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Veronica was busy hanging the last of the ornaments on the tree. It was normally something her whole family did together, but last night her parents had had a fight and tonight they had made up. She was too busy being grateful that they weren't fighting anymore to mind the embarrassing visuals that flashed through her head about what they were doing now. She didn't mind decorating the tree; it was one of her favorite parts about Christmas.
It was going to be a great year. Lilly and Duncan were going to have an awesome party and school had already let out and she had done some peeking and knew what she was going to get. Her parents weren't fighting as much and her grades were up. Life was up in general.
There was a knock on the door and she frowned. It wasn't super late, but still too late for anybody to come by without calling first. She put down the snowflake and headed out of the living room to the entryway. Edging to the peephole she glanced through to make sure it was okay. It was Logan.
Veronica wrinkled her brow in confusion. She and Logan were friends, but she couldn't think of any reason for him to come to her house. She genuinely liked hanging out with him and he was hilariously funny, but the only time they really saw each other was when they were at the Kane house. She hadn't known he even knew where she lived.
She opened the door though. Might as well find out what he wanted. And, hey, it was Christmas.
“Logan,” she said, breathing in the cooler air.
Not that it was cold; this was Neptune, after all.
“Hey, Mars,” Logan said.
“Something I can help you with?” she asked.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“Sure. My parents are...upstairs.”
“Doing the nasty,” he said and leered.
Veronica rolled her eyes and pulled him inside.
“Get to the point before I chuck you outside.”
“She's got bite,” Logan said and headed for the living room like he'd been there a million times.
He settled himself on the sofa and put his legs on the coffee table.
“Oh, yes, please make yourself at home,” Veronica said sarcastically and leaned against the doorway.
“Nice tree,” he said.
“Thank you, we try. Now what can I help you with?” she asked pointedly.
Logan suddenly looked a lot less confident and Veronica's face softened. Lately she'd been a bit worried about him. She knew things weren't good at home, not that he ever talked about it, but both Duncan and Lilly had mentioned things and Logan himself had been a lot more difficult to deal with.
She moved to the sofa and sat down next to him, leaning against the arm so that she was facing him.
“I need your expert girly opinion,” Logan finally said. “I need to get Lilly something.”
“Like...” she prompted.
“Like for Christmas,” he said. “As her official best friend, you must have some idea of what she wants.”
“As her official boyfr-” Veronica said and then stopped at the look on his face “-as her boyfriend, you probably know her better than anyone.”
“One would think,” he mumbled and then flopped his arm back along the sofa. “Yet I come to you anyway. I need girl present ideas. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm all boy.”
“And so proud of it,” she said, smiling.
He smirked back at her.
“But of course. Now, are you going to help me or not?”
“Is there some reason why you couldn't just call me up and ask me?” Veronica asked. “There are these marvelous things called phones.”
“I was in the neighborhood,” he said casually, “and I've never been here before. I thought I'd see how the other half lives.”
“How sweet,” Veronica said, her tone dripping with honey. “I'm so glad.”
“I think I like you when Lilly and Duncan aren't around,” Logan said, looking at her funny.
“What does that mean?” she asked, confused.
“You actually talk for starters.”
Logan got off the sofa and started back for the door, leaving Veronica a little flabbergasted.
“Okay...” she said. “So when do you want to go shopping?”
“Oh, we're going together, are we?” he asked, leaning back against the door.
“You did ask me for that purpose, right?” she said.
“Ideas, Veronica, ideas.”
“Here's an idea, girls love boyfriends with initiative, have fun,” she said.
“Oh, come on,” Logan said, slinging an arm around her shoulder. “I want you to come with me, in fact, I need you to. Help, Veronica, oh, please, help me.”
“Shut up,” she said and shoved him, laughing. “Fine, I will help you go shopping. Tomorrow, two pm, pick me up here.”
“I'm saved,” he said and waved at her over his shoulder as he left.
She closed the door after him, feeling slightly flustered. What an irritating guy.
***
Veronica closed the door to the dressing room for the fifteenth time and leaned against it, feeling exhausted. Not only was she helping Logan pick out his gift for Lilly, but she, apparently, had to model all the clothing options.
While they were at the store, he'd asked her opinion on perfume for his mom and gifts for his grandparents and for Duncan and for their housekeeper of all people. She noticed he never mentioned his dad, but she figured it was probably because he already had a gift for him or something. But she kinda wished that if he'd meant for her to do his Christmas shopping for him, that he would have warned her. As it was they had everything but the gift for Lilly.
