Chapter Text
Courtney expected her college years to be more difficult, but now in her last semester before she graduates with her bachelors, her criminal law professor gives them an odd extra credit assignment. She’s never been one to turn down bonus points even when she doesn’t need it, but still she finds the task to be random. She remembers turning over and looking at Trent to see him shrug when their professor announced the opportunity.
“So, what are you going to write for your wish?”
“Hm… I guess to get into Harvard’s law program.”
“Court, that doesn’t count. You’ve already been accepted.”
“Professor Matthews doesn’t know that.”
“Look I know it’s a weird assignment, but think about it. You can wish for anything and no one would judge you. It’s just going to turn into confetti on New Year’s Eve anyways.”
“Well then, what are you going to wish for?”
“A cast reunion, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen any of our friends.”
“You mean your friends, I burned all my bridges.”
“Not true, you know they still ask me about you.”
“Who’s they?”
“Oh you know…”
“It doesn’t count if Duncan’s the only one asking.”
“I didn’t even say who yet.”
“... let’s just get this over with.”
Now that they were actually standing in front of the wall full of other post-it notes with other people’s wishes, she wasn’t sure what she was going to write. Her mind kept circling back to the one hope that she kept buried, but her heart wasn’t ready to acknowledge it. Courtney knows not to count on wishes and dreams, she had to pave her own path, but what did she have to lose? Besides, it’s not as if he would ever see it, so she scribbles her one wish that she couldn’t let go of and places the note next to Trent’s. To his credit, he didn’t tease her about it, but then again he always knew she never moved on. She’s always looked to her future, but her past mistakes haunt her even through her achievements, maybe this would finally give her the chance to have some closure.
I wish I could make things right with Duncan
<3 Courtney
“You’re kidding, you really want to go stand in the middle of time square with millions of other people just to watch the ball drop?”
“Come on Court! It’ll be fun!”
“What part of being squished with tons of strangers sounds fun?”
“We’ve lived in New York for the past four years and we never experienced a proper New Year’s Eve.”
“I’m sure most New Yorkers don’t find this to be fun. Why do you even want to go anyways?”
“It’s fate, don’t look at me like that. Look Professor Matthews made us write wishes, so we have to go. Maybe we’ll find our notes in the street when the confetti falls!”
“The chances of that happening are near impossible. There’s no way we would find our own wishes.”
“Not if we don’t even try, come on Court. Live a little, you’re going to be moving soon. When will you have another chance to experience this?”
Reluctantly she agrees with her best friend, he pulled out the puppy dog face. She couldn’t refuse him after that. Here they are now, standing with a bunch of strangers out in the cold waiting for the countdown to begin. She feels a bit uncomfortable to see that they’re surrounded by couples waiting to kiss right at the start of the new year; Trent didn’t seem to notice as he smiles at her then points at the giant screen. The countdown was beginning, for some odd reason the people around her began to fuss about and move. Thus separating her and Trent, great now she doesn’t even get to ring in the new year with her best friend at her side. As the final seconds countdown with everyone yelling Happy New Year along with kisses and hugs, she couldn’t help but feel worse at being alone. Thankfully people started to part as the confetti began to rain down on the crowd. She picks up the stray pieces that manage to land on her hair, she reads them before letting them fall to the ground. They were shredded, impossible to decipher the original message, how were they expected to find their own wishes. She sighs seeing her breath from the cold, she sees the purple paper before it lands on her nose. She recognizes it as her own handwriting, she freezes, she can only make out a single word and it was his name.
“Princess.”
She turns at the sound of a nickname she hadn’t heard in years, the voice belonged to someone she could never forget. Time seemed to stop until light blue eyes met her own brown ones. The familiar feeling of warmth spreads through her, she couldn’t stop her smile, that was enough for him to run towards her and hold her in his arms. She was caught off guard, but she didn’t push him away, at least not at first. When he finally released her, she asked what he was doing here? Last she checked he was still in Canada.
“I got your message.”
She tilts her head in confusion, she’s never sent him anything since they’ve been apart. He simply laughs and produces the same purple note still in her hand. There was a heart symbol and her name on it, the way she ended her wish on the sticky note. She couldn’t stop herself from laughing at that, what were the odds. She gives him her own piece and together it reads Duncan hearts Courtney.
“Princess, I think you and I are just meant to be.”
She smiles at that, maybe just maybe they were, but she never liked to admit when he could be right. Still it’s hard not to believe in fate when he’s smiling at her like that. What a way to ring in the new year.