"Courtney," Duncan answered. "I'll make sure he never does anything to hurt you. I promise."

She buried her head deeper into his chest. "I know."

It was Saturday and Courtney had told Duncan on the phone last night that she would be out of town with her mom for a family reunion.

"It's a Rodriguez family tradition," Courtney mimicked her mom while talking to him. "I won't be here during the day."

Duncan smirked to himself. He'd find some way to get there and he'd pay her a surprise visit later. Then, she'd shriek and yell "Duncan!" Then she would go on about how her parents were there and bla, bla, bla. He liked it when she got all riled up. Courtney looked beautiful when she did. She'd gotten riled up when they were arguing over what to watch on T.V., when she'd complain about his manners, when he'd pester her about Deshawn, when he'd complain that she was still a bit stuck up, and other times. He couldn't help but get the urge to grab her and kiss those soft pink lips.

And, it kind of turned him on.

Okay, so he was twisted. But at least he knew he was.

Duncan rode his skateboard along the sidewalks of Belhaven. Surprisingly, it wasn't burning hot today like it usually in the Southern states. It was a perfect, cool, 86 degrees. It was like heaven in Belhaven.

He rode past the pool. "INTERNATIONAL DAY CANCELLED, NO COLOREDS ALLOWED" the banner that hung along the ticket booth said.

The cancellation of international day reminded Duncan of something but he couldn't put his finger on it…

"And let's try to get that 123 stopped!"

That guy Jim had mentioned that. Could 123 be codename for International Day?

Duncan considered it for a moment. Could it be so? He shrugged the thought off. Even if it was cancelled, perhaps it was better that Courtney and her friends didn't come today.

After a few more minutes of riding, Duncan finally came up to Geoff's dad's Utility shop. Geoff's dad owned many other facilities in the city of Jackson.

Utilities R Us!

"Hey Goeff!" Duncan said, opening the door of the shop. Whenever a customer comes in through the door, the bells above the door sound.

The shop is an old small brick building just a few blocks from the pool. Inside the items are neatly placed everywhere around the store. The back of the store has a door in which Geoff's dad places specialty items that are only available upon request. The check-out desk is a medium sized counter next to the front door of the shop. On the counter sat a bored Geoff, waiting for customers to buy something. Anything.

"Duncan man!" Geoff greeted his best friends and his face brightened up.

They exchanged high fives and Duncan asked where his dad was.

"Oh, he's out of town," Geoff said. "Remember my party?"

"Party?" Duncan asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember when I talked about having a big party the weekend of July 1st?"

Duncan nodded slowly, still trying to remember what Geoff was referring to.

"Well my parents were actually home that weekend," Geoff said. "So I rescheduled to today! Remember?"

"Oh! That party!" Duncan said, finally remembering. He'd kind of been preoccupied with thinking about other things. You know, like Courtney. Secrets his dad was keeping. And Courtney. "Who's coming?"

"Everyone."

"What? You mean all of those nerds too? Oh Geoff you can't be serious!"

"Anyone who's anyone, Duncan. And you should invite that Courtney!"

Even though Geoff's not the smartest guy around, he'd figured out that Courtney and Duncan were going steady. After all, Duncan was He'd even taken a liking to her. No, not that way. But in a friendly way. Geoff had got the memo and kept what he found out on the down low.

"Not sure if that'd be safe," Duncan said.

"Right, right," Geoff nodded in understanding. "I see you're not at Courtney's house today." Geoff mimicked Duncan's signature smirk.

"She's out of town," Duncan replied and flashed his signature smirk as well.

The two laughed. A tall white man with shaggy dark brown hair and large green eyes walked into the store. The two heard the bell jingle and stopped to see who the customer was. He was dressed in a tie dye shirt with white gym shorts and black tennis shoes. He narrowed his eyes at Duncan in suspense but quickly stopped when he realized what he was doing. Duncan saw him from the corner of his eye.

"Mr. Matthews!" Geoff finally greeted the tall man. He knew this dude?

The man smiled at Geoff and Duncan, not knowing that Duncan saw Mr. Matthews glaring at him.

"Boys," The man smiled and greeted them. "Geoff! Please, call me Jim. We're pals here!"

"Aw, it's only polite to call you Mr. Jim," Geoff smiled and laughed.

The two continued on with their small talk and Duncan thought about how familiar Jim's name sounded.

"Have our meeting in the pool, Jim?"

"Goodness sometimes you act like we're five year olds, Jim."

"Yeah, Yeah, let's get going, Jim."

Could it be…?

