Two days later the campers laid Courtney to rest. It was, quite possibly, the most tragic event any of them had ever experienced. Somehow, seeing Courtney's body lying cold and silent in a casket made the whole thing seem more real. Bridgette could not bare to look at the body of her friend. She and Courtney had been extremely close, almost closer than they each were with Duncan and Geoff. They had even been the matrons of honor at each other's weddings. Seeing Courtney like this made Bridgette feel sick, tearing a hole of sorrow in the very center of her soul.
Bridgette was not the only one who was having trouble with Courtney's death. Heather seemed to be particularly disturbed by Courtney's passing. The two had never been particularly close, but they had always been there for each other. Katie and Sadie, who had been Courtney's personal assistants while she was courting Duncan, were also greatly saddened by her passing. Trent, who still had feelings for her, and Gwen, who considered Courtney one of her closest friends were also in a great amount of pain. And then there was Duncan who more than anyone else, felt the pain of Courtney's death. He stood at the very front of the group, staring at Courtney's face with a look of utter sorrow.
As the pastor finished saying his words, the campers stood, each of them placing a rose on Courtney's casket. Bridgette moved forward to speak and the others paused to listen. Bridgette stared at Courtney for a moment before beginning.
"Courtney." she said, her voice wavering. "You were always my closest friend. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, you were there. Whenever I needed a girlfriend to just hang out with, you were there. And whenever I needed advice, you were there. But you're not here anymore, and I don't know how I'm going to go on. I miss you so much, we all do and-" She stopped and turned away, Geoff wrapping his arms around her, as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest.
Duncan stepped forward, placing his rose on Courtney's chest. He too, stared at her a moment before speaking. "I don't know how to say this Court, but you changed my life. You made me a better person, and for that I am forever grateful. I know we had our problems, but somehow we always found our way back to one another. I see now that we were always meant to be together, and I am truly sorry I didn't see it sooner. I know you are in a better place now, and I want you to know that I will always love you, no matter what happens. Goodbye my love, may your next life be better than your first." He leaned in and kissed Courtney on the cheek and then closed the lid of the casket, hiding her face for the last time.
Later that day the campers once again sat in silence in the breakfast room. Chef was not there, but no one seemed to notice. After a few minutes of nothing, Chef entered, carrying a bottle of Courtney's favorite wine and a set of glasses.
"Uh, Chef, what are you doing?" Katie asked, with a confused look on her face.
"We're gonna do this right." Chef muttered, as he placed the bottle and glasses on the table.
"Do what right?" Sadie asked, her voice just a puzzled as Katie's.
"We're gonna say goodbye the right way." Chef growled. "Courtney deserves more than just a fancy funeral." He looked at Duncan as he finished. Duncan nodded and rose to his feet, taking a glass and the bottle.
He poured himself a glass and passed the bottle to Trent, who did the same. Within minutes all of them had a glass of wine and Chef stood, raising his glass.
"Courtney was a woman who defined power." Chef began. "She was a true leader and a true friend, but more than that she was the foundation of this family. The world will be a darker and less friendly place without her, but we will never forget her. We will never let her memory fade or her legacy die."
Chris stood as well and threw in his two cents. "When I first met all of you, I was convinced that I would never see you as more than simple minded teenage reality show contestants. Courtney was the first to convince me otherwise. It was her who first showed me that people are more than just dollar signs and I will always be grateful for that."
Finally Abigail stood and spoke. "I honestly don't know what to say about Courtney, because there are so many things that can be said. But I will say this, Courtney exemplified everything a good person should be. She was honest, loyal, trustworthy, kind, caring, and extremely loving, especially when it came to Duncan. I am proud to say that I knew her and I know she's in a better place." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "To Courtney, may her life and her legacy teach us what it means to be human."
"To Courtney." the others echoed. Duncan sat and smiled at his family and as they celebrated Courtney's life, he somehow knew everything was going to be okay.
A/N: Like any of you actually believe that last line. It sounds real cheesy, but I wanted to end this chapter on a "happy" note before delving into the dark, depressing bullshit that is to come. By the end of this everything will be anything but okay.