Anna's Note-
WOW. I'm sorry for the sudden lack of updates. Thank you for all the amazing feedback which I couldn't get back to you on. I hope you know that I love and appreciate each and every one of you! And I hope this long ass chapter makes up for my procastination. :)

Special thanks to my awesome beta Mona! You rock! You're amaze-balls and I love ya. XD Oh and speaking of betas, I'm available to beta anyone else's story if they'd like that. Just PM me :)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Story is from My Best Friend's Wedding. Characters are from Total Drama Series. Words are from me.


Chapter 7 – Teal Eyed Monster

There is no true love without jealousy –Anna Karenina


Chapter 7


Date: Friday 12th August 2013
Time: 9:25am
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 25 Years Old
Place: At Gwen's Bedroom

"Mmm," I mumbled in my sleep.

I heard the door slam shut downstairs and figured that it was my dad leaving early to work or something. But he doesn't leave until later. Huh.

I looked at the clock on my left side wall and saw that it was already 9:25.

Wow, I actually slept in.

So unlike me.

Knowing that I should probably get up and shower so I can work out, I jumped out of bed. Grabbing my towel, I ran into the bathroom and hopped in the steaming shower.

Ahh, just what I needed.

—|—

After that fuckawesome shower and a quick clean, I gave my damp hair a quick dry with the towel, before wrapping it around my naked body.

I opened the door of the bathroom and walked inside my own room, not expecting to see what I saw.

"YOU!" I gasped.

Right in the middle of my bed — looking comfy in some no doubt designer jeans and no shirt or shoes — flicking through Vogue magazine was God's own gift to me.

"Waddup, Buttercup?" he smirked.

"NOAH!" I practically screeched, jumping on the bed and hugging him to death.

"Whoa, whoa!" he laughed, hugging me back.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it's really you!" I mumbled into his neck.

"Uh yeah," I squeezed out. "Gwenners, not trying to ruin the moment or anything, but your pussy juice is rubbing all up on my new Vuitton jeans."

I scoffed and pulled away, standing up again.

"It's not pussy juice, you moron. It's water. I just had a shower, as you can probably guess by the towel," I rolled my eyes, gesturing to my current wear.

"No shit, Sherlock." God, him and his sarcasm.

"So tell me, why exactly are you here?" I asked.

He pouted and put a hand over his heart. "Aw, Gwenny, don't you want me here?"

I glared at him.

"Get to the point."

"Alright, alright!" he said, sitting up on my bed. "Well, after your crying sesh yesterday, and your poor attitude towards this whole plan, I figured a good friend would most likely tell you to come home and save yourself the trouble. Then again, I'm no good friend. I'm your BEST friend. And a kickass best friend wouldn't even both thinking. They'd grab the first plane ticket to Ohio and run in to save the day; like a knight in shining armour, except I'm a knight in designer jeans. Get what I'm sayin'?"

I cracked a smile and couldn't help but giggle a little.

"That's so like you, Noe."

"I know right?" he winked.

"When did you get here?"

"Just before you went into the shower. Came up and heard the water running, so I figured I should make myself comfortable."

I rolled my eyes.

"That you did, my friend."

"OH! I also got you some of those truffles you like," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You got me Hershey's Truffles?!"

I gaped.

He nodded.

I ran for his suitcase.

Once I got through the pile and pile of clothes, I finally found the little box.

"Ooh! They have a Belgium chocolate one!" I gasped.

Now those were rare. Only a few boxes had those and it was the best chocolate you could ever taste. I've only had one in my entire life.

"No way!" he asked with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Yes way!" I smirked at him. "And it's mine."

"Hah! I don't fucking think so, BITCH!" he growled playfully running towards me.

I quickly put the box at the arms reach as his arm tried to reach it from behind me. We were laughing, giggling, squealing like little school girls.

Ahh, it's good to have my best friend here.

However, through all the laughing, giggling and squealing, I heard the door shut downstairs and faint footsteps coming towards my room.

"Noah! Quit it! Someone in coming up here!" I warned.

"Not until you give me that truffle, hon." he said, tickling my sides.

Damn, he knew that was my one weakness.

I erupted into laughs and tears as he tickled me relentlessly.

Suddenly, my door swung open.

"Hey, Gwen I was won—" Duncan's voice cut short when he looked up and saw me.

Noah's hands stopped tickling me and now were placed on my hips protectively.

Duncan's eyes bugged out of his head.

I'm sure the sight he saw was pretty shocking.

I was still in my towel, being man-handled by a guy with no shirt on whom he had never seen in his life before, and was laughing with tears in my eyes.

"Um...Hi?" was my weak attempt to calm down the tension.

The awkward moment built on. None of us moved an inch.

And then, Noah got bored of the whole thing. He removed himself from me completely and put his hand out for Duncan to shake it.

"Hi, I'm Noah, Noah Stevens," he introduced. "And you are...?"

"Duncan Carter," he said, shaking Noah's hand. "I'm Gwen's friend."

Dammit!

Again with the "friend" thing. Is that what I was to him from now on? Just a friend?

Things were silent now, and I decided that it was probably the time to tell Duncan who Noah was.

"Duncan, this is Noah. He's my b—"

I stopped halfway.

What was I going to say?

Best friend?

But if Noah was my best friend...

Then what was Duncan?

"Boyfriend," Noah stepped in.

"Boyfriend?" Duncan and I repeated at the same time with the same incredulously expression.

"Yes," Noah nodded. "Boyfriend. Right, honey?" Noah asked with raised eyebrows, telling me to play along.

