A/N: Did you miss me? Of course you did. Warning: Extra Drama in this chapter.


Chapter 12: Right Thing?

House: He loves you

Thirteen: He only thinks he loves me

House: It's the same thing!

-House M.D.

"Are you OK?"

Courtney lifted her head off her bed to see her mother standing in her doorway. She sighed and dropped her head with a heavy thud. "I don't know."

Her mom made her way to Courtney's bed and sat down beside her looking slightly stressed herself. "Honey I know your father and I tend to be too hard on you most of the time, but… you know it's only because we want the best for you right?"

Courtney nodded not needing to be told. All parents wanted the best for their kids, so much so they didn't always realize that their wants and expectations could be terribly overbearing.

"But I want you to know you can talk to me about anything," her mother continued. "If something's troubling you I want you to tell me so I can try to help you."

Courtney squeezed her eyes shut. She had to tell someone before her brain exploded so it might as well be her mom. "It's Duncan."

Her mother looked at her disapprovingly. "That boy you introduced us to."

Courtney nodded. "He's a great person, he's a great friend, but…it's confusing."

Her mom smiled and patted her shoulder. "It always is. My advice is to not over think it and do what you think is right."

As her mom left Courtney laid there only more confused. 'What the hell is the right thing?'

Meanwhile…

Duncan paced his room back and forth restlessly. What was he going to do? He thought about beating up that jerk-off Adam, but he knew Courtney would hate him for it, as if he needed to piss her off further.

He heard a knock on his door already knowing who it was. "Come in," he grumbled.

His mom came in smiling at him. She was a small women but was tough as nails when it came to her job, you have to be if you're a cop. She was also the only one who saw Duncan as a sweet little kid, while his farther saw him as a trouble making punk. He loved his mother dearly, she was understanding not judgmental like his father. His parents were opposites. 'Like you and Courtney.' He shut out the voice in his head.

"Son are you alright. I can hear you walking back an forth downstairs and you only do that when something's bothering you."

Duncan ran his hand over his face and continued to pace. "It's this damn girl," he said.

His mom was surprised. She knew her son had had many girlfriends but he never seemed to get serious about any of them. He was young and still a boy. But watching him battle with himself and pace back and forth made her see a man finally coming through.

She smiled at her son to go on which he did with great passion. "She's opinionated, she's stubborn, tight-assed, preppy, bossy, funny, frustrating, smart, amazing …and … and … she's hanging around this other guy…"

He looked at his mom for help and she just gave a short laugh. "My son is in love."

Duncan moaned. "Mom don't! Don't start the baby crap OK."

She just nodded respecting her sons wishes but noticed that he didn't deny what she had said. "Honey just be good to her and respect her. Don't let your tough guy image get in the way," she warned.

When she left Duncan furrowed his brow. 'How the hell was that suppose to help?'

It is easier to exclude harmful passions than to rule them, and to deny them admittance then to control them after they have been admitted

-Seneca

Courtney chewed on her pencil waiting for her test to be graded. She had come early to school to take the psychology test she had missed. She was thankful Duncan had given her more time to prepare for it.

Duncan.

They were currently in class, he was sitting behind her while Adam sat beside her. She could feel Duncan staring holes into the back of her head. She hadn't talked to him once today. She was still mad about yesterday and still confused as hell.

She gritted her teeth when she felt Duncan poking her shoulder. "What?" she hissed over her shoulder.

"What are you doing after school today?"

She was surprised he was asking. She would've thought he was going to insult her or something. "Um…not much."

Duncan was about to say something when Adam (who had been eves dropping) interrupted him. "I'm having a party after school today. You should come," he offered to Courtney.

She smiled and looked at Duncan. "What do you think? Want to go to a party."

Duncan sat all the way back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I don't think I'm invited."

She furrowed her brow at him. "Since when did you need an excuse to go to a party. C'mon it could be nice."

Duncan scoffed and went back to scribbling in his notebook. Courtney glared at him getting more and more annoyed. She wasn't going to play this game, not again. She looked at Adam and said. "Yeah I'll go."

Duncan's head shot up as he saw the two of them exchange a smile. That did it! He got up so fast he knocked his chair over and stormed out of the classroom slamming the door behind him. He was going to try to forget about yesterday but as soon as that asshole opened his mouth she had jumped right into his invitation. Screw what his mom said, being tough was the only way he knew how to handle it.

