*Hi everyone! So I know I haven't worked on this story in forever, but I got an idea for it, and just HAD to write it down, so if you need to, I would suggest reading the first chapter as a refresher. Enjoy!*

My first instinct told me to run, and I wasn't about to ignore that. I turned on my heel and sped back towards the room they had set me up in. I heard Ted and Trent calling after me, but I just couldn't face him at this moment in time for some reason. While looking back at the four blurs that were stopped at where I was previously standing, I ran right in somebody. Luckily, it was Mom.

"Oh, Honey, you're here. Well, who's that boy?" She asked. I knew she was referring to Duncan. I took another glimpse in their direction and thought long and hard about how to answer that. Who was Duncan to me? That's the golden question, I guess. I looked back at my mom.

"No one. It-it's nothing." I stammered. I gently pushed her shoulder aside and continued my beeline back to my room. I think this is the stupidest thing I've ever done. Why am I doing this anyway? Why don't I just face him? Tell him I'm ticked at him, lay down every reason for that, and wait for him to tell me what I wanted to hear. Maybe that's my problem. Maybe I don't know what I want to hear. Do I want him to tell me that he's not over Courtney? It would certainly be a load off to not have to explain to my mom that I'm dating a crook. Oh, but how could I say that? I'm freaking crazy about him! He's like a song that gets stuck in your head, you can never get it out! I'm not going to lie, I'm always thinking about him. You heard me in that confessional I tried to yank the tape out of! And not only that, but I was thinking about him so much, that I mistook a rock for him! A rock!

I ran into my room and slammed the door shut with all the force I could muster up. I panted heavily as I stayed attached to the back of the nearly shut door. When my breathing was finally controlled again, I slid down the length of the door and placed my head on my bent knees. Apparently I wasn't getting as much sleep as I thought, because I could feel my eyes start to close, and my head start to leave for a while. I was asleep.

My head shot up on the spot. I looked around confusedly until I realized I was on the floor of my mini-suite. (Each of us had been assigned our own mini bungalow.) I had apparently unloosened a bit in my sleep, as I was now laying the length of the floor. I peeled myself off the carpet and looked at my windowed wall opposite me. It was dark out, and a million sparkly stars could be seen, glistening in the navy blue Hawaiian sky. I looked the digital alarm clock next to my queen sized bed with the tacky orange sheets on them, and it read that it was a few minutes past midnight.

"Well, I've been out later, and I have to see these stars for myself." I reasoned with myself. Stars always intrigued me. They were these beings that you couldn't, and wouldn't ever touch, yet they brought you this sense of peace and happiness that one couldn't experience any other way.

I pushed my creaky wooden door open just far enough that I could squeeze through, and was out into the night. It wasn't a cold night due to the humidity, it was actually perfect for me. I embraced the warm weather that surrounded everything as I wandered aimlessly throughout the exotic little island, eventually ending up right where the beach began. I took a step onto the sand and felt my boots sink into the golden sea of dirt just a tad before hearing a faint tapping noise. I recognized it immediately as coming from my right, and looked to the palm tree, expecting to see a parrot. I didn't though. Not unless parrots suddenly acquired green mohawks and red Converse.

That's right, Duncan was there, sitting down and leaning against the palm tree. He had an umbrella drink in his hand and was tapping on the cup, hence the noise. My heart stopped beating for a moment. I had no reason to run right now, I'd just have to do this. He suddenly noticed me, and his eyes got ten shades brighter in the darkness.

"Hey..." He said in the softer voice I had known him to speak in when he was nervous. "Want some?" He asked, holding out his full cup. He could see in the dark, we all pretty much knew it. That is when criminals do all their dirty work, right? I could also see pretty well in the dark. I suppose it was an acquired talent from being Goth and spending so much time in the dark.

I shrugged and took the glass from his hand. It was cold to the touch, so he had probably just snagged it from an intern before they hit the hay themselves. There was a smell coming from it, and it was strong.

"What is this?" I asked, stirring the neon green straw around in the drink to try and get a different smell, but it was no use.