I gulped.

"Um...right. Boyfriend. Yes, Noah is my boyfriend," I nodded.

"Right..." Duncan said, averting his eyes. "Well, I can see you guys were in the middle of something so I should probably leave..."

"Actually, we were just getting started," Noah smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes and smacked him on his muscular chest, causing him to laugh.

"Oh..." Duncan murmured, scratching the back of his neck. He always did that when he was nervous. He shifted on his feet. "Well, mom said you should come to breakfast again, G. She's gonna be staying today soo... yeah."

I nodded.

"Alright. Do you mind if Noah comes along?" I asked.

Before Duncan can answer, Noah did.

"Of course, he doesn't mind. I'm your boyfriend, after all," he said like his arrogant self.

I shook my head at him, sighing with a smile.

"Yeah, sure, he can come along. So...bye."

"Bye," I smiled warily, waving at him.

"It was nice to meet you, David," Noah said. I knew he was trying to get a rise out of Duncan.

"Duncan," he corrected. "And likewise. See ya at breakfast, Gwen."

And with that, he was gone.

I leaped on to Noah and punched the living hell out of him.

"Ow. OW. OWW! Gwen! What the hell?!" he screeched.

"You. Told. Him. You. Are. My. BOYFRIEND?!" I yelled, emphasizing each word with a punch.

"Wait, I have a pl—OW!" he was now on the floor with me on top of him, still punching.

"What's wrong, HONEY?!"

"Gwen! Listen to me, you crazy bitch! Ow! I have a plan!" he yelled out.

I huffed on top of him and stood up.

He followed and rubbed his injured arm.

"So? What's this stupid plan?" I asked with a hand on my hip.

"First of all; OW!" he said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"Second of all; have your boobs grown since the last time I saw them?" he asked, pointing to my boobs.

I looked down and saw that my towel had fallen due to my psychotic rant. I quickly picked it up from the ground and wrapped it back around me.

He laughed. "Relax, on the other team, remember?"

"Whatever."

"And third of all; since you don't have Alejandro to use as a weapon anymore, I figured I would chip in and fill the role. And you won't have to try so hard either because I'm in on the plan with you. Huh?" he cocked an eyebrow.

I furrowed my eyebrows and thought about it.

"Wow...that's actually pretty...brilliant," I admitted.

He smirked cockily.

"What did I tell you? You always underestimate me, Gwenny. It's not a nice feeling," he shook his head with a pout.

I smiled sardonically. "That's because 99% of the time, your plans strike out."

He scoffs and huffs.

"Au contraire."

I chuckled.

"I'm gonna get dressed and got to the gym. Feel free to eat, shower, and relax."

"Naah, I have another thing in my mind."

He smirked.

Date: Friday 12th August 2013
Time: 10:30am
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 25 Years Old
Place: At the Hastings's Yard

After a tiring session at the gym, I arrive at home, jogging the entire way.

The things I need to do to stay in shape.

I reach my front porch and bend down, gripping my knees and panting.

Man, I need a drink.

I knock on my door several times before realising the door is open.

"Hello!" I call. "Dad? Noah?"

"In here!" I heard my dad call.

I walked in through the kitchen and saw my dad finishing up his breakfast and cuffing his cufflinks up at the same time.

He looked in a rush and I had to giggle at that.

"Uh, Dad, are you okay?"

"Huh?" he questioned, looking up. "Oh, yeah honey. Just getting ready for a meeting with McFaul on the Vendetta case."

Oh did I forget to mention? My dad's a cop. He's the head of the police department actually. That's probably why he was so against Duncan and I being together, since he was like the biggest delinquent there was.

I laughed. "I'm surprised you haven't retired yet, dad. You're too old for that shit."

"I may be old, but someone needs to pay for all of this," he said, gesturing to the house.

I sighed.

"Dad, I told you countless times, you can come and live with me in LA. I don't feel right leaving you here all yourself."

"And I told you countless times, the LA life isn't for me. I'll always belong in good ol' Ohio. And I can take care of myself, thank you very much."

I shook my head and laughed it off.

"Soo...Dad..." I trailed off, wondering how I should approach the idea of Noah on this.

"Did I meet your very weird friend who visited just this morning? Yes, I did."

"How did you—"

"It's not hard to read your mind, Gwen." He laughed like it was the most casual thing ever.

"His name is Noah Stevens. And he's my..."

"Boyfriend?" dad asked. When he saw the quizzical expression on my face, he elaborated. "He introduced himself this morning before he left."

"He left?" I asked.

"Yes, he went over to Michael and Grace's for breakfast."

"When did he leave?"

"You just missed him," dad said, running around all over the place. "Where are my damn shoes?"

I rolled my eyes. "They're on your feet, dad."

He looked down.

"Oh..."

I laughed.

"Noah's gonna stay here for a few days...for a business thing...Is it okay if he stays with us?" I asked.

"Suuure..." dad said, eyeing me sceptically.

"Anyways, I'm gonna head over to the Carters for some breakfast, kay?" I said.

"Yeah, alright. I gotta head over to the library."

He nodded.

"Well, I'll be back by 1."

I nodded. "So...what did you think of Noah?" I asked warily.

"He's...okay. He's a bit...strange."

I was puzzled.

"Why do you say that?" I ask.

"I'm pretty sure he tried to flirt with me; called me a DILF, whatever that means."

I burst out laughing and my dad couldn't figure out why.

Date: Friday 12th August 2013
Time: 10:45am
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 25 Years Old
Place: At the Carter's

I knocked on the door twice before Courtney came and opened the door.

