, man. It’s an easy one too, I mean, come on; I’ve already got her liking me.”
“No dude,” another boy said, “you are so not getting any from Veronica Mars.”
“Are you kidding?” Derek laughed, “She’ll be begging for some before this time next week!” Raucous laughter followed the proclamation. It was as though someone had punched Veronica in the gut and she was unpleasantly reminded of the events of her freshman year at Hearst. Before she could throw open the door and ram her first into the boy’s face Tom Williamson spoke up from behind her.
“What are you doing?” he asked, startling both Wallace and Veronica as they whirled around to face him.
“Did Derek Harper make a bet with someone about sleeping with me?” Veronica demanded without hesitation, making the boy’s eyes go wide. “Answer the question, Williamson.”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Do you know Logan Echolls, man?” Wallace interrupted. Tom nodded hesitantly. “Maybe you know he used to date Veronica and is still rather . . . fond of her. You wouldn’t want him coming around here looking for you, would you?” Wallace threatened, his expression looking as though Logan Echolls or no, Tom would have to worry about Wallace Fennel as well.
“Okay, okay,” Tom said quickly, “All I know is Derek bet Denny Ford five hundred dollars he could get any girl on campus to sleep with him, Denny could pick the girl. Denny picked Veronica, I swear, that’s all I know.” Veronica had already turned away from him and was kicking open the kitchen door, stalking into a room with seven or eight boys gathered around a table drinking beer.
“Hey boys!” she greeted cheerfully.
“What the—” a dark-haired boy exclaimed at the sight of her as the rest fell silent.
“What are you doing here?” another asked.
“I came for your help!” she told them, putting a ditzy expression on her face. “You see, these awful boys were making bets about me but my ex is still really hung-up on me, and if I call him I know he would come beat these stupid boys up!” she paused, letting that sink in, “You don’t have a phone, do you?” Her expression melted into one of complete and utter seriousness. She stalked forward and punched Derek Harper in the face, knocking his chair back fair enough to send him crashing to the ground.
All the boys shouted in alarm, standing up and yelling at her, but she only turned point-blank and walked away. “Hey bitch, who the hell do you think you—” one of the boys made to grab Veronica’s arm as she left the kitchen but Wallace stepped in between them.
“Just try, buddy,” Wallace said, “just try.” After staring the boy down, Wallace sent a disgusted look at Derek before turning and walking from the room. Veronica had already made it out of the house and was waiting for him on the sidewalk. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her face had the calm, controlled expression she always took on when attempting to cover her emotions.
“Sorry about them, V,” Wallace began, wishing he had punched Derek as well. Veronica only shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, “I guess I can stop looking for my secret admirer,” she sighed, “It looks like Veronica Mars will be spending Valentine’s Day alone this year.” She gave Wallace a smile, her eyes telling him quite clearly not to argue with her on the matter.
“You don’t know that Harper was your secret admirer,” Wallace pointed out.
“Oh my dear, sweet Wallace,” Veronica shook her head. “I’m pretty sure that it was him. After all, he was trying to get me to like him, wasn’t he?” When Wallace didn’t say anything, Veronica went on. “He could easily have gotten Tom to deliver the candy-gram, and he has a little sister who could have bought the flowers.”
“Maybe Tom wasn’t delivering for Harper,” Wallace suggested.
“Who was he working for then?” Veronica asked with her skepticism clear.
Wallace shrugged, “Ask him, he looks like he could use a distraction.” Veronica turned to look where Wallace pointed and saw that Tom was taking out the Si Pigs’ trash.
“Hey, Williamson,” Wallace called out, “come here!” Tom looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do, but he headed over to them anyway, lugging the trash with him.
“Look, I told you everything I know, just leave me alone, jeez,” he said.
“Hey, all we want to know is who you delivered the candy-grams and balloons to Veronica for,” Wallace asked, “That’s all, man.”
“It was Derek Harper, right?” Veronica asked before Tom could answer.