Courtney sat there with her jaw hanging open. 'What was that about?' Did Duncan think she was trying to betray him? All she had done was agree to go to a party with a friend, what was the big deal? Courtney was angered by the idea that Duncan was trying to make her feel guilty. She had nothing to feel bad about, she didn't do anything wrong!

Bridgette looked at questioningly. "What happened?"

Courtney shook her head and went back to her work. "Duncan being an immature ass is what happened." She finally got her test back. A+. Courtney could feel no joy from it.

For all their strength, men were sometimes like little children.

-Lawana Blackwell

She jumped when she opened her front door. He was actually there! Duncan was actually standing at her front door. He didn't look happy and just stared at her gravely.

He had to swallow the lump in his throat. She was wearing a black party dress that showed off her curves, her legs and some of her chest. Her hair was curled and her eyes were sparkling under the light eye shadow she had applied. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his baggy jean, doc martins, and solid black tee. He probably looked like a peasant next to her.

"What are you doing here?"

He almost didn't hear her being lost in his trance. "We're going to a party remember."

Courtney looked at him strangely before getting angry. "I thought you didn't want to go!" she vented.

He just kept a placid face and replied, "I never said I didn't want to go." It was true he didn't want to go, he was just going to make sure pretty boy kept his hands off her.

Courtney wanted to shout at him and then pummel him to a bloody pulp. But she controlled herself and huffed hotly at him. "Fine. Let's go."

When they did get to the place Courtney was amazed by the size of Adam's house. It was huge! Almost bigger than Heathers mansion. "Wow," she gasped. "It's big."

Duncan snorted. "Yeah, he must be compensating for something."

Courtney scowled and punched him in the shoulder. "Stop being to crude and let's go inside."

Courtney made her way in with Duncan following close behind. She glad to see other people that she knew. She went over to Bridgette who was flirting with Geoff. "Courtney you made it," said Bridgette hugging her friend.

Courtney hugged her back and smiled. "Yeah I came here with Duncan."

"Where is he?' asked Bridgette looking around. Courtney turned around surprised he was no longer behind her. Instead he was off stealing Trent away from Gwen. Courtney turned back to Bridgette and shrugged.

"I guess he's busy."

Indeed Duncan was busy, busy trying to convince Trent to ruin the party. "C'mon man we barely even know this guy," said Trent trying to get away form Duncan and back to Gwen.

"Exactly!" pointed out Duncan. "This guy is barely going to our school and thinks he's all cool just because he threw a party"

"But that is pretty cool," retorted Trent.

"That's not the point!" seethed Duncan. "The point is we need to teach this guy a lesson. That he's not the top dog, we are. We're the guys in charge."

"No, the point is to impress Courtney with your bad boy antics," said Trent unimpressed.

Duncan waved his hand dismissively at him. "If I impress Courtney that's just a bonus. Really, I don't care-"

"You do care," interrupted Trent. "If you didn't you wouldn't be going out of your way to get her attention. But I'm telling you man it's a bad idea, you're only going to get her angry and she's either going to physically hurt you or she'd going to push you away."

Duncan scoffed and noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Adam was making his way up to Courtney. He held out his hand to her and appeared to be asking her a dance.

"I'll be back," said Duncan already walking away from Trent and over to Courtney.

Courtney didn't even see Duncan approach her as he snatched her hand away from Adams and ordered her, "We're dancing."

Courtney was about to protest but Duncan yanked her into the main living room where everyone else was dancing to the music going off. "Duncan what are you-" He pulled her into him holding onto her hand and forcing her other hand on his arm. He putt his other hand on her waist firmly.

Courtney blushed madly at his closeness and looked at him utterly confused. "Since when do you dance?" she asked seriously.

Duncan didn't look at her, he already felt awkward enough. "Since now." He noticed the song they were dancing to wasn't really slow dancing music, but he didn't care, he just wanted to keep Courtney away from Adam.

Courtney on the other hand was battling with herself on whether to yell at him hit him. She decided to play it cool and just ask him straight out. "What's wrong with you?" He looked at her but didn't answer. "It's like you're mad at me," continued Courtney. "Why?"

He sighed. "I'm not mad at you princess. I just don't think you need to be hanging around pretty boy."