"Gwen!" she squealed.

It's waaaay too early for this.

"Courtney," I put on my best smile.

"My gosh, you look like a disaster!" she gasped innocently.

Bullshit.

"Good morning to you too," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes while entering the house.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here! We were just talking to your boyfriend," she said, emphasizing on the word 'boyfriend' and smirking slyly, as if saying something but meaning something completely different.

"Yeah, Dad said Noah might be here. Where is he?" I asked.

"He's at the breakfast table with Grace, Bridgette, Michael and Dunkie," she grinned.

Ugh, dunkie.

I walked in through the living room and saw that everyone had already started breakfast.

"So then I said to her 'Yeah, it's as real as your knock-off Prada's," Noah said as his usual sassy self, making everyone on the table laugh except for Duncan.

"Ahem," I coughed.

Noah looked up and beamed when he saw me.

"Gwen!" he said, standing up. "Baby, what took you so long?"

I internally groaned, knowing that I'd have to keep up this charade.

"I told you I had to go for a jog, sweetie," I said, forcing on a smile as I walked to the table.

He leaned in and hugged me, kissed my cheek, and then retreated quickly. "Oh, honey, you're all sweaty. Guess someone needs another shower, eh?" he smirked.

I glared at him which he laughed at.

We both sat down and I greeted everyone.

"Hey, guys," I smiled, waving at Grace, Michael, Bridge and Duncan, ignoring Courtney who was hanging onto Duncan's arm, evening when he was eating.

"Lovely to see you again, Gwen," Michael said, tipping his head down with a genuine smile.

"Formal as usual, Mike," I teased, making his laugh.

"Gwen! I can't believe you haven't told us about Noah before!" Bridgette asked incredulously.

"Yeeah," Courtney dragged on suspiciously. "Why is that?"

I swallowed hard.

I never know what to say in these situations.

"Um, well..."

Luckily, I have Noah here to help me.

"Oh, Gwen's such a modest woman. I'm sure she didn't want to steal the spotlight from the gorgeous bride-to-be by enlightening you all with our relationship details," Noah said, putting on his best charm face at Courtney.

Courtney beamed and blushed, seemingly pleased with the answer.

"So, how did you two meet?" Grace asked, looking interested.

Might as well just tell them how Noah and I actually met. The coffee spilling story sounded romantic, right? Of course, minus the snark from Noah.

"Well, it was fre—"

"It was a fresh and sunny day in Cali. I was just passing by on the streets of Beverly Hills, window shopping and all. And then, I saw the most beautiful girl in the most hideous sneakers, waiting on the bus stop. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. After staring at her for the entire 20 minutes, I decided to man up and talk to her. She obviously took a LOT of encouraging. I sent flowers and chocolates to her door every single day. After a while, she finally gave in and said yes to a date. I took her to the most expensive restaurant in Cali, and we were solid from then on."

A series of 'AWWW's rang out over the table.

Jesus motherfucking Christ!

How on earth can someone come up with that in the heat of the moment?

"That's so cuuute!" Courtney said, awed. She turned to Duncan. "How come you never send me chocolates and flowers, Dunkie?"

Duncan shrugged.

"Uh, because we live together?" he asked, as if it was obvious.

"That's no excuse, Duncan. Women deserved to be charmed, especially if they're as gorgeous as Courtney and my Gwen. Gwen and I live together, but I send her flowers every morning. And don't even get me started on how feisty she gets when it comes to those Hershey's Chocolate Truffles!" Noah laughed.

Uh oh.

"You two live together?" Duncan asked, trying to look neutral, but failing miserably.

"Uhm, yeah..." I answered.

"Since how long?" he asked again.

"Oh, uh..."

"Since we started dating," Noah answered casually.

"That's a bit fast, don't you think? I mean, moving in with someone you barely have just started dating...Isn't that a bit crazy?" he asked offhandedly.

The table had grown silent then.

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition?" I asked.

They both ignored me.

"Well," Noah began. "It would be considered crazy, unless you're in love with the person."

Duncan flinched back as if he was punched.

"Noah," I warned, putting a hand on his thigh, begging him to stop.

"So you two are in love?" Duncan asked. Noah nodded. Duncan continued. "It takes longer than just a few months to know that you are in love. For all you know, this can just be another useless fling."

"Duncan!" Grace chastised, looking shocked.

"Duncan, apologise right now," Michael ordered in a calm and collected tone.

Duncan didn't speak and hung his head down.

"No, no, it's fine," Noah waved it off. "But just for your information, Duncan, Gwen and I have been together for 5 years now."

Silence filled the table again.

Date: Friday 6th August 2005
Time: 8:34pm
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 17 Years Old
Place: In Duncan's Car

"Ugh, I don't even know why we drove all the way over here. We could've just gone to the other place near the corner," I groaned as Duncan parked nearby.

Duncan shook his head.

"G, you know our Friday routine. We stay in, watch horror flicks, and eat Pad Thai and fortune cookies from Lucky Dragons. And you're outta your mind if you think a little storm is gonna stop that."

Oh yeah, Duncan was passionate about his takeout food; especially when it came to Lucky Dragons.

I undone my seatbelt and was about to get out of the car when Duncan suddenly stopped me.

"Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?" he asked, turning to face me.

I looked at him quizzically. "Um, into the restaurant with you?" I asked, unsure.

"Nope, you're staying in the car. I'll just run in and tell Fin Li to get us our food. You wait in the car."

I scoffed, now completely baffled.

"Then why did you make me come on this long ass drive with you in the storm?" I asked incredulously.

