A/N: If you'll remember, Courtney just jumped into the lake with the intentions of snagging her key, and Duncan is there cheering her on. Heather has won immunity, but there are still more prizes up for grab! And, of course, Courtney and Bridgette are looking forward to an afternoon together. Enjoy!
Courtney hit the water, and it was somehow warm and freezing at the same time. One of the sharks had noticed her, and it was swimming towards her, no doubt ready for a meal. The confidence she felt just seconds ago was gone. She needed to get out of this water. Forcing herself up, Courtney resurfaced and looked up at Duncan. He wore an encouraging smile, but she didn't feel encouraged. Could he see the panic in her eyes?
He must have because his grin faltered, and he shouted at her that she could do it. Courtney just treaded water and let the shark get closer to her. This was it. She vaguely registered Duncan yelling, but she couldn't focus on it. She couldn't focus on anything but the shark, which was about a meter away from attacking.
Then, the shark bumped Courtney's leg with its nose in curiosity. It wasn't attacking. It wasn't attacking! Taking a deep breath, she remembered her task. She turned towards the pole and started swimming, albeit slowly, and she heard Duncan's voice go from concerned to excited. The other two sharks noticed her, and she started swimming faster. So they wouldn't attack her, but she was still uneasy.
Courtney made it to the pole, and she hoisted herself up and pulled the key down. Now, all she had to do was get out of the lake. She swam back to the dock and took Duncan's hand, which was waiting for her. He pulled her out of the water and to her feet. His proud smile didn't have the infectious effect he wanted it to have.
"Court!" Duncan offered her the towel, but her feet wouldn't move. She just stood there, shivering. "You did it!"
"Don't say anything," Courtney said between chattering teeth, "don't."
Duncan sighed, dropping her towel, and held his arms open for her. She shot into them, and he wrapped them around her. Courtney didn't return the hug, her arms caught between their chests.
"You did so good," Duncan's hand rubbed circles between her shoulder blade. That fell under saying something, but he didn't care.
Courtney shook her head into his shoulder, "no, I didn't. I was so scared."
Pulling away from her, Duncan picked up her towel and wrapped it around her. He held her shoulders. "And you still did it. That's called doing good, Princess. Now come on."
Courtney nodded, "can I put my shirt back on first? Sorry I got you all wet."
"It's okay. Lots of sun today. I'll be dry in no time," Duncan watched as she slipped his shirt over her head. A comment about her using the word "my" was on the tip of his tongue, but he kept it in. Now wasn't the right time.
"Still, I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about… everything," Courtney looped her arm through his, and they started walking, "I know I was a lot. I don't want to talk about it, but I'm sorry if it was too much." She said the words quietly, as if she was scared they'd make him run.
"Not too much," Duncan reached across his body and rubbed her shoulder, "not even a lot. Promise, Court. You took it like a champ."
Pressing her cheek into his shoulder, Courtney smiled to herself, "you're just saying that. But thank you."
Duncan looked down at her, "'m not. I mean it. You're a champ. You wanna know something?" Courtney twisted her neck up to look at him. "I'd be scared of the sharks, too. I think everyone except Izzy and maybe Bridgette would be. Don't take it so hard. You did great."
Courtney wanted to cry. It wouldn't sound like a lot to anyone else, but his words settled her. He'd be scared, too, and he admitted it to her. His words were perfect. He was perfect. She was certain that the love she felt in waves had finally settled in completely. Her hand slid down his arm, and she slipped it into his. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Duncan's thumb brushed her hand, and Courtney wondered if he knew why she was thanking him. Probably. He always seemed to know. "Do you want to try again when everything's done? Without the sharks? Or the pressure of having to do a challenge? The lake's better without all that."
"I'm hanging out with Bridgette after this," Courtney reminded, "I don't want to get in again. I'm a little exhausted. Not just physically but also emotionally and mentally. I appreciate the offer, though."
Duncan nodded, "okay. If you change your mind, it's good for whenever." They stopped in front of Chris' table.
Giving the couple a once over, Chris broke out into a wide grin, "lassie, you've done it! With almost no time to spare!" He picked up the Courtney plank and handed it to her. "Take this here plank and your key and place it next to nine! Stick around for a smidge longer, and you'll get to open ye treasure!"
Courtney nodded and said, "thanks," before walking behind the table to the leader's board. Ninth place. It wasn't great, but she couldn't complain about it. She was the one who wasted an hour and half just looking at her key.
"I didn't get last!" Courtney quietly cheered, her mood changing, "I thought for sure I was going to get last! I only got ninth."
"Yeah, babe, I heard. Proud of you," Duncan laughed, bringing her hand up to kiss the back of it, "you beat two whole people."
"Two whole people is better than zero whole people," Courtney dropped his hand, sliding her name next to the nine and hanging her key around the peg. She was right below Tyler. Reading all the names above hers, she frowned, "Bridgette's not done yet."
Duncan glanced at the board, then at her, "guess not. Let's go sit down." He took her hand.
Courtney let him drag her towards the stands, "do you think she's okay? Her clue was a rabbit. Do you think it should have taken her this long?"
"I don't know," Duncan sat down, pulling her next to him, "should a shark clue have taken you as long as it did?" He let go of her hand and draped an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sure she's fine."
"Right. You're probably right," Courtney's hand fell to his thigh as she looked at him, "but sharks are dangerous. Rabbits aren't."
Rubbing her shoulder, Duncan shrugged, "I don't know what to tell you, Court. I'm sure she'll be here soon, but there's nothing you can do about it now."
Courtney nodded, "I know. It's just, what if…" She shook her head. "No. She's fine. You're right."