“Actually, it wasn’t,” Tom, said, causing Veronica to receive a told-you-so grin from Wallace.
“Who was it then?” Veronica prompted. Tom looked rather uncomfortable and didn’t answer. “Now, now, Mr. Williamson,” Veronica wagged her finger at him, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way — your choice.” Tom sighed.
“Alright, whatever, it was my big, big brother in the fraternity, Dick,” Tom admitted.
“Casablancas?” Veronica asked, her voice portraying that she hardly believed him. Tom nodded however.
“Yeah, he said no questions asked, so, you know, I just did it.” He shrugged his shoulders before picking the trash back up from where he’d set it down and walking away without another word.
“You see,” Wallace said gleefully, “I told you it could be someone else.”
“And that someone else is Dick Casablancas? Sorry, Wallace, somehow, he doesn’t fit the bill. We have a mutual understanding of hatred,” she said as they began walking away from the frat house and toward her car. “There is no way it’s him.”
“Maybe Williamson was lying?” Wallace offered. Veronica only shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, “I’ll figure it out eventually. Now though, I do believe someone has a basketball game, and I plan on attending.”
They had only just gotten in the car when Wallace hesitantly asked, “Hey V, do you think he really would come?”
“Who?” Veronica asked, looking away from the road for just a moment to glance at Wallace in confusion.
“Logan,” he clarified. “I mean, do you think he really would beat those guys up?” For a moment Veronica didn’t say anything, only shrugged.
“I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. Each time they were together they reached a point where she was so in love with him a little voice would begin to whisper in her head that maybe, just maybe, he might be the one — just in time for them to break-up. By the time they got back together, their trust was broken back down to the point they had to start over again. It was clear however, despite all their trust issues, she loved Logan.
But love wasn’t enough.
In the seven months since their last break-up she had spent all her time coaching herself to not love Logan. She had learned long ago that love wasn’t enough to keep a relationship going, and she wasn’t about to ruin her life by clinging to a thread of love that couldn’t support her. She might love him but she had trouble trusting him, she had trouble forgetting his past sexual escapades and who he once was. She had trouble dealing with his protective and possessive nature, with his drinking and gambling. Love simply wasn’t enough.
Knowing all this though, didn’t stop her from wondering every now and then, does he love me? Would he come to my rescue again if I asked him to? He had told her time and time before that he loved her, but did he love her still? Could he love her knowing she didn’t think their love was good enough to keep them together?
“I honestly don’t know,” she repeated.
“Your secret admirer struck again,” Mac said as though bored by the fact from where she sat at her computer, no doubt hacking into some system, exploiting any and all computer program weaknesses and racking up enough illegal activity to amount to a felony.
“I see that,” Veronica said, going over to the large box.
“Was it Derek Harper?” Mac asked. Veronica let out a hollow laugh.
“No, Derek Harper is on my list of people to kill when I become a serial killer.” Accustomed to such statements from her roommate, Mac didn’t reply.
“Are you going to open this present?” she questioned. “I have to say, I am rather curious. It was here when I came back from the movies with Parker.” Veronica went over to the box and pulled the envelope taped to the side off, opening it up and pulling out the letter inside. It was a single line long, and as she read it aloud, her voice thick with her confusion. “Secrets are kinda hott, too.”
“That’s it?” Mac asked. “That is the message?” Veronica nodded, placing the letter down on her bed and turning her attention to the box. “Veronica, your secret admirer is weird.” Ignoring Mac, Veronica began to un-wrap the large box. “What’s inside?” Mac pestered when Veronica finally opened the box and stood staring unbelievably at what was inside it.
Slowly, Veronica pulled the huge, bright pink, stuffed pony from the box. It was nearly three feet tall and three feet across, extremely huggable and covered in a pink, shimmering material. “A pony,” Veronica said aloud, before laughing. “My secret admirer got me a stuffed pony.”
“Looks like he knows you pretty well,” Mac said as Veronica placed the pony down on her bed and slid the box off her bed, and taking its place.