He shrugged.

"I didn't wanna get bored."

I took a deep breath through my nose and punched Duncan in the arm as hard as I could, making his yelp and rub his strong bicep.

"Ouch! Gwen!" he whined.

"Shut up and go get the food, you whiney bitch," I said in deadpanned expression.

"Love ya too, G," he rolled his eyes, getting out of the car and through the rain until I couldn't see him anymore due to the heavy pelting of the rain.

Love ya too.

Love ya babe.

I love ya.

Duncan always said those words to me without knowing how they affect me. It hurt me, knowing that he was teasing and would never truly mean those words.

This charade Duncan and I have started had been going on for some time now. We were still best friends, but now we kiss...alot.

It's like there were 2 Duncans.

One was my same old crazy best friend that practically done everything with me. We hung out. We went out. We had our banters. We watched movies, etc.

And the other was a whole new side of Duncan. This side showed the horny, hungry side of Duncan that I had never seen before. This is the Duncan that spends time after time, kissing me thoroughly until my lips are swollen and my hair is dishevelled. Not that I was complaining.

It was kind of hard to keep up, to be honest. One minute, we were in school, making fun of Heather's new skanky outfit. The next minute, he had me inside the supply closet, pressed against the door, and was kissing the shit out of me.

Again, not that I was complaining.

But really, it was starting to give me whiplash. It was frustrating to never know what we are. We're more than just friends, but we're less than boyfriend and girlfriend. So we're just kind of in a limbo, and it was starting to aggravate me.

Although, I would never tell Duncan this. I'll just let him have his merry way with me until he gets bored of me, just like with the other girls he was fooling around with before.

While having my inner rant, I looked at the clock and saw that it was already 9:20.

Man, Duncan had been gone for almost an hour!

I got out my phone and texted him.

Heeellloooo! D! Where you gone? Hurry the fuck up! –G

I heard a little 'dink' right next to me and realised that Duncan had left his phone in the car. What a dingbat.

I decided to wait 5 more minutes before getting out there and searching for him.

1 minute.

2 minutes.

5 minutes.

Alright that's it.

I got out of the car and realised that it was still pouring rain. I hadn't even been outside for 10 seconds and I was already wet.

The parking lot was empty and the only light I could see was the logo of Lucky Dragons shining bright.

So, I decided to run for the sign.

When I reached it, already soaked, I realised that the door was closed.

What the hell?

Therefore, there was no way to get inside there and search for Duncan.

As a result, I was standing out in the rain, shuddering as the cold water pelted on me. My teeth began to clatter and Goosebumps erupted all over my skin. I hugged myself tightly.

I needed to get back to the car, but it was so dark, I couldn't see where the damn car was.

Fuck, if I stay in the rain any longer, I'll get pneumonia!

Suddenly, I saw bright torch ahead and a distinct voice.

"Hey! Are you okay?" he voice asked, getting closer.

"N-No," I stuttered, due to the cold.

"Hang on," the voice said.

I heard the footsteps, but I couldn't see who the voice belonged to; probably because my eyes were shut so the water doesn't go in my eye.

All of a sudden, the water pelting stopped.

I opened my eyes to see that there was a yellow umbrella on top of our heads. The person holding the umbrella was someone I recognised.

"T-Trent?" I questioned.

"Oh, Gwen!" he said, realising that it was me. "Are you alright?"

I smiled.

"I am n-now."

Trent went to our school and we were in some classes together like music and art. We were good friends, even though we didn't hang out or anything. I knew he was a good guy.

"What are you doing here all by yourself in this storm? You could've gotten pneumonia if you stood out here any longer," he frowned sincerely.

I smiled bigger.

"Thanks for c-c-caring."

His frowned deepened.

"Of course I care."

"What are you doing h-here in the storm?" I asked.

"Oh, I work here part-time. I was just out here because my shift ended. And then I saw you standing here, so I figured I should come and help. What about you?"

"Um, well, my b...b-best friend and I w-were here to get takeaway. I was in the c-c-car waiting and he was m-meant to get the food. But I h-h-haven't seen him in like an hour. So I th-thought I'd come out to check, but the front door was c-c-closed and I c-couldn't see anything sooo..."

"Yeah, we had the front door closed because of the storm," he explained. Then he saw me shuddering and frowned again. "Geez, Gwen, you're freezing! Here's hold this," he gave me his umbrella to hold.

I held the umbrella while he took off his jacket and draped it over me. I slid my arm through the holes and cuddled up in the warmth.

"Th-Thank you, Trent," I whispered.

"Come on, let me walk you to the back door," he said.

"Th-Thanks."

I held on to the umbrella while Trent held on to my waist and guided me towards the other entrance.

I had to admit, Trent was a great guy.

He had shaggy black hair and piercing green eyes. His manners were impeccable. He played the guitar and can charm any girl he wished to. He was totally boyfriend material.

If only I was into nice guys. God, I'm so screwed up.

"Here we are," he said as we reached the entrance with a shelter on top.

Once we got under the shelter, I dropped the umbrella and turned to face Trent.

"Trent, thank you so much. I don't know what I would've done without you here," I smiled and said honestly.

"It's no problem at all, I'm glad to help," he smiled back.

God he was sweet.

He went to leave, but I realised something.

"Oh! Your jacket!" I remembered.

He turned to me again. I went to take off the jacket but he stopped me.

"You keep it, you look cold," he said.

"No, I couldn't do that. It's your jacket, Trent," I said modestly.