"It's a traditional Hawaiian drink." He answered.

"Duncan, this is whiskey." I had finally realized what the smell was, as it was always my mother's drink of choice at events and home.

"I'm sticking with traditional Hawaiian drink." He said, leaning his head against the base of the tree trunk and looking up at the sparkling sky. I turned the pink cup over, dropping all the liquid on the sand in front of my feet. "What'd you do that for?" He asked. It wasn't an angry tone, it was actually rather bland for him, weary.

"How much of it did you have?" I answered him with another question.

"Well none yet." He responded, "I just stole it from the kitchen when they were closing up." Duncan explained. I decided to just drop the subject. I somehow ended up just staring at him for an awkward eternity until he spoke. "Want to sit?" He mumbled. I really had nothing better to do, and like I said, no random escapes this time. I plopped down next to him in the sand, placing the cup in a small hole on the opposite side. Neither of us dare say a word, for the sake of not really knowing what to say. I looked up at the stars and just thought for a moment. It was kind of like the old times when Duncan and I would stargaze, and I liked it. But why was it so different this time? "Missed you." He said, almost so you couldn't hear him, but I still could. And I just had to laugh.

"Uh-huh, bull, party of you, your table's ready." I said sarcastically as I looked at him. He looked at me confusedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a mixture of hurt, confusion, annoyance, and anger evident in his tone of voice.

"I think you know." I said simply. But he looked at me as if he didn't, so I explained. "'But she's your ex! I cannot help the way I feel about her!' 'Well you better figure it out, or your going to be feeling a whole lot of pain!'" I quoted him and Alejandro word for word. I remember everything from that day so clearly it makes me sick. Sadly enough, I don't even know why I do. A look of understanding finally crossed his face, and he shut his eyes tightly while he talked.

"Owen told me I should've said something to you, and I didn't listen. Idiot." He mumbled that last word to himself. Now I was the one confused.

"Said something to me about what?" I asked curiously.

"See, I figured that if Aleejandro flirted with Courtney, it'd throw her off her game, and you guys would want to get rid of her for losing. And I had also figured that if he failed at it and we lost, I could get rid of him. But it wasn't doing the job the way we wanted, so I decided to step in. After the game, Owen said you might be ticked and I should say something to you, but I figured he was overreacting. Apparently the big guy was right." He walked me through it. Replaying that in my mind, it did make sense to me I guess. Al manipulating someone sounded pretty legit, and I know for a fact Duncan uses manipulation if need be. But I was still ticked.

"Really?" I asked.

"Seriously" He answered, obviously proud of himself.

"So you totally missed me, right?" I asked, once again masking a question that I had really wanted answered with blatant sarcasm. Did he miss me?

"Have I ever lied before?" He asked seriously. I couldn't help but laugh. No duh, he's lied before! "Okay, okay, that's a bad example. Have I ever lied to you before?" He asked. I stopped laughing right there.

"Well, not that I know of..." I trailed off hesitantly. I tapped my fingers in a line against my teal lips.

"See? So why would I start now?" He asked with his hands out while doing a shrugging motion. I didn't answer, so he just leaned back against the tree. This time he was closer to me though, and I realized I really missed him. He smelled so good. Now, don't get me wrong, he smelled like street, but that's how Duncan always smelled, and at this moment, I couldn't get enough of it. I laid my head down on his broad shoulder. He was warm, and although the night was also, I felt as if I had suddenly gotten a chill. He didn't stir or shift as I did so, but I could feel his eyes on me. I looked up the lights of the stars, dancing across the sky like diamonds, and shut my eyes as I smiled. I wasn't sure my mouth was going to say, but I let it say what it was going to.

"I missed you too."

*I didn't misspell Alejandro when Duncan was talking, I did that on purpose, because that's usually how him and Noah say it. xD So, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed, and please review and tell me what you liked, didn't like, found annoying, couldn't get enough of...I love in-depth reviews like that, so to get some from you guys would be incredible! xD*