Courtney's POV: I awoke the next morning, and I was having the WORST hangover ever. But it was rather odd; I didn't drink last night.

I sat up and pet my hair. My cell phone rang on its night stand, and I flipped it open and answered it. "Hello?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" came Bridgette and Gwen's high-pitched shrieks.

"AHH WHAT THE HELL?" I laughed.

"OMG we know about last night!" Gwen gushed.

"Yea, I went to a party, had soda, and danced and sang. Get over it."

"No, we're talking about Duncan." Bridgette put emphasis on his name. "Ya know, between you and him...."

"What?" I giggled. "All we did was dance. We had an argument about him taking me on a motorcycle, and my hands might have been around his waist, but all we did was dance and have soda."

"Nuh uh...." Gwen said. "I was there, Courtney. I saw what happened."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"We saw you and Duncan making out."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Duncan's POV: There was NOTHING I regret from last night. Sure, me and Courtney made out on a skeevy couch, but that's the most that happened. She got sugar drunk, got tired, kissed me, and we had a heavy make-out session. And man, what I'd give to do that again.

Sunday morning, everyone is usually up, especially me, since I'm a freakin goddamn vampire. Stupid sunlight. I have to keep my window shades closed and people think it's rather creepy, like I'm some pedifile.

I flipped through the contacts in my cell phone, and something popped up on my screen. "School News Bulletin?"

I read it out loud, feeling a chill from the air conditioning. "As of September 16th, there will be a high school talent show on October 31st, and a show later in the year on February 15th. All students participating must be at auditions after school on September 20th, or they are not in the show."

I snorted and clicked my phone shut. Who cares about talent shows? They're just a bunch of gay peep shows where people who have 0 talent try to have some. Lord knows, I don't sing, I don't dance, and I don't act. But hey, I'll come to auditions to watch Courtney.

Then, my phone rang. Courtney. Haha, sweet.

"Sup, Princess?" I reclined on a stack of pillows on the head of my bed.

"Did you know we........made out?" She gagged. "Last night?"

"Oh yeah. You were in charge."

"WHAT? Did you get me drunk?!"

"Haha, no. All you had was one cup of soda, you started singing and dancing, you got tired, laid down, pulled me on top of you, and we kissed."

"AHHHHHH!" I heard the sound of scrubbing and I realized she was scrubbing the taste out of her mouth. I laughed.

"Ewww you taste HORRIBLE!"

Lie.

I laughed. "OK, Courtney, you should know, I have a vampire sense to read people's minds, and right now I'm reading yours over the phone, and you're lying."

"I AM NOT!"

Lie.

"Courtney, just admit it, you like me. What are you afraid of?"

"THERE'S NOTHING TO ADMIT, I HATE YOU!"

Lie.

"Hey, are you in the talent show?"

"Yea, what of it?"

"Can I join you?"

She snorted and laughed. "You have no talent!"

"We'll see about that." I hung up.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Courtney's POV: Four days later, I stood in the girls' bathroom, five minutes before the end-of-the-school-day bell rings. I wore a playful pink dress with small gold beads all over it, hot pink flats, and my long brown hair had pink ribbons in it.

Stupid older sister Mitzi dressed me for school and gave me this backup outfit for auditions. But I had to say, I looked good. I was planning on singing two songs, one uplifting and fun, the other kind of depressing and sad to show my feelings toward Duncan tormenting me every day.

I fluffed my hair a bit, and the bell rang. I slipped my backpack over my shoulder and walked to the auditorium.

Staff sat at a few tables, and there were teens all over the place. Oh......crap.

Usually with auditions, people show their talent and the best are chosen to be in practice for the show.

I had to round there to be about 100 teens, and I got a letter saying only 30 would be chosen.

Then, I set my bag down near others, turned around - and saw it. Midnight black hair.

I laughed and tapped Duncan's shoulder. Startled, he spun around and exhaled once he saw it was me.

"Damn Princess, you dolled enough?" He crossed his muscular arms over his dark blue t-shirt. His hair was down in kind of an emo-cut, instead of that horrendous mohawk, he wore an indigo t-shirt, dark skinny jeans, and black and white checkered converse.

"Damn Duncan, you dead enough?" I imitated him, and he just laughed at me.

"Nah. Trust me, I'm dead right now. Duh. Vampire, anyone?" He whispered so no one could hear him say the "v" word.

I rolled my eyes. "Ya know I can't feel your fangs when we kiss?"

I have no fucking clue why I just said that.

"Haha, I imagine." He sat Indian-style on the floor and, under my brain's command, I sat next to him.

Mrs. Angela stood in the front of the room up onstage.

"Hello, adolescents!" She said, her long curly orange hair bouncing like leaves floating in Fall. "This is our first annual school talent show, and based on our attendance sheet, there's 168 of you here today!"

