Redeeming LoVe

Chapter 1: Anger and Passion

Logan

I see Veronica at the top of the stairs as I am walking toward my locker where both Clemmons and a Deputy stand waiting for me. I open my locker up, and step to the side to allow Clemmons into it. She has a small smile forming on her lips that seems a little off to me, but I wasn't thinking about her at all. She was no longer a part of my life.

"There you go," I say waving my hand out. I didn't even look inside before moving out of the way because I only kept my books in the damn locker.

"Well, what's this Logan? This would appear to be a device they use to smoke marijuana," Clemmons says pulling out a bong, in the form of a cherub. I look around knowing that this wasn't going to end well. It wasn't in my locker an hour ago when I got my books out of it. I knew for sure because Sick and Duncan were both with me then. Damn it, Veronica Mars!

"That's exactly what it looks like," the Deputy says as he takes it from Clemmons.

"Back to the office. Come on," Clemmons says as I continue to look around only to spot Veronica with a small smirk on her face.

"Oh man, Logan's busted," someone says as I turn to point at Veronica knowing full well she probably had something to do with this.

"It was you?" I say only to get her to do a "who me?" gesture.

"Listen, I know it was you. This isn't over, okay," I half laugh and then pull it together as I yell at her. Veronica just exaggerates a yawn in my direction using her hand to exaggerate the action.

"Hey." Clemmons says pulling me a little. I grin at her but point as we get close to her.

"You're so cute. Listen, I'll get you for this," I yell as Clemmons pushes me to move forward as the student body watches starring at me as I pass.

"Let's go," he mutters as I just turn to look back at her once more.

"I will." I yell out one last time.

"Come on, let's go," Clemmons says as he half pulls and pushes me to follow him closer as we get to his office. Once inside he pulls out my file to call my parents. He works it out with my dad to come and get me before I am taken to jail. The Deputy asks me questions and then leaves.

I dreaded the moment my dad would get to the school because I knew what was going to happen. I mean he wouldn't even listen to reason about the issue. It was automatically my fault. In reality it was a pesky little blonde's. I knew I had it coming because of the way I treated her, but it still hurt.

"I can't believe you were so fucking stupid," Aaron Echolls sneered at him as he just wrote a check and handed it over to Clemmons for keeping this out of the press. I knew Aaron would turn this all into a show, but I also knew even more what he was hiding behind his fake smile. Aaron Echolls was pissed that he had to give up his time for his son. Yes, action star hated his very own son with a passion that would turn anyone to flee from him.

"The bong isn't mine," I say once we were in the limo. Aaron casually put the divider up before turning to look at me.

"I don't care who's it is, but you were the shitface caught with it," he yells as he slaps my face hard. If it wasn't for the fact I knew he didn't care I would have pleaded my innocence, but that would have showed me being weak. The rest of the drive to our house was in silence. I waited for him to get out before I got out. Of course the damn press was right outside our gates.

"I'm going to study," I say as I move to go to the front door.

"In my office 15 minutes no shirt and bring a belt," he whispers slightly into my ear before walking toward his adoring fans. I hated how he made me feel right now about life or society at this moment. I walked into the house to see my mother sitting on the sofa with her best friend in hand. Veronica would call it a cliché that our mothers were the very same, only difference mine didn't walk out figuratively yet. She had long checked herself out of this life.

"You shouldn't do things to get him angry," she mutters as I walk past her. I couldn't believe she would actually tell me that. She should be standing up to him for me, not drinking a damn gin and tonic.

"I didn't do anything. I was set up, but does it really matter it would have been about something else later down the way," I mutter walking up the stairs first to his bedroom to retrieve a belt, and then to my room to put my things down. I took my shirt off, and placed it on my bed before heading back downstairs to Aaron's office to wait for him.

"Belt," he snaps as he slams my face down onto his desk. This is the first time he has started off so rough. I knew he was pissed off. "You think it's all fun and games," he snaps as I feel the first whack of the belt right in the middle of my back. I flinched from the contact.

"No," I stutter out from the impact. He yells at me as he hits me seven more times. I don't flinch after that first whack though. He must have sensed my resolve as he gives me a forceful punch right to the side throwing me onto the ground. I feel him kick me a few times before he bends down and snatches my car's keys out of my pocket.

"You're grounded and no car," he says breathing hard as he leaves me there huddled into a ball waiting to pick myself up. I had no energy to do it, but I felt an arm on my shoulder as I slowly move away.

"Mr. Logan let's get you out of here," I see Lettie standing over me.

"Leave," I gasp out.

"Mr. Echolls left after he did this," she mutters waving her hands out. I nod slowly as I slowly pick myself up off the ground. She holds my left arm helping me up the stairs trying not to jostle me too much. She goes into my bathroom and brings me back some water and aspirin. She even held out a warm wash cloth to me, but I shake my head. I wasn't about to have her clean me up. This wasn't her issue. I didn't want her pity right now. I didn't want anything at all. All I really wanted was to get even with a tiny blonde.