"Gwen, really, its fine. It warmed you up a little, I wouldn't want you to get pneumonia and die," he winked.

I laughed.

He turned his back to me to leave again, but I yelled his name.

"Trent!"

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around again.

"Can I ask for one more thing?" I asked shyly.

He smiled and shrugged. "Sure."

"Can I...Can I have a hug?" I asked.

He looked at me, blinking twice, before a beautiful grin plastered on his face.

"Of course."

I walked closer to him before wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his surprisingly muscular chest. His arms automatically went around my lower back and pulled me closer.

And it was nice.

For the 3 seconds it lasted for before we got interrupted.

"Ahem," a voice cleared their throat.

We both pulled away and turned to see it was Duncan, standing in front of the entrance with 2 bags of what was obviously takeaway food. Oh and did I mention that he looked PISSED AS FUCK?

"Oh, Duncan, hey," I smiled.

"Well, uh, I should get going. Bye Gwen," Trent said.

"Bye," I waved as he left before turning back to Duncan. "Hey."

Duncan didn't respond to me, he walked right by me without a word.

"Duncan! Wait!" I called after him.

But he didn't, he didn't wait. The sky was brighter now, even with the rain, so we could see the exact location the car.

"What the hell? Duncan!" I screamed after him.

He jogged straight to the car, wet and all, and I followed after him.

He opened the car and put the takeout bags in. And he was also about to get in but I put my hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Duncan Mason Carter! You will stop right fucking now and tell me what the FUCK is wrong with you!" I demanded.

He groaned and ran a hand through his wet mowhawk. At this point, we were both drenched.

But he didn't speak.

"Well?" I asked, encouraging him to speak.

A few moments passed as we stood in the rain before he finally asked.

"What were you doing with him?" he asked.

"With who? Trent?" I asked back.

He rolled his eyes.

"No, Barack Obama. Who else?" he asked throwing his hands in the air.

"No need to get sarcastic," I glared. "And I was talking to Trent, so what?"

"Didn't look like there was much talking going on," he mumbled almost to himself, but I heard loud and clear.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked suspiciously.

He sighed.

"Maybe this isn't the best place to have this conversation."

"No, no, tell me. What do you mean by that comment?" I asked.

"Well, there wasn't much talking was there? When I came out, I saw you clinging on to him for dear life and strangling him like everything depended on it!" he let out harshly.

"I was hugging him!" I insisted.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Why do I need a reason to hug someone? I hug you all the time!"

"Yeah, well, it's different with us. We're..." he trailed off, trying to find the right words.

I scoffed..

"We're what, Duncan? Friends? Best friends?"

"Yes, we're best friends," he nodded affirmatively.

"Yeah, so are Sadie and Katie. Let's go and ask them if they stick their tongues down each other's throat whenever they feel like it," I spat out callously.

Duncan flinched back.

"Gwen, we're f—"

"Friends, I get the point. So why does it matter that I'm hugging Trent?" I asked.

"Listen, we should get inside the car. It's pouring and—"

"Answer the question, Duncan. Why does it matter?" I asked.

"It matters because I care about you! And, and, I don't want you to get hurt. Guys are really selfish and ruthless. They'll use you and just...throw you away after."

I threw my head back and laughed humourlessly, my tears streaming down my cold cheeks, mixing in with the rain water.

"Believe me, Duncan; I know how selfish guys are. I know how someone can use you for one thing and be done with you whenever they feel like it. It's ruthless, right? Then why are you just doing the exact same thing to me, huh?" I asked, weeping slightly.

His eyes softened.

"Gwen, I'm not using you..."

"Oh, but you are. What are we doing Duncan? We're friends, best friends. Then why do you use me like a doll? So what, after you actually find a girlfriend, what is left of us? Will we go back and pretend all of this never happened? Because, I can't do that," I sobbed.

"Gwen I...we're..." he stuttered, trying to find the right words.

"Trent won't hurt me, Duncan. Trent's just about the nicest person on the planet. He's sweet, calm and patient. I know he'll never do anything to hurt me. But right now, the only person hurting me is you."

The wiped my tears and got in the car, buckling up my seatbelt.

Duncan silently got in as well, turning the heat on and driving out of the parking lot.

The ride home was quiet and uneasy. None of us spoke. I looking out of the window, at the rain, and cried softly. I knew Duncan could hear me because he would occasionally touch my hand; but I always retreated.

In a way, it was good that we were both silent. It gave us the opportunity to think about the situation. I knew going off on Duncan wasn't cool. He can be clueless at times, and I'm sure he didn't intentionally hurt me.

Maybe I shouldn't have shouted at him like that. I should apologise.

So when we parked in front of my house, I took off my seatbelt and began to say sorry.

"Look, Duncan, I'm really so—"

But before I could get the words out, Duncan's mouth came crashing down onto mine. His lips pressed against me in a feverish way. His hands cupped my face as he kissed me tenderly. My eyes fluttered closed and without even meaning to, I kissed him back.

After a few seconds, he pulled back inches away from me, not the whole way.

"You're right," he whispered. "I was being a dick. I'm sorry I didn't realise earlier."

I opened my eyes and looking into his teal ones, only to find utter sorrow and remorse there.

"It's okay," I whispered back, against my will.

"I'm sorry for so many things, Gwen. I'm sorry for mistreating you. I'm sorry for being clueless. I'm sorry for getting jealous like that; because seeing you that intimate with Trent really made my blood boil. He shouldn't be touching what's mine."

I blinked a couple of times.

"Yours?" I asked dumbly.

He nodded.