Courtney tried to pull away but he held her tight. "What? Duncan he's a nice guy and I can be friends with him if I want to."

"Just like you wanted to be friends with Heather." Wrong thing to say. He felt her body tense and her mood turn as her grip in his hand hardened.

"Don't," she warned. "Don't you dare use that against me."

Duncan tried to change the subject now they were swaying back and forth completely out of rhythm and out of sync. "Well what about me? I thought I was your friend."

"You are my friend!"

"Is that why you're trying to replace me with Mr. money bags?" He knew he should stop talking now but he couldn't stop himself.

"No one said you were being replaced," shouted Courtney who was now practically breaking his hand. "There's something else that's bothering you and you're not telling me! What's wrong?"

By now they had dance their way over to the stereo which was blaring in Duncan's ears. He was so mad at himself, at Adam, at everything. He acted on impulse and kicked over one of the speakers that sent the rest of the stereo equipment flying over and crashing on the ground.

Courtney jumped back with her hands over her mouth as everyone looked at her and Duncan completely shocked. Adam walked over to his damaged things in horror while Duncan smirked nastily at him.

"Oops. My bad dude, don't worry about it, it was a piece of crap anyway." Duncan thought he was being cool but apparently he was the only one while everyone looked at him appalled. Especially Courtney who had tears brimming her eyes. Right away Duncan wanted to take it back. "Princess I-"

"Take me home. Now!" she demanded already walking out.

Duncan chased after her feeling like shit. He seriously fucked up, he should've listened to Trent. Hell he should've listened to him mom!

There are certain types of people that just piss me off to no end. The type of people that come up to you and ask you for advice, and then when you give them advice they don't take the advice, they just come back to you a week later and they're like "I can't believe how everything turned out so wrong." You want to know why everything turned out wrong? 'Cause you didn't take my advice and you're fucking stupid.

-Foamy the squirrel

Courtney stormed into her house glad that her parents were working tonight so she could yell at Duncan. "What was that!" she shouted not waiting for an answer. "That wasn't cool, or funny. It wasn't even bad ass, it was just you being an ass!"

Duncan tried to keep calm. "I did it because I didn't like the guy-"

"That doesn't mean you had to do that Duncan!" yelled Courtney. "Adam is a nice guy-"

"He's an ass!" Duncan finally yelled back. "For all you know he was going to take advantage of you or hurt you just because you think he's a good guy. Just because you agreed to go to his party. "

Courtney rolled her eyes at him. "You are being over dramatic."

Duncan only continued to shout. "You know what your problem is?" Courtney groaned, as if she didn't see that one coming. "You always think you're so right about everything that you don't even realize when you're doing something stupid. Like that night with Heather."

"You need to stop throwing that in my face!" Courtney said yelling. "I thought we already established that what I did was stupid. I don't need a body guard protecting from every mistake I might make, I have parents for that! So stop forcing me into things I don't want to do!"

Now Duncan was really angered. "I haven't made you do anything that you didn't secretly want to do, and anything I try to push on you is for your own good."

"My own good?" scoffed Courtney.

"Yeah your own good!" shouted Duncan moving closer to her.

"Well stop trying to decide what's best for me," yelled Courtney pushing him away from her. "I have a mind of my own and I don't need you telling me what I do and don't need. I'm not some pathetic little girl who needs to be looked after."

Time seemed to stop. Duncan was awestruck. He honestly had no idea what to do or say now. He raised his arms slightly before dropping them at his sides. "So what are you saying?"

Courtney inhaled shakily before looking at him sadly. "I'm saying…I need you to leave me alone…for a while."

Duncan wanted to yell at her, he wanted to apologize, he wanted to get on his knees and say he didn't mean any of what he said. But he was afraid to open his mouth, he was afraid of losing her anymore than he already had. He just looked at her one last time before giving up and saying. "Fine."

Courtney watched as he walked out feeling like someone had just shot her in the chest. She didn't want to hurt Duncan, she didn't want to drive him away. But she needed space, she didn't want to feel controlled, she didn't want to need him even if she felt like she did.

She knew it was the right thing to do. Wasn't it?


A/N: wow…Draaaaammmaaa. Don't worry I'm not going to break them up or anything. Sometimes we just need a break form people and get our emotions under control so we can realize how much they really mean to us. Please review and stay tuned.

P.S. sorry for any mistakes, may day has been hectic.