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There's a joke in the locker room that Wallace Fennel is ruled by the tiniest dictator in the world. He pretends not to hear it, mostly because it's true, but also because he likes these guys and their picking on him means they like him too. And maybe, just maybe, through him, they'll like Veronica again too. He knows it's a stupid thing to think. She'd deny she's even interested in the hordes of students at Neptune, but he knows the truth. He doesn't even have to read her diary (which, he knows, is kept between her mattress and box springs and has a shower of stars on the cover) to know that she wants it. She doesn't want to be popular, but she wants to be liked and not-reviled. He thinks he can do that for her and, to him, that's worth more than every file in the office. She probably wouldn't think so, but he's not completely ruled by her. Sometimes he's ruled by his heart.
He gave in too quickly when it came to their parents. He knows this too. He's still angry, but Veronica doesn't really have any friends that are her friends with no strings attached, so he figured he had to suck it up a little. He sucks up a lot for her, but at least he's no longer got duct tape on his balls, which he owes to her. They're paid in full, but there's always a debt. That's how friendship works. He's worried about his mom. She likes Keith more than she'll say, which given the fact that she's said something is saying a lot. Wallace is worried that she's going to get hurt, but his mom is strong and Veronica isn't, no matter how much she thinks she is. Wallace has seen alcoholics and he knows that Veronica's mom's not going to get better. He also knows that people don't change who they are at heart and, if Veronica's mom left once and cheated once, she'll cheat again and she'll leave again. And she probably won't come back.
Wallace's little brother looks up to him, so he does his best to set a good example. His mom expects him to do what he can, and so he does, even though it's tough someplace like Neptune. He works and does his school stuff and now has basketball though, so it's okay. It's not the same as it used to be and he knows now that it never will be. But it's okay. He's got friends that love his jump shot and he's got Veronica. And in the end, she's all he needs.
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