"But most of all, I'm sorry that I hurt you and made you cry. I never want to see that again, G; especially not if I'm the one who caused it," he whispered, still close to me. This closeness between us made me dizzy.

"It's okay," I repeated.

He shook his head.

"No, it's not. But let me make it up to you," he urged.

I nodded. "Okay..."

"Go out with me."

"W-What?"

"Go out with me," he repeated.

"Like...on a date?" I asked dumbly again.

Seriously, I can't think straight when he's this close to me.

He smiled.

"Yes, on a date," he nodded. "I was never good at this girlfriend/boyfriend thing. But I'm willing to give it a try with us, Gwen. Maybe, I don't know, we'll even turn out alright together."

I just stared at him incoherently, wondering if I was dreaming.

"Soo...is that a yes to the date?" he asked, looking nervous and hopeful.

I nodded and blinked like an idiot.

A grin lit up his face as he leaned down and kissed my lips chastely one more time.

"Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow night."

And that's how that began.

Date: Friday 12th August 2013
Time: 7:07pm
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 25 Years Old
Place: In Gwen's Bedroom

I was lying on my bed, having a much deserved nap, when the annoying sound of doors slamming rang out. I tried to ignore it at first, covering my head with my pillow, but the sound just got louder, until I couldn't take it anymore.

I sat up on my bed and looked at the mess my room was in.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked groggily.

My room was in utter chaos.

The doors of my closet were broken, with no clothes in it. Noah's bags were all over the place. The floor couldn't be seen because it was covered in my clothes. And in the middle of it all was Noah, looking furious.

"No wonder your boy has seen no interest in you," he scoffed. "It's because of all these shitty clothes!" he exclaimed frustrated, waving his hand at all of the mess.

"Noah," I groaned. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorting out your clothes; that's what I'm doing. Ugghh, look at this!" he yelled with a grimace, pointing at my comfortable blue baggy sweater.

"Hey," I pouted, snatching the sweater away from him. "I like that sweater."

He looked at me disbelievingly.

"Gwen, that's hideous. Thank god I decided to bring some clothes for you from LA."

I chose to ignore that little comment and inquire him further.

"Why exactly are you sorting out my closet at this very moment?"

He fiddled with my jeans, throwing them all over the place.

"I'm trying to find something for you to wear tonight. You need to look fabulous! Not just 'fabulous' fabulous...like 'FABULOUS' fabulous. Ya know what I mean?" he asked offhandedly.

"Wait, back up," I said, sitting up taller. "What's tonight?"

"Oh, it's our double date with Daniel and Chloe."

"Duncan and Courtney," I corrected. Then I realised what he'd just said. "Wait, double date? No way!"

"Yes way," he grinned.

"When did this happen?!"

"I suggested it to them while you were having the sleep of the dead. They agreed," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm not going," I said petulantly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No! I'm not!"

"Fine, suit yourself. Have fun watching the love of your miserable life getting married to someone else. They'll probably live in a big house, with kids, maybe 3 or 4, and a white picket fence. Watch them have their happily ever after while you stay unhappy. Then maybe you'll think back and say 'Dang, I wish I'd gone with Noah's idea and went along with the double date'."

Okay, all of that was a bit exaggerated, but he kind of had a point.

I sighed.

"Alright."

He grinned.

"Great! Now, I need to get you a cocktail dress; black, because that's the sexiest colour. And it needs to be revealing, but not too revealing. You need to let him use his imagination to what's under the dress. It needs to be...provocative," he smirked devilishly.

"Greeeaaat," I groaned sarcastically.

He shook his head.

"Oh, cheer up, Buttercup. We're going to your friend Devon's restaurant uptown. I think it'll be fun."

"We're going to DJ's place? I guess that makes things better," I smiled.

Noah shrugged and looked at his Dolce & Gabana watch. His eyes bugged out of his head.

"Oh shit! It's already quarter past! We only have an hour to get your ready! Okay, we need to do this stat. We need a dress, we need to get you cleaned up, we need to do your hair, makeup. OH! I know just the dress!"

What did I get myself into?

Date: Friday 12th August 2013
Time: 8:25pm
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 25 Years Old
Place: At Tanya Riviera

We finally arrived at DJ's restaurant, which looked fuck awesome by the way. Noah and I are meant to meet Duncan here, but we're late because Noah took his sweet time prepping me.

We drove in front of the restaurant in Noah's Aston Martin Vanquish and saw Duncan and Courtney chatting on the sidewalk, holding hands and chatting happily.

Grrr.

"Ready?" Noah asked, parking in front.

"Um..." I mumbled, unsure and nervous.

Noah sighed.

"Gwenners, you look fuckhot. That dress hugs you tight like an old grandma seeing you after 2 weeks. Your hair looks sexy and those heels make your legs look mile long. Duncan won't keep his eyes off you all night," he assured.

The butterflies in my stomach died down and I smiled at Noah.

"Thanks, Noe."

"No prob, you insecure bitch; now come on, we gotta get in," he grinned.

Swallowing down my apprehension, I stepped out of the car with Noah.

The valet eyed me appreciatively and set my self-esteem on high. Noah handed him the keys to his Vanquish and he stared in awe at the car.

At the same time, we heard Duncan and Courtney approaching. I could tell because of Courtney's squealing.

"Oh my gawd! That's an Aston Martin Vanquish! Noah, is that yours?!" Courtney screeched.

Courtney looked irritatingly good in a red cocktail dress. It was a one shoulder dress which landed a few inches above her knee. Even without feeling it, I knew it was made of pure silk. Her hair was tied up in a bun to show a professional manner. However, her makeup was pretty heavy.

