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The filming of Total Drama World Tour had just wrapped up, and to say everyone was exhausted would be an understatement. From the back to back challenges because of the season's structure to the sweltering heat of the volcano finale, everyone were set to kick back and finally relax. Well, they would, if not for on tiny problem…
The tense atmosphere.
Everyone felt it, and it was all because of one thing: Gwen and Duncan's relationship. While many of the others were fine with it, one made sure no one was happy:
Courtney.
Every second spent around her was miserable. She had baggy, bloodshot eyes from constant crying after the season ended. Her movements were slow and sluggish, and her face was kept in a perpetual frown. Many around her felt her sadness, her friend Bridgette being the one to feel it the most. She and Geoff sat in the hot tub of the resort all the contestants (plus Chris, Chef and the interns) were staying at, and the blonde couple watched as the Ex-CIT buried her face in a magazine, her heartbreak evident. Geoff nudged Bridgette, making the surfer face him.
"Go talk to her babe", he said gently, "She needs a friend right now, more than ever."
"You're right", Bridgette said. She gave Geoff a quick peck on the cheek and made her way over to her broken friend. Elsewhere in the pool, Heather watched from afar. While many chose to ignore the infamous queen bee, she still found company with, surprisingly, Sierra and Cody, and spent some time with her fellow Amazons. Although always bugged her, and that was Courtney. The usually determined, bossy CIT (The only person Heather would consider an actual rival) was so… weak and frail. She blamed it, obviously, on Gwen. She wasn't at the pool, overhearing one time that she and Duncan would not ever be in the same room as Courtney. Heather knew Gwen's reasoning was guilt, causing her team to turn against her. Heather shook the thought away as she continued to watch Bridgette talk to Courtney. Both seemed happy enough, with Courtney finally smiling since coming to the resort. Heather sighed and shook her head at the sapiness, chosing to head elsewhere in the resort. She stood up from her chair, and left.
In the cafeteria of the resort, sitting at a table together, was the newest couple of Gwen and Duncan. They weren't fully accepted by the others when the bad boy first showed up, as all of them frowned upon the two. After the finale, with Heather losing the million, a volcano erupting and Alejandro going missing, everyone just chose to ignore them. Gwen still was friends with many of the others, but her actions had frayed their relationships. The most hurt was Trent, who felt like Gwen did this because of what happened in Action. The original couple never made up in the end.
As Duncan sat at the table, chatting with his new girlfriend, Gwen found herself needing to use the bathroom, so she excused herself and left to go find one. She turned down the hallway, and bumped into someone. She opened her eyes and instantly regretted it. Standing in front of her was Courtney, her face unreadable. Gwen took a step back.
"Hey Courtney…" Gwen said slowly. Courtney just stared at the goth.
"Gwen", was all she said. Gwen rubbed her arm, the awkwardness of this situation getting to her.
"Courtney, look, I know what happened was bad-" But before Gwen could finish whatever she was trying to say, Courtney shoved a finger in her face.
"No. I don't want to hear it. At least… not yet", Courtney said, her voice stern with faint hints of shakiness, "I trusted you. And then you did this."
Gwen looked down and nodded. "I know, and I wish I could take that day back and try again. If I knew what would've happened, I wouldn't have missed Duncan."
Courtney squinted. "Really? You didn't expect consequences for kissing my then boyfriend behind my back?" Gwen was about to say something, but Courtney continued. "You backstabbed me. I thought we were friends…"
Gwen nodded again. "I wish I hadn't done it."
"And yet you did. If you wanted to apologize, do it when you're not dating Duncan. Then maybe I'll think about it." With that, Courtney pushed pass Gwen and continued down the hall. Gwen watched her go in sadness before continuing on her way.
It was now night time at the resort, the full moon shining brightly against the front of the building. Heather found herself leaning against her room's balcony railing, looking up at the light blue rock in the sky. She sighed as the stars twinkled and blinked. She let her mind wander, thinking if she'll ever see Alejandro again. Even if she knew where he was, she wasn't sure if the handsome Latino would want to see her. After what she did to him, Heather felt like she was at fault for her crushe's disappearance. She looked up at the moon again, unable to keep herself from shedding a single tear, the memories of the young man and their unorthodox way of flirting flooding into her head. She wipe the drop away and went to bed. Even then, she knew things would be different. Or maybe, not different enough.
Courtney, for the next day, found herself hanging out with the only people she'd call friends anymore: Bridgette, Geoff and DJ. The four were currently chatting happily in the resort's rec room, the calming music from the speakers easing the mood. As the four former Killer Bass conversed, Gwen and Duncan walked by the room. Hearing the four's laughter made Gwen's heart well up a bit in sadness, which Duncan noticed. Yesterday, when Gwen came back from the bathroom, he could tell something was off, and knew it had something to do with Courtney. So, right now, he wrapped his arm around Gwen and quickened his pace. Courtney, as she talked with the others, spotted the couple speed by the glass doors. She faulted for a bit, as this was the most she's seen of Duncan since the finale, but after they vanished from view, she just resumed her conversation with the others, not bothered in the slightest.
At least, so she thought.
After chatting and relaxing, Courtney, on her way to her room to have a nap before dinner, found her mind wandering back to the delinquent she used to love. She couldn't doubt that she still found him attractive, but that was just the dumb teenager in her crying out for things to go back to way it was. As she walked towards her room, the CIT realized that despite everything… she didn't love Duncan anymore. And all because of that betrayal. Or was it? Courtney, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she lost her love for Duncan a long time ago. Since Action's finale, the constant fighting, bickering and the racoon (even Courtney didn't remember what that was all about), she didn't love the delinquent. It was still heartbreaking that he betrayed her and didn't properly break up with her, but she didn't care anymore. She was over Duncan. All she had to do was get back at Gwen for starting this whole fiasco. Courtney grinned wickedly as she entered her room, plans of payback rushing through her head.
