It was frustrating. He wasn’t sure how much more blatant he could be without skywriting or a billboard. Those alternatives were a little out of reach for him financially, so he was stuck with trying to woo her in between ins and outs with Logan.

He couldn’t blame her. He was Aaron Echolls’ kid after all. He had money, good looks, charm, and from what Piz had heard a pretty swank penthouse suite. It was certainly more impressive an atmosphere than the dorm room he shared with Wallace.

He grabbed Wallace’s basketball and went to his bed. He lied down and tossed the ball up and down as his mind tried to sort it out. The way Wallace talked, this was it. There would be no more chances. Logan Echolls had done something Veronica considered unforgivable. Considering all that she’d seen and done, Piz found that hard to believe.

He didn’t ask Wallace what transgression Logan had committed and Wallace hadn’t offered that tidbit of information. Piz hadn’t come right out and told Wallace he had feelings for Veronica, but Wallace would have to be an idiot not to know it. And Wallace wasn’t an idiot.

He hadn’t expected that. When he’d first met Wallace and found out he was a jock, his mind instantly took a wrong turn. Wallace had proved him wrong, though, quickly. He just wished he could prove himself to Veronica, impress her like Wallace had impressed him.

There were times she didn’t seem to even notice him. They’d talked, connected. Or at least he’d thought that was the case. And after his heartfelt confessions, as close as he could come to admitting his feelings for her without wearing his heart completely on his sleeve, she’d gone right back to Logan.

Palming the ball, he spun it in his hand, tracing the letters and lines indented on the ball. He exhaled sharply, glancing at the phone. Maybe he could call her, offer a helpful ear.

“Don’t be an idiot!”

That was his problem, more than likely. She viewed him as a friend, not as a person of interest. Not romantically. She talked about her relationship woes, and he listened. And, really, there was probably the factor that Veronica might not want him but there were a million girls waiting in the wings to get to him. So, he couldn’t totally blame her for going back to him if she thought there was even the remotest chance for them. It tore him up, but he understood it.

“So, how do I go about getting her to notice me?”

He bounced the ball off the ceiling, finding the sound of the ball against the cement grounding for some reason. He could ask her to one of Wallace’s games? That was neutral, believable as they were both friends of Wallace, and he didn’t see Logan partaking in that type of school activity. It was a thought. He could suggest grabbing something to eat afterward, somewhere that wasn’t the commons. Get her off campus, away from everything that told her they were friends. She knew Neptune, he could ask her to take them to a place she liked.

“A movie?”

That had possibilities. Maybe a game and a movie? Ideas started flowing. He wasn’t suave, didn't have movie star good looks, or a father who was a movie star, but damn it he had things to offer, too. He was smart, funny, loyal, honest, wasn’t looking for a free ride based on his name, and knew he’d treat a girl like Veronica like a queen. Certainly better than that dog Logan treated her.

Sadly, Piz realized, Logan wasn’t a dog and he wasn’t a completely bad guy. They just had the unfortunate circumstance between them of falling for the same girl. Logan was on the outs right now, pretty seriously, it was time for Piz to make a move. Or his chance would be gone. It might not be Logan she moved onto this time. It could be someone else. And then where would he be? Watching from the shadows all over again, waiting in the wings for yet another chance. He wasn’t sure how many more chances he would get.

Determined, he set the ball on the ground and set about putting a plan in motion. But first he needed to find out from Wallace when and where their next away game was. Out of Neptune, that would be sweet and if it was somewhat of a road trip away, even better. That would give them time to talk.

“I like it,” he said, hoping now Wallace would return soon. A chance like this didn’t come along every day. He had to take advantage of it.

~The End~

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tough_c0okie

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com