Noah nodded, smirking.

"Oh yeah, that baby is all mine."

"Wow! That's so cool! Isn't that cool, Duncan?" Courtney asked, nudging Duncan at her side.

But Duncan didn't reply. And when I looked up to meet his eyes, I found that his eyes were already on me; or better yet, on my body.

His eyes smouldered as he eyed me up and down.

THANK YOU NOAH.

My outfit, however, was most definitely not like Courtney's. As Noah had said before, it was sheer black. Unlike Courtney's dress, my dress hugged me tight and ended a couple of inches below my ass. It had a zip at the back which only went up half way, just like the dress. There were zigzagged pattern cut-offs in the back, showing my skin provocatively. The front of the dress went up high to my neck, but there was a slit cut off in the middle to showcase all the boobs I had left.

Along with the dress, I had on 6 inch Vuitton stilettos in blood red, to match my lipstick. My hair was out and wavy on my shoulders. My makeup was natural and light, except for the blood red lipstick and the occasional mascara. To be honest, I think Noah outdone himself.

To break the awkwardness, I answered for Courtney.

"Um, yeah, Noah is a big fan of James Bond. So when he saw the car in the movie, he wanted to have it. He literally looked all over LA for the car, not to mention the ridiculous amount money he spent on it," I laughed.

"Sooo worth it," Noah winked at me.

Duncan had finally torn his eyes from me and cleared his throat.

"So, uh, should we go in?" he asked.

"Absolutely," Noah said, giving his arm to me. I held on to it as we went in, just like Courtney and Duncan.

When we entered, I think both Duncan and I were awed.

This place was amazing!

It looked so...fancy. The decor was purple, with purple curtain and table clothes. It was mixed in with the occasional white. There were about 20 tables with a gigantic bar. It was gorgeous.

The hostess welcomed us as we went in. She didn't look well over 16.

"Hi, my name is Louise. Do you have a reservation?" she asked in a friendly manner.

"Reservation?" Courtney asked nervously. "Um, we didn't think it would be this crowded."

"Yes, it usually gets over-crowded on Friday nights," she said sympathetically.

"I'm sure you can spare us a table," Noah said with his usual charm.

Louise smiled tightly.

"I'm sorry sir, but we can't do that. The place is already crowded."

We all sighed.

"Well? Now what?" Courtney whined.

"Its fine, I got this," I said before turning to the hostess. "Is the manger here tonight, Louise?" I asked.

She looked scared.

"I'm sorry if I've made you upset, ma'am. But please, don't call the manger. I'm just doing my job," she pleaded with terror.

"Oh no, no, no, I'm not going to complain," I assured her. "I just wish to speak with him. We're old friends. DJ is here, right?"

She nodded, looking relieved.

"Yes, Mr Joseph is here. Who should I say is asking for him?" she asked.

"Duncan and Gwen," Duncan said for me.

She nodded and went away.

After a moment, DJ came out looking sharp in a chef's coat. He looked extremely surprised, yet pleased, when he saw us.

"No way! Duncan! You guys came!" he said, hugging us both.

"Sup man," Duncan greeted.

"Hey Deej," I smiled.

"Gwen! You look...hot," he blushed.

I laughed. "Thanks."

"Courtney, great to see you again," he said, nodding to Courtney.

"You too, Devon," she replied, formal as ever.

"And who's this?" he asked, nodding to Noah.

"This is my boyfriend, Noah," I introduce.

"Good to see you."

"Likewise."

"Anyways, why are you guys standing out here?" DJ asked.

Louise spoke up.

"Well, sir, they want to eat. But there are no more tables available. And, and, they didn't make any reservations," Louise stuttered.

DJ waved it off.

"It's fine," he said. "Show them to the VIP lounge. They're special guests. Make sure their meals and service is to perfection."

"Thanks, man," Duncan smiled appreciatively.

"No problem, brother," DJ grinned back.

He said a farewell to all of us before going back to the kitchen.

Louise guided us upstairs through the spiral staircase and through to a beautiful room with a decorated dining table. We all sat down.


Seating Arrangement:

Duncan Courtney
Gwen Noah


"I'll get your waitress up here to take you order," Louise said sweetly.

"Thanks," we all said.

After a while, a waitress came up—blatantly flirting with Duncan and Noah—and took our orders. When the waitress left, conversation picked up.

"Man, DJ's got a nice place. I never thought it would be this...extravagant," I noted.

Duncan nodded.

"I know right? But the guy kept his own style in the thing. It's like a bit of fancy with a touch of DJ."

I laughed.

"Yeah, I figured from the whole 'Tanya Riviera' thing."

He laughed with me.

"I don't get it..." Courtney muttered, bemused.

"Oh, Tanya is DJ's mom's name," Duncan explained.

Courtney nodded understandingly.

"Courtney, where did you get that beautiful dress? It looks absolutely outstanding on you!" Noah said in a flattering tone.

I rolled my eyes.

Courtney looked overjoyed.

"Thank you, Noah. Actually, it was a birthday gift from Dunkie," she said, beaming at Duncan.

Duncan beamed right back at her.

I wanted to throw up.

"Really?" Noah asked with raised eyebrow. "That's such a coincident. I got Gwen this for her 25th. She has such gorgeous curves, but she just needs to flaunt them, you know?" Noah questioned, making me blush.

"Oh, stop," I said to Noah.

"What? It's true! I remember when we first met. You were this mousy little girl with B cup boobs and no ass. And now look at you!" okay, he was really good with flattery. "Wouldn't you agree, Duncan?"