Everyone clapped and cheered, and I was stunned. THAT many?

"So, going in alphabetical order, will..."

I trailed off. I must've fallen asleep, because everything seemed to go way too fast. I tuned back to reality when some girl sang onstage, and her voice was beautiful. I actually thought I'd have competition.

"Don't worry, Princess," Duncan whispered in my ear while clapping for the girl, "I've heard you sing and you're so much better."

"How long was I asleep?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Bout five minutes. They're going in first-name alphabetical order."

"Oh, ok."

"Courtney Smith?" Mrs. Angela said.

Oh.....crap.

I walked nervously onstage, and stood in front of a microphone stand.

"What will you be singing?"

"Uh, La La Land by Demi Lovato and Broken by Seether."

"OK, we'll start with the first one." Mrs. A said, pressing a button on an amplifier. Fun upbeat music started playing, and I rocked my hips, bobbing my head to the music. Inhaling, I started to sing.

I am, confident, but
I still, have my moments, baby
That's just me

I'm not, a supermodel
I still, eat McDonald's baby
That's just me!

Well some may say I need to be afraid
Of losing everything
Because of where I
Had my start and where I made my name
Well everything's the same
In the la la land machine

And who said, I can't be single
And have to, go out and mingle
BABY, that's not me
No, no!

Some may say I need to be afraid
Of losing everything
Because of where I
Had my start and where I made my name
Well everything's the same
In the la-la land..

Tell me do you feel the way I feel
'Cause nothing else is real
In the la-la land APPEAL!

I held the last note for a while, well, until my breath ran short. I swiveled my hips back and forth, while everyone else clapped to the beat, and I knew I was doing great.

Some may say I need to be afraid
Of losing everything
Because of where I
Had my start and where I made my name
When everything's the same
In La-la land machine
Well, I'm not gonna change
In the la-la land machine
Well I will stay the same
In La-la land...

MACHINE!

I held long notes really well, and I was amazed at myself.

Machine!
Machi-hey ay hey ay-ne
I won't change anything in my life!
I won't change anything in my life!
I'm staying myself tonight!
I'm staying myself tonight

That was the last vocal, and I rocked my head wildly along with my hips to the last guitar. When the song ended, I tossed the microphone stand from its spot onto the floor like a popstar. My hair was wild, I was out of breath, but I loved that.

Everyone went wild, and Duncan...well.....he blew me a kiss. I snarled at him and got offstage, brushing my dress.

"Um, Mrs. Smith?" Mrs. Angela came walking up to me with a clipboard.

"Huh?"

"Um, you said you're singing TWO songs, correct?"

I nodded.

"Well, the second song is a duet." She said, and my jaw hit the floor, Duncan smiling while he eavesdropped. "You need a partner."

Before I could answer, Duncan came up to Mrs. Angela and tapped her shoulder suggestively.

"I'll do it." He said, and I glared at him with daggers.

"Oh, would you?" Mrs. A praised. "I'll bump two of your D's to A's?"

"Three."

"Deal!" Mrs. Angela shook Duncan's tan hand, and he put his arm around my shoulder.

"Ready, Princess?"

"Whatever." I groaned and walked back onstage, sitting on a high wooden stool near the microphone stand. Duncan went backstage and came back out with an acoustic guitar, and he sat on a wooden stool next to me at a different microphone stand close to me.

He pulled a guitar pick out of his pocket and started playing, much to my amazement that he could play guitar, let alone really well, and let alone the fact that he knew the notes to this song!

Then, with a quick jerk of his head, swiping sleek black hair out of his face, he began to sing.

I wanted you to know, that I love the way you laugh
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain, away
I keep your photograph, and I know it serves me well
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain


Then I joined him, much to my dismay, since he was an amazing singer.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel light, when you're gone away

I took over, and everyone swayed to the music.

The worst is over now, and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain, away
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight!
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

Then he joined in the chorus.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm open
And I don't feel like, I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel light, when you're gone away

I felt my cheeks turn pink, so I basically looked like a blush compact. I couldn't believe how good he was. I mean, for a vampire.

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm open
And I don't feel like, I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel light, when you're gone away..

'Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone

I swallowed and he finished the song, his hand resting on the bottom of the guitar. Everybody clapped like crazy, and I immediately got down off the stool, and bolted out the door.

"Courtney?" Duncan looked concerned, so he followed, and saw me crying.

"Courtney..."

"Duncan, I.....I........I'm sorry I underestimated you. For a ... vampire." I leaned in and whispered at the "v" word.

"Eh, it's ok. I'm not that good anyway."

I snorted. "Are you kidding? You just made ME look inferior."

"How much?" I smirked.

She traced my cheek with her hand and pressed her lips to mine. I shut my eyes and after about ten seconds, she pulled away.

"A lot."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~