Total Drama College Life Chapter 26: Cold Water, a total drama series fanfic

A/N- Hey guys, so in case some of you went back, and reread the last chapter I added two new sentences in two different paragraphs. I didn't change anything I just added them in. I meant to write them before as I was writing the chapter, and I thought I did but as I was rereading I realized I didn't write them. Big mistake on my part. So, sorry about that, I'll try not to let it happen again. Anyways here's chapter 26 of my story Total Drama College Life. Enjoy.

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

Chapter Summary- Courtney asks her parents for a favor regarding Duncan. Justin's friends worry about him. Beth wonders where she, and Cody are headed. Heather, and her sister have a long overdue talk.

The next day Heather found herself laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was still in a daze from learning about her sister's cancer diagnosis. It'd hit her so hard that when she got back to her dorm room she didn't talk to either Lindsay, or Leshawna. Instead she just laid in her bed where she stayed for the rest of the night. She didn't tell either of them what was going on with her sister; she didn't need anybody feeling sorry for her nor did she want them to.

She blinked as she continued to stare at the ceiling. No doubt her family was still at the hospital, keeping visual over April even though the doctor said it would be best if they all went home, and got some rest. That's what she did, or tried to do. She had laid awake half the night thinking about her sister. She may have dosed off a few times but she always woke right back up, and thought about what the doctor had told them.

Heather blew a string of hair away from her face as she thought about what April may have been thinking, or doing when they told her the news. Did she cry, or did she do what Heather did, and go into a daze? Did she ask questions, or did she ask to be alone? Heather took in a deep breath before exhaling quietly. There was no point in trying to imagine her sister's reaction, continuing to do so would just cause her to have a headache. For all she knew April was probably in denial. If that was the case then she was probably still denying that she had cancer. Which is probably why their parents haven't called to ask her to come back to the hospital. If April was denying her condition then they were probably letting her until she could finally accept it. Once she did then they'd call Heather so she could go down there, and show her support.

"Heather", a voice said. Heather turned her head, and looked over at the voice. It was Lindsay. Heather had forgotten that her, and Leshawna were in the room with her. While she spent the morning laying in her bed, Leshawna had come over after one of her classes had ended (like she always did whenever she classes) then her, and Lindsay had gotten to work on the sketches for the urban line.

"What do you want?" Heather asked sharply. "We have a problem with the website", Lindsay said as she gestured over to her workstation where Leshawna was sitting. "Then fix it", Heather said annoyed. She didn't know what was wrong with the stupid site, and she didn't care.

"We can't, me, and Leshawna have tried everything but the site is stuck on the homepage", Lindsay explained. Heather growled angrily as she got off her bed. Just great, the computer freezing up was the last thing she needed.

"Move", Heather snapped as she pushed Lindsay out of the way. Lindsay did as she was told then followed Heather over to Leshawna who was angrily clicking on the mouse to refresh the page. "I give up", Leshawna said as she stopped clicking.

"Move out of the way", Heather said as she practically pushed Leshawna out of the chair. Leshawna narrowed her eyes at her as Heather sat down. Heather looked at the computer screen. Just like Lindsay said the screen was stuck on the website's homepage.

Heather started clicking on the mouse. "I tried that", Leshawna said with her arms folded. Heather ignored her, and kept clicking. She tried going to another page of the website but it stayed on the homepage. Thinking the problem lied with the computer she logged off then went to Google where she went to another site. It went there with no problem, so it was obvious that something was wrong with the TD webpage. She went back, and once again clicked on the mouse but nothing happened. She began to growl at the computer.

After clicking a few more times, she gave up. The damn site was broken. Heather stood up, "STUPID PIECE OF GARBAGE!" She yelled as she slammed the side of the computer with her hand in frustration. Leshawna intervened by grabbing Heather's arm so she couldn't hit the computer again, "Whoa girl just calm down. No need to do that", she said. Heather yanked her arm free from Leshawna's grasp, "The stupid site won't work", she said angrily as she gestured to the computer while breathing heavily.

"Well that's no reason to try to break the computer. That won't do us any good", Leshawna said. "Leshawna's right, Heather", Lindsay said. Leshawna looked at her, "I'll tell you what, I'll call Harold, and tell him to come over after his next class ends. Maybe he can fix it", she said. Heather didn't say anything instead she just nodded her head. Relieved that an argument didn't breakout, Leshawna got out her cell phone, and started calling Harold.

It was close to noon as Courtney was walked around the campus. She'd just gotten out of a class, and now she was looking for Duncan. She'd given up on trying to call him the other night, and instead went to bed with the intent on finding him the next day. She had a few choice words for when she did find him. The least he could have done was text her back but no he ignored her.

She walked around a little while longer until she spotted him standing in front of the café. He had his back turned so he didn't see her when she came up behind him. "Duncan", she said angrily.

Duncan turned around, "Hey", he said casually as he held a cup of coffee in his hand. Hey, that was all he could say? He ignored his pregnant girlfriend's calls all night, and all he could say was 'Hey' like it was no big deal. "That's all you have to say to me?" Courtney asked angrily. Duncan shrugged, "Yeah", he said like it was no big deal. "You son of bitch", she said. She'd almost forgotten how he could be a complete jackass sometimes.

Duncan looked at her, "What's your problem?" He asked. Courtney growled, "My problem is that I called your phone four times last night, and you didn't answer. You didn't even respond to any of my texts. What if I was trying to contact you because I was in the hospital?" She asked. Duncan's face fell, "I didn't think about that. Are you, and the baby ok?" He asked. Courtney took a deep breath, "Yeah, we are. But this is why you need to answer when I call you. No matter how angry you are with me you need to answer in case I'm calling you about the baby", she said in a calmer voice.

Duncan sighed in regret as he ran his fingers through his mohawk. He was so stupid. How could he ignore her like that? He mentally kicked himself for being an idiot. "I'm sorry", he said as he hugged her. Courtney hugged him back, "It's ok", she said. She was just happy that he understood the severity of his actions. They pulled away.

Duncan gestured to the café behind him, "Buy you a smoothie to make it up to you?" He asked with a small smile. Courtney smiled, "Can I have two?" She asked. At the mention of smoothie, she immediately thought of strawberry, and instantly wanted two. Duncan smirked at her, "Sure", he said. Courtney's smile grew then the two went inside the café.

"So, Beth, how have you been since your last visit?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth sat in her in chair in Dr. Mitchell's office. She'd really helped Beth the first time they talked so Beth had continued to see her once a week. Beth shifted in her chair, "Good", she said.

"How's your relationship with Cody going?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth had mentioned Cody a few times during her sessions so Dr. Mitchell would often ask about him. Sometimes Beth would say things were good then they'd talk about something else. Other times Beth would tell her about something they'd done on one of their dates, and they'd spend the whole session talking about him.

"Different, yesterday he kissed me, for the first time", Beth said. "How did that make you feel?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth looked at her, "Confused", she said. Dr. Mitchell raised an eyebrow, "Confused?" She asked. Beth nodded, "Yeah, because before that I didn't know if he liked me like that. I was starting to think he only saw me as a friend. You see, I was ready to break things off with him but now I'm not sure if that's what I want anymore", she said.

Dr. Mitchell looked at her, "What do you want?" She asked. Beth sighed, "I don't know, confirmation? I guess", she said. Hearing how Cody felt about her would really tell her what she needed to know.

"Have you thought about Brady any?" Dr. Mitchell asked as she changed the subject. Beth shook her head, "Not when I'm with Cody but I do at night", she said. "What do you think about?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth looked down, "How I didn't know", she said quietly. Dr. Mitchell leaned in more closely so she could hear her better, "Didn't know what?" She asked. "How I didn't know that he'd turn out be so abusive. I mean he was so sweet in the beginning then over time he just changed into this person who I hardly recognized. The complete opposite from when we first started dating", Beth said in a normal tone.

Dr. Mitchell leaned back in her seat, "That happens Beth. Plenty of guys don't show their true colors until later on in the relationship", she said. Beth began to think about the times before Brady started hitting her. He was the guy she'd always dreamed about then he changed, and she never saw it coming. Every night she tried to think of any clues that she might have missed but she couldn't never find any.

Beth was quiet for awhile as she stared at her lap, "Why did he do it?" She asked finally. "Why did he do what?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth looked at her as she tried not to cry, "Why did he hurt me? I loved him. So, what would make him do that?" She asked. Dr. Mitchell shook her head, "I don't know, I don't know what made him act the way he did. I don't know him. So, I wouldn't know what goes through his head", she said as she handed her a tissue.

Beth took it, and wiped her eyes. She hated when the sessions got emotional. It made her think she was having a set back but Dr. Mitchell assured her that wasn't the case. She just said it was her letting out her emotions. Which was a step in the right direction.

Beth blew her nose, "I keep thinking that if I can remember any signs I may have missed, and if I can figure out why he lashed out at me then I might be able to have some peace. You know, I feel like I can finally move on from him once, and for all", she said. Dr. Mitchell looked at her, "Beth, you can't keep torturing yourself like this. You may never know why he was the way he was, and that's ok. Brady obviously had issues, and he took them out on you. Instead of wondering, you should be relieved that you're away from him because now he can't hurt you", she said.