"I am right," Duncan agreed, a certain someone catching his eye from across the camp. Squeezing her shoulder, he pointed to who he saw. "Babe, look."
Following Duncan's finger, Courtney found Bridgette (along with DJ) walking towards the amphitheater. She was holding her key and wore an expression of absolute relief. Looked like Courtney wasn't the only one who had problems with her animal.
After Bridgette took care of everything, Courtney waved her over to where they were sitting, "Bridgette!" She moved down to the row before her, "come sit!"
"Hey, Court. Did you have to get into the lake?" Bridgette asked, sitting down next to her.
"Yes. It was awful," Courtney leaned against Duncan's thighs, wrapping an arm around his calf. He was talking to DJ now, so she had no problem leaving him out of the conversation. "How was your challenge, though? What was the rabbit?"
Bridgette groaned, "it meant the woods. I had to follow a rabbit, and it went into the woods. I had to stop there. I couldn't make myself do it. DJ eventually saved me. It sucked. We should have traded."
Courtney giggled, "we should have. I can handle the woods no problem. You love the lake. Would that have been allowed?" She thought it over before waving a hand. "Doesn't matter. Rules don't mean anything. I did about the same as you. I stared at my key for longer than I'd like to admit. Duncan kind of snapped me out of it, but it still wasn't good."
Patting Courtney's knee, Bridgette nodded, "yeah. Deej is a saint for putting up with me. I couldn't have done it without him. Anyway, are we still on for after the challenge? I'd be nice to relax some with my best friend."
"Yes! Of course!" Courtney grabbed Bridgette's hand, "I actually just reminded Duncan that we were doing that. I want to hang out with you, that hasn't changed."
"I believe you. I was just making sure," Bridgette giggled, "what sounds good to you?"
Shrugging, Courtney thought it over for a minute. There wasn't much to do on the island during down time, and relaxing sounded great. "Do you just want to talk? I don't really want to do anything. Doing things sounds like a lot of effort. We can, I don't know, lay on the beach. It's your favorite place."
Bridgette smiled. Her favorite place with her favorite person. Nothing was better than that. She put a hand over her heart, "oh, yes. Court, that's perfect."
"Sometimes, when I'm not all caught up with a boy, I have good ideas," Courtney stroked Duncan's calf as she laughed. He glanced at her before turning back to DJ.
"It's only fair that I've forgotten, what with you ignoring me and all," Bridgette joked, joining Courtney in her laughter, "how am I expected to remember anything about you?"
Courtney rolled her eyes, "yeah, okay, I get it. I've been a bad friend recently. Laugh at me all you want."
Quieting down, Bridgette shook her head, "no, I'm sorry. I won't anymore." She paused, taking in her best friend. "Court, I've missed this. I've missed you."
Courtney bit back a smile, "I've missed you, too, Bridge."
"Good," Bridgette squeezed Courtney's hand, "so, did you wanna go straight to the beach after this or are you going to want to change first?
Courtney glanced down at her wet t-shirt before sending Bridgette an unamused look, "I think I'm going to want to change first. I want to get out of this wet swimsuit and maybe put on some pants. You know, the simple things."
Bridgette nodded, "okay. I figured. It's no fun being stuck in a wet swimsuit. Do you just want to meet me at my cabin, like, ten minutes after the challenge ends? Give you time to change and give both of us time breathe. I think we could both use a little break."
"Really? You mean that?" Courtney asked, and Bridgette nodded. She let out a sigh of relief, "yeah. Today's been rough. I don't want you to have to deal with any leftover tension. I'm always so wound up after challenges."
"I know, babe. This one got me, too. I miss being part of a team," Bridgette's eyes drifted to DJ and Duncan before refocusing on Courtney, "we were a good team. It was easier, then. I don't like these personal challenges, and we've only done two." She looked around at her castmates. "This has to almost be over, right? I wish I wore a watch."
Letting go of Bridgette's hand, Courtney reached up, grabbed Duncan's wrist, and pulled it in front of her. He just kept talking to DJ. She scrunched his sleeve up and looked down at his watch. Sighing, she let go of him. "It's 1:07. We were supposed to be done at one. Everyone's supposed to be here by now."
Bridgette groaned, "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. I hate how long Chris drags everything out."
It was a few more minutes before Chris pulled out his megaphone, only moments after Gwen ran up with her key. If he was just going to wait for everyone to be done, why did he even put a time limit on it? He did a quick headcount of the campers, and found that only Geoff, Lindsay, and Izzy were missing. Then, over the loud speaker, "if you aren't already at the amphitheater, now's the time to come! It's treasure time!"
The campers who were already at the amphitheater stayed seated and waited for their missing castmates. Two minutes later, everyone was there. Chris stood in the middle of the stage.
"Arrr, it be time to claim your treasure. You all managed to get ye key! How fortunate!" Chris walked over the leader's board, "each of you will get a prize based on how well ye did. Come on up and get your key! The coffers are at the fire pit, so take them there! Off you go!"
Looking around at each other, the campers rolled their eyes. Of course, Chris would make everyone come to the amphitheater just to immediately send them to the fire pit. Why didn't they just do the whole challenge there? Like usual, it didn't make any sense.
They made it to the fire pit. The treasure chests formed two lines in front of the Camp Wawanakwa sign. Each one had a number one through eleven painted on it. Following Chris' instructions, they quickly unlocked their chests. Inside was everything from a promise of a nice meal or shower to a soap and lotion basket to a bag of chips. As they chattered about their rewards, Chris interrupted them.
