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Chapter Text

Her engagement ring. It was a pretty little thing. Big... Expensive... Shiny...

Courtney's never hated anything more.

She had half a mind to take it off and throw it far into the ocean. But she couldn't do that to the ring. Besides, it wasn't the ring's fault that she hated it.

It was his.

She watched her fiance, Jake, out of the corner of her eyes as she casually sipped her champagne. He was in the same spot that she left him, near the wall with his group of friends from college. Usually, he wouldn't let her be alone in such a crowded bar, but this was a special occasion. It was their engagement party.

And with her big ring, all guys would know that she was taken.

That's why she hated her engagement ring. He didn't give it to her out of a declaration of love. He did it to keep an extra set of eyes on her.

So why did she say yes? The answer was simple: her parents.

It was her parents who introduced her to him. He was... fine. She didn't really have any complaints about him, and he made her parents happy, which meant her parents would back off on one aspect of her life.

She had planned to break up with him before they graduated. Then, her parents found out. That's when they dropped a bombshell on her: they had not paid for her schooling as promised. Instead, private loans took care of them. If she didn't stay with him, then they would cut her off and have her pay for all of the loans. She knew that would be an impossible task. When considering colleges, she didn't even consider price as a factor.

She figured that maybe after graduation would be enough to satisfy her parents. But then, he proposed.

She knew then that this was all part of her parents' plan. Jake was smart and had high ambitions. He was going to become a lawyer. Both of his parents were lawyers and had their own law firm so he was set for life.

It should've been obvious to Courtney that her parents weren't setting her up on a date because they didn't trust her choice in men. It was because they had already decided on who her husband would be.

She shouldn't be surprised. They had been making choices for her for as long as she could remember. They always told her they only wanted what was best for Courtney. And she believed them.

...Until she meant Duncan.

That was the only time she defied what they said. They told her it would be fine if it was temporary, but she wanted to go all-in. So, they cut her off.

She didn't mind it at the time. However, when he cheated on her, it became abundantly clear to her that she made the wrong decision, and she ran straight back to her parents.

And now, she was engaged to Jake.

She gulped down her champagne quickly. She was about to pick up another glass when she felt his eyes on her. She retracted her hand. Jake didn't like being near her when she smelt like alcohol. She didn't like it when he did either, but her complaints were waved away.

Her relationship with Jake was different than her relationship with Duncan and Scott. There was no explosion of feelings. She didn't feel the need to blush when he would grab her hand.

Their relationship was safe. They got along. They had the same goals.

They still sometimes fought, but it was nothing like her teenage days. She was older now. She mellowed out a little. And she came to a realization.

Her stubborn attitude was the reason why Duncan cheated on her. She needed to be less assertive.

The first time they fought, she broke her own rule. It was when they were deciding where to live together. She wanted a more affordable apartment near campus. He wanted a more expensive condo.

Just when Courtney thought the fight would get ugly, he broke down. It made her freeze. She didn't know what to do. She never had a guy openly show his emotions to her.

He told her dangerous those apartments were. How he couldn't live without her. How he'd never forgive himself if something ever happened to her.

She felt like a jerk for even starting the argument. This was what she did when she was with Duncan.

She didn't trust herself to not lose herself like that again so she decided to swallow her pride. She decided to do what he wanted.

It's how they decided what law school they would attend. It's how they decided where to have their engagement party. It's how they decided who to invite.

It wasn't the easiest choice for Courtney to make, but it still felt better than getting cheated on.

"Courtney," a voice shouted interrupting her from her thoughts.

Courtney turned around to see Ashley run up to hug her. She hugged her back tightly.

Ashley was Courtney's roommate before she moved in with Jake. They used to be really close but started to drift once she started dating Jake. She also was the only one that Jake allowed her to invite.

Ashley pulled away and looked around. "Hey," she said. "Where's your group?"

Courtney flinched. She knew who Ashley was referring to DJ, Geoff, and Bridgette. Aka the Killer Bass Five.

Duncan was still part of that group. He just never went out when Courtney went out. Courtney did the same.

"They couldn't make it," Courtney lied. Ashley gave her a sympathetic smile.

The truth was Jake didn't want to invite them. She didn't question him on why. It was obvious that her friends didn't like Jake. They found him pretentious.

Courtney didn't mind. Some people found her pretentious too.

"Hey," said Jake as he walked over to the two girls.

Courtney tightened her smile. He reeked of beer, and she wasn't looking forward to carrying him into the Uber or into their apartment.

"Hi," Ashley said back. "Congrats on your engagement!"

Jake smiled brightly. "Thanks," he said genuinely. He put his hand on Courtney's waist and pulled her closer to him. "I had to take this one off the market before she found someone new. She used to be such a flirt, you know."

Courtney wanted to roll her eyes. It was a mistake to ever show him Total Drama. She wanted him to experience a big part of her life. All he saw were the guys she flirted with.

"So," said Ashley awkwardly. "Did you guys start planning the wedding?"

Jake shook his head. "Just the best man and the maid of honor. Speaking of which..." He looked over at Courtney. "Courtney wanted you to be her maid of honor."

Ashley's eyebrows shot up. "Oh. I'd always figured it'd be Bridgette."

So did I. Courtney looked over at Jake and opened her mouth to object. Then, she saw a flash of disappointment and anger in Jake's eyes, and her flame disappeared. She almost did it again.

"Yes," Courtney said in agreement. "I wanted you to do it, Ashley."

Ashley gave her a weird look. "I mean... Can I think about it? It's a big responsibility..."

"Of course," Jake said. "Take all the time you need. But just know that next week Courtney is going wedding dress shopping."

This was news to Courtney, but perhaps she should find it sweet that he planned it out for her. Maybe he was trying to take away the stress of planning a wedding.

Ashley nodded. "Listen, I gotta go. I have work early tomorrow morning. But I'll definitely see you next week!" She waved goodbye before walking away.

Courtney looked down at her watch. It was 11 pm. She also had work the next morning. "Honey," she said. "Maybe we should go too. It's getting late."

"Nah," he disagreed. "Not yet. My friends are still here."

"Well, my friend isn't. Maybe I'll just go home. I do have work tomorrow."

"Come on, babe. You know I can't get myself home safely in this state."

Courtney sighed. He had a point.

After Ashley walked out of the bar, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. She held her phone to her ear.

"Bridgette," she said. "It's Ashley. I went to Courtney's engagement party-" She stopped walking. She didn't know about it. "Look, the point is I think you were right. She's acting... off." She shook her head. "Just come wedding dress shopping with us next week. You'll see."

Bridgette threw her phone at the couch before letting an exasperated sigh.

"Babe," Geoff screamed worryingly. "Careful. We just got you that phone after your last phone went down the sewer!"

She gave an apologetic smile to Geoff. "I know, honey, it's just..." She flopped down on the couch. "Courtney's engaged..."

He blinked at her. "Oh... I thought she was going to break up with him..."

"I know!"

"So what changed?"

She threw her hands up. "I don't know!" She rubbed her eyes. "I don't like him, Geoff. I get a bad vibe from him. Even Dawn said he had a negative aura."

He laughed. "I don't think Dawn is the most reliable-"

She glared at him, and he quickly shut up. Even if her boyfriend was right, Bridgette knew one thing: Courtney changed.

...And not for the better.

Courtney was exhausted. She had to drag Jake into the Uber, drag him back out, drag him up the stairs (the elevator made him feel "sick"), and drag him straight to bed. She sighed. Exhaustion was becoming a common feeling. Still, it beat feeling lonely... or brokenhearted.

She looked over at Jake to make sure he was actually asleep. When his snore confirmed it, Courtney crept over to the closet and took out the box she hid in a dark corner. She lifted the lid. The box only had one item in it: a skull.

She kept it to remind herself of the hurt she felt during that relationship. How she couldn't be the same person she was then. Not if she wanted to avoid the heartbreak.

Her ring suddenly felt heavy. It was like it was judging her for keeping the skull. She sighed. Maybe she should get rid of it. She now had a ring as a reminder. The skull was no longer necessary.

Besides, it wasn't like she still had romantic feelings for him.

Duncan bounced his leg up and down as he took notes during his class. If only his teenage self could see him now.

