"Courtney, please tell me you're joking." Heather says, her and Gwen looking to Courtney with disappointment.
Feeling judged, Courtney speaks up. "...Why are you staring at me like that?"
"She's really young, Courtney." Gwen tells her.
"She's… it's legal! She's an adult!" Courtney says, defending herself. Heather reminds her of her past boyfriends after Duncan.
"Hasn't this been something of a pattern for you, Courtney? Scott… Lucian… Caleb…" Noting the three boys, Scott was three years younger than her, and Lucian and Caleb were four years younger than her. Courtney begins to get agitated.
"Just what exactly are you accusing me of?" She asks.
"We're not accusing you of anything!" Gwen says. "I'm just concerned for you and how healthy your relationships are… I mean, are you Cecily's first girlfriend?" Courtney looks down, rubbing her cheek in frustration.
"Maybe? I think so?" She says, thinking. She crosses her arms. "Why does it matter?"
"That's just a really big difference in life experience!" Gwen says. "You've dated a lot of people."
"'A lot' is putting it lightly." Heather interjects. "Courtney, for as long as I've known you, you have never once been single for longer than a breath. I wonder why that might be? No, wait - we both already know. I'm going to go ahead and tell you something you've needed to hear for a long time." At this point, Courtney is beginning to feel scared.
"Yikes." Gwen says.
"The reason is that you hate yourself so much that you can't stand to be alone with yourself for longer than an instant, so throw yourself immediately into the arms of the first person you run into, bonus points if that person is young and gullible enough to idolize you completely and never criticize your flaws! That was the problem with Duncan, right? That he would criticize the things you did wrong? And you don't want that in a partner. You want the kind of blind devotion that can only be found in a high schooler or a dog."
"Heather!" Gwen yells. "What's your damage?" Courtney begins to tear up, feeling hurt.
"You two are the worst friends ever." Courtney says.
"Sometimes the truth is harsh." Heather says coldly.
"No! Courtney, it's just a power dynamic thing! I mean, a twenty-four year old with all of this life experience on TV and stuff, and a nineteen year old who has never even had a relationship before?" She notes. "That gives you a lot of power and leaves her pretty vulnerable to being manipulated."
Unaware of the situation or anything that was said, Cecily runs back into the living room, smiling.
"My mom said I can go!" She jumps up and down. "Midnight movie! Woohoo! I'm so excited!"
Courtney looks away from Cecily, still deeply offended by what Heather and Gwen have said, trying not to cry in front of Cecily. Gwen and Heather look at Cecily, realizing how young she suddenly seems.