"I hope everyone got the treasure they were looking for and more," Chris had inexplicably dropped the pirate act, but no questioned it. They didn't want it back. "But now, it's over. Later tonight, you'll have to do your duty and send one of you, not Heather, off the island for good." He jumped into a fighting stance. "And I'll see ye buccaneers back at the campfire after sundown! Arrr-rrr-rrr!"
Finally, they were free. After promising Bridgette she would see her in ten, Courtney slipped between Geoff and Duncan and wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's waist. He automatically draped his across her back. He finished what he was saying before turning to her, "I thought you were hanging out with Bridgette."
Courtney giggled, "we are, in ten minutes. We're unwinding separately first."
Duncan nodded and looked back up at DJ and Geoff, "new plan. See you guys in ten minutes." He was quiet for a moment. "Maybe longer. We'll see." Then, without a goodbye, he pulled Courtney towards their cabin. Brushing his lips against her ear, he whispered, "what do you think we can get away with in ten minutes?"
"I don't want to get away with anything," Courtney said, her voice tired, "that's not what I meant by unwinding. First, I need to change into something not wet, then I just want to lay down for a few minutes. I don't want to do anything that's going to make me more tired than I already am."
"You're changing?" Duncan frowned, "that's a damn shame. I love seeing you in my clothes. There's something about it that's just… incredibly sexy. Like, I'm turned on right now."
Courtney closed her eyes for a long moment before looking up at him. Unsurprisingly, he was looking at her, too. The closer they became, the less problems he had letting her know exactly how she made him feel. He'd probably been holding on to that comment since he saw her in his shirt, and she appreciated his restraint until now. She smiled at him, "thank you. That doesn't change anything."
Duncan laughed and brushed her shoulder. This girl was… he loved her. He loved how they fit together, and he loved how herself she was, and he loved her. There was no more questioning or denying it, and the realization startled him. "I… shit, Court."
Her face scrunching up in confusion, Courtney continued looking at him, "I don't know what that means."
"Dammit, I don't know either," Duncan groaned. He'd never had this much trouble with words before. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but the words weren't there. "It means… it means you're perfect. I'm so happy to know you."
Courtney nodded, understanding the uncertainty behind his eyes and in his voice, "I know. There are so many things I want to say to you, but I don't know how. Nothing seems right. It's either not enough or too much. It's okay. We don't have to."
Turning in her arm, Duncan wrapped Courtney up in a hug, pressing her as close as he could. She got him, and he was grateful for it. It was okay. They didn't have to say anything. If Courtney was surprised by this, she didn't show it. She just brought her arms up and dug her fingers into his shoulder blades. They stayed like that, standing on the cabin porch, for a good twenty seconds before Courtney pulled away.
"Wait out here while I change. It'll only take a minute. I'll come get you when I'm done," Courtney stood with her back to the door, her hand wrapped around the handle.
"I gotta wait out here?" Duncan asked, an edge in his voice, "babe, why?"
"Just… please? It'll only take a minute," Courtney stepped away from the door and grabbed his shoulder, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Duncan's face softened, "I'll be out here." Then, Courtney kissed his cheek again before going into the cabin, leaving him alone. He leaned back against the railing and slowly exhaled, closing his eyes. His girlfriend was perfect and he loved her and he wanted to keep her for himself this afternoon. It was selfish, sure, but he didn't care.
The door opened again, and he opened his eyes. Courtney was wearing black linen shorts and a loose grey t-shirt, her still wet hair pulled into a slightly tidier ponytail. It was starting to curl. She was beautiful. Duncan watched her hang her towel, swimsuit, and his shirt off the railing, straightening them out so that they could dry quickly. Then, she grabbed his hand and led him into the cabin.
"You should probably put some dry clothes on, too. I think your shirt is still damp," Courtney let go of his hand and sat on the very edge of the bed.
"Oh, so I don't get to watch you change, but you get to watch me change?" Duncan pulled his shirt off and discarded it into his laundry bin. He turned his head and grinned. "I don't see how that's fair."
Courtney rolled her eyes, a smile on her face, "shut up."
Duncan did. Though his shorts weren't wet, he traded them for a pair of sweatpants. He didn't bother putting on another shirt.
Padding over to Courtney, Duncan prepared to sit down next to her on the bed. Before he could, however, she reached her arms out in a way he knew she wanted a hug. He let her wrap her arms around his waist, and she pulled him between her legs, burying her face just below his chest. He placed one of his hands on the back of her head and the other on her shoulder. She had never done this before, and he didn't know why she was doing it now, but he wouldn't question it. It was nice.
"Duncan," Courtney murmured, tilting her head to look at him
Duncan stroked her head, "yeah, baby. Can I sit down?"
Nodding, Courtney loosened her grip around him. Duncan stepped out of her embrace, got into the bed, and sat against the pillows. "Come here."
Courtney crawled over to him and laid down, using his thigh as a pillow. She set a hand above his knee. "I'm sorry. I'm being clingy, aren't I? Something about right now just feels really… something's changing, and it's a little overwhelming, but it's right. Sorry. That doesn't make any sense."
"Hey, no, I know, Princess. It makes sense," Duncan traced shapes into her back, "I feel it, too."
"I hoped you did," Courtney shifted closer to him. If she got any more comfortable, she wasn't going to make it out of this bed any time soon. Stifling a yawn, she sighed, "I'm going to fall asleep if you keep doing that."
Duncan's hand stilled on her back, "I'll stop."
Squeezing his leg as a sign of thanks, Courtney closed her eyes. There were probably only a couple of minutes before the alarm went off and she would have to leave, but she wanted to enjoy them. This, being here with him, was cozy, and she felt safe in a way she never had before. Something was different between the two of them. She couldn't pinpoint what exactly, but it was a good change. It washed over her body.
