Courtney sighed and shook her head, letting her dark hair spill over her shoulders. “No. No. No.”
The young man beside her smirked with undying confidence. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes. The more you deny it, the more I don’t believe you.”
She frowned with slight annoyance. “I don’t, okay? I don’t like you.”
Duncan looked down at her, disbelieving every word. “Right.”
Courtney rolled her eyes and quickened her pace as they traveled down the dark city sidewalk. “Can we not discuss this anymore? Let’s just get to Geoff’s as soon as possible and get this stupid party over with.”
“Sure.” He said with a knowing smile. “But this conversation isn’t finished.”
She glared, but didn’t respond After all, it was pointless. The boy was impossible to reason with.
They were heading to one of Geoff’s many infamous parties, to Courtney’s reluctance. The shadowy city was somewhat alarming, and it made her uncomfortable. Still, she wasn’t going to let him know that. Her pride was one of the things she valued most.
“Next time, we’re taking a taxi.” She stated firmly.
“Scared?” Duncan asked. It was a rhetorical question, and it was dead-on.
“No.” Courtney huffed, acting as though her defensive tone was merely caused by the displeasure that he’d even suggested the idea. “I just… don’t like the city at night. That’s all.” The reason completely contradicted her denial, and Duncan picked up on it immediately.
“Because you’re scared.” He said matter-of-factly.
She scoffed, as if the suggestion was ridiculous. “Me? Scared? I don’t get scared, Duncan. I’m perfectly capable of walking down a city sidewalk in the middle of the night. No matter how revolting the conditions.” She stopped and inspected the bottom of her shoe, which had a wad of bright pink gum stuck to it. Courtney’s nose tilted back with disgust as she scraped her heel along the ground, trying to rid herself of the sticky matter.
Once she’d succeeded, they continued. Courtney looked to Duncan, for just a moment before he could catch her staring. Over the past weeks, her sureness about him had melted away, leaving her with a confused feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Before, she couldn’t even think about liking Duncan without gagging. The thought was so far-fetched that she couldn’t even grasp the concept. Her, and him? Together? Yeah, right. It was a ridiculous thought! And yet, she would find herself hanging onto his words, getting excited when he was near, and unintentionally blushing from his comments. The whole situation was confusing. Did she really like him, or was it just something else?
But, it was stupid. She had standards. High standards. Standards that Duncan wouldn’t be able to meet, no matter how hard he tried. It was a harsh method of judgment, but it was hers. She needed to be with someone that could promise a future, and that was an important quality that he lacked. She doubted Duncan had a plan for his future. And even if he did, it most likely involved things that she didn’t want to be a part of.
And yet, though her head said no, her heart didn’t quite agree. It wasn’t thinking radically, but its yearning had spread to the rest of her. Her opinion wasn’t as definite as it had been before, before things slowly began to change. What she wanted and what she needed had merged, leaving her vision hazy.
Courtney shivered. The cool spring air was seeping through her thin jacket, and Goosebumps were rising along her arms as she crossed them. She hugged her waist.
“See? You’re scared.” Duncan said, misinterpreting her actions, though his statement was true regardless. Courtney shook her head stubbornly, like a little child.
“I told you, I’m not scared. It’s just really cold out here, that’s all.” She squeezed her hands into fists and clenched her teeth to prevent the shivering.
“How can you say that?” Duncan said, gesturing to the night sky with a wave of his arm. “It’s not even below freezing.”
Courtney blew out, and inspected her visible breath. “I’d beg to differ.” She muttered. Duncan shrugged, and let the debate drop.
As they entered a more urban part of the city, Courtney found her defenses heighten. She glanced around nervously. Paranoid, that’s what she was being. Courtney mentally scolded herself and tried to shake the feeling, but to no avail. Her stomach twisted into knots, and her ears pricked at every sound. She shivered again, but not from the cold. Gripping her purse protectively, she inched along the sidewalk with small steps.
“Courtney?” Duncan asked, looking concerned.
“Hm? What?” Courtney glanced up and met his eyes for a moment, before turning away and guardedly looking over their surroundings. Graffiti-covered walls and fences, barred windows and doors, more broken street lights that not, and unkempt sidewalks made for an eerie, threatening scene that made Courtney uneasy. It was as though something could jump out of the shadows at any moment. Duncan noticed this, to her dismay.
“Courtney? You okay?” His voice startled Courtney, and she turned to him with wide eyes.
“Yes… no. Not entirely. This is kind of freaking me out. I’m just… not used to being in this part of the city at night. That’s all.” She admitted feebly. Courtney expected Duncan to mock at her, or flaunt the fact that he’d been right. But instead, he smiled.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” It was a small reassurance, but it made her feel somewhat better nonetheless.
They continued along, until Courtney heard whispering. She motioned for Duncan to stop, and listened. As soon as she did, the whispering stopped. Courtney stood, frowning and waiting.
“There’s nothing there. Let’s go.” Duncan said and started to walk. Courtney was about to do the same, when she was tugged back into an alley with a yelp.
She felt an arm slither around her neck, and her purse being yanked off her shoulder. Panic flushed through her.
“Courtney?” Duncan’s voice echoed. She tried to respond, but she could barely choke out a word. Courtney heard the clap of footsteps, and managed to open her eyes.
She couldn’t see the figures around her clearly, but she knew there were three of them. One had her in a headlock, while one rifled through her purse and the third stood at attention. Her throat scratched as she tried to scream, but that only made the man’s hold on her tighten.
Suddenly, Duncan came around the corner, and stopped dead in his tracks. Anger washed over his face as he took in the scene. But before he could do anything, the third figured knocked his fist against his face. Duncan turned back with a bloody lip, and Courtney couldn’t suppress a sob.
Duncan launched a punch at the man’s stomach, gaining an advantage as he bent over in pain. He grabbed his shirt and threw him to the ground forcefully. The man that had been looking through Courtney’s purse looked up and abandoned the task.
A flurry of punches and kicks followed. Blood splattered onto the sidewalk. Courtney was sickened at the sight as tears streamed down her face. Finally, the man who held her spoke.
“Alright!” He barked, the mere sound of his raspy voice sent shivers down Courtney’s spine. The three men stopped their fighting and looked over. Courtney felt Duncan’s gaze meet hers, and the look that his eyes carried burrowed into her. Panic flooded his features.
“Leave now and we won’t have a problem.” The man said, giving Duncan an opportunity to save himself. Courtney wanted to tell him what she knew, what she could feel pressed against her side. The cold metal was a warning against her skin.
But instead of jumping on the chance to escape, Duncan’s eyes flicked from Courtney to the man speaking, anger burning in them. “No.” He said with a shaking tone. “Let her go.”
The man spat to his right side. Courtney could feel his arms squeezing around her frame. His touch caused her to swell with revulsion. Sobs escaped from her throat painfully.
“And why should I do that?” The question was direction towards Duncan, but was whispered delicately in Courtney’s ear. She twisted and wrestled, but it was no use. The man’s grip was firm. “I think she’d make a cute plaything, don’t you?”
The comment enraged Duncan, and he stepped forward, eyes flashing. But just as he did, the man pulled his arm from Courtney’s side. She instantly knew what he was going to do. His arm loosened from around her neck just enough for her to shriek a warning.
“Duncan!”
It was too late.
*******
Courtney was crying.
She’d been doing that quite a bit lately. No matter what she would be doing to get her mind off of it, the realization would hit her hard, and she’d break into tears. There were moments when she’d forget. Just for a split second, when it wouldn’t be on her mind. And then she’d remember, and the weight of it would crash down on her.