“Who could it possibly be?” Veronica asked, more to herself than to Mac. “They have to know me well, I mean they knew that I liked Mike Doughty, they knew how I always joke about wanting a pony, they knew I would try and trace them, and they’ve got a little girl and Dick Casablancas working for them—”
“Veronica, there’s something else in the box,” Mac interrupted her spoken train of thoughts. Veronica sat up again, looking at the small teddy bear Mac pulled out of the box. “It’s wearing a shirt that says, ‘I wuv you beary much,’” Mac read.
“What?” Veronica grabbed the bear from Mac, looking at it herself. She looked up at Mac, her face flooded with understanding. “Mike Doughty,” she said, “it’s not just that I like him — the song the lyrics came from — I Hear the Bells—”
“Er, Sherlock, still out of the loop over here,” Mac said, waving her hand in the air to grab her friend’s attention.
“Every once and a while he hangs out with this teenage girl, Heather, I think her name is,” Veronica said, looking back down at the teddy bear. “She’s about thirteen-years-old.”
“Veronica, who is it?”
“‘Secrets are kinda hott, too,’ oh, I remember that!” Veronica exclaimed, “I can’t believe this.”
“I can’t either — wait, that’s right, I don’t know who it is! Earth to Mars!” Veronica was ignoring Mac completely however, grabbing her coat as she raced from the room still clutching the bear in her hand.
She didn’t know what to expect, she didn’t know what she would say, what he would say, what would happen — she didn’t even know what she wanted to happen. She was sure it was him however, no doubt about it, and now that she knew she had to confront him.
Less than twenty minutes after putting all the pieces together, she was knocking on his door, still carrying the bear with her. “If you’re looking for Dick again, Nora, he’s not here—”
“How do you get the name Nora out of Veronica?” she asked her startled ex-boyfriend.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. She shoved the bear at him.
“It’s you, isn’t it, Logan, you’re my secret admirer,” she told him, asking a question and proclaiming a fact at the same time.
“Ding, ding, ding,” he chimed, “Veronica Mars solves the case again,” he paused, “You want to come in?” He opened the door for her further and walked into the apartment, allowing her freedom to run away or walk in after him.
She shut the door behind her as she followed him into the room. “Why?” she asked immediately. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
“I was hoping to at least give you the next clue before you figured it out,” he went over to the kitchen table where another large, wrapped box sat. He ripped the envelope off the side of it and handed it to her, “Read it,” he demanded.
Slowly she unfolded it, “It’s not just about getting to second base,” she read aloud.
“Do you remember?” he asked uncertainly. She nodded softly.
“The first time you told me you loved me, in the back of your car that first summer,” she said. “But Logan—”
“I love you Veronica, more than anyone or anything in this world. I know you don’t think that’s enough, and I would do anything to get you to believe it was.”
“Logan—”
“Let me finish,” he said, cutting her off before she could begin. “I take you for granted, Veronica, I always have. Every time you’re not around I can’t control myself, I do stupid, anal things and feel bad for myself and then when we’re together I don’t even appreciate how you stop that. I don’t realize how much I need you, I don’t give you a reason to depend on me, I don’t— I’m sorry, Veronica. Give me one more chance; give me one more chance to prove myself. In seven months I haven’t looked at another girl. In seven months I’ve pulled my grades up and I’ve spent more time with Trina and, I’m trying, Veronica, I’m trying.”
“Logan,” Veronica whispered. He kept on going though, staring straight at her with those large brown eyes.
“You’re right Veronica, love isn’t enough, so I’m going to do more, I promise. I’m going to be someone you can trust — I’ve stopped gambling, and I’m drinking way less, I swear and—”
Veronica grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him down to her height, kissing him fiercely and finally silencing him. In less than an instant he was kissing her back, he was lifting her tiny body off the ground and cradling her in his arms, his hands going to that silky blonde hair he’d missed, his mouth opening to allow her tongue entrance.