During his short time in jail, it finally clicked into Duncan what Courtney wanted him to do. She wanted him to make something of himself. Be the best version of himself.

He wasn't going to be a teen forever. If he continued down his current path, he was going to face actual consequences. No thanks.

It started with him getting a full-time job. He needed to pay back his mother for the lawyer somehow.

It turned out there were a lot of people his age at his job. They all attended a community college up the street. Duncan never saw the value in college, but he decided that it couldn't be that bad if his co-workers liked it. He signed up for one night class, and he was hooked.

That was three years ago. Now, he was close to his associate's degree. He hadn't decided if he would go further yet, but either way, for the first time in a while, he felt like he was on an actual path.

Sometimes, he wondered what Courtney would think of him if she could see him now. He would always quickly dismiss that thought. There was no way she would ever think about him.

He always tried to keep his distance from her not for his sake but for hers. She didn't need a constant reminder of the hurt he caused.

He desperately wanted to reach out to her, but he knew better. Whatever relationship they could've had, he burned to the ground.

Besides, she had to be doing better now without him in her life.

His phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen and let out a small laugh. He'd been right.

Geoff just texted him that Courtney's engaged.

Chapter Text

Since dating Jake, Courtney always felt like she was never alone. She was always with her parents, Jake's parents, or Jake. She didn't have time for herself anymore. She didn't have time to think.

However, this week was different. She was left alone in the apartment. Jake started spending more time working at his parents' law firm to the point where she would barely see him. She supposed she could spend more time working at her parents' law firm, but she didn't want to spend any more time with them than necessary.

Being left alone meant she could process her relationship with Jake. Did she really want to marry him? Sure, she had said yes because of her parents, but it didn't mean that she had to go through with the marriage.

She bit the bottom of her lip. But what happens if I don't go through with it?

She would have to pay off her loans by herself. But she knows many people her age who have bigger debts than her and are still going to graduate school. The government was pretty forgiving. She could pay it off over time.

She thought about how heartbroken Jake would be. He didn't deserve that.

Jake always displayed his vulnerability to Courtney. He would always show her how much she meant to him. That he couldn't live without her.

No, she didn't think that not feeling sparks counted as a valid reason to break someone's heart.

If she was honest with herself, the real reason that she was going through with this engagement is that she didn't want to be single and alone. She didn't want to go out there and bring down her walls for a new guy only to have him smash her heart. For all she knew, she could get cheated on or not be trustworthy enough.

No, she was better off staying in this safe, stable relationship.

Courtney sat patiently in her living room waiting for Ashley to pick her up. It was finally time to go wedding dress shopping.

In Courtney's opinion, it was a bit too early to do this, especially since she didn't plan on having the wedding until after law school. Still, it was a nice gesture from Jake and who was she to complain.

The bell rang. She stood up to go answer it. There stood Ashley, who was fidgeting.

"Hey," Ashley said with a nervous smile on her face. "Where's Jake?"

Courtney shrugged. He left before she woke up, and when she came downstairs, she saw that her mother was there cooking her breakfast. She asked her mother if she wanted to come wedding dress shopping, but she just laughed.

Ashley let out a sigh of relief. Then, she turned around and said, "Okay, you can come out. It's safe."

Courtney gave Ashley a strange look but gasped once she saw Bridgette peeping out from behind the pillar. She rang up to Bridgette and squeezed her tight. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Bridgette. Her life had been a whirlwind once she started spending more time with Jake after graduation.

Courtney finally pulled back. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you really think I'd let you plan your wedding without me," Bridgette replied with a smirk.

Courtney let out a wide grin. "Of course not." She looked down at her wristwatch. "We better go. Our appointment is soon." She started walking away.

Bridgette picked up the purse that Courtney left on the floor. "Wait, Court! You forgot your-" Somehow, Bridgette had managed to trip on flat ground, which made Courtney's items sprawl everywhere.

Once Bridgette recovered, she quickly started putting the items back into the purse. "I'm so sorry. I know that I'm such a-"

Courtney gasped and grabbed her purse and the item in Bridgette's hand. "We should go," she said softly. She then walked away into Ashley's car.

Bridgette stayed on the ground for a moment in shock. Pills. The item in Bridgette's hand was pills.

She finally dusted herself and stood up. She looked over at Ashley. "Did you see-"

Ashley shushed her before looking into her car. Good, Courtney's distracted on her phone. She turned towards Bridgette. "It's for depression and anxiety," she whispered. "She started taking it after Duncan... Well, you know..."

Bridgette's eyes widened. Ashley patted her on her shoulder. "Come on," said Ashley. "You know how Courtney hates to wait."

While Ashley walked away, Bridgette quickly whipped out her phone and sent a text to Geoff. Then, she ran towards the car wondering what other surprises were in store for her.

Meanwhile, Duncan was hanging out with Geoff in Geoff's living room area. Duncan looked around. Something feels different...

"Did you paint the walls," asked Duncan.

Geoff let out a smile. "Yes," he said excitedly. "Well, I mean, not me, but Bridge did. I tried to help, but she got mad when I accidentally painted the ceiling..."

Duncan looked up and saw three big blue circles on the ceiling. Smart girl.

"You know," continued Geoff. "You don't have to only visit when Bridge's not home."

Duncan choked on the water he was drinking. I'm that obvious, huh? "I don't do that," he replied in between coughs.

"Dude," said Geoff in disbelief. "I haven't seen the two of you in the same room since you and Courtney broke up."

"Yeah, with good reason," Duncan said while rubbing his cheek. The last time he tried to visit Geoff when he was with Bridgette, Bridgette slapped him across his face. Hard. He got the message.

"Oh, come on," Geoff said with a pout. "It's been years. She's not mad at you anymore."

Duncan raised his eyebrow. "Really?"

"Positive." Geoff felt his phone vibrate. He looked down to see a message from Bridgette that said, "I'm going to kill Duncan." Geoff's smile disappeared.

"What," asked Duncan noticing Geoff's sudden change.

"N-n-nothing," Geoff stuttered out while shoving his phone back into his pocket. He'd deal with that problem later. "So Courtney's engaged!"

Duncan kept a stoic face. "Yeah, I know. You texted that to me. Good for her."

"Really? That's all you have to say?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Geoff shrugged. "No reason."

Courtney checked in at the front desk while Ashley and Bridgette relaxed with their glass of champagne. She drummed her fingers against the counter nervously. The worker gave Courtney an apologetic smile.

"I apologize," the worker said. "These things are slow and ancient."

Courtney nodded in understanding. She wasn't in a rush anyway.

"By the way, I like your engagement ring. It's so big! Lucky that you have a guy, who cares so much about you."

Courtney gave the worker a tight smile. "Yup. Lucky me."

Once Courtney was finally checked in, it didn't take long for a sales representative to greet the girls. She held a garment bag in her hand.

"Ladies," the representative said. "I have the dress that the bride specifically asked for. We just need to do a fitting, and we're all set!"

Courtney's eyes widened in shock. She heard a crash. She looked down to see that she dropped her champagne glass. "I'm sorry about that," Courtney said softly.

The representative waved their hand. "Don't worry about it. It happens more often than you think! Come in the back when you're ready."

Ashley and Bridgette looked over at a frozen Courtney.

"Didn't Jake make the reservation," asked Ashley.

Courtney nodded her head.

"Did you tell him what kind of dress you wanted," asked Bridgette.

Courtney shook her head.

Bridgette stood up. "I'm telling that sales rep that this is a mistake."

"No," Courtney suddenly screamed out. Her friends looked at her in shock. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "I mean, let's not do anything rash. Maybe there's a reason why he picked this dress." She then walked to the back.

"Yeah," Bridgette said with a scoff. "To control her."

Ashley nodded before drinking straight from the champagne bottle.

A few minutes later, Courtney came out in a poofy dress that covered her whole body. Besides her face and her hands, none of her skin showed.

Courtney observed herself in the mirror. It was nothing like she imagined her wedding dress would like. Why did he like this one?

"It's...," Ashley started.

"It's all lace," said an angry Bridgette. "Courtney, you hate lace."

Courtney shrugged. "Maybe he likes lace."

Bridgette rolled her eyes. "You do know it's your wedding too."

