If You Say Stay
I.
warning vulgar language, sexual themes, and graphic violence
Chaos, utter chaos, or could be described as another case of the group think phenomenon? It could have been considered relative to the spotlight effect and inflated personalities. What ever the case may have been, that is what she wrote nearly twenty pages about, and that is why she is standing in front of one of the best grad schools in the Northern Hemisphere.
Looking at the horizon that spread across the lush green grass in the quad with a smile plastered on her face. This is where she was meant to be.
She and a few other TD alumni had submitted applications to this school. It gave them a edge over all of the other applicants to know that they would have athletic, ambitious, and competitive students attending, plus the buzz and sponsors they would receive from the publicity.
They weren't celebrities, but almost everyone knew of them because their essays were published in the times. She wasn't about to let this get to her head like she did in undergrad. Horrific images flashed before her eyes.
"Court!" Bridgette called snapping her out of her stupor.
"Yeah. What did you say?"
"We were going to grab a bite to eat before we head to Relations 101. Wanna join?"
"Yeah."
"Are you ok?" Courtney nodded. "You would let me know, right?" Bridgette said wit concern laced in her voice
"Yes, Bridge now let's go. I'm starving." Geoff watched the two link arms and walk ahead of him. A lot has held them together as friends he wondered how strong their bond was.
"Where is Lindsay she said she would meet me here?" Courtney groaned adjusting the sweetheart neckline of her floral romper.
"It still amazes me how close you two have gotten. NO! what really amazes me is how different the She Devil is."
"Well, its just like I said in my essay we were inflated versions of ourselves. Lindsay is not that dumb and Heather isn't evil, just manipulative."
"And you're not that bossy?" She said with a smirk.
"I have two little brothers, remember. I have to be bossy."
"It's okay Court you've lightened up a lot." Geoff added
"All of that partying will do it to you." Lindsay said settling next to them. The man still wearing his signature cowboy hat nodded in agreement.
"Where have you been?" Bridgette asked looking behind her to see a man speed off in a sports car that screamed luxury.
"Really long night with um... John?"
"Jake." Courtney suggested.
"By the way he has a friend he'd like you to meet in the PR biz." Courtney raised an eyebrow while her friend winked. "A very lucrative friend." Bridgette immediately got the gist of the conversation. Luckily, Geoff was clueless.
"I might be interested." She said playing coy. "You know my terms."
"And so does he, we gave full disclosure. There is an event this weekend. You two are welcome to come." Lindsay said to the couple.
"Oh no! Your parties are a little-flashy for my taste." Geoff said. "I wanna go to a banger."
"Oh! Court have you talked to 'you know who' yet?"
"Who?" She asked. Something about the look in Lindsay's eyes had anxiety pooling in her gut. Her lack of an answer just fueled her the uneasiness. "Who?"
"Talking about me, Princess." He said sliding next to Geoff. For a split second, she almost didn't recognize the man, but that voice saying that nickname was unmistakable. His hair was completely jet black and longer. The fire of unbridled rage ignited in her eyes.
"Why would I, Lindsay?" She said pointedly. The busty blonde sucked in her lips making the weirdest face ever.
"Hey Bro! About time." Geoff said She could feel his stare on her face on her skin. She immediately regretted wearing the tiny romper. Her anxiety somehow fizzled into dangerous excitement when she caught his turquoise orbs glued to her face.
Lindsay was grinning from ear to ear and that realization made Bridgette smile as well.
"Did you move in already?"
"Yes."
"Wait, you're here?" Bridgette asked dumbfounded.
"Yeah I transferred early."
"What for?"
"Criminal Justice and the amazing law program." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, but returned them to looking at Courtney. A knowing silence enveloped them. She refused to be backed in a corner like some victim. He hadn't robbed her of anything.
"What made you do that?" She chirped in asking to everyone's surprise.
"I saw enough kids and people in for the wrong reasons." He said. She chuckled bitterly.
"That's cute. Lindsay, we need to go shopping."
"Oh yes!." The two stood up to make their exit.
"Wait, I have Relations 101 in like fifteen minutes."
"You could ditch." They stared at each other before all three girls sang.
"Nah." They sat back down. "We could brainstorm outfits." Bridgette offered.
"Yeah. I was thinking of doing pastels or nudes."
"Nudes would be sexy," Courtney said. "but what's the occasion."
"He's" Lindsay wiggled her eyebrows. "having a promotion celebration, so we can be sexy. Tons of drinking will be going on."
"Drinking? I'm down." Duncan said. Geoff shook his head.
"They're boring business professionals dude."
"Some professionals party hard, man. Lawyers throw them back constantly. It's what keeps us sane." They then dove into a conversation about alcohol.
"What colors where you thinking in pastel?" Courtney asked.
"Pink and blue."
"Cute, but not sophisticated enough."