Beth wiped her eyes as she sighed, "I know, I should be relieved, and I am. But if I can recognize the signs from him then I'll be able to notice them in other guys in case it happens again", she said. "Again?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth nodded, "I've heard of girls who go from one abusive relationship to another. I don't wanna be like that. I want to find the right guy but I don't want to miss anything like I did with Brady", she said.

"You know we've talk about this before", Dr. Mitchell said. "I know, not every guy is like Brady", Beth said. She's been told it so many times but for some reason it just didn't click. It was good thing that Dr. Mitchell was a patient woman because Beth didn't know if she'd be able to handle somebody like herself. "Good", Dr. Mitchell nodded after Beth said the statement.

"I just don't wanna go through that again, I don't wanna make the same mistake twice", Beth said. Dr. Mitchell nodded in understanding, "I know, and I get why you would be worried about it happing again because sometimes it does happen. But that's what therapy is for, so you can get help. By getting help you're understanding that his behavior was unacceptable, and a man should never treat you that way", she said.

"So, what do I do?" Beth asked. Dr. Mitchell looked at her, "Well for one thing he had a temper, that's usually a sign that he could become violent", she said. Beth nodded, "Okay", she said. "Brady started off with yelling, and throwing things. Those are definite signs that you need to get away", Dr. Mitchell said. Beth nodded again, "Alright", she said.

Dr. Mitchell wrote something down, "Now, why don't we go back to Cody", she said before she looked at her. "O-okay", Beth stuttered. Not that she didn't want to talk about Cody but Dr. Mitchell only brought him up once during their talks. So, her asking about him twice in one session really caught her off guard.

Dr. Mitchell looked at her, "How long have you known him?" She asked. Beth thought about it, "I'd say a few years now. Three? Maybe. We met on Total Drama. He was so different then", she said with a memorable sigh.

"Different how?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth looked at her, "Watch reruns of the show, and you'll see what I mean. Back then he was skinny, well scrawny is more like it. Anyways, he was kinda geeky, and he tried to act like a lady's man. But he wasn't. He always failed when it came to wooing girls. Like there was this one girl named Gwen, who was on the show with us, he spent three seasons trying to win her over, and she shot him down each time. In fact, she dated two different guys who were on the show, and it always broke his heart. He never showed it but you could tell it hurt him", she explained.

"That's sounds awful", Dr. Mitchell noted as she wrote something down. Beth nodded, "It was, I don't have anything against Gwen, she was one of the nicest people on the show, but the way she treated Cody was wrong. He didn't deserve that. He's a good guy, nice, smart, funny. I mean he used to call himself the codmesiter. That was always pretty funny", she said with a chuckle.

"Now?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth shifted in her chair again, "Now he's more muscular, and he's no longer geeky. Like he's still smart but he doesn't show it. Not that he acts stupid but you know he just doesn't act that way anymore, geeky I mean. He comes off as cool but this time it doesn't feel forced. It's more natural, and the girls line up just to talk to him", she said.

"Seems like everything he tried to be on the show he became during college", Dr. Mitchell said. Beth nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he finally got to be the guy who girls threw themselves at, just like he always wanted. But despite all that he's still the same guy, on the inside that is", she said.

Dr. Mitchell chuckled, "I get that. Now before you said you weren't sure about your relationship with him. Does that mean you still want to break things off?" She asked. Beth looked at her, "I don't know because he still acts like he doesn't want a relationship with me. I'm at the point where I'm asking myself 'Does he want to be friends, or does he want more?' If he wants to be only friends then we can be friends but if he wants more then he needs to tell me because I need to know where we're headed", she said.

"Do you want to be more than friends?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth nodded, "Yeah, I do. Like I said if he wants only friendship then ok but I'm not gonna pretend that I don't want there to be something more between us", she said.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Dr. Mitchell asked. Beth shook her head, "No, I haven't talked to him since yesterday", she said. "Well I suggest that you talk to him about it. You never know, he may want a relationship", Dr. Mitchell said. Beth smiled, "Okay", she said. Dr. Mitchell smiled back at her then looked at the clock that was on the wall, "Our times up. Same time next week?" She asked. Beth nodded as she stood up, "Yeah", she said. They smiled at each other again before Beth walked out of the office.

Justin was in the gym working out on the bench press. He couldn't tell how long he'd been in there but if he had to guess then he'd say about two hours. Trent stood by with a bottle of water as he watched him, "Okay man, I think that's enough for today", he said as Justin took a break.

Justin sat up then wiped the sweat off his forehead, "No", he breathed out. He wiped more sweat off his face as he breathed in, and out heavily. His whole body was sweaty. Normally he would have been grossed out, and worried about his hair getting frizzy but his boss wouldn't stay off his back about staying in shape.

So, every day he would go to the gym, and push himself to the brink. He'd workout his biceps, his triceps, and more importantly his core. His abs were the main muscles he wanted to keep sharp.

DJ walked over to them, "Man he's still at it?" He asked Trent. Trent nodded, "Yeah", he said as he looked at Justin. Cody stood over the bench press, "He won't call it day", he said to DJ.

DJ just shook his head. Justin took a swig of water from the bottle, "Break time over. Time to get back to work", he said as he laid on the bench. Trent looked at him, "Are you sure you should be doing that?" He asked with concern. Justin grabbed the bar, "Yeah, I need to", he said.

Cody grabbed the bar so he could spot him, "Okay man, let's do this", he said. Trent shot him a glare, "What the hell Cody?" He asked. Cody looked at him, "What? It's not like we can stop him, he's a grown man. Might as well spot him so he doesn't get hurt", he said as gestured to Justin.

Justin shifted his eyes at him, "Thank you", he said gratefully. It seemed like Cody was the only one who understood. Justin took a deep breath then started lifting. He had to keep pushing himself, no matter how tired he got.

Courtney, and Duncan were sitting outside the café. Duncan watched as she slurped on her second smoothie. The cup was pretty empty except for the little bit that was left at the bottom but Courtney was determined to get it all.

The straw started making a sucking noise, it was obvious she was now sucking on air. "You know babe I can buy you another one", he said as he rested his hand on his chin. Courtney nodded as she stopped sucking the now empty cup, "I know but are you sure you want to buy me another one?" She asked. Duncan smirked at her as he stood up, "Anything for my princess. After all, you're eating for two", he said as his eyes looked at her belly.

Courtney smiled, "Okay, and speaking of the baby I want to show you some of the wallpaper designs for the nursery when you get back", she said. Duncan smiled back, "Looking forward to it", he said before he walked into the café. Courtney pulled up the wallpaper designs on her phone as she waited for him to come back.

Ten minutes later Duncan walked back outside holding two strawberry smoothies. "One strawberry smoothie for the lady", he said as he sat down. Courtney smiled as he slid the smoothie across the table to her. She happily slurped the drink as she showed him the designs. "I like that one", she said as she pointed at one design on her phone screen.

"I like that one better", he said as he pointed at another design. Courtney pointed at the design she liked, "Yeah but this one would look good in the spare room at my parents' house", she said as she put down her drink. Duncan raised his eyebrow, "Parents' house?" He asked confused. Courtney nodded, "Yeah, we're turning one of the spare rooms into a nursery", she said as she looked at him.

"Why?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes. Courtney glared at him, "So, the baby can have a place to sleep", she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought that was supposed to be temporary?" He asked as he referred to her living with her parents. "It is but the baby needs its own room. Where is it supposed to sleep? In a nursery with no designs while you look for a place?" She asked. "It won't have to because I'll have found us a place before it's born", he said.

Courtney sighed in frustration, "Duncan, we have been through this so many times. So, you already know what I have to say", she said as she put her hand on her forehead. Duncan stared at her, "I know how many times we've been through this, you don't have to remind me of that. But I've told you that I'm working on it", he said.

"Then there's no reason to bring up the subject. When you find us a place we can move in together", Courtney said in frustration as she looked at him. "Well while I'm trying to make that happen, you're making plans to decorate the nursery like it's a sure thing that you staying with your parents is gonna be long term. Almost like you're trying to shut me out", Duncan said loudly. He was trying his best not to shout but it was getting awfully hard.

"I'm not saying it's gonna be long term. I just thought it would be a good idea to be prepared in case you don't find us a place to live before the baby's born", Courtney said. Duncan raised his eyebrow at her. Prepared? Don't? These words circle his mind as he thought about what she'd just said. "So, you're saying you want to be prepared in case I can't find us a place?" He asked calmly. Courtney nodded, "Yes", she said thinking he finally got it.

Duncan scoffed as he leaned in the back of his chair, "I knew it; you don't believe in me", he accused as he gave his head a shake then folded his arms. Tears welled up in Courtney's eyes. "That's not true, I do believe in you", she said as her voice cracked. She reached across the table to hold his hand but Duncan just kept his arms folded. "No, you don't", he said as if it were true.

Tears ran down Courtney's face as she kept her hand on the table. "I do believe in you Duncan", she cried. "No, you don't. You moved back home, you're getting ready to decorate the nursery, and you even said that you want to be prepared in case I don't find us a place of our own. Like I said before, you're trying to shut me out", he said. Now his voice was on the verge of shouting.