Courtney blinked at Bridgette. "Of course, I know that!"

"Then, why are you letting him make the decision on your dress?"

Courtney shook her head. "You don't understand our relationship." She went back to change.

Bridgette's eyebrows furrowed in worry. What the hell just happened?

By the time Bridgette stormed into her apartment, DJ had joined Duncan and Geoff, and they were playing video games. Geoff heard the door slam shut and quickly stood up to warn Bridgette before she went into the living room.

"Hey, babe," he said nervously. "How was the wedding dress-"

Bridgette let out a scream, which made Geoff wince. Once she was quiet again, he asked, "Was that a good scream or a bad scream?"

She glared at him.

"Do you want to talk about it," he asked while guiding her to the kitchen. "Like here, in the kitchen and not in the living room."

She stood still. "Geoff, what's in the living room?"

"What," he asked while sweating nervously. "Why would you think there's something in the living room?"

Bridgette rolled her eyes before walking towards the living room.

"Wait, babe," he yelled. "There's something-"

It was too late. She already noticed him.

"Wait, don't kill him," Geoff yelled as he ran into the room.

DJ and Duncan looked at both of them in shock.

"Dude," Duncan said. "I thought you said she didn't hate me anymore!"

Geoff let out a nervous laugh. "Remember that text I got? She may have said she wanted to kill you."

"What?!"

"I'm not going to kill him," Bridgette said to Geoff. "Turns out, this guy is worse than Duncan." She looked over at Duncan. "Congrats."

Duncan rolled his eyes but stayed silent.

"He picked out her wedding dress, babe," shouted Bridgette. "And it was lace."

Geoff blinked at her confused. "What's wrong with lace?"

"Princess hates it," Duncan replied casually.

Bridgette looked at him in shock. She didn't think that Duncan cared enough about Courtney to remember anything about her. "The point is he picked out a wedding dress for her, and when I told her she didn't have to choose what he picked, she looked at me like I was crazy."

"So what should we do," asked Geoff.

Bridgette let out a deep breath. "I don't know," she admitted. "If I tell it to her straight, she'll just deny it. Maybe I can convince her to dump him?"

DJ shook his head. "We've been trying that since they first dated."

"Which was," Duncan asked curiously.

"Five months, I think...," DJ answered.

"She got engaged to someone she only dated for five months," Duncan asked in disbelief.

Bridgette ignored Duncan. "I guess I'll do the only thing I can do. Be there for her." She walked out of the living room feeling dejected.

Duncan looked at his friends. "Okay, seriously, this guy sounds like a tool."

Geoff raised his eyebrow. "What happened to 'good for her'?"

"It is good that she's engaged. It just should be with someone who deserves her."

"Like you," asked DJ.

Duncan shook his head. "Definitely not."

Ashley sat in her apartment by herself. She never liked Courtney together with Jake, but she never said anything because Courtney looked so happy. Now that she knew the effect that he had on her, she knew she couldn't just stand by and watch the wedding happen.

She sent a quick text to Courtney before falling asleep. It read, "I can't be at your wedding. Sorry."

Chapter Text

That same night, Courtney sat at her vanity and watched Jake get ready for bed in the corner of her eyes. It was silent. And not a comfortable silence...

Courtney considered asking him about his day. She got him to tell her he's been staying late at work helping his father with a big case. The rest was classified.

She understood. Client attorney confidentiality and all.

But what confused her were his eyes. She swore she saw a flash of something in his eyes. Was it anger? Disappointment? Did she do something wrong?

Her eyes widened a little. Of course... The wedding dress... She had been staring at him for an hour and never mentioned it to him.

She chewed her bottom lip. Ever since she was little, she always imagined trying on hundreds of wedding dresses with her friends by her side. It's how she imagined today would go.

Instead, she only tried on one dress. A dress she absolutely hated.

She internally shook her head. That wasn't fair. Perhaps Jake picked it out for a specific reason. Perhaps Jake liked lace.

"Hey," she said loud enough for Jake to hear.

He hummed back while not looking at her.

"That wedding dress you picked out-"

"It's nice isn't it," he said cutting her off. He smiled. "I took one look at it and knew you would love it." He then paused and turned towards her. "I mean, you do love it, right?"

Courtney gave him a tight smile. "Of course."

A few minutes later, she heard her phone ping beside her. She glanced down at her screen and sighed.

"Well, that sucks."

She jumped and whipped her head back. There was Jake. Reading her text over her shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied when her heart started beating at a normal rate again. She looked down at her feet. She really was going to go through this wedding alone. Is this a sign?

Jake let out a sad sigh. "I should've guessed. She's not the most... trustworthy." He gently rubbed her shoulders. "You know what? You should invite Bridgette."

Her head snapped over to him. Her eyebrows furrowed.

He looked over at her and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I... I thought you didn't like Bridgette..."

"What would make you say that?"

Courtney swallowed. "You didn't invite her to our engagement party."

Jake's eyes widened. "Courtney... I only didn't because I thought you would." He held her hand gently and rubbed over her engagement ring. "When only Ashley showed up, I figured that it was because she was the one you wanted to be in the wedding party."

She could feel herself becoming small. Why did she always have to assume the worst in him? Of course, he cares about my feelings. He asked me to marry him after all.

And with that, she allowed him to pull her towards the bed.

Bridgette lay in her bed trying to process what she just heard in the living room. The walls were thin. She could hear everything.

"It is good that she's engaged. It just should be with someone who deserves her."

"Like you?"

"Definitely not."

Ever since the third season, she always assumed that Duncan didn't care about Courtney anymore. It wasn't without reason. He did emotionally manipulate her for fun and then left her in shambles without regret.

Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me mad...

Was she being too hard on Duncan? It had been years since that whole thing happened, and she'd like to think that Geoff and DJ wouldn't keep hanging out with him if he was still that horrible. They were Courtney's friends after all. Hell, at one point, both boys ignored Duncan in solidarity for Courtney. Geoff and DJ must've seen some change in him.

Bridgette never did. Every time she saw Duncan, all she could remember was Courtney's spiral. She went from being excited that she got back together with Duncan to crying under her covers for hours. It was the first and only time she saw Courtney crack.

This was probably the first time she's heard Duncan speak in a while. Knowing that Duncan remembered facts about Courtney and cared about her wellbeing was... confusing.

But was it really?

She watched the fifth season. She saw the way he looked at Courtney. She heard the things he said about her. At the time, she figured he was just being selfish since Courtney wasn't into him anymore. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"Maybe I should give him a chance," she mumbled to herself.

Eh. She'll sleep on it.

The next day, Courtney sat at her desk bored out of her mind. She didn't know why she agreed to work for her parents over the summer. They always told her she couldn't do anything useful until she went to law school. So, for now, she was a glorified secretary.

She snorted. A glorified secretary without pay. That can't be legal...

She never liked the law firm. Corporation law was never in her interest.

She was always into criminal law. When she dated Duncan, she was always fascinated to learn about what happens in the background. What the public defenders don't get to see.

She shook her head. Why am I even thinking about him?

Then, she remembered the skull she put in her purse.

She looked around. Nobody cared what she was doing. They were all too busy billing their clients. Hell, her parents just billed their client on a business trip.

She gently took out the skull and put it in the palm of her hand.

She had good intentions for taking the skull with her. After last night, she decided it was time to get rid of the skull. So she packed it in her purse intending to dump it in a random trashcan.

...And she couldn't bring herself to do it. Why couldn't I do it?

She didn't want to think anymore. She needed a drink.

She stood up and walked out the door. Nobody blinked as the door slammed shut.

Duncan stifled a yawn as he walked back to his car. It had been a long night for him. Add in two lectures, and Duncan was ready to head to bed.

Last night, his head was plagued with thoughts. He always assumed that Courtney was doing great with her life, but based on what Bridgette said, Courtney sounded... different. He always admired her for her fiery attitude but that fire was now extinguished.

He dropped his head down. Maybe he had hoped after some time everything would work out on its own.

Before he could form any more thoughts, he bumped into something hard.

"Hey," the guy said while glaring at him. "Watch it."

Duncan gave him a sheepish smile and mumbled a "sorry" back.

The guy rolled his eyes before putting his phone back to his ear. "Sorry, babe. There was this stupid punk in my way."