Scott Mcdougal came in shortly after Jim, struggling with a box apparently filled with heavy items.

"Jeez, Jim couldn't ya get anyone else to carry this shit?" Scott snapped. What a wimp. The box couldn't be that heavy. What's he doing here anyway?

"Duncan," Scott feigned friendliness. "I don't think you've met my wicked uncle Jim."

"I'm not your uncle," Jim corrected Scott. Geoff and Duncan snickered.

"Well him and my dad are great friends," Scott laughed bashfully and a wave of anger came over him. "Jim, Duncan. Duncan, Jim."

Jim reached out his hand for a handshake. Duncan faked a smile, and shook his hand politely. You sneaky little bitch, Duncan thought to himself. Scott was sneaky too.

"You're Meyers' son," Jim said, having remembered who Duncan was. "He's a great cop, you know. You should take after him."

Duncan had heard tons of people say this and it was annoying. He didn't want to be a cop. Hell, he hated cops! He was always breaking the rules! The law business just wasn't for him, and he knew that for sure.

"I get that a lot," Duncan said and faked a smile again. Jim smiled in return.

Duncan was sure he was faking the smile as well.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Jim said. "The box Scott was carrying in is new material. Your dad will handle it when he gets back."

"Alright," Geoff nodded and picked up the box, grunting as he placed the box on the counter. "Thanks Jim."

"See? We're best buds already!" Jim joked. "Say Scott, why don't you hang out with these two boys for a while? You know, have a gas? Is that what you kids say now and days?"

"No you're doing it wrong," Geoff said and shook his head. "You way to grown-uppy."

"I'll learn your slang someday," Jim said.

Scott tries the best he can to stifle and Duncan can tell he's trying. Hey, he didn't blame him. That was one thing the two of them could agree on. They both hated each other guts and couldn't stand to even breathe the same air. The thought of them even hanging out with each other filled both of them with disgust and dread.

"Nah," Scott said. "I got a date." He ran his hands through his messy red hair.

It took all of Duncan's might to not burst into laughter. Who would want to date his redneck piece of shit?

"You know being red-headed doesn't really hurt your chances with the ladies," Scott ran a hand through his hair again. What was that his way of appealing to the ladies? If Duncan was a girl he'd barf.

Jim laughed. Duncan and Geoff gave each other looks which basically said, "Is he serious?" Duncan was sure this was just some lame excuse to get him out of hanging out with Duncan.

"We should get going," Jim said in between laughs, starting for the door. Scott jolted past him, out of the door and into their car. Duncan noticed that it was the same exact car he'd followed that night. "Oh and Duncan? Stay out of trouble, will ya? The old man's got a lot on his head." Jim exited the door and drove off in his car.

Was it the rumors? Or maybe it was the fact that for the most part, Duncan had been staying out of trouble lately. Maybe that's why everyone was on his ass.

He wasn't planning on going back to juvie anytime soon. For the first time in his life, Duncan didn't feel like getting into any trouble. By staying out of trouble Duncan had hoped that people would finally stop talking about him and get off his ass.

"Please tell me Scott's not going," Duncan groaned in disgust.

"Don't worry Duncan," Geoff laughed. "He doesn't even know there's a party today. Him and Jim are completely in the dark about it."

The two laughed about everything. The thought of Scott having a girlfriend. The thought of Scott coming to the party with his girlfriend. Just Scott and his lame ass.

"No but seriously Geoff," Duncan said in between giggles. "How come I don't know Jim?"

"Well he hasn't been here for that long," Geoff said. "Only a couple of months."

"Hmm.." Duncan considered this for a moment. Why didn't he know Jim? Scott moved here two years ago. His dad had gotten some type of promotion. Scott used to live in the country part of Mississippi before moving to the town of Belhaven. "Your dad knows him too?"

Geoff nodded.

Even though Geoff did know about Duncan and Courtney, Duncan didn't tell Geoff about the night he followed his dad. Geoff knew Jim. Mr. Meyers knew Jim. Hell, even Scott knew Jim! So why was Duncan left out of the equation?

"Jim's pretty cool," Geoff mentioned Jim again.

"You didn't tell him about the party, did you?"

"Nah. Of course not!"

"Just making sure. Say, when the hell do you have to close this place down?"

"6:00,"

"6:00," Duncan repeated.

"Shit, man, I still have to set up! And buy stuff!"

"Ugh, how could you forget Geoff!" Duncan shook his head at his best friend.

"I don't know!"

"I'll tell you what," Duncan compromised. "Give me twenty dollars and the keys to your house. I'll do some setting up."