"I'm not trying to shut you out", Courtney said as she struggled to keep her own voice from shouting. "Sure, as hell seems like it", Duncan said. "BUT I'M NOT!" Courtney shouted. A few people who were passing by stared at them before they walked away. No doubt they were going to talk about this later on, on Facebook.

Not wanting to make a scene Duncan decided it was best to just walk away. "I gotta go. Have fun decorating the nursery all by yourself", he said coldly as he stood up. He started walking away. Courtney managed to stop crying as she got up, and went after him.

She managed to catch up to him without running. He stopped walking when she grabbed him by his shoulder then he reluctantly turned around. "Duncan, look at me, I am not trying to shut you out", she said to him. "I don't wanna talk about it anymore", he said angrily. "But I do. Now you are going to stand here, and listen to me", she said as she grabbed his arm. "Let go of my arm", he said. "Not until you listen to what I have to say", she said.

Duncan yanked his arm from her grasp, "Just leave me alone", he said. Courtney growled, "Damnit Duncan", she said before she pounded her fist on his chest. Duncan looked at her, "Now I really don't wanna talk to you", he said. Courtney let out a sarcastic laugh, "Really? After you were the one to bring up the subject. You don't want to finish what you started?" She asked. Duncan didn't say anything so Courtney started hitting him on his chest again to get an answer. It didn't hurt but it was annoying. He grabbed her hands to stop her then he took a step back. "I'm out of here", he said before turning around. Courtney immediately regretted what she did, "Duncan I'm sorry", she said as she grabbed his shoulder again. Duncan turned back around, he was fed up with her attitude. "I'm done talking about this", he said. He turned back around again, and started walking away again. "Duncan wait", Courtney called out but he ignored her. She started crying again as she watched him go.

Harold arrived at Heather, and Lindsay's dorm room after his class was done. Leshawna had explained the problem to him over the phone, and he was confident that he could fix it. Harold cracked his knuckles, "Better step back ladies because I'm about to blow your minds with my mad skills", he said before he walked over to the computer. Lindsay did as she was told, thinking he was serious, while Heather rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Harold sat down in the chair. Leshawna smiled, "You got this hon", she encouraged as she put her hands on his shoulders. Harold took a deep breath as he shook out his hands. The way he was acting made it seem like he was getting ready to start in a big sports game. Then again, to him, fixing computers was like playing sports, and trying to figure out what was wrong with the webpage was his big game. He gulped down some water that was handed to him by Leshawna before getting to work.

All three ladies crowded over him as he typed at the keys. After twenty minutes of doing things they did not understand, Harold went back to the site's homepage, and clinked on one of the pages. It loaded successfully with no problems. "Booyah", Harold said as he pumped his fist. Leshawna wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she hugged him, "Harold you're brilliant. Give me some love", she said before giving him a kiss.

For the first time that day Heather smiled. "Nice job computer geek", Heather said as she slapped him on his back in appreciation. "So, what was the problem?" Leshawna asked as she pulled away from him. "Your server was overloaded. I had to take your website offline so I could fix it. Once I did I was able to pull it back up with no problems. I even updated your software for you", Harold said.

Lindsay threw her arms around him, "Thank you Henry", she said as she hugged him. "My name's Harold", Harold said after Lindsay had pulled away. Leshawna smiled, "Give her break hon, she's trying", she told him.

Lindsay smiled at her, "Thanks Leshawna", she said. Harold looked at Lindsey, "Leshawna? How is it that you can remember her name but not mine?" He asked with annoyance. Leshawna looked at him, "Easy, it's because we've been spending a lot of time together lately", she said. She'd noticed that Lindsay found it much easier to remember a person's name when she hung around them a lot. Leshawna thought it must be easier because Lindsay was saying a person's name almost every day.

"But my name is so much easier to remember, gosh", Harold said. Leshawna gave him a light pat on his back in sympathy, "Don't worry about it. If you keep coming around more maybe she'll remember your name too", she said. "I guess", Harold grumbled.

"I say we celebrate", Lindsay said as she changed the subject. Leshawna looked at her, "I'm down with that", she said. Lindsay squealed, "I'll get the champagne", she said then walked over to the other side of the room. "I'll take a soda", Harold called after her.

Heather watched them talk amongst themselves until she got a text message. She looked at her phone. April: You have yet to visit your big sis. Come down to hospital before Mom, and Dad get on your case. Heather looked at the text message. She'd avoided going down there all day, and she wasn't sure she was ready to go just yet. She looked at the text message some more. There was no point in delaying seeing her. She'd have to eventually, and she would rather do it without her parents making her feel guilty later on for waiting too long.

Heather typed her reply. Heather: I'll be down soon. She put the phone in her pocket then grabbed her jacket, and car keys. "I'll have to have a glass some other time", Heather told them as Lindsay was pouring the drinks. All three looked at her. "Are you sure?" Lindsay asked. No telling when the next time will be when they'd get to celebrate something business related.

Heather nodded at her, "Yeah", she said before walking over to the door. "When will you be back?" Leshawna asked. "Later", Heather said as she walked out of the door. After she left, Leshawna, Lindsay, and Harold looked at each other in confusion.

Bridgette was sitting in her dorm room reading a textbook. It'd felt different waking up that morning, and Courtney not being there. There was nobody to talk to now.

She sighed sadly, she didn't know whether to get a new roommate, or live in the dorm room by herself for the rest of the school year. Time will tell. Who knows, maybe she'd get used to living on her own.

There was a knock at the door. Bridgette got up from her bed, and went to answer it. When she opened the door, she saw Courtney standing on the other side, crying.

Bridgette, worried, stepped aside so Courtney could walk in. She closed the door as Courtney continued sobbing while standing in the middle of the room. "Come sit down", Bridgette said as she led her to her bed.

They sat down. Courtney rested her head on Bridgette's shoulder, and sobbed. As she cried, Bridgette rubbed her back to comfort her.

"Bridgette, I don't know what to do", Courtney sobbed. Bridgette looked at her, "Is this about Duncan?" She asked as she took a wild guess. Courtney nodded against her shoulder, "Yes", she cried softly.

Bridgette sighed in frustration, "What did he do this time?" She asked. So, help her, if Duncan did, or said anything stupid she was gonna ring his neck. He knows not to upset Courtney.

Courtney lifted her head, and wiped her eyes before looking at her. "Earlier I went to go look for him because I was upset that he hadn't answered any of my phone calls, or text message last night", Courtney told her. Bridgette nodded, "Okay", she said then she gestured for her to continue.

Courtney took a deep breath, "When I found him, he apologized, and for awhile everything was good. We started looking at designs, on my phone, for the nursery, and that's when the trouble started. He got mad because I told him that living with my parents may be long term, and he accused me of not believing in him. I tried to get him to understand that, that wasn't the case but he didn't want to listen. So, we fought then he left", she said as more tears filled her eyes.

Bridgette huffed then stood up, "Stay here", she instructed. Courtney looked at her, "What're you gonna do?" She asked. Bridgette turned her head to look at her, "I'm gonna go find that son of bitch", she said angrily before she left the room.

Justin was still in the gym, this time he was running on the treadmill. He'd went from the beach press, to the leg press, to the curling bar, to the treadmill, and back again. This was his second time on the treadmill so far. He wanted to get two more cycles, to his exercise, done before he would consider quitting for the day, or until the gym closed. Whichever came first.

He pressed a button on the monitor as he continued to run, it made the treadmill speed up. He felt his core start to burn as he breathed. Burning was good, that meant he was burning fat, and building muscle.

Trent, DJ, and Cody looked on in worry. "Hey, Justin", Trent said carefully. "What?" Justin asked as he continued running. "I think you can stop now. You've been at it all day, and your body is overdue for a break", Trent said.

Justin didn't stop, "Actually I've been at it for most of the morning, and part of the afternoon. That's not all day", he breathed out. Trent couldn't argue with him there, "Okay but your body needs a break", he told him.

Justin looked at the monitor, "No it doesn't", he said before he looked forward. DJ fiddled with his fingers, "Listen to him man", he told Justin. Justin ignored them. He looked at the monitor again, he was at 2 miles, he was going for four. "I just need two more miles", Justin said. The comment was directed more to himself than at them.

Cody stepped up to him, "Man, if you're not careful, you could burn yourself out", he warned. "Good", Justin grunted as he ran. Cody walked over to the treadmill with the intent to slow it down by pushing one of the buttons but Justin shot him a look so he backed away instead.

Justin looked at the monitor again, and pressed another button causing the treadmill to speed up some more. Sweat started running down his forehead as he ran, and he started breathing heavily so he could keep up with the machine. His calves started to hurt but he kept going. He could feel his heart pound in his chest. It hurt, it hurt so bad.

As he ran a sharp pain shot through one of his legs causing him to yell out in agony. Then he missed a step, and fell flat on the still moving treadmill. "JUSTIN!" Trent yelled out in alarm as he ran over to him. DJ followed after him while Cody stopped the treadmill before joining them.

Justin felt a burning spot on the front of his leg as he laid on the treadmill in pain. Trent was by his side but Justin declined his offer of help. He sat up slowly, and saw blood on the treadmill. Not a lot but enough to know that it was more than just a tiny scratch.