But above being sad, she was angry. Angry that she –they– had been victims, that they’d been defenseless. That it could’ve been avoided, had they taken a car, if they’d taken a different route… Things could have been different. Things could have been alright.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Courtney set the book that she’d been trying to read on the arm of the chair and stood. She crossed her arms and bit her lower lip softly. Crouching down by the hospital bed, she rested her chin on her open palm and ran her fingers lightly over the smooth sheets.
Courtney watched as his chest moved up and down slowly with each strained breath. She stayed in that position for a while, as she’d done every day for the past week. It’d become part of her routine.
“Talking to him might help,” said a voice from behind. Turning around, Courtney saw a young nurse with a pitying smile and sympathetic eyes.
Standing, Courtney blinked several times before putting her confusion in question form. “What do you mean?”
The nurse shrugged. “Talking to patients in a coma can help them to regain full consciousness. And I think it might help you, as well.” With that, the nurse left.
Considering this, Courtney turned back around. She eyed the wound on his side. The sight of the bandages made Courtney wince, but she did her best to ignore them.
In a cautious whisper, Courtney murmured his name. “Duncan?”
He didn’t respond, as she’d predicated, but the mere sound of his name –even from her own mouth– made her eyes water with tears. She choked them back.
“I don’t know if you can hear me, but…” Courtney tried to compose herself enough to continue. “I want to say… thank you.”
Even though, once again, there was no response, she felt as though he’d heard her. The thought sent relief through her. Courtney smiled a little and continued. “For not leaving. And… for everything. Thank you.”
She made herself comfortable and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve been coming here every day after school. Your mom stays here during the day, and I stay during the evening. It’s a pretty good system.”
Courtney felt herself begin to rant. She was good at ranting. “Yeah, well, everyone at school misses you. Well, not everyone. The teachers are pretty happy that you’re not in school.” She giggled a little. “Geoff’s been stopping by almost everyday. He even bought you a bouquet of flowers.” Courtney glanced at the gigantic Get-Well bouquet in the corner of the room and smiled again. “I didn’t really think you’d want flowers. I figured it’d mess with your image.
“But anyway, not much has happened at school. You just missed a test and a couple of notes. You can just copy mine, if you can’t get out of doing the unit altogether.” Courtney hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth softly. “So, the doctors say you’re doing pretty well, health-wise. Except for the coma. They don’t… they don’t really know when you’ll wake up.” She tried to hold back newly resurfaced tears. In an attempt to sound more cheerful, she raised her voice an octave.
“But you could wake up any day now. We just don’t know which day. Uh,” Courtney cleared her throat and changed the subject. “The food here isn’t too bad. I don’t know why hospitals get such a bad reputation for their food. Though I guess what I was getting was from the cafeteria, not what the patients are supposed to eat. I’ve seen some of the trays of food. Nothing looked all too appetizing.”
Leaning closer, Courtney moved her mouth near his ear. Hope pulsed through her. Maybe… maybe he’d wake up. “Can you hear me?” She whispered. There was no response. She tried again, voice rattling. “Duncan, can you hear me? Are you there?”
When he remained silent, Courtney felt tears trickle down her cheeks. She stepped back, and collapsed in the chair. It’d been a stupid attempt, and not her first. Courtney had clung onto the hope that he’d wake up at the sound of her voice, like in a movie, with all of her might. But not once had he woken, and her faith was slowly diminishing. How much longer would he be like this? It was foolish to think that by simply whispering in his ear, he would suddenly come back to full consciousness. Duncan could be out for weeks, maybe longer, and the knowledge was heavy on Courtney shoulders.
Still, she refused to give up so easily. He would wake up. He would. She knew it.
Courtney glanced up at the large white clock ticking away on the wall. It was past ten, and she really needed to leave. Standing, she gathered her things and hooked her bag over her shoulder. Courtney glanced down at Duncan, and her heart twitched. Slowly, she bent over and said, “Good-bye.”
She lightly traced her fingers over his hand, and sighed. Then, cautiously, she leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. The action sent jolts through her body. Courtney quickly withdrew. A melancholy smile touched her lips as she thought of what smart-ass remark Duncan would have come up at that moment, had he been awake.
Wake up.
*******
“You know, you don’t have to go every day, sweetie.” Courtney’s mother said with a frown as she pulled up to drop Courtney off at the hospital. She stroked her daughter’s cheek tenderly. “Really, why don’t you go out with Bridgette tonight? Have some fun. Stop worrying so much and-”
“No.” Courtney grabbed her bag and clenched it in her closed hands. “I have to, mom. If it wasn’t for him then…” She breathed in deeply. “I have to. Besides, I don’t mind.”
With that as the final word, Courtney slipped from the car and slammed the door behind her. She headed over to the entrance and stepped through the hospital doors, grateful for the sudden warmth. After maneuvering through the large building, she finally found the room where Duncan was staying, and knocked lightly on the open door.
Duncan’s mother looked up from her knitting and smiled. “Oh, good, Courtney dear. I’ll just pack up my things and…” The woman gathered her few belongings that she’d brought with her and stood from the chair. “The doctors say he’s making progress, with the wound and all. Even though, well…” He hasn’t woken yet. The words were left unspoken, but fully understood.
After words were exchanged between the two women, Duncan’s mother finally left, and Courtney took on her shift. She set her things by the bed and smiled. “Hey, Duncan.”
An hour passed by before Courtney felt herself becoming hungry. She set down her book and ransacked her bag for money. After successfully finding a crumpled ten dollar bill, she made her way downstairs to the cafeteria for dinner. The cafeteria was bustling with people. Nurses, patients, and visitors occupied every available seat. Several minutes passed before she could find a seat. Courtney set her tray down and poked at her salad. The lettuce was slightly limp, but otherwise, it didn’t look too bad.
When she had finished, Courtney dropped her tray off and headed to the elevator. It amazed her that she was getting to know the hospital so well. She could map out at least ten different routes to Duncan’s room. The hospital, which had once felt cold and foreign, was quickly becoming like a second home to her, considering how much time she spent there. Courtney knew it inside and out.
In a few minutes, she had reached the room. She was so startled by what she saw that she had to lean on the wall for support. Her breath caught and her insides flooded with warmth.
Duncan was awake. A doctor and several nurses crowded the room, and from what Courtney could tell from her spot outside, they were explaining his condition to him. Duncan nodded and occasionally ran his fingers through his hair with astonishment. His icy blue eyes had yet to find her. It was like a weight had been lifted, seeing him interact. She stepped forward to enter the room with a grin, but stopped. It was probably better to wait.
Slipping out of the hospital as quickly as she could, Courtney clutched her phone and dialed as quickly as she could. It rang three times before Duncan’s mother picked up. Upon hearing the good news, the woman cried happy tears. Courtney felt herself smiling as she hung up the phone and retreated back inside.
She reached the hospital room once again, only to find Duncan rifling through her bag. Stepping into the room, she exposed herself.
“Hey.”
Duncan’s head shot up, and a surprised expression overcame his features. Courtney felt her lower lip trembled as their eyes locked onto one another. She had been anticipating the moment for over a week, but she still wasn’t ready for the tidal wave of emotions. Her shoulders shook, and rushed over to his side as tears poured over her cheeks. Courtney wrapped her arms around Duncan, sobbing. The action startled him at first, but he quickly returned the embrace.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He murmured. The sound of his voice only made her cry harder.
Once Courtney’s tears had subsided, at least a little bit, she pulled away and tried to find her voice. “I was just so scared, Duncan. I thought, I mean, I thought that… maybe… I- I don’t know.” She stuttered and wiped her wet cheeks. Duncan smiled solemnly and blew out a sigh.