"Alright," Geoff agreed and pulled a wrinkled twenty dollar bill from his pocket. He held it up to the light, testing its authenticity. It's authentic. He handed the bill to Duncan and Duncan placed the bill inside his pocket. "You're the best man!"

"I know," Duncan joked.

"This place is boring! Couldn't dad get anyone else to watch the shop?"

The bells jingled again, and the boys looked to see any customers. The customer is Bridgette and Geoff grinned brightly. His girlfriend had decided to grace him with her presence. After Bridgette come Gwen, Cody, and Owen.

Cody was a scrawny boy with dark brown hair and teal eyes. Duncan always called him a dweeb but Cody claims he's a ladies man. Owen was a chubby blond with dark brown eyes who loved to have a good time.

"Party!" Owen shouted and did fist pumps with Geoff.

"So I see you invited the dweeb too," Duncan teased Cody while messing with his hair.

"Aw come on lay off, Duncan," Geoff said. "Cody's my cousin!"

Your dweeby cousin.

"Yeah Duncan," Cody agreed. "I know how to have a gas! Right, Gwen!" He casually put an arm around Gwen's shoulder. Gwen shrugged it off immediately and Duncan snickered.

"He's like an annoying little brother," Gwen said and Bridgette giggled.

"It's okay Cody-wody," Bridgette teased Cody and pinched his cheeks.

Things hadn't been very awkward between Duncan and Gwen after their break-up. Gwen had calmed down and they'd agreed that they were much too alike for each other. They were better off as friends.

"I better get going, guys," Duncan excused himself. "Somebody forgot to buy party supplies."

"You guys can keep me entertained while I run this place!" Geoff exclaimed and did more fist pumps with Owen.

Duncan opened the door with his skateboard in and rode to the nearest convenience store around.

"Courtney, my, my, nina you've grown!" Courtney's maternal grandma, Katherine had told her.

It was the Rodríguez family reunion which happened every summer in July at her maternal grandparent's house in Miami. The family reunions were always so tedious to Courtney. Her mom's side of the family was full of little cousins and the majority of them were aggravating. Always asking her stupid questions. Pulling her hair. Asking if she'd come back to Puerto Rico with them.

"Please Courtneyyy," they'd beg her. Most of the time she'd reply nicely but other times she'd simply groan in response.

Courtney tried her best to look happy and not aggravated.

"Smile Courtney," Her mom would tell her through gritted teeth and Courtney would force a smile.

Her older cousins didn't seem to like her very much. Whatever, Courtney thought. Courtney had always thought they were jealous that she was so smart and gifted.

Courtney sat on the couch in the living room, flipping channels for something to watch. Her sixteen year old cousin Beatrice plopped down next to her and Courtney inwardly groaned. What did she want?

Beatrice was alike Courtney in skin complexion being tanned. She was a bit shorter than Courtney and had the same large onyx eyes. Beatrice had one older brother and one older sister, both in college.

"Hello Courtney," Beatrice greeted Courtney.

"Hello Beatrice," Courtney greeted in return.

Linda walked by, gave Courtney a thumbs up for talking to her cousin, and left.

"How's living in the United States?" She asked. "I heard things are loco, especially where you guys live."

"Yeah well," Courtney replied, still flipping channels. "I guess if you just stay out of the racists' way they won't bother you."

"How's your dad?"

Courtney gulped. Linda hadn't told any of her family about John. Most of them were against Linda and John getting married so tensions would rise if Linda told them about John's activism. Great, Courtney thought. I'm going to have to lie again.

"He's alright," Courtney lied, hoping her hadn't gone up few octaves. "He was busy with work, so he couldn't come." That's what her mom told her to say.

"You know Puerto Rico's calmed down," Beatrice told her. "You should come sometime. For a year or so."

If one more person tells me I should come to Puerto Rico I swear I will chop everyone's head off.

"I've been considering it, Beatrice," Courtney lied again just to shut her up about Puerto Rico.

It wasn't a perfect land like everyone was making it out to be. They've got their own share of problems just like the United States does. In fact just in the 50s, they'd had Nationalist Party revolts for the independence of Puerto Rico. Things were crazy there and the Nationalists had even brought some of the craziness over here when some of them opened fire on the U.S. Capitol. They also had their share of discrimination and racism to, even if there wasn't segregation at the legal level.

"Well that's good to know Courtney," Beatrice said and scooted closer to Courtney. If she talks about Puerto Rico again… "Do you have a boyfriend?"

What? Why would she want to know about that? Why was Beatrice always so nosey? Courtney inwardly groaned again. Now she'd have to lie again!