Veronica had vetoed much of the clothing Logan had wanted to buy. It was either hideous or ridiculously skimpy. There had been a really beautiful blue fleece sweater that she'd thought was perfect, but Logan had said it wasn't a Lilly sweater. Which she sort of had to agree with afterward, but it was an amazing sweater all the same.
“I'm coming out now,” she called, “and then I'm going home. You're impossible.”
“Were you planning on walking?” he asked, getting up from his chair.
“I'm tired, Logan, can't we do this again later?” she asked.
“Just - let's go to the jewelry,” he said. “Think, what would Lilly want most in the whole world? Money's no object.”
“I'll bet,” Veronica grumbled. “Look, Lilly's not that attached to material possessions. She's a little bit...flighty that way. Things just hold her interest for as long as she wants and then the next thing catches her eye. Just give her something you know she'll like and don't worry about if she'll keep it forever.”
Logan sighed and then stalked off without saying anything. Veronica frowned and then hurried to catch up with him.
“Why is this so important to you?” she asked. “Why did you have me help you?”
“Because I don't know how to do this Christmas thing,” he said tightly without looking at her. “We don't really do Christmas. My parents have a party and then we all go skiing or something, but we don't really sit around and drink eggnog, singing carols, and opening gifts together. This is Lilly's and my first Christmas together when we haven't been broken up. I just...wanted to do it right.”
Veronica caught hold of his arm and made him look at her.
“That's perfect,” she said. “Tell her that.”
“What...that? Lilly would laugh at me,” he said.
“Probably,” Veronica agreed. “But in case you haven't noticed, Lilly may not act like it, but she's lonely, too. That's why she has us. So give her the gift of you and pretend that I never actually physically said that.”
Logan laughed.
“All right, Mars, you win. But just for posterity's sake, come with me to the jewelry section and we'll pick her out something she'll like and I won't feel bad if she loses it.”
“You got it,” Veronica said, linking her arm in his and leading him to where she'd already picked out the perfect Lilly necklace. “You know, you're not so bad, Echolls.”
“Surnames it is,” he said as they rang up the necklace.
***
Veronica slipped out the balcony door and breathed in the not incense/perfume scented air. She was having a wonderful time and she'd been dancing for hours, but she was feeling a bit stifled and needed a breather. Plus, Celeste had been looking disapprovingly at her and she didn't want the reminder that she wasn't one hundred percent welcome in the Kane household.
Earlier she'd watched Logan come out here with Lilly and give her the necklace. Lilly had loved it, as Veronica had known she would, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him thoroughly. Then Logan had said something to her causing her to do it again. They'd stayed out there for at least forty five minutes until Celeste had dragged them back inside with lipstick all over Logan's face. Now they were partying it up on the dance floor and putting every other couple there to shame. Veronica was glad.
She leaned against the balcony railing and closed her eyes. So far it was an amazing Christmas and she couldn't want for anything else. Her life seemed perfect.
“Too cool for us, Mars?” came a voice from behind her.
She smiled as she felt Logan slip his coat jacket around her shoulders and, even though it wasn't very cold, she welcomed the added warmth.
“Not since I'm wearing this hideous thing, Echolls,” she teased.
Logan grinned as he leaned against the railing with his elbows so that they were facing opposite directions.
“I was getting worried about you, but now I think I'll just head back in,” he said.
“Worried about moi when you're the celebrated lord of the dance in there?” she asked, putting her hand to her chest in mock surprise.
“Astonishing, isn't it?” he said.
“I see Lilly liked her present,” she said, motioning to the last bit of lipstick that hadn't gotten wiped off.
He smirked and licked his lips, getting it mostly off. Veronica sighed and reached up and did it for him.
“A smashing success,” he said. “Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” she said.
“And my work here is done,” he said, straightening up. “Don't stay out here too long. I'm going to save you a dance.”
He started to walk back to the door.
“My hero,” she said sarcastically, then noticed he'd left a slim box on the railing by her arms.
She opened it curiously. It was the blue sweater she'd liked so much in the mall. It had fit her perfectly and she'd been a little bit disappointed he wasn't getting it for Lilly even though she wouldn't have liked it as much because then Veronica could have borrowed what she could never have afforded on her own.
“Logan, I can't-” she said, hurrying to catch up with him.
“You can and will, Mars,” he said, smiling down at her. “It's pocket change to me and you deserve it. And I get all my friends presents.”
“Thank you,” she said, feeling deliciously warm inside, and then slung his jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him. “I believe you owe me a dance, Mr. Echolls.”
“My pleasure, Miss Mars.”