Too soon, the alarm went off. Courtney felt Duncan reach over to quiet it while she tried to push herself away from him. After slowly sitting up, she leaned her head towards him and kissed him. "I have to go now," she whispered.
"I know," Duncan climbed over her and out of bed, grabbing a shirt and pulling it on. Since he was gone, Courtney had no reason to stay in bed, so she also got up. "Not looking forward to dodging Geoff's questions about us. This," he pointed between them, "is none of his business."
"Just, be nice to him. I think he's having a hard time," Courtney laced their fingers together and walked towards the door, "obviously I don't want you to answer what I'm sure a majority of his questions are, but be nice."
Duncan pushed the door open with his shoulder and smirked, "I won't be an asshole if he isn't, but if he asks me anything about your body, then I'm taking Deej, and we're out."
Courtney grimaced, "he's asked you about that? That's… I trust you."
"He has before, but he cut it out pretty quickly. I'll let you use your imagination how I threatened him," Duncan let go of her hand, placing his on her shoulder, "bye, babe. Have fun with Bridgette. Find me when you're done."
Courtney nodded, promising that she would, and Duncan leaned down and kissed her. Then, they parted ways. He went next door, and she walked the short distance to the girls' cabin. Without knocking, she went inside. She figured it was okay considering she was technically supposed to be staying here.
Glancing around, she tried not to be too bothered by the mess. Clothes and other things were strewn across the floor and hanging from every possible surface. Only Lindsay's area was tidy. No one had greeted her yet, Bridgette still lying face down in her bed. She sat down next to her. Heather and Izzy were the only other two in the room, and she didn't need to say hi to either of them.
At the added weight on her bed, Bridgette turned around, surprised to see Courtney had actually made it in ten minutes. She sat up. "You're here!"
"Of course, I'm here. Don't sound so shocked," Courtney said, faint amusement present in her voice, "when have you ever known me to be late? I set an alarm. Are you ready to go?"
"Sorry," Bridgette sheepishly mumbled as she pushed herself out of bed. She offered Courtney a hand. "Yeah. I'm ready."
Taking Bridgette's hand, Courtney pulled herself up. She didn't let go of it as they walked towards the door. Just as they were about to leave, Heather dashed across the room and blocked the door. Her arms were crossed over her chest as if she was annoyed, but her smile was friendly. Courtney suppressed a sigh. Couldn't they skip whatever this was? She wanted to go. "Yes?"
"Your boyfriend flipped me off earlier," Heather accused, her tone casual.
Her mouth twisting up in a wry smile, Courtney placed her free hand on her hip. Next to her, Bridgette let out a sound of interest. "I heard. Apparently you pissed him off."
Heather laughed, her body relaxing, "I have that effect on people sometimes. Whatever, I don't give a shit. It was a good laugh, and I admire that he had the balls to do it."
Courtney rolled her eyes, almost laughing, "I think it was less his balls and more his lack of impulse control. What did you even say to him? He wouldn't tell me."
"Something similar to what I told you this morning," Heather pulled her hair over her shoulder, "do you have a name for me?"
Now, Courtney did sigh as she shook her head, "no. Duncan and I usually decide and then tell everyone, but we haven't… it hasn't come up today. It'll probably be Gwen or Leshawna." Courtney glanced at the fourth girl in the room and lowered her voice. "Or Izzy."
"Okay." Heather had to stop herself from smiling too widely. This was perfect. "Not Izzy. We can use her. Gwen or Leshawna is good. After you and blonde one are done, find me. We'll grab Lindsay and DJ and talk about it. Since you haven't decided yet, we'll use this afternoon as a test run. See how our alliance will work. I'm sure juvie will be fine being left out of it."
"You do know more about them than we do, I guess," Courtney mumbled. She wouldn't admit this to Heather or Bridgette or anyone except maybe Duncan, but she had grown weary of always having to choose.
It wasn't that she didn't like being in charge, because she did. It was just that when she was with Duncan, strategy was the last thing on her mind, and no one else was interested. She was frustrated with her alliance, only as far as the game went. They didn't care about the vote and wouldn't pay attention during meetings. It was a chore getting everyone together, and no one even wanted to be there. She still didn't trust Heather, even if they were on friendlier terms, but at least she was interested.
"That's fine, the bass can sit out for once." Courtney remembered that she and Heather weren't alone. Clearing her throat, she turned to Bridgette. "Sorry, Bridge."
"You don't need to be convinced more than that?" Heather disbelievingly asked, "I mean, I knew you'd eventually end up agreeing, but I didn't expect it to be that easy." She stepped away from the door. "You can go now."
"I wasn't aware we ever needed your permission," Courtney laughed, placing a hand on the door and pushing it open. "Bye." Then, she pulled Bridgette out of the cabin and down the steps.
It was quiet for a few moments as they walked to the beach. Bridgette let go of Courtney's hand and shoved hers in her pocket. Courtney peered at her and wondered if she was upset about what just happened with Heather. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to figure out the vote with her right in front of Bridgette.
Courtney opened her mouth to say something, apologize maybe, but Bridgette beat her to it. With a hint of a bite, she said, "you two seemed awfully friendly. When did that happen?"
Courtney shrugged, "it didn't, really. We aren't friends or anything, but I've decided that I don't have to hate her. She's not that bad when she doesn't want to be."
"Are you going to join her alliance?" Bridgette asked. The "without me?" remained unsaid, but it was in the air.