Justin looked at his leg, it was covered in blood, and he couldn't tell where the scrape was. DJ took one look at the blood, and started to feel light headed. "I gotta sit down", DJ said as he backed away. He went over to one of the benches, and sat down while covering his face with hands. The site of blood still engraved in his mind.

Trent's face went white but he didn't back away, "Man, that looks bad", he said as he looked at the scrape. Justin gave him a look, "It's nothing", he snapped. Cody took a look for himself, judging from the way he was saw it, it wasn't that bad. He could tell that the scrape was long but not deep like an open wound. He'd have a scar but with some Neosporin, and scar cream it would clear right up. He should know, he'd had enough scrapes, and bruises in his life. "He'll be okay", Cody said finally.

Justin looked at Trent, "See", he said as he held his leg. Trent didn't say anything instead he went to go look for a first aid kit, and some cleaning supplies. When he came back Justin was still sitting on the treadmill.

With Cody's help Trent bandaged him right up then they cleaned up the blood. "Okay DJ, you can come back over now. The blood's gone", Trent said. "Good", DJ said then he rejoined the group.

Justin was still sitting on the floor. "Can you stand?" Trent asked him. Justin nodded then he carefully got up.

Bridgette angrily looked around the campus for Duncan. After searching for about twenty minutes she finally found him standing outside the bookstore. She marched over to him.

Duncan noticed her walking towards him, "What do you want Bridgette?" He asked in annoyance when she stopped in front of him. "What the hell's a matter with you?" She asked angrily. Duncan rolled his eyes at her, "Courtney go crying to you?" He asked. Bridgette narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, and she's very upset", she said.

"I'm gonna tell you what I told Courtney, I don't wanna talk about it", he said. "Why? Because you know that if you actually take the time to think about it then you'd realize that Courtney moving back in with her parents is a good idea?" She asked. Duncan looked at her, "She's trying to shut me out", he insisted as he pointed at himself.

Bridgette growled in frustration as she resisted every urge to wrapped her hands around his throat, and strangle him. That's how much he was upsetting her. "She wasn't trying to shut you. Damnit Duncan, when are you going to grow up? Not everything is about you. She moved back home for the baby not because she was trying to hurt you. If anything, this makes things easier on you because now you can find a job, and later an apartment without having to worry about not being able to on time. But do you see that? No because you can only think about yourself. Well you need to start thinking about what's best for the baby because it needs to come first, not you", Bridgette said.

Duncan looked at her for long time without saying anything. Before long everything Bridgette said started to sink in. He groaned as he realized what an ass he was being. "I gotta find Courtney", he said.

He tried to walk passed Bridgette but she stopped him. "She's still pretty upset. Give her time to calm down, and when she has I'll tell her to meet you here", Bridgette said. Realizing that was for the best, Duncan nodded in understanding.

After her talk with Dr. Mitchell Beth headed to a class. When it ended she went to her last class, and afterwards made her way to the girls' dorm. She wanted to get to her dorm room so she could rest before she started her shift at the bookstore.

As she was walking she got a text message. She got out her cell phone, and saw that Cody texted her. Cody: Hey. Beth looked at his message but didn't reply instead she put it back in her pocket.

"Was that Cody?" An excited voice asked. Beth let out a scream as she jumped backwards. She saw Izzy staring at her. Beth took a breath to calm herself down, "Izzy, don't do that", she said as she held her chest.

Izzy smiled, "Was that Cody?" She asked again. Beth shifted her gaze to her pocket before looking at her, "Yeah", she said. Izzy started bouncing around, "What did he say?" She asked. Beth looked at her, "He just said 'Hey'", she told her.

Izzy continued bouncing around, "Did you answer him? Did ya Beth? Did ya? Come on tell me", she said. Beth watched her bounce around, "No Izzy I didn't", she said. Izzy groaned as her bouncing came to a halt, "Why not?" She asked. Beth looked at her, "Why do you care?" She asked. "I want Body to become a couple", Izzy whined using the ship name that she'd come up with the other day.

Beth shook her head. She couldn't believe Izzy was serious about that. What did she find so interesting about her, and Cody? Maybe this was just Izzy being Izzy as always. Nobody really knew what went on in that girl's head.

Beth grabbed Izzy by the shoulders, "Izzy, listen to me, there is no Ceth, or Body. I didn't answer Cody's message because I still don't know what to make of what happened between us yesterday. Now I have a shift at the bookstore later, and I don't need that going through my head as I try to work", she explained.

Izzy smiled at her, "What time does your shift end?" She asked. Beth raised her eyebrow at her, "I'm working until closing time, which would be around 8:00pm, why?" She asked. Izzy continued to smile, "No reason", she said in a mischievous tone before she started bouncing away. Beth watched her go then she shook her head once more before she started walking to the girls' dorm again.

Duncan sat outside the bookstore as he waited for Courtney. He looked at the time on his phone, it was 2:30pm. He sighed as he put it back in his pocket, he'd only been waiting for about thirty minutes but it felt like hours.

He sighed, he thought about how he was going to apologize to Courtney. Even though he now understood why she had to move back in with her parents, he still wasn't happy about it. He just needed her to know why. Which is what he could have explained to her earlier instead of getting angry.

As Duncan thought about it some he saw Courtney approaching the bookstore. From what he could tell she wasn't crying anymore but she did look sad still. His heart broke, he made her feel that way, and she was carrying his child. He loved this girl, and he couldn't even listen to what she had to say.

He stood up from the chair, and walked over to her. They stopped when they reached each other. There was a silence between them as they both stared at one another.

Duncan smirked at her, "Hey, I'm jerk", he said as he tried to lighten the mood. Courtney looked at him, "Yeah, you are", she agreed softly. Duncan pulled her in for a hug, "I'm sorry", he said for the second time that day as he hugged her. Courtney rested her face on his chest as she tried not to cry, "I'm sorry for hitting you", she said as the tears she had been holding in came running down her cheeks. Duncan couldn't help but smile, "No, you can hit me as many times as you want to", he said. She couldn't but laugh at his statement as she wiped her eyes.

They pulled away from each other then he led her over to a table to sit down. "Now why did you think I was trying shut you out?" She asked as they sat down. Duncan sighed, "It wasn't so much feeling like you were trying to shut me out, it was me feeling left out", he said.

Courtney looked at him as she touched his hand, "I don't understand", she said. "When you said you wanted to be prepared in case I didn't find us a place before the baby's born I started to think about all the things I could miss out on", he said. Courtney squeezed his hand, "You know that if you ever wanna see me, or the baby you can. We're only a drive away, and if you can find us a place before I give birth then that's great because then we'd get to live together. But if you can't then that's still ok because you'll be able to visit", she said.

Duncan nodded as he looked at her, "I get that but Courtney I wanna be there for it. I don't wanna miss out on any important things, and I know I probably can't be there 24/7 but I do want to be there as much as I can. I don't want to visit once a week, and on the weekends. I want to be one of the people the baby will see when it wakes up in the morning, I want to be there for the late night feedings, and to hold it when it's crying. Hell, I want to be there to change its diaper. I just don't wanna feel left out", he said.

A tear ran down Courtney's cheek as she listened to him. "Why didn't you say that before?" She asked him. Duncan shrugged, "I was angry, and you know I don't like talking about my feelings", he said. Courtney couldn't help but smile, even when he was pouring out his heart he still liked to deny he could be soft at times.

"I never want you to feel like you're being left out", she said. Duncan looked at her, "So, what're we gonna do?" He asked. A smile formed on Courtney's face as an idea popped into her head. "Move in", she said. "What?" Duncan asked in case he didn't hear her right the first time. "Move in", Courtney said again.

Duncan raised his eyebrow at her, "Your serious?" He asked. Courtney nodded her head in excitement, "Yeah, this way we can be together, and you can be there as much as you want. You won't have to visit because you'd already be living there", she said.

She could feel her enthusiasm rise as she talked about it. Duncan, on the other hand didn't share her excitement. As much as he wanted to live with her, and their baby he knew her parents wouldn't allow it.

"Your parents don't want me there", he said. Courtney smiled, "But I do, and the baby's gonna need you there. You're it's father, and you have a right to be around your child", she said.

"Not on your parents watch", he said. "Don't worry about my parents, I'll talk to them. But is moving in with me something you want?" She asked. Duncan looked at her, "More than anything", he truthfully said as he squeezed her hand. "Then let me talk to my parents", she said.

Duncan nodded as he continued to think about it, "Okay", he said after awhile. He didn't care where they lived, so long as they were together. He'd even be willing to put up with her parents but he was afraid they wouldn't want to put up with him. Courtney smiled, "I love you", she said. Duncan smiled back, "I love you too", he said. Courtney continued to smile then he reached across the table, and kissed her.

Heather made her way to the same hospital that she'd went to the other night. Like the last time, she sat in her car for a few minutes before she got out, and walked in through the doors. She went to the main desk where a nurse was sitting. "Excuse me, which room is April Lane in?" Heather asked the lady. The nurse looked at her before typing something in her computer, "Room 315", she said.

Heather nodded her thanks then made her way to the elevators. Once there she pushed the up button then waited for the doors to open. She couldn't help but tap her foot as she waited, not because she was impatient but because she wondered what she was gonna say to April once she saw her.