When they finally broke apart, she ran her fingers across his cheek. “I love you,” she told him, looking him straight in the eye. “And I need you as much as you need me. I tried to stop it, I tried to make myself not love you, but it didn’t work. I’m tired of pushing down feelings for you.” She paused for a moment. “I do trust you,” she whispered. “I’m going to more trusting, I promise.”
“Good,” he replied, before scooping her up in his arms and smiling down at her as she laughed, clinging to his neck as though afraid he’d drop her. “I love you too.”
“Then kiss me again,” she ordered. He complied, somehow managing to carry her to his bedroom as he did, slowly lowering her onto the bed and coming to lie on top of her, still kissing her. If it had been another time or place, Veronica would have been ready to ask a thousand questions. Did he remember something of that night at Alterna-prom? Is that how he knew to choose lyrics from that song? How long had he been planning this? How had he convinced Dick to get Tom to deliver the candy-gram? There were a hundred more questions swirling in her mind.
They were all silenced however, when those brown eyes met her blue eyes and talking at all seemed incomprehensible, let alone asking questions. Kissing and not speaking a word, she pulled off his shirt and let him unbutton her sweater, pushing it off her shoulders before his hands deftly undid her bra clasp.
He looked down at her with that adoring look she’d missed, that look that made her spoiled, that made her special, that made her needed, that made her loved, that look only Logan ever gave her. “I love you,” he whispered. Neither said another word that night as the rest of their clothing was pulled away and seven months apart were thoroughly made up for.
When class was dismissed she left the room immediately and he had to run to catch up with her. She was out of the lecture room and almost to the door out of the building when he finally caught up with her. “Hey Veronica,” he greeted nervously.
“Bastard child,” she deadpanned, pushing open the doors and going out into the sunshine. He followed behind, unperturbed by her greeting.
“Look I really need to talk to you—”
“Have we met?” Derek stopped in his tracks to see he had been paying so much attention to Veronica he had almost run into Logan Echolls. The tall, dark-haired boy was holding out a hand for him to shake, smiling, “Logan Echolls,” he offered.
Derek’s eyes darted from Logan and his offered hand to Veronica, who had stopped now and stood beside Logan, a smirk on her face. “No?” Logan asked, feigning disappointment. “Oh well,” he pulled his hand away — only to bring it back again and punch Derek straight in the face.
His head spinning, Derek didn’t have more than a second to gain his balance before Logan had grabbed his shirt and used it to slam him up against the brick wall of the building. As it was a beautiful day out, the campus was filled to the brim with Frisbee players, flag-football games and people simply out enjoying the sunshine. When Derek’s back hit the wall with a painful thud, people began to stop and watch, trying to figure out what was happening.
“You won’t believe it,” Veronica said, speaking to Derek in a ditzy voice. “I told Logan about those awful boys and you won’t believe how mad he was!”
“Shut-up bitch—”
“Say it again,” Logan dared with his face an inch from Derek’s. “See what happens.” Derek said nothing, and Logan went on, “Listen and listen good: you ever so much as look at my girl again, and I’ll do more than rearrange your face.” He released Derek a moment later just in time to throw another punch at him and this time knock him to the ground.
“You’re not even dating her any more,” Derek spat, wiping blood from his nose as he sat up, attempting to stand up.
“Actually, we got back together last night,” Logan said cheerfully, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Derek had never been more disgusted in his life as he saw Logan walk off, Veronica leaning up to kiss his cheek before they linked arms and walked off together.
“Look at you, allowing my violent tendencies,” Logan teased Veronica. She laughed.
“You know me — whatever it takes to keep a great guy by my side,” she glanced back at Derek, “and between my sheets!” They stopped for a moment to kiss, before breaking apart and simply smiling at each other. Derek’s face flushed with anger when they broke into laughter, walking off into the sunshine like the perfect couple.
To Be Continued . . .
A/N: There it is, the first snapshot in the lives of Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls. The next chapter will take place a few years later, once again taking on a turning-point in the couple’s lives. Please review!
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