"What, Bridge, no," Courtney bumped her shoulder against Bridgette's, "of course, I'm not joining her alliance. I just thought she could help on this one. She knows Gwen and Leshawna better than any of us do, and it might get her off my back about it a little. If you want we could decide now? I can pretend with Heather later."
Bridgette shook her head, "no, no. It's okay. I don't want to spend this time talking strategy. I wanna find out more about you. It's not like it really matters to me who we vote out, as long as it isn't one of us. Forget I mentioned it." She paused, raking her brain for something else to talk about. "So, uhm, what have you been up to recently?"
Glancing at Bridgette, Courtney shrugged again, "you know. Just a lot of hanging out with Duncan. It's nothing that would be very exciting or interesting to anyone else. But what about you? Who are your friends these days?"
"Lindsay, when she's not with Tyler," Bridgette plopped down unceremoniously on the beach, "DJ, when he's not with Geoff. Mostly myself."
Courtney frowned and sat down next to Bridgette, "mostly yourself? Tyler and Geoff can't possibly take up that much of their time. What about Gwen? Weren't you two friendly once? Leshawna seems nice."
Bridgette sent Courtney a pointed look, "they take up less of their time than Duncan does of yours."
Holding her hands up in surrender, Courtney sighed. That was fair. "Okay. I get it. I understand not wanting to be a third wheel, but are things that bad with Geoff that you can't even talk to him? Even if DJ is there? I saw the three of you together before the challenge today. It didn't look awful."
"They're… They were these past three days," Bridgette wrapped her arms around her knees and looked out at the lake. It calmed her. "I think it was better today? I don't know. It was awkward at first, but then we kinda got over it. I'm sure having Deej as a buffer helped. It still wasn't great." She sighed, pressing her body against her legs. "I miss my friends."
"I'm sorry. I don't know how to make things better with Geoff, but I promise to be around more," Courtney touched Bridgette's arm, a sign of comfort.
Bridgette smiled graciously, "thanks. I don't know if there's anything that can make things better. I think I just have to wait it out, but it's so hard. I don't want to talk about this. It makes me sad."
"We won't, then. Can't have anyone sad when we're hanging out," Courtney took her hand back and laid down in the sand. She patted her stomach. "Come lay down with me."
Scooting away from Courtney, Bridgette turned her body and laid down, resting her head atop Courtney's stomach. Courtney instinctively placed her hand on Bridgette's forehead, covering her eyes with her pinky. Her fingers lightly grazed the skin there. It felt oddly intimate, and Bridgette enjoyed the sensation. "Court, what are you doing?"
Courtney hummed and kept her hand where it was, "I'm not doing anything."
"Your hand."
"What about my hand?" Courtney craned her neck enough to see what Bridgette was talking about. Once she did, she quickly moved her hand, gluing it to her side. "Oh my God, I'm sorry. I hadn't realized I'd done that. I promise I wasn't trying to poke your eye out or anything, I was just… Duncan's taken to using my stomach as a pillow, even if it means half his body is hanging off the bed. I always put my hand on his forehead. I wasn't thinking."
"No, it's okay. I was just wondering what you were doing." Bridgette tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. It felt intimate because it was intimate, just not for her. It was something Courtney did for Duncan, and she was embarrassed to have done it for her. Suddenly, bitterness started to boil inside her.
Bridgette clamped her mouth shut as she tried to get rid of the bitterness. It wasn't an emotion she felt often, and she almost never knew where it came from. Now was no different. Courtney didn't say anything either, and Bridgette wondered what she was thinking.
It was quiet for a few more minutes. The bitterness had started to dissipate, but Bridgette didn't want to say anything until it was gone completely. She tried to focus on Courtney. Why wouldn't she talk?
Then, Courtney spoke, "remember the last time we laid out here? Before the cooking challenge. Lindsay found us and asked us to be our friend. I didn't know what to say. No one from the other team had ever tried to be my friend before. You said yes, so I followed your lead. You'd had more friends than me. That was so long ago."
"I remember. That was a good day for me." And, just like that, the bitterness was gone. "I thought you were going to make her leave when she asked us who we thought the hottest guys at camp were. You were so uncomfortable."
"I didn't know what I was supposed to say! I'd never thought about it before!" Courtney's voice rose an octave, and Bridgette had to laugh at how defensive she still was over that. "You answered so easily! I stumbled through mine. That was before Duncan."
Bridgette rolled her eyes, "it was a whole two hours before Duncan. You said something about Trent and DJ, and I thought to myself, she's never going to admit it. She's going to be in denial forever."
Courtney huffed, "you tried to tell Lindsay that I liked him. I didn't. Well, I did, but I hadn't realized it yet. I was so annoyed at you."
"I was annoyed with you, too. I just wanted you to be happy, and I didn't think you were letting yourself," Bridgette admitted. Courtney put her hand back on Bridgette's forehead, but she didn't cover her eyes or brush the skin. "So, Court. Who do you think the hottest boy on the island is? Still Trent and DJ, or have you changed your mind?"
Courtney laughed, and it vibrated throughout Bridgette's body. "Definitely not Trent. He tried to vote me out. Gwen is his girlfriend. While I admit that DJ is objectively quite handsome, but he's not the one I want to… I'll spare you the details. Duncan. It's Duncan. What about you? Who do you think the hottest boy is?"
Gasping in mock surprise, Bridgette laughed along with Courtney, "Duncan? I never would have guessed that! Maybe you should tell him. As for me…" She hummed, trying to think it over. Since the last time this question was asked, Courtney and she had switched places. She didn't know what to say, so she didn't. "…none of them. But I know who the prettiest girl here is. It's you."
"No, I'm not, but thanks for saying it," Courtney smoothed Bridgette's hair down.
