Chapter Text
First day of high school.
Courtney was dropped off at the front of the school. She waved goodbye to her mother as she sprinted out of the car into her new school.
She envisioned all of the activities she could participate in at school; debate team, cheerleading, maybe even run for class president. She shook the ideas away as she entered the doors of the building, immediately searching for her green haired boyfriend, Duncan.
After speed walking in the halls and awkward hello’s to her old classmates, she found him and his friends, DJ, Geoff and Leshawna crowding near the water fountain at the front of the school.
They had all met before the school year at a shitty summer camp that the teens were forced to go to.
Courtney always felt out of place whenever Duncan’s friends were around but she tried her best to hide it. It didn’t matter, she only cared about Duncan.
“Duncy!” Courtney exclaimed.
The boy turned around to face his girlfriend.
“Princess!”
The two embraced. Courtney let go first and started at Duncan until he addressed the silence.
“Well… aren’t you gonna walk me to my first class?” Courtney questioned.
Duncan rolled his eyes and reluctantly held out his hand for Courtney to take.
As she turned to walk to her first period, she caught a glimpse of Duncan’s friends shaking their heads.
This didn’t surprise her.
Throughout the summer, Geoff, DJ and Leshawna warned him about hooking up with Courtney. After he ignored their advice, they started to warm up to her but they still weren’t on great terms with the girl.
Courtney shrugged their responses off and strolled with her sweetheart to her first class.
They arrived outside of the freshman English classroom after a few minutes of walking.
“See you at lunch, babe.” Duncan tried to end his sentence with another kiss but Courtney placed her hands on his lips to stop him. “Not in front of everyone!” She whispered sharply.
Duncan scoffed and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek instead.
They exchanged final goodbye’s as Courtney walked into her homeroom.
Courtney found herself in the very back of the cafeteria surrounded by Duncan’s friends.
She sat next to Duncan and in front of Geoff’s girlfriend, Bridgette, who she could endure more than Geoff.
Courtney pulled out her math homework and a pencil and started to work.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Geoff stifle a laugh and point at her.
“Don’t tell me your girlfriend is doing homework already.” He muttered. Duncan turned to see for himself.
“Come on, Court. You’re really doing homework on the first day of school?” Duncan chuckled.
Courtney placed her pencil on the table and faced him.
“Some of us have actual goals in life that aren’t ending up in jail.” She turned back towards her math problems.
“Ouch! Mega harsh.” Geoff winced.
Courtney looked up from her work again to see the rest of the table eyeing her down. She regretted her answer but went back to working.
A couple months had passed. It was the night of homecoming. Courtney had asked everyone to vote for her and she managed to get a spot on Homecoming Court.
Duncan had already expressed his resentment to school dances. She had to beg him to be her date.
The doorbell rang. Courtney hopped up from the couch to welcome her date in.
“Wow, you’re not late.” Courtney said snarlkily.
Duncan walked into the home.
“Just be glad that I showed up in a real tux.”
Duncan was dressed in an all black tuxedo and his signaure spiked choker. He joked about showing up with a fake tuxedo shirt to piss Courtney off; she felt relieve that he didn’t follow through.
The two marched to the girl’s room.
“Aren’t you gonna compliment me?” Courtney questioned as soon as they entered. She gestured to her green dress that matched Duncan’s hair.
“It’s cute.” Duncan caught a slight glimpse of the dress before finding a mirror to fix his appearance.
“Can you sit down? I want to do you hair.”
“What? Why can’t I wear it spiked?” Duncan complained.
Courtney huffed.
“I want you to look nice. It’s our first homecoming and I’m a part of the Homecoming Court. I don’t want to be embarrassed when we have to walk in front of the entire school.”
“Oh so I’m an embarrassment to you?” Duncan asked while crossing his arms.
Courtney rolled her eyes.
“Fine! You win. Let’s go already, we’re going to be late.”
The rest of the school year was a blur for Courtney.
She didn’t go to many school events with Duncan because he said they were “lame”. She brought up the idea of signing up for cheer and he instantly shot it down claiming she wasn’t “that type of girl.”
She still enjoyed hanging out with him for some reason.
It was easier for Courtney to be herself when it was just the two of them alone. No one who would make fun of Courtney one way or another.
But even when Courtney was alone with Duncan something about it felt off.
She didn’t know whether it was Duncan’s friends waiting for the downfall of their relationship or just herself.
Duncan was nice to have around but he just felt like a chore to her. Everytime they tried to be a normal couple, they always ended up fighting.
She just wished that he was more of a friend.
It was then that she realized.
Around the end of the school year, Courtney asked Duncan to come over.
“Hey princess. What’s up?” Duncan greeted.
She quickly grabbed his wrist and led him to her room. She hurried him inside and shut the door.
“What’s all this about?” Duncan started to chuckle.
“Sit down.” Courtney commanded.
Duncan sat on the edge of the girl’s bed. His smile faded.
“Here it comes.” He muttered to himself.
Before she spoke, Couertney took a deep breath.
“Listen, I love you but.. I just want to be friends. I’ve been thinking about us and everything and..”
She took another breath as her voice started to shake.
“...I don’t think I like guys.”
Courtney started to tear up.
Duncan jumped up from her bed and embraced her.
“There’s no need to cry Court. I totally understand. Well, not totally.”
She sniffled and laughed at Duncan stumbling over his words.
She lifted her head from the boy’s torso.
“Are we still friends?” Courtney asked while she wiped her tears from her face.
“Of course.” Duncan pulled her back in for another hug.