She didn't have much time to think about it because the elevator doors opened. Heather sighed as she stepped inside. She pushed the button for the third floor then watched the doors close. As the elevator rose, she counted the numbers, above the doors, as they lit up. "1, 2, 3", she murmured as she got to her designated floor.

The doors opened, and she stepped out. She looked at the room numbers as she walked down the hall until she came to room 315. Heather stopped then stood in front of the door to her sister's room. It was closed, and she couldn't see who was in there. She grabbed onto the handle. A part of her wanted April to be asleep, so she wouldn't have to make conversation, so she wouldn't have to try tip toeing around the subject of what was happening. But another part of her wanted April to be awake so they could talk about it then, and not later. Heather hated waiting until later to talk about things. That's why she came when April texted her to come earlier. As much as she hated it, it was better to talk things out before waiting too long.

Heather looked at the handle, and turned the knob. She pushed opened the door, and was able to look inside. It was obviously a private room; there was a bathroom, a small closet, a bedpan (gross), two chairs, one stool, a tv, and a bed which had April laying in it.

Heather walked inside. "Nice of you to show", April said. Heather looked at her, "I half expected you to be asleep", she said. April smirked, "I was before you got here. I got tired of waiting on you so I took a nap, per doctor's request, and when I woke up you still weren't here", she said. Heather couldn't help but note that April was surprisingly chipper for someone who had just been told that they had cancer.

Heather stuck her hands in jacket's pockets, "It was a two-hour drive", she said. April shrugged, "Explains a lot", she said. Heather looked around the room, "Where are Mom, Dad, and Bobby at?" She asked. She'd think they would all be rallied around April still. April looked at her, "They went to go get something to eat in the cafeteria. They won't be back for some time considering I don't think they ate anything last night", she answered.

Heather shallowed, kind of hard to eat after you've just been told that your daughter, and sister have cancer. Heather pulled up the stool that was near the bed, "How long have they been here?" She asked before she sat down. "All night, and all day. I thought they would have at left for a bit while I went to go to get some tests done earlier but nope, they stayed", April said.

"So, they haven't even gone back home to shower, or change?" Heather asked. April shook her head, "No, but they will soon. It's not like they can stay here all night again", she said. She didn't feel like she had to mention how they had to go to work tomorrow, and how Bobby had school in the morning. He was 14, and in middle school still. He had to show up, or else he could fall behind.

Heather only nodded as she looked down, "So, how have you been?" She asked. "You mean before I found out I had cancer, or after?" April asked. Heather looked at her, "Both", she said.

"Good", April said. "Really?" Heather asked. April nodded, "Well not so much as good as I was ok. I mean I was getting sick a lot, and it took the doctors a little while to figure out what was wrong. They thought it was some type of virus that I had caught. I had to take a semester off of college because of it. Now after they told me what was really going on, I was in shock, scared, devastated. You know? The works. Anyways, they said they'd run tests, and then we could talk about options. Which is what I expect we'll be doing soon. It still doesn't feel real but it is. Now enough about me, what about you? I heard you started a business with your roommate", she said.

Heather nodded her head, grateful for the change in conversation. "Yeah, it's called Total Designs. I started it with Lindsey, from the show, and we just added another girl name Leshawna to the fold. She's from the show too", Heather said. "The one you hated?" April asked. "Yeah, she's helping us with what's going to be the new urban division", Heather explained.

April chuckled as she remembered the times she would watch the show from home, and see Heather fighting with Leshawna. "Funny stuff, so what is it you do?" April asked referring to Heather's role in TD. "I managed the finances, Lindsey designs the clothes, Leshawna designs clothes, and helps me with the finances but we all help make the clothes", Heather said.

"I should have known you weren't designing clothes. I was looking at your website on my phone this morning while everybody was asleep, and I thought to myself no way did you design any of those. Sorry Heather, you know fashion but you can't design clothes that look that good", April teased.

Heather growled in anger, "You know what April? I didn't come all the way over here to be insulted", she said. April smirked, "It was a joke, chill", she said. Heather slammed her fists on the bed, "No, you always do this. You get a rise out of me just to get me to go off on you then you turn around, and play the victim. You make people think I'm crazy. They either think that I'm lying, or overreacting. Do you know you basically made my life a living hell? Because you did", she said. She hated that that's how she said it, considering all that was happening, but it needed to be said.

"It wasn't a picnic living with you either. Don't try to play the victim Heather because we both know you aren't one", April said. Heather looked at her, "Yeah but you tortured me every day", she said. "You mean like you did to other people at school?" April asked. "You weren't Miss, Nice Nice neither", Heather said. April shrugged her shoulders, "Fair enough", she said. "At least the people I picked on didn't have to worry about me all the time. I couldn't get away from you, and everybody's constant love for you", Heather said.

"I can't help it if people liked me", April said. "Yeah, well it annoyed me. Especially when they were like, 'April she's so nice', 'April she's so wonderful', April, April, April", Heather said in frustration after she mocked the adults that loved April so much.

"Again, not my fault", April said. Heather scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "You had all of that, you didn't have to make it your life's mission to make my life miserable", she said. April looked at her, "What are you talking about, that wasn't my life's mission", she said. Heather crossed her arms, "Sure seemed like it. You taunted me, you tried to prove you were better than me, you stole my clothes, hell you even stole my boyfriends, and there'd be nothing wrong with the guys you were dating", she said as listed all of April's misdeeds.

"I didn't think you cared about those guys", April said. Heather growled, "Most of them were just guys to date but Bill, and Clayton were two guys who I really liked. Once you got them, you flaunted them around in my face", she said. April snuggled her head on her pillow as she closed her eyes, "Does it help to know that Bill was a cheater, or that Clayton had an STD?" She asked as she touched her forehead. Heather looked at her, "What do you mean?" She asked quietly. April opened her eyes, "You didn't pick the best guys Heather, and they proved it. Somebody had to get them away from you", she said.

Heather's face softened, "April, is that the reason why you stole all of my boyfriends? Because you were trying to protect me?" She asked. April shook her head, "No, most of that was just to mess with you", she said then she laughed. Heather growled again, "I knew it, you bitch", she said. April continued to laugh then she settled down, "Yeah, okay I'm a bitch. But I grew up Heather. There were times that you still acted so immature that I couldn't resist taunting you because that's all you understood", she said.

"Well I'm learning, no thanks to you", Heather said. "Good because you need to grow up but even as you do mature you'll always be my, little, baby, sister", April said as she pinched Heather's cheek. Heather shrugged her away, "Quit it", she said. April wouldn't quit, and soon it turned into a game of Heather trying to fight her off. "Come on baby sister", April taunted. "Leave me alone", Heather said. She fought her off some more then the two girls started laughing.

April quit trying to pinch Heather's cheek, and the two girls just continued to laugh. Heather couldn't remember when the last time it was that she laughed with her sister but here they were laughing, together. For the first time, she felt like her sister was acting like a sister.

Slowly their laughter came to a stop. April looked at her, "Look I'm gonna be ok. I've got good doctors, they're gonna find a treatment plan that works for me, and I'm gonna beat this. I mean the chemotherapy is gonna be hell, and I'll go bald but I'm gonna be ok", she said. Heather nodded her head slowly, "Okay", she said quietly. A small tear welled up in her eye.

April took her hand, "Listen I don't I need you crying over me, I'm gonna be getting enough of that from Mom, Dad, and Bobby. What I'm gonna need from you is to keep things normal for me. So, if I'm being a bitch, call me a bitch. Don't hold back, okay?" She asked. Heather nodded again, "Yeah", she said. April smiled, "Good", she said. Heather wiped away the tear that was in her eye then April pulled her in for a hug.

After her talk with Duncan Courtney headed home. Her plan was to get both her parents together, and try to convince them to let Duncan move in. It wouldn't be easy, heck she expected them both to say 'no', but she believed she could get them to say yes, eventually. Once she arrived home, she parked her car then got out, and walked up to her front door. She used her key to walk inside. "I'm home", Courtney called out after she dropped her bag near the front entrance.

There was no answer, her parents must have still been at work. Courtney sighed before she walked into the living room. She sat down on the couch, and decided to wait until they got home.

She turned on the tv, and flipped through the channels. After watching some rerun, she checked the time on her cell phone, it was 5:00pm. She put it on the couch, both her parents should be arriving home soon.

As she flipped through the channels again she heard the door unlock then she heard someone walk in, and close the door. Courtney continued watching the tv as her mother walked into the room. Maria looked at her, "Hey", she said. "Hey", Courtney said as she looked at the tv. She wasn't paying attention to what was on, she was just waiting for her dad to come home so she'd have both her parents to talk to.

Maria sat down beside her, "How was your day?" She asked casually. Courtney crossed her arms as she sank in the couch, "Good, where's Dad?" She asked. "He should be home soon", Maria said.

Five minutes later they heard Randell come in the front door. He walked into the living room, and greeted his wife with a kiss then he hugged Courtney. "Hey dad", Courtney said with a smile as he hugged her.

Randell pulled away, "How were your classes?" He asked. "Good", Courtney said. She didn't say anything else. Randell looked at her as she was silent, "Something wrong?" He asked. Courtney looked at him as she shook her head, "No, well there is something I want to talk to you guys about", she said before she stood up.

"What about?" Randell asked. Courtney sighed, "About Duncan", she told them. Randell sharply sucked in a breath of air before he slowly exhaled, "What about him?" He asked practically whispering. Courtney looked at them as she chose her next words carefully, "Can he move in?" She asked quietly.

There was no silence that followed because her father didn't waste any time in replying. "No", Randell said as his voice practically boomed around the whole living room. "Look I know you guys don't like him but…", she was interrupted by her father. "I said no", Randell said again in the exact same tone as before.

Courtney could feel herself start to get frustrated. It didn't seem like her father was going to make an effort to hear her out. "Why not? It's not like we don't have enough room for both him, and the baby" Courtney said. She wasn't lying neither, it wasn't like their house was small. It wasn't super big but it was bigger than most houses.

"I don't care", Randell said. "But he's the father of my baby…", Courtney said but was interrupted again. "Don't remind me", Randell interjected. "Can you please just think about it?" Courtney asked. "No", Randell said. Courtney huffed, it was like her father could only say no. "What are you so afraid of? I'm already pregnant", Courtney said.

"All the more reason why I don't want him in this house", Randell said loudly. Courtney turned to her mother, who had yet to jump into the conversation. "Mom", Courtney said in desperation.

Maria looked at her husband, "Randell I think we should talk about this in the kitchen", she suggested before she stood up. Randell nodded, and she led him into the kitchen. Once there, Randell started running his fingers through his hair in frustration. First his, technically still, teen daughter got pregnant. Now she was trying to convince them to allow, the father, who is a thug, to move in.

"You can't convince me, I won't allow him to live here", Randell said as he referred to Duncan like he was acid on his tough. Maria got into in his face, "You think I want him here too? Because I don't, I don't want him anywhere near here", she said.

"So, we're in agreement?" Randell asked. Maria shook her head, "No", she said. Randell sighed in frustration as he continued to run his fingers through his short hair again then he took a couple of deep breaths as he tried to calm down. The last thing he wanted was to blow up in front of his wife, and scare his daughter.

"I don't want him living in this house, Maria", Randell managed to say in quiet voice. "What's the point in keeping him away? Like she said, she's already pregnant, no matter what the damage is already done. Having him live here isn't going to make the situation anymore worse", Maria said.

Randell folded his arms, "I don't want to take any chances", he said. Maria sighed, "There's no point in trying. Like she said he's the father of this baby so he's going to be coming around, and whether we like it, or not they're a couple again", she said. She understood his concerns but everything that could happen by allowing Duncan to live there had already happened.

Randell thought about what his wife said then he let out a sigh, "I'm sorry but no", he said as held up his hands. He turned around. Maria went up behind him, and hugged him.

Randell turned back around, and hugged her back. They let go of each other after a minute. Maria looked at him, "You know as much as I do that she won't stop asking us. She'll try to convince us why it's a good idea. All the pros, and cons. She'll even be willing to make a comprise if she has to. She's relentless like that", she said as she gave him a sad smile.

Randell nodded sadly, "Yeah", he agreed quietly. "You know what we have to do, right?" Maria asked. Randell nodded his head knowingly, "There will be conditions", he said with an edge to his voice as he looked at her. They both knew what that would be. Maria nodded in agreement, "Definitely", she said.

They walked back into the living room where they found Courtney pacing in the room. She stopped when she saw them come in. Courtney looked at them, "Mom, Dad, I know you're hesitant to let Duncan stay here. But if you just hear me out, one more time, then I think we can reach some kind of agreement", she said.

Randell held up his hand to get her to stop talking then he gestured to Maria. "Duncan can stay here", Maria said. Courtney couldn't help but let out a squeal as she smiled. She ran up, and gave them both a hug.

"Thank you, thank you so much", Courtney said as she hugged them. Maria made her look at her, "This is only until he can get you guys your own apartment, and while he's here he stays in a separate room", she said then she shared a glance with her husband. That was the only way either of them were going to feel comfortable with allowing Duncan to stay there.

Courtney just nodded at their requests, "I understand", she said before she looked at them with a smile. Maria smiled a little herself while Randell just looked off to the side angrily. She could see him balling his hands into tight fists. Courtney hadn't noticed her father's distress. Instead she just pulled away from her parents then texted Duncan the news.

Beth was behind the counter at the bookstore. She had her hand under her chin as she tapped her fingers on the surface. Her body leaned against the counter as her eyes wandered around the room in boredom. There was nobody else in there except Izzy; she'd come in an hour ago, and hadn't left yet.

Beth watched as she bounced around the room, "Izzy my boss is gonna get mad if you don't buy something, and leave", she said. That wasn't enterally true. People hung around there all the time, and her boss never said anything. Mostly because she would be in the back room, looking at her computer. Beth looked at the door, that was closed, and saw her boss through the window glass. Sure enough, her boss was at the computer.

Izzy stopped bouncing around, "Come on, you know you like me being in here with you", she said with a smile. A small smile formed on Beth's face. It was nice having somebody in the store with her, especially when it was likely to be a slow night. Evening shifts were usually slow because people got their books during the day. The store only stayed open until 8:00pm just in case someone needed something to help them study late at night.

"Yeah, it's nice but I don't understand why you're in here", Beth said. She'd never hung around in the bookstore before which is why Beth found it weird that she was now. It made her wonder where Owen was since Izzy usually spent time with both him, and Noah.

Izzy's smile grew, "I need candles", she said. "We don't…Wait, what do you need candles for?" Beth asked out of curiosity. Izzy flashed her a big white smile, "You'll see", she said with a hint of mystery in her voice. Beth gave her a look of confusion as she tried to figure out why Izzy needed candles. After awhile she gave up, no use in trying to figure out what was going on in Izzy's mind.

"Well like I was gonna say before, we don't sell candles. This is a bookstore not candle store", Beth told her. Izzy laughed after Beth told her that, "Whoops I guess I better go somewhere else then", she said. "That'd be your best bet", Beth said. Izzy pulled out some sunglasses then put them over her eyes, "I'll be back", she said in her best terminator voice before leaving the store. After she left, Beth shook her head as she sighed then she went back to tapping on the surface of the counter with her fingers.

After Courtney texted Duncan the news he called her. To say he was happy was an understatement, he was ecstatic. At first, she couldn't understand why, considering the fact that he was going to be living in the same house as her parents, but then she realized most of his happiness stemmed from the fact that he was going to be living with her, and later their baby like he wanted. It made her happy to know that he was willing to put up with his dislike for them just to be with her.

"Hey, Courtney you still there?" Duncan asked over the phone. Courtney smiled, "Yeah", she answered. "Good, anyways, I was thinking instead of waiting tomorrow I could move down there today", he said. Courtney raised an eyebrow, "You sure about that?" She asked. She knew he probably had a lot of stuff to pack up, and this was short notice considering at time she didn't know if she was gonna be able to convince her parents to let him move in, or not.

"Yeah, I don't have much to pack, and I really wanna see you", he said. Courtney smiled again, "Okay, just let me tell my parents so they won't be surprised when you show up at the front door with your things", she said. "Alright, I'll see you in about an hour princess", he said. Courtney giggled at the nickname, "Okay, I love you", she said. "Love you too", he said before hanging up.

Courtney put her cell phone in her pocket then walked into the kitchen. Her mother was at the stove making dinner while her father was sitting at the table with his hand covering his face. He was obviously still upset with himself for saying a thug could live in his house.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, Duncan's going to be moving in here tonight. Is that ok?" Courtney asked. Maria nodded as she stood over the stove, "Yeah", she mumbled not looking at her. Courtney looked over at her father, he didn't say anything instead she saw him tighten his fist.

Courtney sighed before she headed for her room. As she walked up the stairs she couldn't help but wonder if Duncan, and her parents were ever gonna learn to get along for the baby's sake. She was used to them not liking each other but she didn't want the baby to have to deal with that.

Once she was in her room she laid down on her bed, and waited for Duncan. As she waited she couldn't help but feel excited. Her, and Duncan would be living together. Sure, they'd be staying with her parents but she didn't care about that.

As she waited, she'd occasionally looked at her clock, and watched the minutes go by then she'd look at the ceiling. As she stared at the tile she heard a familiar voice. "Hey princess", the voice said. Courtney looked in the direction of the door, and saw Duncan standing there with a smirk on his face as he held his bag. A smile crossed her face as she got off her bed, and ran into his arms.

Duncan held her tight as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're here", Courtney said in his embrace. Duncan smirked then they pulled away. He looked around the room. It'd been a long time since he'd been in there. The smirk on his face grew as he thought about all the good memories they'd made in the room.

Courtney watched him walk over to the bed then he flopped down on it. Duncan laid back, "The bed's a lot smaller than I remember but I think we can make it work", he said as he ran his hand over the covers. Courtney giggled as she watched him, "It's always been that size", she said with a smile. Duncan didn't say anything instead he just smirked. Courtney hadn't told him that he'd be sleeping in the other guest room. But she would later.

Duncan looked over at the doorway, and saw her about to pick up his bag. He immediately jumped off the bed, and walked over to her. "I got that princess. You shouldn't be picking up heavy stuff anyway", he said as he took the bag from her. As he grabbed the bag he swung one hand around her waist, and pulled her towards him. Their faces, only inches apart. Courtney smiled as they looked at each other then she let out a giggle before he kissed her. She kissed him back, and pretty soon they were kissing in the doorway. As they were kissing a large arm grabbed Duncan by his shirt, and forcefully dragged him out of the room. Duncan didn't have time to react, and once in the hallway he was to face to face with Courtney's father.

Randell got in his face, "Let's just get one thing straight, you don't live here nor are you a guest. A guest is someone who is welcomed here, you are not welcomed here. You are only here until you can get a job then get your own place, or until my daughter sees what a piece of crap you are, and dumps your sorry ass. So, I'm warning you now, stay out of Courtney's room, or else", he warned in a low voice.

Duncan didn't bother to say, 'or else what?' Because he knew what happened to guys who asked. After all he himself was one of the ones who beat the crap out of anyone who had darned to ask. But now he was on the receiving end of it, and he realized then that the fear he had instilled in other people was now being instilled into him. So, he didn't ask, he knew some of things that could happen, and he didn't want to test Randell.

Randell got out of his face then walked away. Once he was gone Duncan didn't do anything except stand where he was. One part of him was scared the other was studded that he'd just basically threatened him while his daughter's room was only a few feet away. As he stood outside of Courtney's doorway he saw her come out of her room looking concerned. He gave her a smirk to show her he was ok even though he was shaking on the inside.

Courtney gave him a sad smile before she walked back into her room. Duncan didn't follow her, not after what'd just happened. He sighed to himself, it was obvious Randell wasn't going to make his stay there an easy one.

Justin, and Trent were back in their dorm room after they'd came back from the gym. It was getting closer to evening as Justin sat on his bed changing his bandage. Cody had advised that it'd be a good idea for him to put some Neosporin on the scrape, and apply a new bandage so it didn't get infected.

As he wrapped the gaze around his leg he rubbed the back of his neck. He was still so sore from his intense workout. In addition to the burning scar on his leg, his calf muscles were sore from all the running he'd been doing. His whole body ached. He knew he'd pushed himself too hard but he didn't care; he had to keep his body in tip, top, shape. It was the only way he'd be able to model.

As he finished applying his new gaze he glanced over at Trent, who was standing near the microwave heating something up. Based on the smell Justin could tell it was pasta mixed with alfredo sauce. He shook his head as he tried to ignore the aroma. He'd been trying to cut back on how much food he ate so he could cut back on how many calories he ate but it was hard because he'd get so hungry. The longest he could go without eating was a day but by the next morning he'd wake up feeling sick. So, to make it easy on himself he wouldn't eat all day once a week. The rest of week he'd eat but it was only little.

Justin heard the timer on the microwave go off then he looked over, and saw Trent takeout a small plastic tray. "Hey Justin you want some of this?" Trent asked with a smile as he walked over to him. "No", Justin said as he shook his head.

Trent took a whiff of the pasta, "Come on", he encouraged. Justin backed away as Trent started pushing the tray in his face, "I'm not hungry", he snapped. Trent frowned as he pulled the tray away from his face, "Sorry, I was just messing around", he mumbled.

"Yeah well just keep that stuff away from me", Justin said angrily as he gestured to the tray of pasta. Trent couldn't help but notice how Justin referred to the food as 'stuff' almost like it was poison, "Have you eaten today?" He asked. "Yeah", Justin said in frustration. "What did you have?" Trent asked. Justin looked at him, "I had a banana earlier", he said in annoyance. Trent looked at him, "Just a banana? What about breakfast, or lunch? What about dinner?" He asked. His voice was filled with surprise because he realized Justin probably hadn't had any of the three. Only one lousy banana, that in the long run, did nothing for a person.

"I don't need to eat all of that", Justin said as he looked away. "Dude you need more than a banana", Trent said with concern as he set down the tray. Justin shook his head, "I'm good", he said.

"Okay, dude, I'm not trying to tell you what to do but you seriously need to eat something else", Trent said. His former bandmate was really starting to freak him out. First with his excessive workouts, and now with his lack of eating.

Justin narrowed his eyes, "I don't know how many times I have to tell you but I'm not hungry", he said angrily. Trent heard a growl come from Justin's stomach, "Your stomach disagrees", he told him. "Well I'm not, now back off", Justin said practically shouting at him.

Trent backed up slightly as he held up his hands in a surrender like motion, "Okay, I'll back off. But only if you at least eat a quarter of what's in that tray", he said as he gestured to the pasta. "If I get hungry I'll make salad", Justin compromised. He figured a salad wasn't going to do much harm. If he did make one it'd probably only be lettuce with low fat dressing on it.

Trent put his down hands in defeat. He couldn't make him eat, and he was a fool to try. "Okay man, to be honest I don't understand why you won't eat more", Trent said as he picked up the tray. Justin rubbed his leg, "I'm a model. I have to look fit", he said.

Trent was about to something but a knock at the door interrupted him before he could. He took one more look at Justin before he went to go answer it. DJ stood on the other side holding a plastic dish of what looked to have soup in it.

"Hey DJ", Trent said as he let him inside. "Hey", DJ said as he looked at them. Unlike Trent, Justin didn't greet him, he just looked at him as he walked in.

"What's you got there?" Trent asked as he gestured to the plastic bowl. DJ smiled, "Soup, I made it for my culinary class. It's for an assignment. Anyways I wanted to see if you guys could taste a sample. Sierra loves it but I thought I'd get other people's opinions too. You know? So, I can make sure I did it right", he explained.

Trent picked at his pasta, "Sure but don't give any to Justin, he won't eat", he said as he tilted his head over to him. DJ frowned as he looked at the two, "Why not?" He asked. Trent swallowed the pasta that he put in his mouth, "Trying to lose weight", he said.

DJ looked over at Justin, "Seriously?" He asked surprised. That was weird considering that Justin was one of the most fit looking people that he knew. "Yeah, and I don't know why. He looks pretty fit to me", Trent said.

Justin sighed, "You guys don't understand because you don't model", he said. Trent rolled his eyes, "I'm thankful for that", he said. If he had to do what Justin did just to keep a modeling gig then he wouldn't do it, no matter how much they paid him.

"Starving yourself isn't a good way to lose weight", DJ said. Justin looked at him, "I'm not starving myself", he said. "Yet", Trent mumbled. He knew how these things went. He'd heard the stories. They usually ended with people looking like skin, and bones.

"Look until my boss tells me I look good I'm sticking to my diet. Until then don't pressure me to eat, and if you don't want to see me push myself in the gym then don't come", Justin said to them. There was a silence that followed after his statement as he looked at them both to see if they had any response. DJ didn't say anything, he just stood awkwardly in the middle of room. Trent shrugged his shoulders, "Okay", he murmured after awhile. Justin nodded his head in contentment.

That night Duncan was getting settled in his new room. He was still pretty shaken up after Randell practically manhandled him earlier for going into Courtney's room. Duncan shook his head in annoyance at the thought as he folded up a shirt then put it in the drawer, he knew the guy had it out for him but that didn't mean he had to put his hands on him. All Randell had to do was tell him not to go into Courtney's room but no he had to threaten him. Then again, it's not like the guy didn't have good reason to not like him, or trust him for that matter. After all he did get his only daughter pregnant but it's not like he did it on purpose, it was an accident for crying out loud.

After Duncan finished unpacking he looked around the room. It still didn't feel like home, no matter how many of his own touches he added. Maybe part of that reason was because a guy, who slept two feet down the hall, wanted to break his face.

He shook his head again before he looked at the wall that was contacted to Courtney's room. He smiled as he touched it. At least there was one person in that house who didn't hate him, and pretty soon there'd be two.

He smirked as he backed away, he didn't care if her parents liked him, or not. They were just gonna have to get used to him because he wasn't walking away from Courtney. Duncan walked over to his stereo, that he'd set up, and turned it on. He the shut door, so nobody could hear his music then he turned up the volume.

As he was jamming to the song he didn't hear his door open. All of a sudden, his music was cut off then he felt somebody wrap their arm around his neck. His feet practically lifted off the floor as he was taken out of the room, and violently thrown against the wall in hallway. For the second time that day he was face to face with Randell, who was pinning him against the wall.

Duncan could feel Randell's breath on his face as the older man breathed heavily in anger. His heart started pounding as he wondered what he'd done wrong now. Randell looked at him as he tightened his grip, "You are really pushing my buttons. First you go into my daughter's room then you keep me up by playing that-that whatever it is you call music. Apparently, I didn't make it obvious before but this is my house, and as long as you're going to be staying here you will obey my rules. First rule, and most important rule is that you stay out of Courtney's room. The second rule is you keep your music down. I don't even what to hear it. The third rule is you show me nothing but respect. That means you call me Mr. Summers not Randell, and sure as hell not Randy. The last rule is that once you get a job you start paying rent. I won't have you mooching off me, or my wife. So, you better start paying your own way, understood?" He asked with a growl. Duncan narrowed his eyes at him, "Wait how am I supposed to find an apartment if you're going to be taking half my earnings?" He asked. Randell let go of his shirt, "Figure it out", he said before walking away.