"Thank you," I whisper out as she is backing out the door closing it behind her. I search my nightstand drawer for something stronger and down two blue pills. I quickly fall asleep.

I hear banging in the distance and loud voices. I look to the alarm clock on my nightstand to see it was 7 in the morning. I wasn't in the mood to go to school so I text Dick and let him know I wasn't feeling well. I wasn't lying, but he didn't need to know I actually couldn't walk very well. I spent the next two days recouping after the beating.

I had taken a few cool showers to relieve the burning sensation, but it only lasted for a little while. I had made my decision on what I was going to do when I saw Veronica adamantly talking with the new kid. I was going to finally get even. I hadn't actually done anything to her other than spread rumors. My friends let the air out of her tires or slashed them, but it was time I got even.

I almost lost my nerve as I saw her so carefree. She was flying a plane with her friend. He was her only friend because of me. Yes, she may have chosen her dad, but it was me who wronged her. I decided I needed to push all sympathy out the window because she was the cause of my pain this time.

Since I couldn't drive I had to rely on friends to get to and from places. I hated having to do that because it made me feel like I was an invalid. We went in search of her, and found her at the beach with the new kid. I had heard she cut him down from the flag pole after the PCHer's taped him up on it.

I see her LaBaron and decide to hop onto the hood of the car to wait her out. I had pulled a tire iron out and held it in my hands. Veronica comes up to us but stops in front of her car, while her friend races up behind her.

"Hey, Veronica Mars," I say as I hop off of her car only to feel a tightening in my back from the motion. "Do you know what your little joke cost me?" I continue.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you won't be getting your bong back," she easily snaps back at me. That ticked me off so I swung the crowbar into one of her headlights, I notice out of the corner of my eye she flinched. I grin at her as I twirl the crowbar mockingly.

"Wrong answer. Would you care to guess again?" I say.

"Clearly your sense of humor," she says. I swing once again taking out the other light.

"Nope. You're usually so good at pop quizzes. No, the correct answer is my car. That's right. My daddy took my T-Bird away. And you know what I won't be having? Fun, fun, fun," I say smirking as I move to stand directly in front of her with the crowbar resting on the back of my neck. I miss the sound of the motorcycles pulling up behind us until it's too late.

"Uh-uh, Logan," one of the guys mutter as I see Weevil, and his gang getting off his bike and walking toward me. This time I move slightly more in front of Veronica afraid that he was here for her. I couldn't be the reason she would actually get hurt. Words and objects were one thing, but physical violence wasn't something I could stand for.

"What do we have here? Vandalism? No, no, no. Only vandalism that happens in this town goes through me," Weevil mutters looking directly at me

"Listen man, I don't have a problem with you," I say standing my ground.

"That's where you're wrong," he snaps at me taking the crowbar from me.

"Hey that's not his car, that's my mom's car," my friend says as Weevil moves to eye it up.

"She can bill me," he says totally in his element. Weevil hits the SUV in the middle of the hood, hard. He takes out one of the headlights and then goes for the hood a couple more times. Weevil yelled something and told the guys to take off, but then he turns to me. "Except for you. You, say you're sorry," he says pointing at me.

"Rub a lamp," I smugly say smirking at him as he punches me hard in the stomach sending me to the ground. I look up to see Veronica not looking too comfortable at the moment. If I wasn't mistaken it looked like she was worried. That expression made me feel strange.

"I said, say you're sorry," he snaps at me again as I begin to stand up. I didn't take the normal beatings Aaron gave me to walk away like a dumb ass right now.

"Kiss my ass," I say deliberately at him as his fist connects with my face. I fall once again as Weevil laughs. As I get up I wipe the blood that I felt coming from my nose. I was going to stand my ground.

"Let him go," I hear Veronica say. I look up to meet her eyes and I see worry etched in them. It has been a long time since I even cared what she thought, but in that moment I just wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her.

"Are you sure? I could do this for a while," Weevil says as I notice that he is someone she has wrapped around her finger. God I remember how she was so innocent.

"I don't want his apology," she finally says in a low concerned voice as I wipe some more blood from my nose groaning as the pain in my back resurfaces from the little jostling Weevil just gave me. I wipe at my nose once more, and head for the SUV, stumbling slightly trying to keep myself upright from the searing pain I was in.

I am slammed against the wall the moment I enter the house by Aaron. He has his fist in my face as he shoves it roughly into my already sore nose.

"Where the hell have you been?" He yells as he shoves me to the ground next. He was hovering over me like a wild dog munching at the bit.

"I went out with the guys," I say as he kicks me hard in the side causing me to almost vomit.

"I told you that you were grounded. Why the hell do you think I took your keys," he yells as I see my mother come into the hallway all dressed up.

"Aaron, we need to get going or we will be late," she says as he turns to look at her. I lay there as he steps over me to exit the house without another word. I barely pick myself off the ground making my way to my room. I must have blacked out I feel my bed dip slightly after a door being slammed.

"I'm not in the mood," I mutter. I open my eyes to see the room empty. I close them again only to feel like someone was watching me.

