Gwen and Courtney attended Cody's cheer practise for the Netherfield Park Roses that afternoon, as they had both promised, and sat in the bleachers as they watched Lindsay bark orders to the cheer squad.
"Izzy you're doing the landing all wrong! Do it the way Zoey's doing it!" She demanded.
"Listen here, Head Cheerleader Lindsay Her Hotness, Izzy does as she likes and takes orders from no one," Izzy shot back. Lindsay groaned.
"We'll never get this routine right! Let's do it again," she ordered and they went back to their starting positions. Courtney wondered why Lindsay was making orders and not the coach but when she looked around she couldn't see the coach anywhere. She noticed Duncan enter with a brunette boy and he took a seat at the other end of the row Courtney and Gwen were sitting in and Courtney glared at him as he sat. His friend, on the other hand, walked up to Gwen and Courtney.
"She's amazing, isn't she?" Said the friend as he sat next to Courtney. "I'm her boyfriend, Tyler." He put his hand out for Courtney to shake.
"Courtney," she told him, taking his hand. "I didn't know she was so demanding."
"She's not usually," Tyler said. "It's only when she gets to be in charge of something. Are you thinking of trying out?" Courtney laughed.
"Oh god no!" She said. "I'm here for moral support. My friend Gwen here is dating Cody and she asked me to come with her."
"Okay everyone take a break, get a drink," Lindsay told the cheer team. Gwen walked onto the field to talk to Cody as Lindsay walked up to Tyler and gave him a kiss. She noticed Duncan sitting away from Tyler and Courtney and beckoned for him to join them. He rolled his eyes but joined them anyway. "What are you guys talking about?" Lindsay asked Tyler and Courtney.
"Cheerleading," Tyler told her.
"Oh my gosh that's like my favourite thing! Apart from fashion of course. Duncan, how's Eva's cheerleading going?"
"Actually, Lindsay, Eva does weightlifting, not cheerleading," Duncan informed her.
"Well I hope she practises more than my team. Did you see how bad we were just now? We'll never get it right!" She complained. Duncan merely rolled his eyes. Lindsay decided then that break time was over and the cheer team started their routine again.
"Hey Courtney do you want to sit a bit closer to the front?" Tyler asked. Courtney nodded and they moved to the front row. Gwen was leaning against the fence with her arms folded over the rail. Duncan stayed for a minute before following them to the front row and sitting next to Courtney who was having a pleasant conversation with Tyler. She jumped as Duncan sat down.
"You scared me!" She scolded him, hitting his shoulder.
"Sorry princess, it was unintentional," Duncan said smilingly. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't call me princess, or I might have to tell your friend here what you were doing the first time we met," Courtney threatened.
"Go on, I'm not scared," he encouraged her, still smiling.
"Tell me, what was he doing?" Tyler asked. Courtney looked at Duncan, who had his arms folded and his eyebrows raised, daring her to say it. She turned back to Tyler, who was waiting for a response.
"Fine, I'll tell you," Courtney agreed. "The first time I saw Duncan he was sneaking into his dorm window with a stolen mug from the dining hall without even bothering to dine with everybody else."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm poor and had no other way of getting a mug? Or that I don't deal well being around strangers?"
"Oh please, everyone knows what your financial situation is and you could easily afford a measly mug!" Courtney snapped. "And what, you couldn't acquaint yourself with some of those strangers?"
"I'm not good at introducing myself," Duncan said with a casual shrug.
"How is it, Tyler, that someone so sure of himself can't even tell a stranger his name?" Courtney wondered.
"He probably just couldn't be bothered," Tyler replied. Courtney smiled at him before turning back to Duncan.
"Exactly. How can you expect to get any better without practising? You should listen to your cousin more," Courtney said.
"Maybe I should," Duncan said shortly. He walked off, clearly annoyed at the turn the conversation had taken.
Cheer practise ended finally and Tyler and Courtney walked with each other back to the main building.
"How do you know Duncan?" Courtney asked. "Is it just because you're dating his cousin?"
"No I actually met Lindsay through Duncan," Tyler told her. "We're family friends. Do you know his sister?"
"No but I've heard about her. Dakota seems to like her," Courtney said, having briefly spoken about Eva to Dakota when Bridgette had been sick. "You know the Bingley's don't you? They're new."
"Yeah Geoff moved into one of my classes. He's good friends with Duncan."
"Yeah well he's the only person Duncan seems to be particularly friendly with," Courtney said, still a little annoyed at the rudeness of Duncan.
"So I've heard," Tyler said. "Apparently he did Geoff a bit of a favour recently. I probably shouldn't say anything though." Courtney perked up at this.
"What do you mean? I promise I won't tell anyone," Courtney assured him. Tyler hesitated.
"It might not even have been Geoff, you know?" He said, trying to get out of telling her. She folded her arms and glared at him. He sighed. "All I know is Duncan said he saved a friend from dating a girl that he shouldn't have." Courtney's jaw dropped.
"WHAT?" She screeched. She was furious! "Did he say why?" Tyler shrugged.
"Duncan had his reasons. He didn't like the girl, I don't know why."
"Who does he think he is to have the right to make a decision like that!" Courtney said, not needing an answer. Tyler was a little scared by this time and decided not to try and continue the conversation. After walking in silence for a while, they arrived at the main building at last.
"Thanks for the walk, Courtney," Tyler said as he left her. "It was nice." Courtney nodded at him and stormed off. She couldn't believe Duncan had acted so harshly - if not meant directly - towards her best friend! She was so angry and upset that she decided not to go to dinner, particularly since she didn't want to risk seeing Duncan, and went straight to bed instead.