Punk, huh? Haven't heard that in a while...

Once he finally reached the car, his thoughts strayed back to Courtney. He frowned. How the hell did she manage to date a guy that not even DJ and Geoff approved of?

He started up his engine. Sleep could wait. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on.

Bridgette hummed along to her Spotify playlist as she continued to paint the bathroom walls. It was one of the rare occasions when Geoff was scheduled to work, and Bridgette had the day off.

As much as she loved Geoff and how helpful he was, he was rubbish at painting. She sadly looked over at the stained sink. How he managed to paint inside of the sink, she would never know.

A knock on the door broke her from her thoughts. Carefully, she placed her brush down and headed towards the door.

She didn't know what she was expecting when she opened her door, but she wasn't expecting Courtney. And she definitely wasn't expecting her to come with bottles of wine.

Courtney thrust one bottle into Bridgette's chest. "Ashley quit so you're the new maid of honor. Congrats!"

Before Bridgette could respond, Courtney walked in and laid her stuff on the kitchen counter. Bridgette quickly followed. "Wait a minute, how-"

"Ashley quit, and Jake thought it would be a great idea if you did it instead."

"Wait, slow down," said Bridgette while placing the wine bottle with the five others. "Why aren't you at work?"

Courtney didn't answer right away and instead, focused on searching for a corkscrew. She smiled when she successfully found one and went to work on one of the bottles. "Why would I waste my time not getting paid when I can drink instead?" Once she successfully got the cork out, she took a long drink straight from the bottle.

"Yeah, but seven bottles?"

Courtney shrugged back. "I'm stressed. I am planning a wedding after all. And my maid of honor just left me." She continued to not look at Bridgette and still rummaged through her purse before dropping something on the table. "And I was carrying this all day."

Bridgette's eyes widened. No fucking way. "Is that..." She looked up at Courtney, but Courtney still refused to look back at her. "I didn't even know you kept this thing." She refused to pick it up. It was still as creepy as she remembered.

Courtney took another long drink of her wine bottle before setting it down on the table. "It always stayed in the back area of my closet so that I would never see it but yeah... I just..." She paused. "I always figured I kept it to remind myself to not fuck up the next relationship I'm in but like..." She pointed at the ring on her finger.

"Yeah," said Bridgette with an eye roll. "Can't really ignore that stupidly big rock."

"Anyway," said Courtney ignoring Bridgette's comment. "You'll be my maid of honor, right?"

Bridgette shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I don't think your fiance would approve of that."

"He's the one who suggested it."

Bridgette sighed before reaching over to uncork another one of the wine bottles and taking a long sip. She knew that Jake didn't like her. She saw the way Jake's eyes darkened when she hung around Courtney. She noticed that Courtney had been canceling their plans together lately and didn't text her as much as she did.

What is he playing here?

"Please," Courtney pleaded in a soft voice. "Don't make me get married alone."

"You don't have to marry him. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I do."

"But why?"

Courtney took a deep breath in. Because I don't want to be alone. "Because I love him."

"...Fine," Bridgette said reluctantly.

Courtney smiled. "Thank you." She finished the last of her wine bottle before working on opening a new one. "By the way, Jake texted me this morning that he picked out your dress. You have to go tomorrow to get it fitted."

Bridgette groaned. She was already regretting this.

Chapter Text

Duncan sat in his parked car letting the engine run. He looked over at his phone. 7:33 pm.

Duncan sighed. That bastard ended work at 7:15. What the hell?

That's when he saw Geoff... Strolling through waving at everyone in his path... Stopping to take a deep breath of the fresh air...

That's it. Duncan held his hand on the horn.

"Alright, alright," Geoff shouted before walking to the car and settling in.

"What's up, dude," asked Geoff in a friendly voice.

Duncan couldn't help but smile at his friend. It was impossible to stay mad at Geoff. "Listen. I wanted to talk to you about something-"

Geoff laughed. "The last time you said that was when you were debating whether to break it off with Gwen." His eyes widened. "Wait, are you dating her again?"

"No," Duncan shouted while banging his hands on his steering wheel. "And when I did that, you put your fingers in your ears and ignored me."

Geoff looked confused for a second before his face turned into a knowing smile. "Ah," he said sitting up straight and interlocking his fingers together. "DJ told me this might happen. You want to talk about Courtney's fiance."

Duncan gave him a strange look. "Just what do you guys talk about when I'm not around?"

Geoff scoffed. "We don't talk about you. We just have bets."

"And your bet was...?"

"When you'd ask about Courtney's fiance," Geoff said casually. "DJ said you'd last a day. I had more faith in you. I gave you two."

Duncan rolled his eyes. "Alright then. Just what is it about him that put Bridgette in a pretzel?"

Geoff whistled. "Where do I even start... Courtney just seemed different after dating him. Like, she didn't want to disappoint him. And he enjoys that." He scratched his chin. "Bridgette thinks Courtney's afraid of being alone so Bridge tries to hang out with her a lot, but Courtney's been distant lately." He shrugged.

Duncan frowned. How can one person completely change her? "Anything else?"

Geoff thought for a moment. "Dawn said he has a bad vibe about him."

"Who the fuck is Dawn?"

It wasn't until Courtney finished her second bottle of wine that she found it in herself to talk about the skull. Her left ring finger suddenly felt like it was burning her skin. She needed it off. Quickly, she slipped it off causing it to roll on the kitchen table.

Bridgette watched as Courtney did this and lifted an eyebrow at her.

"It just feels wrong to have both," explained Courtney.

Bridgette just nodded. "So, why did you carry it around today?"

"I planned on dumping it somewhere Jake wouldn't find," Courtney said with a sigh.

"But?"

Courtney rubbed her temples. "I don't know. I can't figure out why I couldn't do it."

Bridgette sighed. She wasn't going to get more out of Courtney on that topic. "I saw your pills."

Courtney laughed. "I was wondering when that would be brought up."

"How long?"

"Since World Tour ended," Courtney answered. She shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "I know you're supposed to take them consistently but... I usually just do it when things get really bad..."

"When was the last time that happened," asked Bridgette reaching over to hold Courtney's hand.

Courtney turned to look directly at Bridgette. It was a secret she never shared before. "After Jake proposed."

Bridgette stood there stunned. Courtney used this opportunity to pluck Bridgette's half-empty wine bottle from her hands and eagerly drank it. She's forgotten how much she loved wine.

"Do you actually want to marry Jake?"

Courtney stopped drinking and tried to focus. Her mind was trying to tell her the correct answer to say, but it felt too blurry. She was tired of thinking.

"I don't want to be alone," admitted Courtney.

"Courtney," Bridgette said gently. "You know there are other guys out there, right?"

Courtney closed her eyes planning on nodding but found herself slowly sliding to the kitchen floor instead. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier, and the atmosphere around her fading.

I don't think there are.

It took a lot of work, but Bridgette had managed to move the unconscious Courtney over to the couch. After, she headed back over to the kitchen to clean up when she noticed the two items Courtney had left behind: the skull and the engagement ring.

Bridgette focused over at the skull. It was the first time she really got to study it. On the island, Bridgette forbid Courtney from putting that thing anywhere near her. She did not need nightmares.

Even though Courtney claimed to have hidden the skull in the back of her closet, Bridgette could tell it wasn't just randomly tossed in. There wasn't a single piece of dust on it. The top part was worn out suggesting that Courtney had rubbed it a lot over time.

She tapped her fingers on the kitchen table. Duncan was usually a topic they never talked about. Bridgette always told herself that she did it because she was being considerate of Courtney's feelings. But if she was honest, she didn't actually know how Courtney felt about Duncan.

Sure, Courtney hated him after World Tour and ignored him in All Stars, but it didn't mean that's how she felt now.

Then, Bridgette looked over at the engagement ring. A ring that trapped Courtney.

For the life of her, Bridgette couldn't figure out why Courtney was staying in that relationship. The whole group tried convincing her that it was a bad idea. She even seemed to agree with them. So what changed?

I don't want to be alone.

Bridgette dropped both items into Courtney's purse. She didn't know what that meant, but she was going to do whatever it took to figure it out.

