"Yeah, so about that staying in touch thing…" Logan muttered towards her.

Veronica stared at the man standing in front of her in the green dressing gown. She had avoided this conversation for days. At first, she had tried to simply ignore everything that had happened the weekend of the Altra-Prom, but then with the whole Lucky freaking out thing and Aaron getting the not guilty verdict, she just didn't know how to speak to Logan any longer.

"Umm…" she stuttered.

"Okay, here's the thing. I know that things have been pretty screwed up the last couple of weeks, hell, the last two years really, since Lil--. Well since forever it seems. But here's the thing," he repeated, "I don't have any friends."

The statement hung between the two of them.

"I don't have any friends that aren't jackasses, like I've been, and I don't have any family and I just don't have anyone anymore," he stated. "I don't know what I'm doing in the fall, and if we aren't going to be talking this summer then I'm thinking the best thing for me to do is leave this hell hole. But if you think for just one moment that you might want to talk again, have someone who remembers the before, then I'll stick around. I'll be here for you because…because, you've been there for everyone else. Us, the fab four, don't exist…but through everything you always held us together and we didn't do anything for you. You've cleaned up all our messes and you've suffered, I know you have. But if my sticking around is only going to add to that pain, then you need to tell me to leave and… if you don't want me to leave then you need to tell me now." All this Logan said it seemed in one breath, just laid out for all the world, okay just Veronica, to see. He held his breath as he looked into her blue eyes.

Veronica didn't believe that he would just put that all out there. Sure, they had had conversations that seemed meaningful, but nothing this frank, well at least not with both of them sober. She couldn't look away from his brown eyes, so soulful. She thought back over everything he said and just savored the words. Sure she knew that she had done a lot for all of them, but for the last remaining one to actually voice it, she just couldn't believe how important it felt.

"I-I-I…I think you need to stay here in this hellhole," she tried for some snark, "I think that you need to stay here where there is still someone that you can talk to, who knows everything that has happened to you. I might not be able to see you everyday at first, but I do think it is important that you don't just ride off into the sunset never to be seen again. I think it's important for you and..and for me too," she breathed out the ending.

Logan didn't know what to say, he had fully expected her to tell him to leave, that she no longer wanted him in her life. He felt a small good feeling in his heart. He knew they weren't promising kisses and long make-out sessions, but they were trying to be friends, and right now that is exactly what he needed.

Logan smiled at her slightly and nodded his head. "I would like that a lot, too."

They both broke their gazes and seemed to notice for the first time that many of the seniors had broken from the alphabetical seating to start milling around with their respective crowds. The 09er's were off to the right, the PCHer's were off to the left, the "geeks" were sort of in the middle, the jocks were behind them and they, Veronica and Logan, were just standing there surrounded by everyone. One by one people started breaking off from their respective groups: Wallace left the jocks headed towards them, Dick left Madison in mid rant, Mac smiled at her computer buddies and pointed towards Veronica – Beaver meeting her half way, and finally, Eli broke from his former group with a slight smile and headed towards them both. Soon everyone was just standing together around Veronica and Logan making small talk.

"So, Ronnie, got any big mysteries to tackle for the summer?" Dick questioned, half interested, half jokingly.

"Yo Logan, you totally got to check this new X-Box game out that Mac hooked me up with," Wallace gushed.

"What new game?" Beaver poised the question between the three; Wallace, Logan and Mac.

"Hey Chica, thanks for the hook-up," Weevil muttered in Veronica's ear, nodding towards Bev and Mac.

It was at that moment that Veronica realized it. Logan was right, the past two years had been hell, but not just for her. All the people now standing in their circle had been through so much, so many changes had to have taken place to make these people friends. And though not all of them would always get along well, at least they had made it through the hell that was high school and would have people to rely on in the future.

She turned to Logan, who was looking slightly impressed with everyone talking to one another. She thought that he must feel it too. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "You might not think we have friends, but I think that we will be learning different in the coming months. Take a look around, jackass, we are so lucky to have people who put up with both of our dramas."

They shared a smile and Logan wrapped his arm around her. The summer was definitely going to be interesting.