Geoff could tell that his friend really trying to eavesdrop on their conversation so he kept random light chatter going. There was different, he thought as he eyed her. Her hair was longer. She seemed brighter, lighter and different it was good and refreshing.
"I am not wearing a bodysuit. It isn't at a gentleman's club Lindsay." She was still bossy, and beautiful. It was a thought that he couldn't shake, and he wasn't sure if wanted to.
She brushed her hair off her shoulders, giving him a perfect view of her...freckles. The light brown freckles on her deep mocha skin.
"Princess," He said aloud on accident.
"What?" she rolled her eyes.
"Can we talk for a second?"
"No, I have class in a less than five minutes." She said gathering her stuff.
"We can talk on the way. That's my next class too."
"Okay, sure." She quickly started walking and he followed.
"It's been a while." He said calmly, but she could tell something was off. He was different she could feel it, but she could also see that darkness in him.
"Yes, it has-"
"I'm sorry." He blurted. "I've grown up, and I know that its too late. I'm sorry." She started laughing again. and walked faster away from him. He grabbed her arm to slow her down. "So what you just laugh and that's it?"
"I laughed because you're still a liar. You're not sorry, Duncan. You're lonely." She said with a bored stare. "You're lonely and that's ok. I'm guessing you pleaded with her until she finally said yes oh wait no..." She tapped her finger on her chin feigning thought. "That's not your style. After juvie you what? Met up out of the blue and had some hot angry make up sex, stayed together for like... almost a month, and then she left you again? Am I getting closer?" She giggled.
"Look, Court. I don't know-"
"No you don't. You never did, and that's okay. Accept it. Own it. If you don't there is no way we can do this." She said gesturing between them. His eyebrows almost shot off his face.
"Do what?"
"Be friends." She said as if it were obvious. "Oh." She sang in realization. "You thought we would get together again."
"Not entirely, Princess." He said marveling at her. Still bossy, but looser. He wondered who brought that out, but he could remember the time that he himself brought out that similar spark. She was bossy and fiery.
"What were you expecting? A broken girl waiting for you to pick up the pieces?" She scoffed. "No, I'm past that." She brushed her hair over her shoulders and entered the lecture hall. She was sliding in next to Bridgette she noticed he did the same to Geoff. The two pairs would have a lot to talk about.
...
Bridgette saw Lindsay shuffling through racks of clothing. The store was beyond chic. It had creme marbled columns and gold accents everywhere. The buxom blonde herself wore high waist distressed jeans and a white cropped top displaying her perfectly tanned flat stomach and navel piercing. "Hey, Bridge! I was thinking Court would look great in this little white number."
"Too true. I can't believe how civil she's being with our former delinquent."
"Me too! We've all grown up a lot though. You and the hubby used to be sucking face all the time, like all the time!"
"It's different though." Darkness washed over the surfer's face.
"Oh no! Trouble in paradise?" She asked. Bridgette pretended to distract herself with clothes while trying to find something to say.
"I think we should have waited to get married."
"What! Why? That's like your whole thing. You guys are like the perfect like TD Alumni relationship."
"I know. I know. Forget I said it."
A few minutes later Courtney entered. "Sorry Guys Ms. Tran. Wanted to talk to me about that PR firm I had submitted a resume to."
"And what did she say?" Bridgette practically screamed.
"They want me to meet with the Operations Manager."
"But that's the owner! That's Amazing!"
"I knew you would get it!"
"I don't have it yet, but I'm sure when he meets my amazing personality I will have it in the bag!" She smiled. Lindsay pushed her into the dressing room with more than the maximum amount of garments. One after one. Piece after Piece. They easily tried on dozens.
"So is it safe to talk about the no longer green haired elephant in the room?" Lindsay stared in confusion at Bridgette for a while.
"Oh you mean Duncan." She whispered in awe. Courtney groaned.
"Go ahead."
"He looked smitten. Remember on the very last season of TD when he was practically begging you to notice him?" Courtney nodded. Lindsay continued. "It was like that times a million."
"I honestly didn't see it. All I saw was a lonely little man who made very poor decisions. What ever happened to Gwen?"
"You didn't hear?" She shook her head. "Heather says she got pregnant."
"No!" Courtney gasped on shock.
"No one knows who the father is to this day he looks just like her, and she doesn't want to do a paternity test either."
"Why not ?" Bridgette asked eyeballing herself in a sparkly blue number.
"Well she's obviously like guilty of something." Lindsay said rolling her eyes. "Bridgette you look so good in that! You should like totally like come out with us."
"I don't know, but back to Court, are you really trying to be friends with him?"
"It looks like that's exactly what he needs right now. I'm not interested in him like that anymore. The only reason I'm willing to be friends with him is because we were younger." She paused to pull the dress over her head. "What I want to talk about is this 'friend' you want to hook me up with."