“Look, I’m not really good with stuff like this. You know, being sympathetic and whatever, but…” He winced and tried to organize his thoughts before speaking again. “You’re okay, I’m… well, better than I could have been, I guess. We got off lucky…” He frowned, and looked at Courtney for an answer. “What happened? After I blacked out, I mean.”
Courtney studied her shaking hands. “Well, after that man, uh… shot you… they got pretty scared and took off. I guess they figured that someone heard the gunshot, they’d be in trouble. Luckily someone had and called the police. Good thing, too. You were losing… a lot of blood.” She shifted and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor.
“Hey.” Duncan nicked Courtney’s chin so she looked at him. “Don’t sweat it. I’m okay now.” His mouth curved into a sly smile that made Courtney’s heart rate increase. “Especially since you’re here. Have you come a lot?”
Courtney’s eyes widened slightly. She didn’t want him to know how much she had been visiting. “Well, you know… once in a while, when I can…”
Duncan looked amused. “Really? One of the nurses said you’d been here every day.”
A slight blush raised on Courtney’s cheeks. She tried to shrug it off. “Yeah, well. I felt like I had to, okay? It’s my fault you’re in here.”
The smile vanished from his face as Duncan fixed Courtney with a serious look. “It’s not your fault. It’s those jackasses’ faults. Now, if you’d pressed a gun to my head and pulled the trigger –which you’ve been close to doing on several occasions, considering that temper of yours– then I’d be more than happy to put all of the blame on you.”
“I do not have a temper.” Courtney growled. Realizing she’d just proved his point, she repeated her claim with a sweeter voice. “I don’t have a temper, Duncan. I don’t.”
He smirked and shrugged his shoulder. “Whatever you say.” Duncan glanced down at his wounded side. “I got a pretty good scab, don’t you think?”
Following Duncan’s gaze, Courtney sighed. “I’d call a bullet wound bigger than a scab, Duncan.” Moving closer to inspect it, she asked, “Does it hurt?”
“No.” She brushed her fingers along the bandaged area, and Duncan let out a shriek of pain that made Courtney jump back. “Ahh!”
“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” She stopped apologizing when she realized Duncan was laughing. She scowled. “Duncan! Don’t do that! You scared me!”
“That was the idea.” He said through snickers. When Courtney’s angry expression didn’t lift, he rolled his eyes and explained. “Hey, I have a week’s worth to make up for.”
Courtney sighed. “I would have thought that after being in a coma for over a week would have actually humbled you. I suppose I was wrong.”
Duncan continued to smile. “Yep.”
His smug expression riled Courtney. She tilted her head to the right sweetly and cooed, “I guess you’re right… Dunchkin-munchkin.”
The once bright smile disappeared within the blink of an eye. It was replaced with one of horror and revulsion. “Where in the hell did you hear that?”
The adorable smile on Courtney’s face never faltered. “Your mom and I often sit here and talk. I never knew you use to have ducky footie pajamas.”
Duncan clamped his hand over his ears, trying to zone Courtney out. “Shut it!”
Satisfied, Courtney allowed herself to laugh as Duncan crossed his arms over his chest, fuming. “Are you done?” He asked when Courtney wiped her tearing eyes.
“Mm-hm.” She said, sighing happily. In the few minutes she’d spent talking with Duncan, her spirits had lifted noticeably. At his expense, sure, but it had all the same. “So, I called your mom-”
“What else did she tell you about me?” Duncan said with groan.
“Nothing. I was trying to tell you that she’ll be here in about half an hour.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “And… I should probably go.”
The disappointment on Duncan’s face was so obvious that it nearly startled Courtney. He quickly wiped the look off. “’Kay.”
Trying not to smile, because truthfully she was pleased that he didn’t want her to leave, Courtney hooked her bag over one shoulder. “What? Do you not want me to?”
“No, it’s just that I don’t want to be sitting alone for the next half-hour. Leave, if you want to.”
Courtney frowned at his answer and continued to gather her things. With a quick wave, she walked towards the closed door. Duncan’s voice stopped her.
“But, you know, it’s not like you have to leave. It’s cool if you stay.” With a grin that she immediately covered with a blank expression, Courtney turned and let her bag drop to the floor. She was about to take a seat in the chair against the wall, but the sight of Duncan shifting to the right made her freeze. With a small smile, he brushed his hand over the sliver of space beside him on the bed. Courtney understood his suggestion immediately.
“No, thank you.” She refused. Duncan persisted.
“Come. Lie down. You would refuse a patient his desires, would you?” He smiled innocently, but Courtney didn’t buy it.
“Actually, I would.” She sneered flatly.
“C’mon. Please?” Duncan’s pout reached Courtney, and her stomach fluttered with butterflies. She found herself wanting to lie next to him. Still, she kept her expression monotone while reluctantly (or so she hoped she was coming across) slipping beside him. A smile stretched across his face as their shoulders rubbed against one another. “There you go.”
Courtney felt her face get hot, and it didn’t go unnoticed. “Blushing, are we?” Duncan said in a mocking tone.
“Shut up.” She growled in undertone. Trying to change the topic, she gestured to the bouquet in the corner of the room. “Those are from Geoff.”
Following her gaze, he took in the overbearing bouquet of orange, pink, blue, and green flowers. “That’s, uh… colorful. And pretty big. Wow.” His eyes were wide, as though he was lying. Courtney half-smiled and focused on her hands. “So, every day, huh?”
Ignoring the little knowing smile on his lips, Courtney replied, as dryly as possible, “Yes. Every day. Is it really that big of a deal?”
Either Duncan had honestly ceased to pick up on the lack of energy in her voice, or he was just as disbelieving as Courtney should have expected. As usual, he twisted her meaning so that it fit his implications perfectly. “No, but you’re getting defensive as if it were. I was simply wondering, but you seem to be the one making a big deal of it. Why, it sounds as though you have something to tell me.”
Courtney cursed to herself. Damn her defensive barriers. They acted on impulse, but never seemed useful around Duncan. They always wavered under his reasoning. Damn his unnatural reasoning skills, too.
Trying to weasel her way out of the accusation, Courtney gathered a response that would hopefully serve well. “No, there’s nothing I want to tell you, Duncan. I was only confused as to why you kept bringing up the subject. I didn’t think it was a big deal that I visited often, but you had brought it up twice. It sounds as though you have something that you want to tell me.” Pleased, Courtney leaned back against the plastic headboard with an innocent smile.
“So you were counting?” He pointed out. Courtney cursed herself for the second time for having proved her awareness during their conversation. Duncan, no doubt, would bring it up. “I hadn’t realized that I’d already asked. But I guessed you did. Been paying close attention?” And she’d been right. “But whatever. I think it’s cute that you sit and read by my bed every evening.”
Courtney grumbled to herself and folded her arms. “Yeah, it’s adorable.” She paused, allowing herself to regroup her thoughts. “Duncan, can I ask you a question?”
He looked at her with mild surprise, but shrugged. “Uh, yeah, go ahead.”
Courtney bit her tongue, and thought for a moment, before asking, “Why didn’t you leave? I mean, that man said he’d let you go… you could’ve called the police or…” She trailed off, unsure of how to better explain herself.
Duncan shifted, then straitened and looked Courtney in the eye. “Look, I may come off as a jerk sometimes, but, uh,” he ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat several times. “But, it’s not like I don’t care. I don’t think I could have left. I was pretty pissed off at those guys. And I swear, if I come across them again… I won’t hesitate to break their necks.”