"No," Courtney said slowly, praying her voice hadn't gone up a few octaves. "Why?"

Beatrice shrugged, playing with her hair. "I dunno."

There's always something behind an "I dunno." That or I'm just being overly paranoid. Probably the latter.

Courtney narrowed her eyes and smirked. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Beatrice beamed. "I thought you'd never ask! I have a boyfriend back in Puerto Rico. He's only a year older than me or so, and mama says I can marry him when I get older. Ohh I love him so much!"

Oh I get it, Courtney thought. She asked me about having a boyfriend so she could rub it in my face. Right, right. Typical Beatrice.

"Don't you think it's a little too early for you to be thinking about marrying someone?" Courtney asked. "You haven't even finished school yet."

"Well Courtney I am older and smarter than you are," Beatrice said. "And besides, I'm still doing very well in school, so don't you talk to me about doing bad!"

The only reason Beatrice was smarter than Courtney was because she was older. That was all. That was the only reason.

"Whatever you say," Courtney said and yawned.

"Enough about me," Beatrice said. "What about you? How are things going for you?"

Normally she just went on about her life, but now she was asking Courtney about hers. What did she want?

"Well," Courtney said. "I finished 10th grade a month ago. Things are kinda crazy in the city."

"Mhmm. What else?"

Courtney wasn't going to tell her everything.

"I mostly just hang with DJ and Leshawna."

"That's it?"

"Yup."

"That can't be it."

"Well it is."

"You're lying, Courtney."

Of course I'm lying. But you'll never know.

"But then again, you've always been the boring and uptight one so," Beatrice teased her.

Duncan was like Beatrice in this sense. They both teased her a lot and called her uptight, but she didn't like Beatrice at all.

"Didn't your mom tell you to be nice to me?" Courtney asked, frowning.

"I am older than you are," Beatrice said, flipping her long brown hair.

"By one insy little year. But that doesn't mean you can be blatantly rude to me," Courtney snapped, her anger boiling. Beatrice was only one year her senior. If Beatrice wasn't going to respect her, then why should she respect Beatrice? "Now why don't you just leave me alone, and we can all it a day?"

"Why you little-"Beatrice snapped but calmed down after words. "You know what? Whatever. I'll be the bigger person." How could she even- she was the one that started this! It took all of Courtney's might not to knock her out.

"Everyone inside the kitchen!" Beatrice's mom, Grace shouted.

Beatrice got up first and Courtney followed, suspecting that Beatrice would probably play some type of trick on her if she got up first.

"Vámonos!" Linda yelled.

Courtney sat next to her mom at the dining table.

"I see you and Beatrice seem to patching things up," Linda said, smiling at Courtney.

"What are you talking about?" Courtney asked her mom, incredulous. "Beatrice is just as annoying as ever and even more nosey too. I'm just glad today's the last time I see her in a long time."

"You're going to have to make amends with her sometime, Courtney," Linda said.

"Hopefully it's not anytime soon," Courtney said bitterly.

"Just you wait and see."

What did she mean by that? I don't like the sound of that.

Beatrice and Grace (her parents are divorced) made their way to the front of the room. Grace cleared her throat loudly to silence the room.

"Beatrice and I have a big announcement," Grace said. "We will be moving to the United States."

Courtney's mouth dropped open. Why would they want to move to the United States? With all the trouble that was happening, why didn't they just stay in Puerto Rico? Did Beatrice know this?

"Close your mouth, sweetie," Linda said to Courtney.

"We are aware of all the troubles in the United States as of now where Linda is living," Grace said. So why are you moving? "So we will be moving to the Northern portion of the United States."

"But while our housing situation gets better," Grace continued. "We will be staying with Linda and her family for a little while."

Linda's expression remained the same. She knew and she didn't tell me! Courtney thought. Dad probably knows too. And they didn't tell me! Beatrice and I cannot survive in the same house! I will rip her to spreads.

"This will be a great opportunity for you guys to bond," Linda said. "You guys are almost the same age, you know and some of the oldest grand-children."

"I despise her, mom!" Courtney whispered shrilly. "How do you expect us to breathe the same air? We're barely doing that now!"

"It won't be for long," Linda said. "A month, tops. Promise."

A MONTH?

Seeing Duncan was bound to become a whole lot more difficult. What on earth was she going to do?

A/N: Sorry for not updating in *gasps* two months! As the usual, follow, favorite and review! I don't know if you notice, but last chapter I tried writing this in third person present tense, and I didn't like it all so, I'll probably be changing that back to third person past tense.

-MAYFB