"Well he owns his own business. He's like forty-something, but the best part is he's apparently really attractive." She could see the wheels clicking in her friend's head.
...
"Are you sure about this?" Geoff asked leaning back on his bed.
"Absolutely." The former delinquent said as he tied his hair up in a bun. His hair was longer and all of the metal on his face was gone, but those eyes were still the same, mischievous but charming.
"I don't think there are any cracks in her walls, dude."
"She's changed."
"No she hasn't. She's different to you because you haven't been there to witness her grow, man."
"Are you trying to school me, bro?" Duncan asked. Geoff chuckled punching his friend in the arm lightly before responding.
"I've just seen it. I'm trying to grow more myself. I think Bridge might be wanting kids soon."
"Oh! my god! Are we already at that point in our lives?"
"Yes, dude. I can't believe it either sometimes. What do you really want from Court dude?"
"I want her to be mine again." He said brushing his fingers across his goatee. He looked down right devilish.
"And if she doesn't want that? Do you respect her enough to let her go?"
Duncan eyes looked around the room as if searching for a sign. His silence telling.
...
Lindsay sat on the plush sofa watching her friend glance over her notes. "Did I tell you Heather wants in?"
"Of course she does. It's all about money and manipulation, but aren't her parents super rich?" She said not taking her eyes off the book.
"That's what she says." Lindsay looked over at her friend almost dying to ask the question."You think Duncan is OK with being just friends?" She said quickly changing the subject to what she actually wanted to talk about. She wasn't worried about school or studying when with her looks she would have several people willing to take of her. Courtney rolled her eyes.
"It doesn't matter that is all I'm offering. He's lucky I'm still speaking to him after that embarrassment. My real problem was with the goth bitch, but I don't like when girls hate the woman and let the man slide. However, I did think of her as a friend and to do something like that is not cool especially after someone was already suspicious of you, come on now. What the fuck?"
"Language." She waved a finger in her friend's direction.
"Sorry-I hate to even put energy into it anymore," She said shaking her head. "but don't pretend like you were innocent. The only time the girl gets a pass is if they were clueless on the entire situation. Considering she wasn't- that means she's at fault."
"What about Duncan? He doesn't seem like the same old delinquent."
"I'm sure he is. I just can't get past everything, but I sure as hell can put my skills to the test and fake a friendship."
"It's just that you are picky and ever since that Mystery Man from that party I took you to like a year ago- and not to mention you didn't even have sex with him. I don't know how you do it."
"It's called being occupied with getting back on track." And having a vibrator. She didn't even have to stress how important it was for her to stay focused. "What time is this party again? Should I bring business cards?" It was Lindsay's turn to roll her eyes.
"You have the time to think about business cards but not a quickie?"
Courtney rolled her eyes.
...
It was a champagne lounge downtown. The valet was busy parking all of the luxury cars. Courtney smiled anxiously. By some miracle, they got Bridgette to come along. She squeezed her friend's hand.
They didn't worry about the line or parking. One of Lindsay's boy toys comped it. The blonde bombshell wore the white dress she originally picked for her friend. Bridgette wore a lace pantsuit. Courtney stepped onto the sparkling asphalt in gold gladiator heels that strapped over her knees and a tiny silk dress similar to Marilyn Monroe's infamous white dress only miles shorter.
"Finally, I was getting dreadfully bored." Jake said welcoming the lovely ladies with a European greeting He lingered a little longer than he should have on Bridgette funny considering he had blonde hair as well. His bright blues eyes glancing between the two blondes. "Courtney my Dear. I don't know where my partner has gone, but sit. He will be joining us shortly.
"I actually need to run to the ladies room." She left before anyone could question her. "Pull it together. You won't do anything crazy tonight, ok? ok." She whispered to herself. She walked straight into someone." I'm so sorry she said picking her clutch up off the floor.
"It's ok. I don't remember you being this clumsy on the show." He chuckled. Her stomach nearly fell out of her ass and rolled down the floor.
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question." Dark eyes soaked in all of her in silent appraisal. "It's my party."
"Oh god, no." She said barely above a whisper.
"Ladies and Gentleman." Jake stood on a table clinking the glasses. "I would like to make a grand toast to my dear friend on his amazing success. Chris McClaine, you've come along way from hosting drama to using it to help people and Businesses. I can't wait to see you on the front lines of our new Crisis Management Department. Congrats Chris." The man in question smiled gingerly holding up his glass of champagne.
Courtney turned on a heel, but Chris grabbed her arm. It was a light tender touch that gave her all the wrong feelings. "We need to talk." He whispered.
Hi guys! So, I decided to work on another TD fic involving all of my favorite couples and characters in the TD-verse. I was thinking of doing an episodic update style, so every week. I will drop another one. Please Read and Review. Even if you want to flame me and throw the most shade, any criticism is allowed. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING