The drive to Neptune High school had been full of the usual awkward silence with Duncan Kane, his deceased girlfriend's younger brother and his best friend. Normally Logan Echolls could get some monosyllabic bits of comments on the odd topic, or the occasional laugh out of him but he had been increasingly withdrawn lately since school had started up again, and Logan had a pretty good idea why. Classes starting again at Neptune High after the long hot summer meant there would be the likelihood that they would have to deal with Her again.

God he really hated her… Logan thought as he watched the familiar black convertible roll into the space opposite the school bus. The daughter of the former local Sheriff, and Logan Echolls personal black spot in the Universe… Veronica Mars.

He watched as she pulled her brown bag out of the passenger seat and tucked a few loose strands of her ridiculously short blond hair behind her ear. It didn't always used to look this way… it used to fall in beautiful golden strands right down her back but she had chopped it all off before Christmas last term a few days after Shelley Pomoroys Party and with it, her preppy school look had given way to the rebellious, DM boot clad, combat jeans preferring, leather jacket wearing teenage sleuth of Neptune High.

He should feel a little grateful he supposed that she had decided to embrace the change in their relationship status as drastically as she had. Watching her walk around campus looking like the broken hearted girl who had been Lilly Kane's best friend had made it so much harder to hate her like he had. Now she dressed like an outcast and generally stayed away from the 09ers at all. Dealing with the conflicting feelings of protectiveness and love for his friend.. and the anger he felt when he blamed her for betraying him and helping to create the circumstances that led to Lilly's death had been weighing him down. It had gotten easier though after her father Keith Mars had let the crime scene video of his dead girlfriend go viral and get plastered all over the internet… the thought of what his friend Duncan and the Kane family had had to endure as the world and its tabloids speculated on the images of the worst moment of their lives had solidified his resolve to get back at him the only way available to him. By punishing Veronica for her fathers mistakes.

Isn't that what you did when someone screwed up even when they didn't mean to? Perhaps this was a sadistic side effect of his fathers influence, but truthfully, Logan didn't want to probe too much into the reasons why. She had abandoned him… abandoned Duncan in their hour of need… she deserved whatever he could throw at her.

"Hey Man… you want to get Starbucks before school?" Logan asked as he waited to see if Duncan was going to notice Veronica yet.

He barely even replied, Logan narrowed his eyes as he saw Veronica walking across the car park. Fine if Duncan wouldn't wake up on his own, perhaps he needed a little prodding? Logan mused.

He pushed the car into gear and pulled up alongside her.

"Heey Ronnie!" he smirked, watching the tension build in her shoulders, the grimace she tried to hid before she pulled on that hardened look she gave him most of the time lately. The summer had been an eventful one, him and the other 09ers would get drunk occasionally and go play pranks by ordering food to her house when they knew her father was away, or by writing things on her car windshield or advertising her number whenever they got a hold of it in local Adult Classified ads. "A bunch of us were thinking of skipping school today to go surfing down the beach do you wanna Cum?" he said suggestively much to the amusement of Luke, Sean and Tad in the back.

She tried to ignore him and walk on.

"Hey hey.. look Duncan will promise to take his shirt off does that sweeten the pot for ya?" he continued, rewarded this time by her stopping to glare at him sullenly. "That make you horny?" He looked over his shoulder.. still no response, Duncan had turned to look out the other window. "Hey DK.. you got some Fudge for your Ex?" he asked.

"That's enough man" Duncan snapped.

"Alright.. alright.." Logan relented, but he was glad he had woken him up a little. It was the most he had said in the last three days. Now it was time to stick it to her for some fun. "Hey… what you say to a little hooch?" he teased, reaching her the hip flask that usually sat beside him in the car… it was empty, he wasn't stupid enough to get caught with alcohol in his car, but she didn't know that. "Whats the matter aren't you your Mothers Daughter?" he taunted. It was well known that Lianne Mars's hidden drinking problem in the months since Lilly Kane had been murdered and had become an open secret in Neptune, her mother had left town several months ago, and Veronica hadn't seen her since. If he was going to hurt her… might as well do it right eh?

She gave him her full attention now, a brief instant of pain flickered behind her indifferent Fuck You mask and he sneered in satisfaction. "Now THERE was a woman who could drink…" Logan mused. "Where is she.. maybe she could join us?" he said suggestively, getting a snigger from his companions in the back. "Do you know where she is? Do you have any clue?" he taunted. He would push that flicker until it became a spark until he saw tears if he had to.

"I said leave her alone Man" Duncan snarled and grabbed his arm. Finally… a response. Welcome back to planet Earth DK… even if I had to make a trip around Mars to get it.

"Alright DK.. I was only playing.. chill pill man" he laughed. Duncan glanced briefly at Veronica and then back out his side of the car. Yep.. this was probably about as much interaction as he would get out of him this morning.

"Ack" he said rolling his eyes as he noticed Veronica's disappointed little look as she watched Duncan ignore her again. "You used to be fun…" he taunted as he hit the gas and drove them back towards Starbucks. He hated her… whatever she had done to make Duncan break up with her, had meant he was trying to navigate this grief alone while she ran off around the school playing Nancy Drew and he was trying to pick up the pieces of his best friend after the murder of his sister.

Duncan still wouldn't tell him what had happened, but it must have been pretty bad because he refused to acknowledge she existed most of the time. He shot Dick Casablanca's off a text.

"If she's so full of Hot Air.. she doesn't need as much in her tires" he mused.

Dick responded with a thumbs up emoji. Welcome back to School Bitch… its going to be a very long year for you he thought as he admired her ass in her jeans.