"Yes, you are. You're so pretty," Bridgette urgently sat up and looked down at her best friend. Seeing her now, she knew it was true. "You're beautiful. I've missed you so much. You're my best friend."
"Bridgette…" Courtney also sat up, huddling close to the blonde. She placed her hands on her shoulders. "You're my best friend, too. I should have made time for you before now. I'm so sorry. I've missed just talking to you and knowing about you. I'm going to be better, I promise. You should have told me."
Bridgette let out a laugh, "you don't need to apologize anymore. I should have told you. I don't want you to feel bad about spending time with your boyfriend. I shouldn't be your priority anymore. You're all in love."
Courtney's hands fell to her sides, "yeah."
What? Did Courtney just nonchalantly agree to being all in love? That was… wrong. Bridgette searched Courtney's face for any evidence that she had misheard, but she found none. "I was joking."
Her eyes twinkling, Courtney smiled, "I wasn't."
"But Court, that's… you've never said… it's only been two weeks," Bridgette stumbled through her words, "you can't possibly love him already. You're sixteen."
"I know how old I am, Bridge," Courtney giggled, but Bridgette didn't find the situation humorous. Her best friend was completely sincere, but she only felt anger. The bitterness from before was rising up again. "I know it sounds crazy. I thought it was crazy the first few times I thought it, but I do. We've only known each other a month and a half and have only been together a little over two weeks, which shouldn't be enough time to feel that, but these aren't normal circumstances are they? He's… Bridge, no one has even known me like he does."
No one has ever known her like he does. Bridgette wanted to unhear that sentence. She wanted to go back to one minute ago when she didn't know her best friend was in love. She wanted to pretend that this was before, and that Courtney and Duncan never got together, and that she was still the most important person in her life.
"I didn't expect to find a boyfriend this summer. I didn't want to find one. I didn't want to make any friends either, but it happened. I couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop you or Deej or Geoff or Lindsay or… or Duncan. You guys forced your way into my life, and, all of a sudden, I had friends. I hoped it would stop at that, but it didn't.
"I can't even tell you how it happened, but you were there. You told me I liked him before I even admitted it to myself. Thank you. Thank you for trying to help me see. When we first got together, I was so afraid. I was terrified it was going to end horribly, that he would get to know me and realize he didn't actually want this. No one had before, not that I had ever put myself in a situation to be wanted. But he did. He does. He still wants to know me more, and I still want to know him more. I love him, and I think he loves me, too."
As Courtney talked, Bridgette wished she could turn off her ears. Courtney loved him. Courtney loved him. Courtney loved him. The bitterness grew and grew until she thought she hated Duncan. He took all of Courtney's time, and she loved him. It didn't seem fair. Bridgette was there first. She loved her first. Unlike before, she didn't want to push the bitterness down. She wanted to embrace it. She wanted Courtney to know how much she hurt.
Bridgette heard Courtney thank her for her friendship and for her help with Duncan, but she didn't want her gratitude. She wanted to go back in time and agree with her best friend every time she said she didn't like the boy. Courtney was supposed to be hers. She had thought she was okay sharing her, but she wasn't.
Finding her voice, Bridgette forced herself to look into Courtney's eyes. She had to know this was ridiculous. "You haven't told him though, right? And you can't possibly think… are you sure he's on the same page as you? I know you were worried about that before. What if he just thinks this is casual?"
"No, we're on the same page. We're well past the point of casual," Courtney spoke with conviction, the way she always did when she spoke about Duncan. It made Bridgette sick.
"He knows I've never done anything casual a day in my life, and, despite what he wants everyone to think, he doesn't do casual much either," Courtney sighed and picked at the end of her pony tail, "I haven't told him. I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to tell him prematurely. I'm sure now, but I don't want to say anything yet."
Bridgette felt a gram of relief. Courtney didn't want to tell him yet, which meant that she wouldn't lose her all the way yet. She still had time before things changed completely. Despite what she had said to Courtney, there was no way Duncan couldn't love her. She was perfect. What she didn't get was how Courtney could love him.
Once again, there was a lull in the conversation. Since when had it been so hard to talk to Courtney? Since when had it been so hard to listen to her talk about Duncan? Bridgette used to beg for information, but, now that she had it, her heart was breaking.
"Anyway, you don't want to hear about this," Courtney moved on, oblivious to Bridgette's inner turmoil. "It would be incredibly selfish of me to make you listen to me gush about Duncan. How are things in the girls' cabin?"
"I don't know. Normal, I guess?" Bridgette shrugged. The bitterness was still there, but at least they weren't talking about Duncan anymore. "Not as fun as when it was just you and me, but it could be worse. You, Leshawna, and Gwen are all gone, so it's not as crowded. Heather mostly doesn't bother me. Lindsay is my friend, and she's gone a lot during the day, too. Izzy makes sure things aren't boring."
Courtney laughed and grabbed Bridgette's hand, "that's a nice way to say it. Izzy's batshit. I met her today."
"Yeah? And how was that?" Bridgette leaned in, finally easing into the conversation. Courtney's laughter alleviated most of her negative feelings.
"She's batshit," Courtney repeated, shaking her head, "Lindsay stopped by with her while I was trying to do my challenge. She wanted to do my challenge for me because sharks or something. I don't know. She doesn't know my name. Also, Lindsay got stung by a bee because of her."
"She wanted to do your challenge for you? Court! You should've let her! Why didn't you?"
Courtney rolled her eyes, "she doesn't know my name! I'm not letting someone who doesn't know my name do my challenge for me. I wasn't letting anyone do it for me. I had to do it for myself."