"Logan," I hear a whisper as I slowly turn my head to see Veronica Mars kneeling beside my bed looking at me with tears in her eyes. I couldn't handle her going soft right now, but I didn't need her either.

"What are you doing here?" I snap as I move to sit up only to feel the breeze on my back. "Shit!" I snap as I realize what she was looking at.

"What happened?" she says as she reaches out. I flinched back because I wasn't sure I could handle her touch right now. Her touch would have destroyed me after all I had done to her.

"It's nothing I can't handle," I snap getting up and heading into my bathroom closing the door behind me hoping that she would take the hint and leave. When I returned she wasn't anywhere to be seen. I flopped back down on the bed as gently as I could without hurting myself too much. I reached over to grab the hidden bottle of Jack Daniels inside my nightstand when I heard my door open and close.

"Logan," Veronica whispered as I carefully sat back up. She had a wash cloth and a first aid kit in her hand. I wanted to snatch the items out of her hand, but I couldn't do it.

"Veronica, just leave the stuff. I can do it later," I say in a voice that wasn't harsh nor was it soft. She was making it harder for me just being so close. I was sure it was all just a damn dream anyway.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles as she moves to leave, but I reach my hand out grabbing her wrist stopping her. The heat and spark I felt as I held her small wrist in mine made me realize this was all real. Veronica was right now in my room staring at me. The electricity I felt gave me hope, which I haven't felt in a long time.

"Why did you come here?" I question as she looks up breaking the moment we just were lost in.

"I came to yell at you for what you did. I wanted to tell you how stupid you were for not backing down, but then I thought over the incident and figured something out," she says softly as she wipes softly over my back. I hadn't even noticed her doing it.

"What did you figure out?" I snap a little harsher than I should have causing her to flinch slightly which in turn caused her to rub a little harder at one spot.

"I crossed the line," she mutters. "I was just so tired of all the crap your lackeys have been doing to me that I decided to get back at you," she says as I hear something ripping. I turn my head slightly to see her pressing a bandage to my back.

"Yeah well congratulations, you out did yourself with your payback," I mutter as I move over slightly to give her better access to my whole back, and in the process the whole disturbing view of my scared etched back.

"Logan did your dad do this," she whispers so softly that I almost missed it but the worry and surprise were in her voice.

"Does it matter?" I question as she finishes up. She gets up quietly and walks out of the room. I knew that right now I should have gone after her, and made her promise to keep this quiet, but at the moment I just didn't care anymore. If Veronica wanted to ruin my life she now had the power to do so.

I carefully laid down on my back and looked up at my ceiling as I heard soft steps coming toward my door. I was worried it was my mom, but didn't think it would be her. It had been a long time since she came to check on me. I kept my eyes closed as the door opens and closes softly.

"Just don't stand there, get in bed," I mutter without looking up at the promise of hope as I lift the blanket, and feel the weight of the one person I had longed for in a year.

"I am really sorry Logan," Veronica whispers as she moves closer to me.

"What are you really doing here?" I finally ask turning to look at her. She had such a pretty face that was tear stained right now.

"I needed you, and I was worried that you got hurt because of me," she says softly. I knew I had seen her concerned.

"Why we aren't even friends?" I snap before realizing it too late.

"Just because you stopped being my friend didn't mean I stopped being yours," she mumbles rubbing circles on my arm.

"So the bong was you being a friend," I ask a little unsure how that would be her still being my friend.

"It was a slight misjudgment. I didn't think you would be punished for it, I wanted to get back at you for the low comments about my mom," she admits as I remember the conversation before heading out with Duncan and the guys.

"Yeah," I mumble as I shrink into the bed.

"There isn't any evidence of the bong anymore," she says as I feel her move away from me.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"It was destroyed when I blew it up to get into the evidence room at the police station," she says as I laugh. Only Veronica could do something like that without getting hurt in the process.

"Where are you going?" I ask as I notice her getting our of the bed.

"Home," she says softly smiling.

"Stay," I ask pleading with her not to leave me just yet. She looks conflicted in what she was going to do.

"Dad, hey," she says into her cell phone looking away from me. Her dad seems to be telling her something as she frowns slightly. "No it's fine. I have some studying to do, and I'll stay in while you're gone," she says looking back at me. "No I'll be fine, love you too," she says as he hangs up the phone. She takes her jeans off, and climbs back into my bed. I wait for her to say anything, but she is quiet.

"Veronica," I whisper into the darkness.

"I'm not leaving," she finally whispers back as I pull her closer to me. I feel her body tense up slightly, but after a moment she relaxes a little.

"Ronnie," I say as I feel her begin to shake.

"Can all this heavy shit wait till tomorrow?" she mutters softly as I nod my head into her shoulder. I let my hatred fade as I realize we were both two broken people who might have a chance if we did this together. I wasn't sure what had happened to her, but I knew it happened at Shelly's party. I decided my hatred for the girl who pushed her friends aside to stand by her father was a better person, than the boy who allowed his hatred to tear her apart. I envied her because of the love she had for me, even after all the horrible things that happened to her.