Though she was a little disturbed by the threat –because she had no doubt that Duncan would follow through on it– she couldn’t help but smile. Oddly, she liked the idea of Duncan being protective. “Oh, yeah?” Courtney said, quirking an eyebrow coyly.
“Yeah.” He grinned and leaned his arm on her shoulder. “Is that a problem?”
She focused on his wound. “No, as long as it isn’t any time soon. Did the doctor give you any pain medication or anything?”
Duncan’s smirk widened. “Someone sure seems to care a lot.”
Courtney opened her mouth, and then shut it. She grumbled a response, “I was just asking.”
His smile faltered, and he seemed to grow somewhat serious. “Okay, now I get to ask you a question.”
“Oh, really?” Courtney raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because you got to ask me one.” Duncan paused for a moment. “But you have to be completely and totally honest, since I was. Got it?”
Suspicion pricked at Courtney’s senses. Her eyes narrowed with distrust. “Alright.” She said cautiously, as if she was afraid of the question, which was entirely possible.
Her answer pleased Duncan. “Sweet. Now,” A smile tugged on the corners of his lips, not entirely formed, but there all the same. “Do you like me?”
A warm shot of blood flushed on Courtney face. She’d had the feeling that he’d ask her something of the sort, but the direct question made her uneasy. How could she possibly respond? To make matters worse, it didn’t matter whether she answered or not; Duncan had probably gotten his answer from the blush stained across her cheeks.
“I’m not answering that.” Courtney struggled to keep her voice calm. She averted her gaze from Duncan’s.
“And why is that?” He said, and though she could not see it, Courtney knew he was smiling. She could hear it in his voice.
Crossing her arms huffily, Courtney groaned. “Don’t play stupid, you know why.” She gritted her teeth.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Duncan chuckled. “I do know. It’s because you do like me and you don’t want to admit it.”
Courtney mentally face-palmed herself. Of course he’d respond with something of the sort. “No.” She growled. “That’s not why.”
Courtney expected Duncan twist her words, but instead, he sighed. “You can never make this easy for me, can you? I mean, I nearly friggin’ die, and you can’t even admit that you like me. I know you do, everyone knows you do… except for maybe you. Or maybe you just don’t want to accept it. Either way, you sure make it hard.”
His words shocked Courtney. Duncan actually sounded… sincere. Like it truly was difficult for him. She fidgeted for a couple of moments, unsure of how to respond. Duncan stared at the wall. They were quiet.
Finally, Courtney found her voice. “Well, you don’t make it any easier.” She mumbled.
Duncan glanced at her. “What do you mean? I’ve given you more than enough chances.”
“And why don’t I jump to take them?” Courtney asked, but didn’t wait for a response. “Because I’m not just going to give in that easily; let you get all smug. I have pride, Duncan. Besides, I’m not even sure if…” She trailed off.
“You’re not sure of what?” Duncan inquired, pressing for an answer.
“I’m not even all that sure of how I feel.” Courtney blinked several times and wrapped her arms around her waist, somewhat embarrassed by her confession. “I just don’t know.”
Once again, Duncan surprised her. She was expecting him to say something to contradict her claim, or maybe he’d be slightly disappointed. But she didn’t expect to hear what she did.
“Yeah, I felt the same way.”
Courtney stiffened, confused, and turned to him. “Huh?”
He gave a wry half-smile. “Don’t get too conceited. I hated you to begin with. Then I hated you a bit more, then I hated you a lot. Then, I guess, somewhere along the way… I started to like you. Then I had no idea how I felt, like you now.”
Listening closely, Courtney nodded once. “Okay…” She was curious as to when his opinion changed, but didn’t want to ask. Luckily, she didn’t have to.
“So I thought about it.” Courtney was about to interrupt to tell him that she didn’t need to be informed of his discovery, but she didn’t get the chance. “Well, you’re bossy, uptight and annoying. And you never loosen up. Basically my opposite.” She scowled, and Duncan responded with an innocent shrug. “But I like you in spite of that.”
Courtney shifted again, uncomfortable. “And?”
“That’s it.” Duncan said nonchalantly. She frowned.
Shaking her head, Courtney dismissed his ease. It wasn’t that simple. “Well, I can’t just do that. Honestly, how can you be so sure? How can you know?”
Duncan didn’t respond. In a short second, Courtney was afraid that she’d hurt him with the comment. But when he turned to her with a tiny smile, she wasn’t sure. He moved closer, slipping his arm from under the sheets to cup her chin in his hand. Courtney’s heart thumped loudly. And again, she couldn’t find her voice.
For a moment, neither teen moved. But, then, his lips melted into hers. Courtney shouldn’t have been startled –she’d seen it coming– but she was still taken aback. Courtney’s eyelashes fluttered. He felt… so warm.
Eyelids shutting, she leaned into the feeling, allowing herself to be taken in. Duncan’s hand slowly moved to the back of her neck. Her mind was hazy. Courtney felt as though she was floating.
When Duncan did pull back, she had to take a moment to catch herself. His hand ran through her hair.
“That’s how I know.” He murmured onto her skin. It was several seconds before Courtney realized her eyes were still closed.
Opening them, she found herself staring into cool blue eyes. Her breathing was deep. A calm, accepting smile cracked on her lips.
Fine. She liked him.
Maybe it was wrong, or stupid… or entirely irrational, but it didn’t matter. It was true. And thus, nothing else was important.
In one swift motion, Courtney grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him close, and shut her eyes.
Duncan’s arms found her waist and didn’t hesitate to draw her closer. He pushed her against the headboard, taking over.
“Duncan? Dun-chkin!”
The two startled at the sound. Courtney reeled back and fumbled off the bed in a disoriented manner just as the door swung open.
“Duncan!” A woman with shoulder-length blond hair rushed in and choked Duncan in a hug.
“Hey, mom.” He wheezed, having difficulty speaking with his mother’s arms wrapped around his neck. “Still have great timing, I see.”
“Ohh! My little munchkin!” She cradled his head, rocking back and forth as though he were a little child. Courtney giggled.
“Mom.” Duncan tried to shrug her off, but the woman wouldn’t budge. “Mom! I’m not going anywhere.”
She pulled back, with obvious reluctance, and smiled. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I raced over here when Courtney called.” Duncan’s mother turned to acknowledge Courtney. She returned the smile and nodded her head.
Biting her lower lip, Courtney leaned over and swept her bag off of the floor and hooked it over her shoulder. She straightened and walked to the door.
“I should go.” Duncan glanced up from his mother, smile fading at her words. “I see you… later.”
“Alright, dear.” His mother nodded. She paused, and then looked at Duncan with an urging expression.
It took a minute for Duncan to pick up on his mother’s look. “See you, Courtney.”
“Maybe we can get you out of here for dinner tomorrow night, Duncan.” The woman clapped her hands together. “And you’ll have to join us, Courtney.”
“Sure.” She agreed sweetly. “Bye.”
Duncan’s mother returned to smothering him, but through the embrace, he flashed Courtney a grin. She knew what it meant.
Turned quickly on her heel, Courtney skirted her way through the building, trying to fully understand what had happened. But no matter how many times she turned the thought over in her mind, she still couldn’t figure it out. It didn’t make any sense.
Wait- scratch that.
It did make sense.
Courtney let loose a wild laugh and threw up her hands recklessly. Of course it made sense!
Duncan and me. Me and Duncan. She thought to herself, giggling.
It made more sense than anything else she’d ever heard.
Her, and him. Them. Together…
She liked the sound of that.