Duncan watched him walk into the bedroom down the hall then slam the door shut. He started rubbing his neck while he glared at the door. He imagined the bruise that would form on his neck later. Bastard, Duncan thought angrily as walked back into his room. He was starting to think that maybe he should've stayed on the campus. It would have been a lot easier on him, and safer.

After her shift at the bookstore, Beth returned to her dorm room, and flopped on her bed. It was sometime after 8:00pm, and she was tired. She let out groan, she hated working the late shift, nobody hardly came in, and the person working always had to close up. So, not only was it boring but it was exhausting too.

As she laid on her stomach she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Beth rolled over on her back as she took it out. It was a text message from Izzy. Izzy: Come down to the middle of campus, right where the giant fountain is. There's a surprise waiting for you. Beth raised her eyebrow at the request. Beth: Izzy it's late, no. She waited for Izzy's reply. Izzy: Just get down here now. Beth shook her head as she got off her bed. She may as well go down there to see what the surprise was because knowing Izzy she was going to stay where she was at, and wait for her to show up. Which means she wouldn't stop texting.

Beth made her way to the middle of campus until she spotted the giant fountain where Izzy said she'd be at with her 'surprise'. Beth sighed in frustration as she walked, it was late, and she had a class in the morning. In truth she didn't care about the surprise, in fact the only reason why she was even bothering to show up was so Izzy wouldn't wait all night for her.

As she got closer she saw a guy sitting at a table with…candles? Beth raised an eyebrow at the scene. Why was there a table with candles on it? A scene like that usually signified a…wait a minute. Beth rolled her eyes at the realization; it was a date, a romantic date as a matter of fact, and she didn't need to see the guy to know who he was. She shook her head in anger, damnit Izzy.

Once she got to the table she saw the, not so mystery man, sitting in one of the chairs. Cody smiled in embarrassment when he saw her, "Hey", he said sheepishly. "Hey, did Izzy trick you too?" Beth asked as she sat down. Cody nodded his head, "Yeah, she told me that she had a…", he started but was interrupted. "Surprise?" Beth asked. Cody nodded again with a small smile on his face, "Yeah, anyways I was kinda surprised when she texted me out of blue. I told her it was late but she was adamant that I come down here so I did because I didn't want to leave her alone in case she got into trouble, or something", he said.

Beth chuckled, his reasoning for coming were sorta like hers. "Yeah, I didn't want to leave her by herself either", she said. Cody chuckled too, "Well when I got here I saw the food on this table with candles, as you can see, then Izzy told me to sit here, and wait for you", he finished explaining. Beth looked at him, "Why didn't you warn me?" She asked. "She took my phone", he said in frustration with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Beth covered her face with her hand, "Izzy", she said as she shook her head. Cody understood her frustration, "Any idea on why she would set this up?" He asked. Beth sighed as she looked at him, "She thinks we should become a couple", she said.

Cody chuckled in disbelief, "Really?" He asked. Beth nodded, "Yeah, she's really stuck on us dating for some reason. Do you have any idea why she would want us to be a couple so badly?" She asked. Cody thought about it, "If I had to guess, it's because of Owen. He's still been coping with his diagnosis, and it's been hard on the both of them. So, I suspect she's been looking for a distraction. Now I understand wanting to focus on something else to take you're mine off the situation but did it have to be us? I mean there are other hobbies", he said.

"Like collecting stamps", Beth suggested. It was the most obvious hobby she could think of at the moment. Cody smirked, "That, or videogames", he said. He figured that would be more exciting for her.

"Yeah videogames are a good idea. I think Call Of Duty would suit her", Beth said. "Halo seems right up her alley too", Cody said as he thought of Izzy staying up all night trying to get to the next level. He imagined her yelling at the screen as she shot at the make-believe enemy. Taking it all way too seriously as if it were all real.

"Yeah, she'd probably play them all night in Owen, and Noah's dorm room. I don't think Owen would care but it might annoy Noah", she said. Cody shrugged, "Better him than us", he said with a smirk.

They both laughed. It's not that they wanted to see Noah suffer but they didn't want to be Izzy's project until she no longer needed a distraction. Besides Noah already dealt with Izzy enough as it was, he could handle her.

As they both stopped laughing Beth looked around for Izzy, she was nowhere to be seen. Typical, she left them a romantic dinner then ditched them. Beth turned her attention to the meal that had been prepared for them. They both had the same thing; chicken breast, with a side of green beans, and carrots. She looked at their glasses filled with, what she suspected was, some kind of alcoholic beverage.

She took the bottle, that was next to one of the candles, and looked at the label. Yup, it was wine. A small smile formed on her face as she giggled. Izzy really did set up such an ideal, romantic, date. It was quite impressive.

Beth looked at him, "What you wanna do? Leave, or stay?" She asked. Cody smiled, "Might as well stay, she did such a great job with the food. It wouldn't be right to waste it", he said.

Beth glanced at her plate, "She does know it's way too late to be eating dinner though, right?" She asked. Cody shook his head, "Not to mention I've already eaten", he said. Beth picked at her chicken, "I guess whatever we don't eat we can have for lunch tomorrow", she said before she took a bite.

Cody looked at her, "Together?" He asked. Beth swallowed her chicken before looking back at him, "Yeah", she said quietly. An uncomfortable silence fell between them. She knew they were both thinking about how he'd kissed her the other day. If Izzy hadn't of set up this surprise date then Beth would've spent the whole night, and possibly all of the next day ignoring him.

A chilly breeze swirled around them, Beth began to shiver. She wrapped her arms around her body so she could warm herself up but it didn't work. Since it was fall it was now starting to get colder outside. It wasn't so bad during the day because if the sun was out then the rays usually provided enough heat. So, all that was needed was a small jacket to stay warm. Nights were a different story though. Even on a cloudy day a small jacket was enough to keep a person warm but nighttime was when it really started to get chilly. It wasn't too bad compared to how it normally was but it was still cold. If she could guess the temperature then she'd say it was probably in the 50's. Maybe 54-degress if she wanted to try to be accurate.

Cody watched as she rubbed her shoulders, "Here, let me help", he offered as he stood up from his chair then walked around the table while taking off the jacket he was wearing. He placed it around her shoulders before going to sit back down in his chair. Beth looked at him, "You didn't have to do that", she said with a worried look on her face.

Cody put up his hand in reassurance, "No, it's ok, really. I'll be alright", he said. The look of concern didn't disappear from Beth's face. "Are you sure?" She asked. Cody nodded, "Yeah", he said.

Beth didn't argue with him anymore instead she put her arms in the sleeves, and snuggled in the warmth that soon followed. "Thanks", she said as she looked at him. "No problem", Cody said.

They gave each other small smiles then, out of nowhere, music started to play. Beth turned her head to look behind her but she couldn't find the source. She narrowed her eyes, no doubt it was Izzy who was behind the romantic music playing. After all, it wouldn't be a romantic date without romantic music, now would it? As the music played Beth's face softened. She couldn't name the song but it was beautiful, and most likely from the late 80's. It was soft rock, the kind that played on radio, late at night, on one of the oldie stations.

She turned her attention back to Cody to find him listening to the song too. Based on the smile that was on his face, he was enjoying the tune. She smiled again as she rested her hands on the table near his. Without realizing it, their fingertips touched.

Cody looked at her as he felt her finger touch his. Their eyes locked as neither said anything to the other. Beth's smile faded as she stared into his eyes, "Cody, what are we?" She asked. Cody looked at her, he knew she was referring to their relationship. She was probably confused by him kissing her, truth be told he was too. "I don't know", he said quietly.

"Are we a couple, or just friends?" She asked. Cody shrugged, "Hard to say", he said. Beth swallowed, "Do you like me?" She asked. Cody nodded his head slightly, "Yeah", he said. "As more than a friend?" She asked. Cody nodded again, "Definitely", he said. He really did like her, he liked her very much. That he knew for certain.

"So, what's going on between us?" Beth asked as her finger still touched his. Cody though about it, he liked her, that was for sure, and he wanted to keep seeing her as more than friend. But he didn't know if he was ready for it to cross over into girlfriend territory yet. All he knew was he didn't want to stop seeing her.

Cody squeezed her hand, "I don't know but we'll figure it out", he said. Beth seemed satisfied with that answer. Sure, he didn't say he wanted to be her boyfriend but he did confirm that he liked her, and not as friend. The confirmation was all she needed at the moment.

The music in the background continued to play. They smiled at each other as they listened to the song. Meanwhile, a few feet away, in the shadows, Izzy watched them next to her boom box. A triumphant smile, plastered, on her face.

A/N- Well there's chapter 26. Again, this was a really long chapter. Anyways did you like it? How did you enjoy Cody, and Beth's date? Was it good? Are you enjoying them together? Will they become boyfriend, and girlfriend? What about Heather, and her sister April? Did you like the little moment they shared in April's hospital room? How far will Justin go to lose weight? Will his friends help him before it gets too bad? Finally, what about Duncan, and Courtney? What did you think of him moving into her parents' house with her? Is Randell placing unfair blame on Duncan? Will he lighten up? Tell me what you think in the comments. Cold Water by Major Lazer ft. MO ft. Justin Bieber.