She looked over at the clock on the microwave and cursed. It was 8 p.m. Jake was going to expect her home soon. She saw the way Jake looked at Courtney when she arrived home at 10 p.m. She didn't want a drunk Courtney to go home to that.

She'd have Courtney sleepover, but the last time she did that, she hadn't heard from Courtney in a month. She walked over to Courtney and tried to shake her awake. It was no use. She was out cold.

Duncan cut off the engine once he reached Geoff's apartment and followed him inside the elevator.

"You sure Bridgette is fine with me coming in," asked Duncan hesitantly.

Geoff waved off his worry. "Bridge's cool with you now." Duncan gave him back a look of disbelief. "I know this for sure this time! She kept on going on and on this morning about how guilty she was feeling."

"Uh-huh," Duncan said while stepping out of the elevator. "Remember that when you get the invitation to my funeral."

"Nah, brah," Geoff said laughing. He unlocked his door. "Bridge doesn't have it in her to actually kill someone."

"Come on, Courtney," they heard a voice yell. "Wake up!"

Geoff and Duncan gave each other a worried look before hurrying inside. Once they reached the living room, they saw a distressed Bridgette shaking Courtney.

Geoff let out a deep breath. "Babe... What did you do?"

Bridgette stopped shaking Courtney to glare at her boyfriend. "What do you mean 'what did you do?' I didn't force her to drink all that wine!"

"Oh good," said Geoff with a sigh of relief. "She's just drunk."

"Anyway," Bridgette said ignoring her boyfriend's strange behavior. "We have to get her home or her stupid boyfriend is going to be pissed off."

Duncan glanced over at the passenger seat when he hit a stoplight. She is going to have a killer headache in the morning.

Back at the apartment, the task of bringing Courtney home was thrust onto him. Apparently, Jake couldn't stand Bridgette or Geoff, but Jake didn't know who he was.

Courtney stirred in her seat before blinking her eyes open. "Where am I?"

"I'm taking you home."

That voice woke Courtney up. She had to take a double-take to make sure it really was him.

Duncan. When she left All Stars, she hadn't expected to see Duncan ever again. At least, this close. Her friends thought it was because she still hated him, but it really was because she was ashamed. Ashamed of the way she acted in their relationship.

She had imagined many times what would happen if she ever got the courage to face him again. All the scenarios started and ended the same way. She would apologize, and he would show that he didn't care about her.

The logical part of her brain told her to not say anything. To pretend to fall back asleep.

But the alcohol in her pushed those thoughts away.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

Duncan waited for Courtney to say that she was joking. When it didn't happen, he started laughing. He could feel Courtney glare at him. "For what, exactly?"

"For the way, I acted throughout our relationship," she answered.

"You didn't do anything wrong-"

"That's not what you said after we broke up."

Duncan cringed. She got him there. "Sixteen-year-old Duncan had trouble taking accountability. I wouldn't listen to a criminal like him if I were you."

"Yeah, well," she replied. "Sixteen-year-old Courtney was stubborn and pushed her boyfriend away into another girl's arms. I wouldn't forgive her if I were you."

"Even if I were to agree with you, which I don't, it still isn't a good reason to-"

She shook her head. "Don't try to make me feel better about our situation. I get it now, and I've made sure to not make the same mistake again."

Duncan stayed quiet thinking over what Courtney said, but the more he did, the less sense it made.

The closer Duncan came to Courtney's condo, the more nervous she became.

"Relax," said Duncan. "You'll get home in one piece."

She bit her bottom lip. "Do you know how much I drank?"

Duncan shrugged. "Two wine bottles?"

"Shit," she mumbled under her breath.

"I think it's impressive," he said with a laugh. "Who knew you had such a high tolerance?"

"Do I smell like alcohol? Don't answer, that's a dumb question. Of course, I do. You got a mint?"

"I don't think a mint will save you," he replied.

"No," she said quietly. "But a whole container might."

"What's the big deal? It's not like you're a teen going back to your parents' house."

She didn't answer.

The rest of the car ride was silent. Once the car stopped, Courtney opened the door and wobbled herself out of her seat. She took her first step and fell flat on her ass. She was too tired for this.

Courtney laid down to rest, and Duncan rushed over to her side. He bent down to help her up, but she put her hand out to stop him.

"Just let me rest," she said. "I can walk back. You can go home."

Duncan shook his head. She's just as stubborn as I remember. He liked that about her.

"Are you crazy? You can barely walk! Let me help you in!"

"No," she shouted. When she saw Duncan's bizarre expression, she realized her mistake.

"Courtney," he said with a serious expression. "What is going on?"

She let out a nervous laugh. "What do you mean? I'm drunk, and I can barely walk."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."

She closed her eyes tight trying to get her brain to come up with something. When she opened her eyes, she let out a sigh. "Fine. Jake saw part of the show and isn't really a fan of you. He can't know I was with you tonight."

He studied her face. He knew she was hiding something, but if she wouldn't even reveal everything to Bridgette, then what chance did he have?

He heard a ring from Courtney's purse. Courtney wasn't attempting to reach over to get it so Duncan bent down to get it instead. He looked over at the screen and smiled.

"It's your fiance," he informed her. "He said he's caught up in work and is sleeping in the office tonight." He looked over at her. "Guess I can help you up."

Duncan helped Courtney settle onto her bed before taking a look around. It wasn't a bad bedroom. It was a good size... Nice furniture... But nothing else. Hell, even the walls were still white.

It was the opposite of the bedroom that Courtney had as a teen. Duncan remembered how her walls were covered with her accomplishments and pictures. He would always tease her about how messy her walls looked, but really, it made him smile.

Seeing the bare walls broke his heart a little.

"Shit," Courtney mumbled from her bed. "Where's my ring?"

"Chill," he said walking over to her purse. "I'll get it."

He blindly fished around her purse for a while, when he felt something familiar. It can't be... But when he took it out, the proof was right there in front of him. It was the skull.

"Duncan," she called out. "Did you find it?"

Quickly, he dropped the skull back into her purse before finding the ring and handing it over to her. She smiled at him.

"Thanks," she said with her eyes closed. A few minutes later, she was fast asleep.

"Good night, Princess," he whispered. He then left her condo more confused than ever.

Chapter Text

Courtney was seventeen years old at the time. It was the first time she went to a high school party, and of course, she ended up drunk off her ass. The only saving grace was that her parents were out that weekend.

That and she didn't go to the party alone.

"So, the Princess is finally awake."

She groaned as she rolled over while moving the comforter to cover her face. "It's too early for this, Duncan."

She heard him laugh in response. "Sweetheart, it's noon."

Her eyes widened, and she threw the comforter off of her. "Shit! Your parents!" She gave a worried glance to Duncan, who sat there calmly. "How are you so calm?"

"I don't know," he said sarcastically. "Maybe because... they're at work?"

Oh... right. She laid back on the bed. She was tempted to go back to sleep. Her head hurt, and she felt nauseous. "When are they coming home? When do I have to leave?"

"Never mind about that," Duncan said while climbing over to lay down next to Courtney. He threw an arm around her pulling her close. "You just rest. I'll deal with my parents."

And somehow, even with the bright sunlight, the pounding headache, and nausea, she's never felt more comfortable.

The slamming of the front door first caused Courtney to stir. The stomping of the feet into the bedroom was annoying, but not enough to pull Courtney out of her slumber. It was only when she felt his hot breath on her cheek that she knew she was in trouble.

"What. The. Fuck."

She forced her eyes open at that point. All the warmth that she felt from her dream had evaporated and had been replaced with ice. Jake was home. And he was mad. She knew better than to say anything when he was in that state.

"Who were you screwing in our bed?"

Courtney's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She couldn't remember all of last night, but she did know herself. She would never cheat.

She sat up, looked over at him, and swallowed. "No one," she answered.

The next second, she felt a sting on her cheek. It was only after her shock wore off that she realized what had happened.

Jake had slapped her.

"Liar," he growled out. "Mrs. Day saw you entering our apartment with a guy. And now, I find you reeking of cheap booze and cologne, and you dare to tell me that nothing happened?"

She hung her head down in shame. Of course, he would think that! Any rational person would come to the same conclusion as well. And it's not like she remembered all that happened last night.