*******
By TellMeSomethinIDontKnow on Fanfiction.net
The young man beside her smirked with undying confidence. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes. The more you deny it, the more I don’t believe you.”
She frowned with slight annoyance. “I don’t, okay? I don’t like you.”
Duncan looked down at her, disbelieving every word. “Right.”
Courtney rolled her eyes and quickened her pace as they traveled down the dark city sidewalk. “Can we not discuss this anymore? Let’s just get to Geoff’s as soon as possible and get this stupid party over with.”
“Sure.” He said with a knowing smile. “But this conversation isn’t finished.”
She glared, but didn’t respond After all, it was pointless. The boy was impossible to reason with.
They were heading to one of Geoff’s many infamous parties, to Courtney’s reluctance. The shadowy city was somewhat alarming, and it made her uncomfortable. Still, she wasn’t going to let him know that. Her pride was one of the things she valued most.
“Next time, we’re taking a taxi.” She stated firmly.
“Scared?” Duncan asked. It was a rhetorical question, and it was dead-on.
“No.” Courtney huffed, acting as though her defensive tone was merely caused by the displeasure that he’d even suggested the idea. “I just… don’t like the city at night. That’s all.” The reason completely contradicted her denial, and Duncan picked up on it immediately.
“Because you’re scared.” He said matter-of-factly.
She scoffed, as if the suggestion was ridiculous. “Me? Scared? I don’t get scared, Duncan. I’m perfectly capable of walking down a city sidewalk in the middle of the night. No matter how revolting the conditions.” She stopped and inspected the bottom of her shoe, which had a wad of bright pink gum stuck to it. Courtney’s nose tilted back with disgust as she scraped her heel along the ground, trying to rid herself of the sticky matter.
Once she’d succeeded, they continued. Courtney looked to Duncan, for just a moment before he could catch her staring. Over the past weeks, her sureness about him had melted away, leaving her with a confused feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Before, she couldn’t even think about liking Duncan without gagging. The thought was so far-fetched that she couldn’t even grasp the concept. Her, and him? Together? Yeah, right. It was a ridiculous thought! And yet, she would find herself hanging onto his words, getting excited when he was near, and unintentionally blushing from his comments. The whole situation was confusing. Did she really like him, or was it just something else?
But, it was stupid. She had standards. High standards. Standards that Duncan wouldn’t be able to meet, no matter how hard he tried. It was a harsh method of judgment, but it was hers. She needed to be with someone that could promise a future, and that was an important quality that he lacked. She doubted Duncan had a plan for his future. And even if he did, it most likely involved things that she didn’t want to be a part of.
And yet, though her head said no, her heart didn’t quite agree. It wasn’t thinking radically, but its yearning had spread to the rest of her. Her opinion wasn’t as definite as it had been before, before things slowly began to change. What she wanted and what she needed had merged, leaving her vision hazy.
Courtney shivered. The cool spring air was seeping through her thin jacket, and Goosebumps were rising along her arms as she crossed them. She hugged her waist.
“See? You’re scared.” Duncan said, misinterpreting her actions, though his statement was true regardless. Courtney shook her head stubbornly, like a little child.
“I told you, I’m not scared. It’s just really cold out here, that’s all.” She squeezed her hands into fists and clenched her teeth to prevent the shivering.
“How can you say that?” Duncan said, gesturing to the night sky with a wave of his arm. “It’s not even below freezing.”
Courtney blew out, and inspected her visible breath. “I’d beg to differ.” She muttered. Duncan shrugged, and let the debate drop.
As they entered a more urban part of the city, Courtney found her defenses heighten. She glanced around nervously. Paranoid, that’s what she was being. Courtney mentally scolded herself and tried to shake the feeling, but to no avail. Her stomach twisted into knots, and her ears pricked at every sound. She shivered again, but not from the cold. Gripping her purse protectively, she inched along the sidewalk with small steps.
“Courtney?” Duncan asked, looking concerned.
“Hm? What?” Courtney glanced up and met his eyes for a moment, before turning away and guardedly looking over their surroundings. Graffiti-covered walls and fences, barred windows and doors, more broken street lights that not, and unkempt sidewalks made for an eerie, threatening scene that made Courtney uneasy. It was as though something could jump out of the shadows at any moment. Duncan noticed this, to her dismay.
“Courtney? You okay?” His voice startled Courtney, and she turned to him with wide eyes.
“Yes… no. Not entirely. This is kind of freaking me out. I’m just… not used to being in this part of the city at night. That’s all.” She admitted feebly. Courtney expected Duncan to mock at her, or flaunt the fact that he’d been right. But instead, he smiled.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” It was a small reassurance, but it made her feel somewhat better nonetheless.
They continued along, until Courtney heard whispering. She motioned for Duncan to stop, and listened. As soon as she did, the whispering stopped. Courtney stood, frowning and waiting.
“There’s nothing there. Let’s go.” Duncan said and started to walk. Courtney was about to do the same, when she was tugged back into an alley with a yelp.
She felt an arm slither around her neck, and her purse being yanked off her shoulder. Panic flushed through her.
“Courtney?” Duncan’s voice echoed. She tried to respond, but she could barely choke out a word. Courtney heard the clap of footsteps, and managed to open her eyes.
She couldn’t see the figures around her clearly, but she knew there were three of them. One had her in a headlock, while one rifled through her purse and the third stood at attention. Her throat scratched as she tried to scream, but that only made the man’s hold on her tighten.
Suddenly, Duncan came around the corner, and stopped dead in his tracks. Anger washed over his face as he took in the scene. But before he could do anything, the third figured knocked his fist against his face. Duncan turned back with a bloody lip, and Courtney couldn’t suppress a sob.
Duncan launched a punch at the man’s stomach, gaining an advantage as he bent over in pain. He grabbed his shirt and threw him to the ground forcefully. The man that had been looking through Courtney’s purse looked up and abandoned the task.
A flurry of punches and kicks followed. Blood splattered onto the sidewalk. Courtney was sickened at the sight as tears streamed down her face. Finally, the man who held her spoke.
“Alright!” He barked, the mere sound of his raspy voice sent shivers down Courtney’s spine. The three men stopped their fighting and looked over. Courtney felt Duncan’s gaze meet hers, and the look that his eyes carried burrowed into her. Panic flooded his features.
“Leave now and we won’t have a problem.” The man said, giving Duncan an opportunity to save himself. Courtney wanted to tell him what she knew, what she could feel pressed against her side. The cold metal was a warning against her skin.
But instead of jumping on the chance to escape, Duncan’s eyes flicked from Courtney to the man speaking, anger burning in them. “No.” He said with a shaking tone. “Let her go.”
The man spat to his right side. Courtney could feel his arms squeezing around her frame. His touch caused her to swell with revulsion. Sobs escaped from her throat painfully.
“And why should I do that?” The question was direction towards Duncan, but was whispered delicately in Courtney’s ear. She twisted and wrestled, but it was no use. The man’s grip was firm. “I think she’d make a cute plaything, don’t you?”
The comment enraged Duncan, and he stepped forward, eyes flashing. But just as he did, the man pulled his arm from Courtney’s side. She instantly knew what he was going to do. His arm loosened from around her neck just enough for her to shriek a warning.
“Duncan!”
It was too late.
*******
Courtney was crying.
She’d been doing that quite a bit lately. No matter what she would be doing to get her mind off of it, the realization would hit her hard, and she’d break into tears. There were moments when she’d forget. Just for a split second, when it wouldn’t be on her mind. And then she’d remember, and the weight of it would crash down on her.