Oh fuck.

Duncan's eyes widened, as did mine.

"Um..."

"Hasn't she evolved into such a stunning woman?" Noah egged on.

I raised an eyebrow at him, curious to know the answer.

Duncan looked like he was about to shit his pants as he answered.

"Well, uh, yeah...you're gotten beautiful...NOT that you weren't beautiful before! I mean, you were always breathtaking...Attractive! Uh, I mean attractive! And, um, your boobs...bigger...NOT that I noticed or anything...I...uh, you...um...yeah."

I giggled at his stuttering self whereas Courtney looked sceptical.

"Uh, thank you...I think," I laughed.

Noah winked at me secretly. Courtney looked like she was about to object and say something when the waitress walked back in with our ordered food.

Conversation carried on as we ate our food, which was delicious by the way.

By conversation, I mean Noah's blatant obsequiousness towards Courtney, and Courtney's continuous objections and rants towards EVERYTHING. Damn, the girl had a lot of stuff she disliked. I bet I was on that list.

Duncan and I didn't speak much. It was almost...awkward for us. We were silent through our eating, but occasionally he would cast glances towards me and we would meet each other's eyes with a soft smile as Courtney and Noah blabbered on.

It was nice.

Except for the whole 'Courtney' part of it all...

"What do you think, Gwen?" Courtney said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I asked dumbly because I wasn't paying any attention to them.

Courtney smiled sweetly.

Ugh.

"Noah and I were just thinking that we should get away and spend the weekend together. You know, just us four. Spend some quality time together, away from the wedding madness. What do you think?" she questioned, leaning over the table on her elbows.

A smile crept up my lips.

"Actually, that sounds pretty cool. But where would we go...?" I enquired, thinking about all the possibilities.

"OH! We could go to the capital and sight see there!" Courtney suggested.

"Sounds like a great idea! We could book a hotel and have a luxurious getaway," Noah grinned.

That sounds awful.

Obviously, Duncan agreed with me because he nudged my elbow.

"Huh?" I looked up to see Duncan smiling at me expectantly.

"Remember that lake house our dads built together near the Michigan Lake when we were 14?" he asked, smiling at the memory.

I returned that smile.

"Of course I remember. We used to spend the summer there all the time. Is it still there?" I asked.

"Well, duh. Remember summer of 2005?" he smirked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

I blushed and murmured. "How could I forget..."

He stared at me for a while—trying to judge my facial expression—but Noah interrupted us.

"What are you two chatting about?" Noah asked.

"Oh, uh, we were just discussing about the old lake house down in Michigan," I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.

"Omigod! You have a lake house, Dunkie?!" Courtney asked in awe.

Duncan nodded.

"Yeah, Michael and Stefan built it for Gwen and I when we were young. It's a sweet place."

Just then, an Idea clicked into my head.

"Hey, why don't we go and stay there for the weekend?" I asked.

Duncan's face lit up with a smile.

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

I smiled, looking over to Courtney with a raised eyebrow.

She squealed, clapping her hands together. "I've always wanted to stay in a lake house!"

"We could invite friends and everything! Not much, just maybe you, me, Courtney, Noah, Alejandro, Bridgette, DJ, Geoff, and LeShawna," Duncan said.

"Sounds pretty cool," I grinned. "Let's do it."

"Oh, I don't know...Nature and I don't really bode well, if ya know what I mean," Noah chuckled nervously.

"Oh come on, Noe, it'll be fun!" I insisted.

"Naah..." he grimaced uncertainly.

"It was a hot tub," I smirked slowly and provocatively.

Even though Noah wasn't into me or any other girls, the guy was a sucker for hot tubs.

He grinned.

"I'm in."

I laughed.

"So it's settled then."

Date: Friday 12th August 2013
Time: 10:34pm
POV: Gwen Hastings
Age: 25 Years Old
Place: At Gwen's Bedroom

Just as I walked in through my door, I flung my heels away and slumped down on the bed.

"Ahhh, that's the stuff," I groaned, finally feeling the comfort of my own bed.

Noah walked in and laughed at the sight.

"You know, Gwenny, if I was into vag right now, I'd be turned on," he laughed louder.

I laughed and threw a pillow at his head.

"Go away," I moaned. "And get me out of this stupid dress."

"Get yourself out of it, lazy ass. I'm gonna take a shit."

"NO! You take an hour! Let me go first!" I pleaded.

"Nuh uh," he shook his head.

I pouted at him before running for the bathroom. But, of course, he beat me to it.

He ran inside, laughing, and locked the door.

"NOAH!" I screamed, pounding on the door.

"HAHA, SUCKERRR!"

Grrr.

I laughed.

Suddenly, my phone dinged on the bed.

I made my way to my bed, jumping down on it and grabbing my phone.

And then I read the text that made my whole damn night.

Btw, you did look gorgeous tonight. –D


Aww.
Isn't that a little better after all that angst?
8,500 WORDS MOTHERFUCKER! This chapter just wouldn't stop ffs!
Soo, yeah, Noah was the big surprise! Well done to those who guessed it!
I actually can't WAIT until writing the next two chapters with everyone at the lake. It's gonna be awesome, that's what I can tell you.
Oh and what do you think happened at the lake house between Duncan and Gwen on the summer of 2005, that made Gwen blush? ;)

Stay awesome, my beauties. :*


Oh and also, you take your pick.

Reviewers get a stunning makeover from Noah.

Orr...

Reviewers get sweet texts from Duncan.