Bridgette's eyes narrowed, "when you say you weren't letting anyone do it for you, do you mean you had more than one offer?" Courtney nodded, and Bridgette let her mouth hang open. "How? I would've taken the first offer, no questions asked. Deej made me come along with him. I'm jealous. I can't believe you actually did it."
"I mean, my offers were from Duncan, who doesn't count, and Izzy, who also doesn't count. I couldn't take help from either one of them," Courtney explained, "I couldn't let my boyfriend do it for me, and Izzy doesn't even know my name!"
"So what she doesn't know your name? I would have even let Heather, who pretends she doesn't know my name, do it for me! I was that desperate," Bridgette shuddered, "I really hate the woods."
Squeezing Bridgette's hand, Courtney nodded, "I know. I really hate the lake. But you did it! And I did it! Aren't you proud?"
Bridgette hummed, pretending to consider the question. She grabbed Courtney's shoulder with her free hand and looked at her seriously, a smile on her face. Then, "no, not at all. I happily would have given it up. Are you proud?"
Courtney visibly deflated as she let go of Bridgette's hand, "no, I'm not. Duncan tried to sell it as some great feat, and I love him for it, but it was awful. I hate the lake. I hate sharks. I hate being wet. It sucked. The only reason I didn't give up is because I was too proud at the beginning and said no. If Duncan would have let me sit there for ten more minutes, I would have accepted his first offer. But I wouldn't be very proud of myself then, either."
"What's so great about being proud of yourself, anyway?" Bridgette shifted until she was sitting in front of Courtney, "these challenges don't even mean anything."
"What? You mean our worth as a person isn't determined by our ability to complete asinine challenges?" Courtney asked, exaggerating each word, "who would've thought?" She paused. "But seriously, you're right. I could probably stand to not care so much about all of this. I should be more like you."
Bridgette grimaced, "you don't want to be like me. I don't know anything."
Laying back down, Courtney laughed. Bridgette joined her there. For the next hour, they talked about everything they could think of, the conversation flowing easily. By the end of it, Bridgette had almost forgotten all about the rocky start and the bitterness. It only threatened to reappear when Duncan came up or Courtney alluded to loving him, but she got better at ignoring it. They were there together, and Bridgette wouldn't let anything ruin that.
After saying goodbye to Bridgette, Courtney found herself at the firepit with Heather, Lindsay, and DJ. They sat in a circle. Heather insisted that this was the perfect group, and, though she didn't want to admit it, Courtney found it preferable to the humdrum Killer Bass meetings. Everyone participated, even DJ who had never paid attention before. She made a mental note to ask him later what had changed.
"But is it worth keeping someone who's actually decent at the game just to get rid of someone we might not like as much?" Courtney asked, "I don't know if I can justify that. Shouldn't we be putting our personal feelings aside?"
"You've never voted someone out for personal reasons?" Heather raised an eyebrow, "I don't buy that. What about the angry girl? Wasn't she, like, insane? Or that first guy. He looked like a loser."
Courtney shook her head, "no. Eva wasn't good for team morale and was a loose cannon. Ezekiel had a warped view of reality. I can separate the game and my personal feelings. DJ, tell her."
"Tell her what? That you made us vote Sadie off because she gave you a concussion? You sure separated your feelings then," DJ joked.
"That wasn't personal!" Courtney shot up from her seat, "that wasn't! I was concussed! I can't be held responsible for the choices I made. Besides, I didn't want anyone else to get concussed. We don't know what else she was capable of. She wasn't good for morale, either." She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "It doesn't matter. We're off-topic. Gwen or Leshawna? It shouldn't be difficult."
"Does it even matter?" Lindsay absently twirled a strand of hair around her finger, "like, I know I'm not the most strategic one here, but I'm pretty sure we can vote one of them off this week and the other next week. Like, it's not like they can to do anything about it. We can just pick one!"
Sitting back down, Courtney clicked her tongue, "unless the other wins immunity. Then what do we do? I'd say vote out Izzy, but Heather wants to keep her around for a reason I'm sure I don't want to know about. Which is why we vote out Leshawna tonight. She's more likely to win immunity than Gwen is."
Heather smirked, "I knew I liked you for a reason. Gothie's so pathetic already, I can't imagine what another loss would do to her. I thought I wanted to get rid of her because I hate her more than I hate Leshawna, but this could be more fun. Weaken her, then play with her for a few days. I love it."
"That wasn't exactly my reasoning, but I won't argue with it," Courtney laughed, while DJ gasped, "that's an awful thing to want to do to someone!"
"It's not someone, it's Gwen," Heather rolled her eyes, "she thinks she's better than every person here, which, yeah, okay, I get it coming from me, but she's so… didn't you and other blond one and juvie relentlessly pick on glasses?"
DJ was suddenly very interested in the patch of grass in front of him, "so, we're voting out Leshawna?"
Shrugging a shoulder at Heather, Courtney spoke slowly, "I think it's the smarter choice. Why risk keeping her around? It's not like any of us particularly care about her or Gwen. Is everyone okay with that?"
Heather nodded, pleased with this outcome, "I'm great with getting rid of Leshawna. I've been waiting for this day since we got here. Courtney, you can't deny we make a great team. I hope you'll seriously consider this alliance now that you've seen how well we all work together. We would be unstoppable."
"It's something to think about," Courtney's lips curled into a smile, "I'm not ready to commit to anything, and I have others I want to keep safe, but we could probably work something out."
Standing up, Heather crossed the circle to Courtney, who rose to meet her, "great. We can work out the details later. Tell me, though, is friendship part of this?"
