kindergarten.


"I'm so excited that we are going to act out Romeo and Juliet!" Courtney squealed as she sat down at her usual lunch table. "Shakespeare is simply the most wonderful writer to ever exist."

Duncan rolled his eyes as before taking a bite of his green apple. "That's bull-crap," he commented as he chewed, his choice of words causing the brunette to gasp. "The best writer ever is Dr. Seuss—" he pointed at Courtney as she opened her mouth—"and don't even try to deny it, Princess."

Her mouth closed and she rolled her eyes, obviously not agreeing with the young boy's opinion. "Either way, we are performing Romeo and Juliet, not The Cat in the Hat," she picked up her fork, signaling the end of their conversation.

"Well," Geoff chimed in, "I think we should do something awesomer, like The Matrix or something!"

"YES!" Duncan shouted as he gave the blond a high-five. "That would have been so kick-butt!"

"Duncan!" Courtney snapped as she was about to take a bite. "Stop your vulgar language before I get sick—I cannot eat and listen to you spout off your endless list of thoughtless profantity."

Duncan simply gave her a confused look. "Seriously. Do you even understand what the heck you're saying, because I sure as heck don't."

Bridgette kindly stepped in and pointed out the time. "Guys, if we keep talking we won't be able to finish our food."

"Fine," Duncan whined. "But just so we are all clear," he pointed his fork to each of the kids, then pointed it to himself, "I will be playing Romeo."

Courtney covered her mouth to keep from spitting out her sandwich. "Like heck you are!" she shouted, ignoring the fact that her mother would have smacked her for using the word 'heck'.

"No one else could play Romeo as well as me," Duncan said, puffing out his chest. "I am the only man in this whole school."

Courtney let out an awkwardly loud laugh. "Duncan, you're five—"

"And a half!" he interjected.

"Fine," Courtney said as she rolled her eyes. "You're five and half, a man is at least ten years old. You're only a little more than halfway to manhood."

"Listen, Princess, I don't know what a 'half' is, but I am sure that I am infinity times manlier than and ten-year0old I have ever met." Duncan sat back in his chair, leaving his food only half-eaten. "Plus, I'm a stud."

"One, you're not a stud—whatever that is—and two, Romeo was a romantic gentleman, not a 'stud'—again, whatever that is," Courtney argued, leaning across the table to get closer to him.

"My brother told me I was a stud at your birthday party, so I am," Duncan said with a knowing smile. "He's in high school, he knows everything."

Courtney opened her mouth to argue, but she was cut off when Miss Davis came over to tell them they only had five minutes until it was time to line up to go back to class. She settled for a glare before taking her leftover food to the trash cans on the other side of the cafeteria.

As soon as she was out of earshot Geoff asked, "What's a stud?"

"A lady's man," Duncan said as she put his arms behind his head. "Only men can be a lady's man, since ladies are old. I know I can't be a girl's man because girls are freakin' gross... Well, except for Courtney I guess."

Geoff nodded like he understood. "Oh, is Bridgette gross?" he asked, checking to make sure she was still be the trash cans.

"Nah, she's cool," Duncan said with a wave of his hand.

"That's good," he said in relief, "I really like her."

Duncan scrunched up his face and shoved his chair back. "Ewh, don't say that kind of stuff," he said in a disgusted voice as he stood up. "I'm going to throw away my stuff and forget you said that..."


Duncan was a badass even as a kid, eh?

~MMC