But above being sad, she was angry. Angry that she –they– had been victims, that they’d been defenseless. That it could’ve been avoided, had they taken a car, if they’d taken a different route… Things could have been different. Things could have been alright.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Courtney set the book that she’d been trying to read on the arm of the chair and stood. She crossed her arms and bit her lower lip softly. Crouching down by the hospital bed, she rested her chin on her open palm and ran her fingers lightly over the smooth sheets.
Courtney watched as his chest moved up and down slowly with each strained breath. She stayed in that position for a while, as she’d done every day for the past week. It’d become part of her routine.
“Talking to him might help,” said a voice from behind. Turning around, Courtney saw a young nurse with a pitying smile and sympathetic eyes.
Standing, Courtney blinked several times before putting her confusion in question form. “What do you mean?”
The nurse shrugged. “Talking to patients in a coma can help them to regain full consciousness. And I think it might help you, as well.” With that, the nurse left.
Considering this, Courtney turned back around. She eyed the wound on his side. The sight of the bandages made Courtney wince, but she did her best to ignore them.
In a cautious whisper, Courtney murmured his name. “Duncan?”
He didn’t respond, as she’d predicated, but the mere sound of his name –even from her own mouth– made her eyes water with tears. She choked them back.
“I don’t know if you can hear me, but…” Courtney tried to compose herself enough to continue. “I want to say… thank you.”
Even though, once again, there was no response, she felt as though he’d heard her. The thought sent relief through her. Courtney smiled a little and continued. “For not leaving. And… for everything. Thank you.”
She made herself comfortable and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’ve been coming here every day after school. Your mom stays here during the day, and I stay during the evening. It’s a pretty good system.”
Courtney felt herself begin to rant. She was good at ranting. “Yeah, well, everyone at school misses you. Well, not everyone. The teachers are pretty happy that you’re not in school.” She giggled a little. “Geoff’s been stopping by almost everyday. He even bought you a bouquet of flowers.” Courtney glanced at the gigantic Get-Well bouquet in the corner of the room and smiled again. “I didn’t really think you’d want flowers. I figured it’d mess with your image.
“But anyway, not much has happened at school. You just missed a test and a couple of notes. You can just copy mine, if you can’t get out of doing the unit altogether.” Courtney hugged her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth softly. “So, the doctors say you’re doing pretty well, health-wise. Except for the coma. They don’t… they don’t really know when you’ll wake up.” She tried to hold back newly resurfaced tears. In an attempt to sound more cheerful, she raised her voice an octave.
“But you could wake up any day now. We just don’t know which day. Uh,” Courtney cleared her throat and changed the subject. “The food here isn’t too bad. I don’t know why hospitals get such a bad reputation for their food. Though I guess what I was getting was from the cafeteria, not what the patients are supposed to eat. I’ve seen some of the trays of food. Nothing looked all too appetizing.”
Leaning closer, Courtney moved her mouth near his ear. Hope pulsed through her. Maybe… maybe he’d wake up. “Can you hear me?” She whispered. There was no response. She tried again, voice rattling. “Duncan, can you hear me? Are you there?”
When he remained silent, Courtney felt tears trickle down her cheeks. She stepped back, and collapsed in the chair. It’d been a stupid attempt, and not her first. Courtney had clung onto the hope that he’d wake up at the sound of her voice, like in a movie, with all of her might. But not once had he woken, and her faith was slowly diminishing. How much longer would he be like this? It was foolish to think that by simply whispering in his ear, he would suddenly come back to full consciousness. Duncan could be out for weeks, maybe longer, and the knowledge was heavy on Courtney shoulders.
Still, she refused to give up so easily. He would wake up. He would. She knew it.
Courtney glanced up at the large white clock ticking away on the wall. It was past ten, and she really needed to leave. Standing, she gathered her things and hooked her bag over her shoulder. Courtney glanced down at Duncan, and her heart twitched. Slowly, she bent over and said, “Good-bye.”
She lightly traced her fingers over his hand, and sighed. Then, cautiously, she leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. The action sent jolts through her body. Courtney quickly withdrew. A melancholy smile touched her lips as she thought of what smart-ass remark Duncan would have come up at that moment, had he been awake.
Wake up.
*******
“You know, you don’t have to go every day, sweetie.” Courtney’s mother said with a frown as she pulled up to drop Courtney off at the hospital. She stroked her daughter’s cheek tenderly. “Really, why don’t you go out with Bridgette tonight? Have some fun. Stop worrying so much and-”
“No.” Courtney grabbed her bag and clenched it in her closed hands. “I have to, mom. If it wasn’t for him then…” She breathed in deeply. “I have to. Besides, I don’t mind.”
With that as the final word, Courtney slipped from the car and slammed the door behind her. She headed over to the entrance and stepped through the hospital doors, grateful for the sudden warmth. After maneuvering through the large building, she finally found the room where Duncan was staying, and knocked lightly on the open door.
Duncan’s mother looked up from her knitting and smiled. “Oh, good, Courtney dear. I’ll just pack up my things and…” The woman gathered her few belongings that she’d brought with her and stood from the chair. “The doctors say he’s making progress, with the wound and all. Even though, well…” He hasn’t woken yet. The words were left unspoken, but fully understood.
After words were exchanged between the two women, Duncan’s mother finally left, and Courtney took on her shift. She set her things by the bed and smiled. “Hey, Duncan.”
An hour passed by before Courtney felt herself becoming hungry. She set down her book and ransacked her bag for money. After successfully finding a crumpled ten dollar bill, she made her way downstairs to the cafeteria for dinner. The cafeteria was bustling with people. Nurses, patients, and visitors occupied every available seat. Several minutes passed before she could find a seat. Courtney set her tray down and poked at her salad. The lettuce was slightly limp, but otherwise, it didn’t look too bad.
When she had finished, Courtney dropped her tray off and headed to the elevator. It amazed her that she was getting to know the hospital so well. She could map out at least ten different routes to Duncan’s room. The hospital, which had once felt cold and foreign, was quickly becoming like a second home to her, considering how much time she spent there. Courtney knew it inside and out.
In a few minutes, she had reached the room. She was so startled by what she saw that she had to lean on the wall for support. Her breath caught and her insides flooded with warmth.
Duncan was awake. A doctor and several nurses crowded the room, and from what Courtney could tell from her spot outside, they were explaining his condition to him. Duncan nodded and occasionally ran his fingers through his hair with astonishment. His icy blue eyes had yet to find her. It was like a weight had been lifted, seeing him interact. She stepped forward to enter the room with a grin, but stopped. It was probably better to wait.
Slipping out of the hospital as quickly as she could, Courtney clutched her phone and dialed as quickly as she could. It rang three times before Duncan’s mother picked up. Upon hearing the good news, the woman cried happy tears. Courtney felt herself smiling as she hung up the phone and retreated back inside.
She reached the hospital room once again, only to find Duncan rifling through her bag. Stepping into the room, she exposed herself.
“Hey.”
Duncan’s head shot up, and a surprised expression overcame his features. Courtney felt her lower lip trembled as their eyes locked onto one another. She had been anticipating the moment for over a week, but she still wasn’t ready for the tidal wave of emotions. Her shoulders shook, and rushed over to his side as tears poured over her cheeks. Courtney wrapped her arms around Duncan, sobbing. The action startled him at first, but he quickly returned the embrace.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He murmured. The sound of his voice only made her cry harder.
Once Courtney’s tears had subsided, at least a little bit, she pulled away and tried to find her voice. “I was just so scared, Duncan. I thought, I mean, I thought that… maybe… I- I don’t know.” She stuttered and wiped her wet cheeks. Duncan smiled solemnly and blew out a sigh.