But I would never-

Then, she remembered Duncan and the skull. Her eyes widened in horror.

"I fucking knew it," he said before hitting her across the face once more.

By the time Courtney woke up again, Jake was long gone. She quickly rushed over to the bathroom. It must've been a dream. Jake would never treat her that way.

However, the bruises and swelling on her face said otherwise.

With a shaky hand, she gently touched her right cheek. She jerked at the pain.

In all the time she had known Jake, she's never known him to be a violent person. Sure, he got angry at her, but he always had a good reason why.

She thought back to the argument. What had gone wrong? Her eyes widened in realization.

She had made it seem like she cheated on him.

How can I be so stupid?

And it was all because of that stupid skull. If she had just gotten rid of that skull like she planned, she wouldn't have come home in a drunken mess and worried the shit out of her poor fiance.

Still... Did he really have to react like that?

She mulled it around some more as she walked into the kitchen. That's when she saw the huge bouquet of flowers on the kitchen counter. She noticed a small card in the middle with the words "I'm sorry." Her heart melted.

This was the Jake she knew. The sensitive one who wore his heart on his sleeve. She knew the Jake she saw that morning was just a fluke.

She looked over at the counter with the rest of her bottle of wine. One by one, she poured them down the drain.

"I promise I'll never make you worried again," she whispered.

With ice and heavy foundation and concealer, Courtney was able to make her face appear mostly normal. It was good enough that Bridgette wouldn't get suspicious when she would meet up with her. She didn't need to give Bridgette another reason to not like Jake.

Courtney sighed. Bridgette just didn't understand. Courtney's relationship with Jake was stable. She may not be in love with him, but she could deal with him for the rest of her life. And he would never leave her.

Isn't that the point of marriage?

Suddenly, the drapes were dramatically pulled back from the changing room, and an angry Bridgette stomped out. Courtney winced in pain as she tried to give Bridgette a comforting smile. Bridgette glared at her in return before dragging herself to the full-body mirror.

Like Courtney, Jake had also picked out Bridgette's dress. It was two sizes too big, yellow, and a pain in Bridgette's ass.

"To be fair," Courtney said. "Ashley is much taller than you."

"Still won't change the fact that I look like a fucking banana," Bridgette growled out. She looked at herself once more before throwing her arms up in defeat. "I thought you hated yellow! You always talked about wanting an emerald wedding!"

Courtney looked down at her hands. "I don't hate yellow... It's just... Not my favorite." She looked back up at Bridgette. Bridgette wasn't convinced. "Besides, yellow matches with green. Maybe he just didn't like the green dresses."

"Maybe you should've been included in making these choices," Bridgette mumbled. Courtney chose to ignore her.

Bridgette hailed down a nearby tailor. "This can be fixed, right?" She lifted up her dress. "Look how long it is! I can barely walk in this thing."

The tailor gave her an apologetic smile. "That's how the dress is supposed to be worn," the tailor replied. "It's custom made so we can create for you a smaller size. It'll just cost you $5,000."

Bridgette internally cringed. "Banana maid of honor will just have to do."

Usually, on days without class, Duncan would attempt to pick up more shifts at his job. This time, Duncan decided to visit Courtney.

Duncan didn't know why but something about last night had made it hard for him to stop thinking about her. Was it her apology? The fact that she freaked out when he tried to help her walk? Maybe the skull?

Either way, Duncan knew it was going to bother him until he figured it out.

He had no idea what he was going to say to her. All he knew was two things: 1) Courtney was different and 2) he had until Jake came home to figure out why.

When he finally got to Courtney's door, he hesitated. What if she only tolerated him last night because she was drunk? There was always the possibility she would slam the door in his face and tell her to never come again.

Then, if she does, she does, he reasoned with himself. He's done way worse to her.

He finally knocked on the door and counted the seconds that passed by. Exactly thirty seconds later, the door opened and Courtney's head poked out.

He didn't have that much time to study Courtney last night so it was only now that he realized how different she looked. Sure he noticed that her hair had grown and that she had more freckles than before. He never noticed that she looked one shade paler. He never noticed that her eyes lost that glint of confidence. He never noticed how red her bottom lip was from probably chewing it all the time.

"Duncan," Courtney said out in a gasp. "What are you doing here?"

He shifted awkwardly. "I came to check in on you. You were pretty hammered last night."

She studied him for a second before giving a curt nod. "Well, I'm fine. You don't need to check in on me." She popped her head back in to close the door.

Duncan only had a few seconds to react. She wasn't likely to open the door for him a second time. Racking his brain for something to say, he finally decided on stating the truth.

"I've missed you." He held his breath waiting to see if she would still shut the door on his face. When no movement came, he continued. "And I'm not talking about it in a romantic way. I know you're engaged, and I'm not trying to change that. I just... miss your presence. You were there for a large part of my life."

She scoffed. "We've only known each other from the time we were sixteen. We've only constantly hung out for what? Two years of our lives?"

"You were there for a large part of my life that I actually cared about." He waited to see if Courtney would comment again but was met with silence. Still, the door wasn't shut. "Honestly, life without having you in my life is... lame. I mean, I guess I could just learn how to live without you being a part of my life, but... I don't really want to." Still no answer. "I'm not asking for us to be best friends just one conversation. Please."

Her head poked out again. "We're having one right now."

He couldn't stop his eye roll. "You know what I mean."

Courtney leaned out into the hallway and looked around. When she saw no one was there, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Courtney?"

Her eyes snapped back over to him. "Not here," she said. "Let's go talk somewhere else."

The drive to their destination was silent. Courtney chose to spend her time looking out the window while Duncan fiddled with the radio station. After Duncan had changed the station for the tenth time, Courtney knew she had to say something.

"Where exactly are we going," she finally asked.

"What," he asked with a smirk. "Scared I'm going to kidnap you?" Her face remained unamused. "You don't recognize the area we're in?"

She blinked at him before staring out the window once again. Now that he mentioned it, the place did seem familiar...

"Oh," she gasped in realization. "We're going to that coffee shop!"

"Bingo."

She looked out to really take in what surrounded her. The big trees that once had graced the street's presence were now cut down leaving bushes of flowers in their place. It was no wonder she didn't recognize the area.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to realize," Duncan confessed. "You come here every week."

"Used to," she corrected. "I used to come here every week. Jake isn't big on coffee."

"So? Doesn't mean you can't come on your own."

"And make him worry where I am? Not a chance."

That made Duncan silent. It was a weird thing to know about her relationship. Why did Jake need to know where she was?

But the way she said it was so casual that Duncan thought maybe he was making a big deal out of nothing. It wouldn't be the first time.

Chapter Text

Once Courtney walked into the cafe, she couldn't help but smile. The aroma of coffee filled the air. It reminded her of simpler times. Times when her worst fear was failing her next calculus exam. Times when... I wasn't dating Jake. She frowned for a second before dismissing that thought. No, this was just growing up. She can't stay a teenager forever.

Duncan noticed Courtney's short genuine smile. It made his heart swell. Not because he's in love with her but because she finally smiled. All this time he's only seen depressed or anxious Courtney. It was nice to see that the carefree Courtney was there too. The fact that he caused her to smile was an added bonus. God I missed her...

Courtney eventually realized that Duncan was staring at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Duncan chose not to answer. Instead, he cleared his throat. "Why don't you grab us a table? I'll go get our drinks."

As soon as Courtney nodded, Duncan tried to make his way to the cashier.

"Wait," Courtney said trying to catch Duncan's attention. It worked. He turned around. "I didn't give you my order-"

"Don't worry," Duncan said with a smirk. "I remember what you like."

Courtney narrowed her eyes at him. Duncan swore he could see part of the old Courtney back.

"There's no way you remember my order."

Duncan just shrugged. "Like I said. You were a large part of my life." He then spun around and left Courtney alone with her thoughts.

Courtney looked over at Duncan suspiciously. Finally, she brought her coffee mug to her lips and took a sip. She let out a happy sigh.

"And the verdict is," questioned Duncan.

Courtney shook her head. "I can't believe you remember my coffee order."

"What can I say? Sixteen-year-old Courtney left quite an impression."