Courtney rolled her eyes, "reluctantly, yes. Friendship can be part of this. You're not the devil I thought you were."
"No, I still am. I just happen to like you," Heather turned towards DJ, "same for you. I need both of you for this to work. Tell me you're interested."
"If Court's in, I'm in," DJ also stood up and joined the two girls. Feeling left out, Lindsay quickly did the same. "I trust your judgment, and this is the least awkward alliance meeting I've ever been to. I have no problem with us four working together. But, like you said, I have others I want to keep safe for a while."
"Me too! I want to work with all of us, too!" Lindsay added, even though she was pretty sure she didn't have a choice in the matter. Still, she felt much better believing she was a willing participant.
Heather chuckled, "thank you, Lindsay. I was totally going to ask you next." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. We're done here. You're free to go!"
Giggling, Courtney shook her head playfully, "again with the permission. No one can leave until you say they can. I'll get us at least one of the other two vote we need tonight. Bye." Then, she left.
As Courtney walked back to the cabin, Lindsay ran after her. When she caught up, she looped an arm through the CIT's and bumped her cheek against her head. Courtney glanced up at her, "hey, Linds. What's up?"
Lindsay smiled brightly, "I want to ask you out on a double date!"
"What?" Courtney blinked at her, trying to process what Lindsay had said. A double date?
Meanwhile, Tyler and Duncan sat on the guys' cabin porch together and waited for their girlfriends to be done. They formed an unlikely duo, but Duncan found himself enjoying Tyler's company. It was nice talking to someone who didn't either tease him about Courtney or ask questions that were way too personal.
Leaning back against the step behind him, Tyler looked over at Duncan, "dude, so Lindsay won this dinner thing for tomorrow, and she can invite, like, three people, and she wants it to be me and you and Courtney cos apparently it'd be weird to invite anyone else."
Duncan glanced at him, "like a double date? I don't know, man. Not really my thing."
"Yeah, I told her it probably wasn't, but she said it wasn't up to you. And, come on, it kinda isn't." Duncan's face hardened, and Tyler winced. "Listen, she went on for, like, half an hour about how much fun it'll be to hang out with another couple and made me promise I'd get you to say yes. She's asking your… is Courtney your girlfriend?"
"Of course, she's my girlfriend. What else would she be?" Duncan asked, but his tone wasn't harsh. Tyler had a point. "Court'll probably tell her yes. I guess it isn't up to me. And, fuck, it's food. I shouldn't turn that down."
Tyler grinned, "that a yes?" Duncan nodded, and Tyler's grin grew larger. "Alright. Thanks, man. It's not really my thing either, but it's like I don't want Lindsay to be sad ever, you know?"
Duncan did know. All he wanted was for Courtney to be happy, and there wasn't much he wouldn't do to ensure that she was, even if it meant doing something he didn't want to do. He had to respect Tyler for wanting the same for his girlfriend. "No problem, man. I get it."
"Maybe this won't be so bad. It could be fun. Lindsay thinks it…" Tyler trailed off as Duncan shifted his attention away from him. Instead, Duncan looked out at the camp, his features lighting up. Following his gaze, Tyler saw both of their girlfriends walking towards them.
"Are we having a double date?" Lindsay asked once they reached them, bouncing on her heels. She untangled herself from Courtney. "Duncan, please say yes! Court said she's interested. I promise it'll be so much fun!"
Though he was answering Lindsay's question, Duncan kept his eyes trained on Courtney. Her expression was silently pleading him to say, "yes," and he couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, we could do that."
Lindsay clapped, "yay! I can't wait! Duncan, thank you! We're all going to have such a good time together!"
Duncan rolled his eyes, but Courtney was the only one who caught it. She just giggled and responded for him, "I'm excited, too, Linds. Thank you for thinking to invite us." Courtney motioned to Duncan to stand up, and he did. "We're going to go now, but I'm honestly looking forward to it."
"You're so welcome!" Lindsay waved as she sat down next to Tyler, "bye! I'll see you at dinner!"
"Bye," Courtney returned before grabbing Duncan's hand and leading him into the cabin.
The rest of the afternoon and evening passed smoothly. Word got around camp that Leshawna was the intended target, and no one argued. As long as it wasn't them. Leshawna and Gwen spent the afternoon together in the former's personal trailer, where Gwen had been staying. Neither of them had won immunity, and it would take nothing short of a miracle for both of them to still be here tomorrow. Like with Trent, Gwen hoped it would be her. She didn't want to stay here with these people.
It was not her. After casting their votes in the confessional and sitting through the marshmallow ceremony, Leshawna was the unlucky camper, forcing Gwen to move back into the girls' cabin.
Gwen laid in bed and looked at the ceiling above her. It was too crowded in this room with four other girls, and they had all voted out Trent and Leshawna. Both of them had told her to win, but she didn't think she could do it. She didn't want to do it. Hopefully, everyone would take pity on her and send her packing next. All she had to do was get through three days stuck with people she couldn't stand, and then she'd be gone.
A/N This chapter was rough. I rewrote it several times. I'm so glad I don't have to look at it anymore. I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter will probably be an interlude instead of a challenge where we will catch up with Gwen, Geoff, and Bridgette and find out all about the Lyler/Duncney double date. I haven't started it yet, but I'll try to have it out within a month.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! I appreciate every comment that I get! And, if you feel so inclined, please review if you enjoyed this chapter. It would mean a lot to me. I do have a tumblr, but I gave up social media for lent, so I won't be on it until 4/10 at the earliest, but chances are next chapter won't be out until after that. It's at i-wish-i-was-kidding if you want to check it out.