“Look, I’m not really good with stuff like this. You know, being sympathetic and whatever, but…” He winced and tried to organize his thoughts before speaking again. “You’re okay, I’m… well, better than I could have been, I guess. We got off lucky…” He frowned, and looked at Courtney for an answer. “What happened? After I blacked out, I mean.”
Courtney studied her shaking hands. “Well, after that man, uh… shot you… they got pretty scared and took off. I guess they figured that someone heard the gunshot, they’d be in trouble. Luckily someone had and called the police. Good thing, too. You were losing… a lot of blood.” She shifted and sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor.
“Hey.” Duncan nicked Courtney’s chin so she looked at him. “Don’t sweat it. I’m okay now.” His mouth curved into a sly smile that made Courtney’s heart rate increase. “Especially since you’re here. Have you come a lot?”
Courtney’s eyes widened slightly. She didn’t want him to know how much she had been visiting. “Well, you know… once in a while, when I can…”
Duncan looked amused. “Really? One of the nurses said you’d been here every day.”
A slight blush raised on Courtney’s cheeks. She tried to shrug it off. “Yeah, well. I felt like I had to, okay? It’s my fault you’re in here.”
The smile vanished from his face as Duncan fixed Courtney with a serious look. “It’s not your fault. It’s those jackasses’ faults. Now, if you’d pressed a gun to my head and pulled the trigger –which you’ve been close to doing on several occasions, considering that temper of yours– then I’d be more than happy to put all of the blame on you.”
“I do not have a temper.” Courtney growled. Realizing she’d just proved his point, she repeated her claim with a sweeter voice. “I don’t have a temper, Duncan. I don’t.”
He smirked and shrugged his shoulder. “Whatever you say.” Duncan glanced down at his wounded side. “I got a pretty good scab, don’t you think?”
Following Duncan’s gaze, Courtney sighed. “I’d call a bullet wound bigger than a scab, Duncan.” Moving closer to inspect it, she asked, “Does it hurt?”
“No.” She brushed her fingers along the bandaged area, and Duncan let out a shriek of pain that made Courtney jump back. “Ahh!”
“Oh my gosh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” She stopped apologizing when she realized Duncan was laughing. She scowled. “Duncan! Don’t do that! You scared me!”
“That was the idea.” He said through snickers. When Courtney’s angry expression didn’t lift, he rolled his eyes and explained. “Hey, I have a week’s worth to make up for.”
Courtney sighed. “I would have thought that after being in a coma for over a week would have actually humbled you. I suppose I was wrong.”
Duncan continued to smile. “Yep.”
His smug expression riled Courtney. She tilted her head to the right sweetly and cooed, “I guess you’re right… Dunchkin-munchkin.”
The once bright smile disappeared within the blink of an eye. It was replaced with one of horror and revulsion. “Where in the hell did you hear that?”
The adorable smile on Courtney’s face never faltered. “Your mom and I often sit here and talk. I never knew you use to have ducky footie pajamas.”
Duncan clamped his hand over his ears, trying to zone Courtney out. “Shut it!”
Satisfied, Courtney allowed herself to laugh as Duncan crossed his arms over his chest, fuming. “Are you done?” He asked when Courtney wiped her tearing eyes.
“Mm-hm.” She said, sighing happily. In the few minutes she’d spent talking with Duncan, her spirits had lifted noticeably. At his expense, sure, but it had all the same. “So, I called your mom-”
“What else did she tell you about me?” Duncan said with groan.
“Nothing. I was trying to tell you that she’ll be here in about half an hour.” She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “And… I should probably go.”
The disappointment on Duncan’s face was so obvious that it nearly startled Courtney. He quickly wiped the look off. “’Kay.”
Trying not to smile, because truthfully she was pleased that he didn’t want her to leave, Courtney hooked her bag over one shoulder. “What? Do you not want me to?”
“No, it’s just that I don’t want to be sitting alone for the next half-hour. Leave, if you want to.”
Courtney frowned at his answer and continued to gather her things. With a quick wave, she walked towards the closed door. Duncan’s voice stopped her.
“But, you know, it’s not like you have to leave. It’s cool if you stay.” With a grin that she immediately covered with a blank expression, Courtney turned and let her bag drop to the floor. She was about to take a seat in the chair against the wall, but the sight of Duncan shifting to the right made her freeze. With a small smile, he brushed his hand over the sliver of space beside him on the bed. Courtney understood his suggestion immediately.
“No, thank you.” She refused. Duncan persisted.
“Come. Lie down. You would refuse a patient his desires, would you?” He smiled innocently, but Courtney didn’t buy it.
“Actually, I would.” She sneered flatly.
“C’mon. Please?” Duncan’s pout reached Courtney, and her stomach fluttered with butterflies. She found herself wanting to lie next to him. Still, she kept her expression monotone while reluctantly (or so she hoped she was coming across) slipping beside him. A smile stretched across his face as their shoulders rubbed against one another. “There you go.”
Courtney felt her face get hot, and it didn’t go unnoticed. “Blushing, are we?” Duncan said in a mocking tone.
“Shut up.” She growled in undertone. Trying to change the topic, she gestured to the bouquet in the corner of the room. “Those are from Geoff.”
Following her gaze, he took in the overbearing bouquet of orange, pink, blue, and green flowers. “That’s, uh… colorful. And pretty big. Wow.” His eyes were wide, as though he was lying. Courtney half-smiled and focused on her hands. “So, every day, huh?”
Ignoring the little knowing smile on his lips, Courtney replied, as dryly as possible, “Yes. Every day. Is it really that big of a deal?”
Either Duncan had honestly ceased to pick up on the lack of energy in her voice, or he was just as disbelieving as Courtney should have expected. As usual, he twisted her meaning so that it fit his implications perfectly. “No, but you’re getting defensive as if it were. I was simply wondering, but you seem to be the one making a big deal of it. Why, it sounds as though you have something to tell me.”
Courtney cursed to herself. Damn her defensive barriers. They acted on impulse, but never seemed useful around Duncan. They always wavered under his reasoning. Damn his unnatural reasoning skills, too.
Trying to weasel her way out of the accusation, Courtney gathered a response that would hopefully serve well. “No, there’s nothing I want to tell you, Duncan. I was only confused as to why you kept bringing up the subject. I didn’t think it was a big deal that I visited often, but you had brought it up twice. It sounds as though you have something that you want to tell me.” Pleased, Courtney leaned back against the plastic headboard with an innocent smile.
“So you were counting?” He pointed out. Courtney cursed herself for the second time for having proved her awareness during their conversation. Duncan, no doubt, would bring it up. “I hadn’t realized that I’d already asked. But I guessed you did. Been paying close attention?” And she’d been right. “But whatever. I think it’s cute that you sit and read by my bed every evening.”
Courtney grumbled to herself and folded her arms. “Yeah, it’s adorable.” She paused, allowing herself to regroup her thoughts. “Duncan, can I ask you a question?”
He looked at her with mild surprise, but shrugged. “Uh, yeah, go ahead.”
Courtney bit her tongue, and thought for a moment, before asking, “Why didn’t you leave? I mean, that man said he’d let you go… you could’ve called the police or…” She trailed off, unsure of how to better explain herself.
Duncan shifted, then straitened and looked Courtney in the eye. “Look, I may come off as a jerk sometimes, but, uh,” he ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat several times. “But, it’s not like I don’t care. I don’t think I could have left. I was pretty pissed off at those guys. And I swear, if I come across them again… I won’t hesitate to break their necks.”