Courtney started laughing a little before suddenly becoming sullen. She thought back to the last time they came here together. She remembered yelling at him. What were we even arguing about? She remembered growing so frustrated with his nonchalant attitude that she threw her mug at him. Luckily, it crashed on the wall. He then called her a psycho before leaving her alone crying.

"You know, I meant what I said to you in the car," Courtney said with a sigh. "I really am sorry about how I acted in our relationship. If I were you, I wouldn't want to date me either."

Duncan shook his head. "Why do you keep apologizing? Sure, our relationship wasn't perfect, but we were teenagers. We didn't know what the hell we were doing."

"Still, it doesn't mean I had the right to throw a cup at your head."

"Yeah, well, with the way I was acting, I probably deserved it," he replied while laughing. When he didn't hear Courtney laughing with him, he looked over to find her looking confused. "...You do remember what happened that day, right?"

Courtney was furious.  What started as a small thing quickly snowballed into something that Courtney could no longer handle.

It was her fault really that all of this started. For Total Drama Action, Courtney had decided to focus on herself and herself only. She tried the "friendship" strategy before, and she ended up being unfairly voted off. It was time to change directions.

At the time, Courtney felt good about the way she handled the competition. After all, she did get third place, a much higher position than she had before. And with the competition gone, she could finally relax and be a regular teenager.

Or so she thought.

It turned out that the producers decided that Courtney would be the new villain. And boy were they good at making her look bad. When the season came out, Courtney woke up to multiple letters and emails telling her how horrible she was. How she never deserved to win. How she was a spoiled rich brat.

Those notes stung, but it was nothing that she couldn't handle. She'd usually read it once and toss it right into the trash can where it belonged.

It was the notes about Duncan that broke her. Bridgette told Courtney that the producers developed the whole "Gwen likes Duncan" thing. She was suspicious, but she trusted Bridgette not to lie to her.

Until she got those notes. The ones saying that they could feel the sexual tension between Duncan and Gwen. That Duncan should date someone like Gwen. That Duncan could do better than Courtney.

It was happening for over a month now, but Courtney never told Duncan. Instead, she let it stew inside of her while acting like she was fine.

Duncan knew better. He grew tired of watching the "fake" Courtney. He wanted the fun Courtney. The angry Courtney. The Courtney that drove him nuts while also making his heart beat like crazy.

It was at the cafe when Duncan decided he was sick of Courtney's attitude. "Alright, enough already. What is this?"

Courtney glanced over at him frowning. "What is what?"

"This," Duncan shouted while pointing over at Courtney. "You've been acting so lame lately. It's boring. I want the fun Courtney back."

Courtney had to bite her tongue from saying something she'd later regret. Instead, she decided to sip her coffee in silence.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Courtney calmed down and was able to think things clearly. She wanted this relationship to work, and according to Bridgette, communication is key. Besides, didn't he start off as one of her close friends? She can confide with him.

Courtney sighed. "You're going to think it's stupid... But I keep getting these letters, a nd these letters keep telling me that we should break up because you deserve someone better than me..."

She looked up at him waiting for him to say something. Anything. But Duncan still had that same bored look on his face.

Finally, he said, "Someone like?"

"...Gwen."

Duncan looked over at Courtney. Courtney waited for Duncan's reaction. But he didn't give any.

"That is stupid," Duncan said with a yawn. "You should just not open the letters and dump them in the trash. That's what I do."

Courtney felt her heart break into two. Here she was trying to open up to Duncan, and this is what she gets in return? No, this couldn't be right.

"And you really need to get over Gwen," he continued. "Your obsession with her liking me is killing my vibe."

That was a punch to her stomach. Duncan knew how upset Courtney was about the whole Gwen situation. How much Bridgette had to console her so that Gwen and Duncan's relationship wasn't in her thoughts 24/7. And he thought she could just stop?

"Actually, maybe I should date Gwen. She would never act this dramatic."

That was the last straw. Courtney glared over at Duncan, but he seemed unbothered. The anger bubbled inside of her. It didn't seem like words would be able to describe how she felt. So, instead, she threw her mug. Right at Duncan's head.

Luckily, Duncan had fast reflexes and was able to dodge the mug. However, his nonchalant attitude was gone. Instead, his eyes were filled with anger.

"Are you fucking crazy? That could've hit me!"

Courtney rolled her eyes in response.

Duncan then stood up and marched out of the cafe. "Maybe I should date Gwen instead of you because you're a fucking psycho!"

Duncan tapped his fingers on the table. "Really, I should be apologizing to you."

"No you shouldn't-"

He raised his hand making Courtney silent. "I know this is over five years late, but I'm sorry that I didn't take you seriously. You didn't deserve that."

"Please don't apologize," Courtney begged. "I overreacted. If I hadn't been so bothered by Gwen-"

"Courtney," Duncan said while putting his hand on top of Courtney's. Courtney froze. "You're allowed to have felt what you felt back then. And you were right to open up to me about your feelings. It was me that messed up."

Courtney shook her head. "I still threw a mug at you..."

"Yes," Duncan agreed. "After I mocked the way you were feeling. So what if those things didn't bother me? It bothered you, and that's all that should've mattered."

For a moment, Courtney looked like she understood what Duncan was saying. Yes, she was wrong for throwing the mug, but he was wrong for ignoring her. But what does this mean?

"Besides," Duncan continued. "You should express your feelings to your partner. That's what makes a good relationship."

Courtney's moment of clarity disappeared. No, she can't express her feelings. Her feelings make her act like a lunatic. And now, she had the chance to have a long, stable relationship with Jake. She wasn't going to mess it up with her overreactions.

Courtney pulled her hand away. "Agree to disagree."

Duncan sighed in disappointment before finishing up his coffee.

The drive back to Courtney's place was silent. Courtney insisted that Duncan drop her off a block away from home. Duncan didn't understand why, but he did it. However, before Courtney could get out of the car, Duncan lightly touched her elbow. Courtney looked back at him in shock.

"I just," he began. Throughout the years, there were a lot of things that he wished he could tell Courtney, and now that he finally had a chance, he could think of nothing. Courtney was patient and remained in her seat allowing Duncan to regain his thoughts.

"I had fun," he lamely finished. He could slap himself.

But to his surprise, Courtney smiled at him. She lightly touched his shoulder and whispered back, "I had fun too."

She then turned and left the car while slamming the door shut.

Duncan had a lot on his mind and needed someone to help him process what he was thinking.

...Unfortunately, the only option he had was Geoff.

"So," Geoff said with a big smile. "You went on a date with Courtney! Bro, we should do double dates just like the old days."

"Geoff," Bridgette yelled sternly. "She's engaged!"

"Then, why did she go on a date with Duncan?"

Duncan wanted to bang his head against the wall. This was such a bad idea. "It wasn't a date," Duncan screamed. "We were just hanging out!"

"Oh." Geoff nodded as if he finally understood what was going on. "But why?"

Duncan gave Bridgette a pointed look.

"I mean, he has a point," Bridgette said. "You and Courtney haven't hung out for years. Why'd you decide to start it up again now?"

Duncan groaned. "I don't know! Because I missed her!"

"You miss her only now," questioned Bridgette.

"I've missed her since the day I left her!" Duncan let out a deep breath. "...I just never realized that I did."

Geoff and Bridgette stayed silent while waiting for Duncan to continue.

"She's always in my head. Telling me what to do. Telling me what not to do. It drove me insane. So I thought if I ran away from her, the feeling would go away..."

"Is that why you quit World Tour?"

Duncan nodded. "But it didn't go away. It just stayed there. Except now, I only saw a disappointed Courtney. God, I wanted her to leave... So I thought it'd go away if I dated somebody else. But it never stopped. And the worst part was that she wasn't even talking to me anymore! I thought it would make the memories of her fade. But it just kept replaying...

"Then, I drove her home when she was drunk. And when I saw how much she's changed, that's when I realized I missed her..."

"Are you in love with Courtney," questioned Geoff.

Duncan shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I think I just never realized how big of an impact she's had on my life. And now... No, I'm not in love with her. I just need her to be in some part of my life."

Chapter Text

Courtney hated her past. Specifically, her teenage past. Every time she thought back to those days, she was filled with shame and regret. It had gotten to the point where she convinced herself that the past wasn't worth remembering because nothing good ever happened.

However, for the first time in a long time, Courtney found herself smiling and dare she say, reminiscing. Never before had she realized that there were things about her past that she missed.

The coffee shop brought up memories that Courtney hadn't thought of in a long time. How could it not when she spent most of her teen years there? It was the place her and Bridgette would spend hours cramming for a final exam. The place Duncan brought her every time she was mad at him because he knew that she liked it when the barista would draw a cat in her foam. It was previously the weekly spot for her to spend time with Geoff, DJ, and Bridgette. The workers got so used to them that they'd often give them a free cookie just because.

For a brief moment, Courtney wondered what it'd be like if her friends met there again and even imagined Duncan there too. Could they become the tight knit group of five that they once were? Could it be that simple?

Then, Courtney looked at the ring on her finger. Reality set in. She knew that as much she missed that place, she couldn't go there again. Because she wasn't just Courtney anymore. She was Courtney and Jake, and unfortunately, Jake didn't see the appeal in an "overpriced" coffee shop when all you get is a "worthless piece of cat art."

Back at Bridgette's home, Duncan was still hanging out with Bridgette and Geoff discussing the changes he's seen in Courtney. Except, now DJ was there too.

"You took an engaged woman on a date," DJ asked while shaking his head. "Man, are you crazy?"

"That's what I said," Geoff said excitedly raising his hand up to high five DJ. Bridgette pushed Geoff's hand back down.

Duncan groaned. "For the last time, it wasn't a date!"

"Agreed," Bridgette said. "Because if it was, I would've killed Duncan by now."

"Wait, time out. I thought you were cool with me!"

"With you as a person," Bridgette replied. "I'm not cool with you toying around with Courtney's feelings again."

"I'm not toying with her!"

"Yeah," DJ nodded agreeing with Bridgette. "Duncan shouldn't even consider dating Courtney. The way he treated her was beyond cruel."

"I'm not considering dating her!"

"Oh, shit, I didn't even consider that," Geoff said. He paused for a moment. "Wait, why did Courtney agree to hang out with you?"

All eyes looked at Duncan.

Duncan threw up his hands. "It's not like I didn't apologize before I asked her to hang out!"

"Dude," DJ said slowly. "I don't know if you remember what you did, but an apology wouldn't cover it... You should've been groveling on the ground."

"Unfortunately, I do remember! And I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to make it up to her, but she won't let me because she keeps apologizing to me!"

Bridgette snorted, which earned her a glare from Duncan. "I'm sorry, but why would she be apologizing to you?"

"That's why I came here," Duncan scream exasperated. "You guys know her better than I do! Why does she keep blaming herself for what happened in our relationship?"

The room fell silent. Duncan looked at his friends' faces and only saw a blank expression.

Bridgette took out her phone. "Hang on," said Bridgette while sending a quick text. "I think I know just who to ask."

A few hours after Duncan dropped off Courtney, Jake came home, much to Courtney's surprise. As soon as he came in through the door, Jake quickly walked over to Courtney. When he appeared in front of her, she had to stop herself from flinching. This is Jake, remember? He didn't mean to hit you. He's not going to hit you again. However, no matter how many times Courtney repeated this to herself, her heart would not stop beating like crazy.

Jake pulled her into a tight hug before pulling back and gently cupping her face with both of his hands. He closed his eyes and gently kissed both of her cheeks. When he opened his eyes, he looked like he was on the verge of crying.

"I'm really sorry for this morning," Jake spoke up softly. "You know I do love you, right?"

Courtney looked into Jake's eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. She smiled at him. "Of course."

Jake smiled taking her hand into his and rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "I really can't wait to marry you."

She let out a little laugh. She missed these moments with Jake. She can't remember the last time she felt this light with him.

"Well," she teased. "You'll have to wait until after law school so that I can put all of my focus on our wedding."

They laid in silence listening to each other's hearts. Courtney could feel herself slowly falling asleep.

"What if there's another way," Jake asked.

Courtney sleepily blinked her eyes open. "What are you talking about?"

"I really don't think I can wait to marry you. I want to do it like... now."

Courtney sighed. "I can't wait either, but you know it'll be impossible for me to focus on law school and plan a wedding."

"But what if you focused on just one?"

That woke Courtney up completely. She sat up staring at Jake. He couldn't be serious. It's been her dream since preschool to become a lawyer, and now, law school was only a week away.

Jake sensed her discomfort and sat up to rub her back affectionately. Courtney melted to his touch. "Look, the truth is that this morning, I was at the country club with my dad. I happened to look out the window, and... Courtney, if you could've seen what I've seen... I saw the light touch this spot on a garden nearby and thought to myself, 'Courtney would look so gorgeous standing there.' My dad made a few calls, and it turns out they have an opening at the end of this year! I knew then that the universe was telling me that I needed to marry you soon."

Courtney didn't say anything. What could she say? He was saying all the right things, but something just felt... wrong.

"I'm not asking you to delay law school forever," Jake continued. "Just for like... a semester. I just want to be married to you so bad. Will you grant me this one wish?"

Courtney let out a sigh. She couldn't argue against his logic. Besides, who was she to put her desires above his? Courtney's dream only helped her. His dream was for the both of them.

"Of course," she said with a smile.

Jake leaned in and kissed Courtney gently on her lips.

Ashley sat on the couch next to Bridgette while carefully inspecting the picture on Bridgette's phone. She let out a few "hmms" and "ahhs," but for the most part, she stayed silent. After about ten minutes, Ashley handed the phone back to Bridgette.

"Well," Bridgette asked.

Ashley nodded. "The man hates you, Bridgette. I mean, who else would pick a yellow bridesmaid dress?"

Bridgette shot her arms up. "That's what I've been saying!"

Duncan cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt... Whatever this is. But who is she?"

"Hey, now," DJ interjected. "There's nothing wrong with a yellow wedding! It's the color of summer!"

"A mustard yellow is the color of summer," asked Ashley with a glare. "Seriously?"

"She's got a point, dude," Geoff said to DJ. "I know that if I ever got married, I wouldn't want that color-"

"What do you mean 'if,'" Bridgette snapped back at Geoff.

"Uh," Geoff stammered nervously. "D-d-did I say 'if'? Because I totally meant when. As in when you and I get married."

DJ sighed. "Not this again..."

"Anyway, Duncan," Geoff stated quickly. "Meet Ashley! Who Bridgette invited over for... Some reason." He looked over at Bridgette and loudly whispered, "Why did you invite Ashley?"

"Because, Geoffery," Bridgette stated with a glare. "If there's anyone, besides me, who knows anything about Courtney, it's Ashley."

Ashley nodded in agreement. "It's true. We lived together for four years straight."

"Okay," said Duncan slowly. "So I'm guessing you know me then-"

"About how you got back together then cheated on her a few moments later and then humiliated her on tv? I might know a thing or two," Ashley replied.

"Did you know that she apologized to Duncan about their relationship," asked Bridgette.

"No, but it doesn't surprise me. Not at all."

It was only a few days into their first semester of college, but there were a few things that Ashley knew about her roommate Courtney. First, she was a Type A. Second, she was going to be a lawyer if it's the last thing she did. And third... she was a famous person. Ashley found that out when she watched Courtney open her mailbox and saw the massive stack of letters tumbling out.

Being a famous person, Ashley was sure that Courtney was going to have an easy time making friends and dating. But it turned out, it was the opposite.

Ashley heard the snide remarks that her classmates would make about Courtney. How she was a total bitch that drove her boyfriend into another woman's arms. How better off he was without her. How every guy needed to watch out for Courtney because she might try to control him.

And even though Ashley tried to remind Courtney every day how deserving she was of love, Courtney received at least ten letters a day that stated otherwise.

"It didn't seem to be that bad at first," Ashley continued. "After all, she wasn't dating anyone. And she had good friends, who stayed with her. Then, she dated Jake. She never seemed over the moon about it, but she told me she was happy and fine. And I believed her."

Suddenly, Bridgette's phone vibrated. Bridgette ran over to see a text from Courtney. As soon as she read the message, her face turned white.

"What's wrong, Bridge," Geoff asked.

Bridgette looked up. "Courtney's not going to law school next week so that she can plan a wedding by December."