Though she was a little disturbed by the threat –because she had no doubt that Duncan would follow through on it– she couldn’t help but smile. Oddly, she liked the idea of Duncan being protective. “Oh, yeah?” Courtney said, quirking an eyebrow coyly.
“Yeah.” He grinned and leaned his arm on her shoulder. “Is that a problem?”
She focused on his wound. “No, as long as it isn’t any time soon. Did the doctor give you any pain medication or anything?”
Duncan’s smirk widened. “Someone sure seems to care a lot.”
Courtney opened her mouth, and then shut it. She grumbled a response, “I was just asking.”
His smile faltered, and he seemed to grow somewhat serious. “Okay, now I get to ask you a question.”
“Oh, really?” Courtney raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because you got to ask me one.” Duncan paused for a moment. “But you have to be completely and totally honest, since I was. Got it?”
Suspicion pricked at Courtney’s senses. Her eyes narrowed with distrust. “Alright.” She said cautiously, as if she was afraid of the question, which was entirely possible.
Her answer pleased Duncan. “Sweet. Now,” A smile tugged on the corners of his lips, not entirely formed, but there all the same. “Do you like me?”
A warm shot of blood flushed on Courtney face. She’d had the feeling that he’d ask her something of the sort, but the direct question made her uneasy. How could she possibly respond? To make matters worse, it didn’t matter whether she answered or not; Duncan had probably gotten his answer from the blush stained across her cheeks.
“I’m not answering that.” Courtney struggled to keep her voice calm. She averted her gaze from Duncan’s.
“And why is that?” He said, and though she could not see it, Courtney knew he was smiling. She could hear it in his voice.
Crossing her arms huffily, Courtney groaned. “Don’t play stupid, you know why.” She gritted her teeth.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Duncan chuckled. “I do know. It’s because you do like me and you don’t want to admit it.”
Courtney mentally face-palmed herself. Of course he’d respond with something of the sort. “No.” She growled. “That’s not why.”
Courtney expected Duncan twist her words, but instead, he sighed. “You can never make this easy for me, can you? I mean, I nearly friggin’ die, and you can’t even admit that you like me. I know you do, everyone knows you do… except for maybe you. Or maybe you just don’t want to accept it. Either way, you sure make it hard.”
His words shocked Courtney. Duncan actually sounded… sincere. Like it truly was difficult for him. She fidgeted for a couple of moments, unsure of how to respond. Duncan stared at the wall. They were quiet.
Finally, Courtney found her voice. “Well, you don’t make it any easier.” She mumbled.
Duncan glanced at her. “What do you mean? I’ve given you more than enough chances.”
“And why don’t I jump to take them?” Courtney asked, but didn’t wait for a response. “Because I’m not just going to give in that easily; let you get all smug. I have pride, Duncan. Besides, I’m not even sure if…” She trailed off.
“You’re not sure of what?” Duncan inquired, pressing for an answer.
“I’m not even all that sure of how I feel.” Courtney blinked several times and wrapped her arms around her waist, somewhat embarrassed by her confession. “I just don’t know.”
Once again, Duncan surprised her. She was expecting him to say something to contradict her claim, or maybe he’d be slightly disappointed. But she didn’t expect to hear what she did.
“Yeah, I felt the same way.”
Courtney stiffened, confused, and turned to him. “Huh?”
He gave a wry half-smile. “Don’t get too conceited. I hated you to begin with. Then I hated you a bit more, then I hated you a lot. Then, I guess, somewhere along the way… I started to like you. Then I had no idea how I felt, like you now.”
Listening closely, Courtney nodded once. “Okay…” She was curious as to when his opinion changed, but didn’t want to ask. Luckily, she didn’t have to.
“So I thought about it.” Courtney was about to interrupt to tell him that she didn’t need to be informed of his discovery, but she didn’t get the chance. “Well, you’re bossy, uptight and annoying. And you never loosen up. Basically my opposite.” She scowled, and Duncan responded with an innocent shrug. “But I like you in spite of that.”
Courtney shifted again, uncomfortable. “And?”
“That’s it.” Duncan said nonchalantly. She frowned.
Shaking her head, Courtney dismissed his ease. It wasn’t that simple. “Well, I can’t just do that. Honestly, how can you be so sure? How can you know?”
Duncan didn’t respond. In a short second, Courtney was afraid that she’d hurt him with the comment. But when he turned to her with a tiny smile, she wasn’t sure. He moved closer, slipping his arm from under the sheets to cup her chin in his hand. Courtney’s heart thumped loudly. And again, she couldn’t find her voice.
For a moment, neither teen moved. But, then, his lips melted into hers. Courtney shouldn’t have been startled –she’d seen it coming– but she was still taken aback. Courtney’s eyelashes fluttered. He felt… so warm.
Eyelids shutting, she leaned into the feeling, allowing herself to be taken in. Duncan’s hand slowly moved to the back of her neck. Her mind was hazy. Courtney felt as though she was floating.
When Duncan did pull back, she had to take a moment to catch herself. His hand ran through her hair.
“That’s how I know.” He murmured onto her skin. It was several seconds before Courtney realized her eyes were still closed.
Opening them, she found herself staring into cool blue eyes. Her breathing was deep. A calm, accepting smile cracked on her lips.
Fine. She liked him.
Maybe it was wrong, or stupid… or entirely irrational, but it didn’t matter. It was true. And thus, nothing else was important.
In one swift motion, Courtney grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him close, and shut her eyes.
Duncan’s arms found her waist and didn’t hesitate to draw her closer. He pushed her against the headboard, taking over.
“Duncan? Dun-chkin!”
The two startled at the sound. Courtney reeled back and fumbled off the bed in a disoriented manner just as the door swung open.
“Duncan!” A woman with shoulder-length blond hair rushed in and choked Duncan in a hug.
“Hey, mom.” He wheezed, having difficulty speaking with his mother’s arms wrapped around his neck. “Still have great timing, I see.”
“Ohh! My little munchkin!” She cradled his head, rocking back and forth as though he were a little child. Courtney giggled.
“Mom.” Duncan tried to shrug her off, but the woman wouldn’t budge. “Mom! I’m not going anywhere.”
She pulled back, with obvious reluctance, and smiled. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I raced over here when Courtney called.” Duncan’s mother turned to acknowledge Courtney. She returned the smile and nodded her head.
Biting her lower lip, Courtney leaned over and swept her bag off of the floor and hooked it over her shoulder. She straightened and walked to the door.
“I should go.” Duncan glanced up from his mother, smile fading at her words. “I see you… later.”
“Alright, dear.” His mother nodded. She paused, and then looked at Duncan with an urging expression.
It took a minute for Duncan to pick up on his mother’s look. “See you, Courtney.”
“Maybe we can get you out of here for dinner tomorrow night, Duncan.” The woman clapped her hands together. “And you’ll have to join us, Courtney.”
“Sure.” She agreed sweetly. “Bye.”
Duncan’s mother returned to smothering him, but through the embrace, he flashed Courtney a grin. She knew what it meant.
Turned quickly on her heel, Courtney skirted her way through the building, trying to fully understand what had happened. But no matter how many times she turned the thought over in her mind, she still couldn’t figure it out. It didn’t make any sense.
Wait- scratch that.
It did make sense.
Courtney let loose a wild laugh and threw up her hands recklessly. Of course it made sense!
Duncan and me. Me and Duncan. She thought to herself, giggling.
It made more sense than anything else she’d ever heard.
Her, and him. Them. Together…
She liked the sound of that.
*******
By TellMeSomethinIDontKnow on Fanfiction.net
