Disclaimer: I do not own the Total Drama series or anything else copyrighted.

A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! And I mentioned something in chapter four (I think) of "Best of the Rest" which no one seemed to pick up on, surprisingly enough... Well, it's explained here! I hope you all enjoy this, and please continue to review!

"Come on... Wake up..."

Courtney stirred as she slowly woke up. True, Duncan's voice did wake her up, but the trail of kisses he left around her neck woke her up even more. She groaned, turning and burying her face into her pillow. "Stop..." she moaned.

"Never heard that one come out of your mouth before..." he whispered in her ear.

Without looking, she reached over and smacked him. Thankfully, she softly hit his chest. "What if you cousin comes back in here?" she muttered, looking over at him.

He laid there for a few moments in silence. "He really came in here last night, didn't he?"

Courtney nodded. She sat up, propped her arm on the pillow, and laid her head on her hand. "Yeah. I had just got done putting my clothes back on. You were all like, 'Oh, nothing will happen', and..." She let out a yawn before continuing, "...bam, your cousins scrambles in."

He let out a few chuckles. "Oh, yes, now I remember. I made him close his eyes so I could throw on some pants. When did he get out of here?"

Courtney shrugged. "I think it was a few hours ago. I vaguely remember him moving around around the time the sun started to rise."

"That little shit," he muttered. He let out a dramatic sigh and continued, "He barged in before our after-sex smoochin'..."

She rolled her eyes. "And the cuddling..."

"I don't cuddle."

She pursed her lips, trying to think of a better term. "Okay... How about caressing?"

He nodded. "I'll take that." Suddenly, multiple bangs on the door were heard. The two teens started at each other, one shocked and the other annoyed. He quickly and quietly told her, "Get under the covers." The two quickly pulled the covers over their heads. He pulled her close to him as the door opened. "Just pretend you're asleep," he slowly said, his voice quieter than whisper.

She nodded, shutting her eyes and relaxing against him. Truthfully, she was extremely tired and wanted to fall back asleep, anyway. She smiled as she felt his head snuggle against his. She knowingly smirked, loving the fact that he denied cuddling.

Suddenly, the room to Duncan's door opened. Duncan and Courtney stayed still and quiet as they heard some footsteps enter the room. Duncan frowned. He figured it was his eight-year-old cousin that was banging on the door, but who else was with him? He couldn't help but let out a groan as his little cousin began jumping on his bed. "Jimmy, stop," he muttered, still underneath the cover.

"You're awake!" the child cried in excitement. "You're gonna miss breakfast, Dunc!"

He frowned as he heard other voices laugh quietly. So there was more than one person with him... He let out a sigh and sat up, emerging from underneath the covers. He then saw who walked in with Jimmy - Brian and Michelle. "Really, guys?"

"We didn't tell him to do this," Michelle explained. "He was already coming up here, so we just followed him."

"You know he slept in here for a few hours last night, right?"

"Did he now?" Michelle asked, amused.

"Did he interrupt anything?" Brian asked, a shocked expression on his face.

"No," Duncan said, shaking his head.

"Where is Courtney?" Michelle asked.

Duncan pointed beside him. He was surprised she didn't get up when he did. Maybe she actually did fall back asleep. "Right here." He looked at Jimmy and asked, "Now why did you want to wake me up?"

"Breakfast is ready!" the child exclaimed.

"What's for breakfast?" Duncan asked.

"Eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes... uhh... Lots of stuff!"

"Are we having a buffet or something?" Duncan asked, amused with everything that was listed.

"Your Mom insisted on cooking whatever everybody wanted," Michelle explained.

"Dude, get up before I jump on you," Brian said.

Duncan stared at his cousin. "You wouldn't."

"You asked for it..." Brian walked over to Duncan's bed and literally fell on his cousin.

"GET OFF!" Duncan exclaimed, trying to push his cousin off of him.

"Shut up!" Courtney exclaimed from underneath the covers.

"I would if this dumbass would just get up!"

"Duncan!" Michelle exclaimed before pointing at Jimmy.

Both cousins stopped horsing around. Duncan looked at Jimmy and said, "You didn't hear me say that."

"It's okay," Jimmy said, shrugging. "I've heard it before."

Duncan blinked a couple of times before saying, "Don't go saying that, okay?"

"Only if you come downstairs..." Jimmy persuaded.

Michelle, Brian, and even Courtney laughed. Duncan rolled his eyes, though his face was clearly amused. "Okay, okay," he muttered. "Go downstairs and tell everyone I'll be there in a minute. And bring Brian and Michelle with you."

"Okay!" Jimmy excitedly said. "C'mon, Brian!" He grabbed the teenager's hand before walking over to Michelle. "C'mon, Michelle!"

Duncan chuckled as he watched them leave his room. He let out a sigh before leaning over, resting on Courtney.

"Get off!" she cried from under the covers.

"Did you fall back asleep?"

"For a couple of minutes, yes."

"Well, time to really get up..." he quietly said. Despite the covers being wrapped around her, he slowly stroked her sides.

She let out a squeal before muttering, "Stop..."

"Get out from under the covers, or I'll have to join you..."

"No..." she moaned, trying to cover herself more with the covers.

Unfortunately, Duncan was able to lift some of the covers from above her and got under the covers next to her. Courtney was giggling, smiling happily at him. She said to him, "Good morning."

"Oh, this is a great morning..."

She giggled once more and leaned forward, giving him a kiss. They continued kissing each other before she pulled back. She smirked at the pout he gave her. "We need to be heading downstairs before your little cousin comes back up here."

He shrugged. "I like being here with you."

She beamed at him. "And I love being here with you, but I need to use the bathroom and change and clean my belly button..."

"Are you going to change your piercing tonight?"

She shook her head. "I'm waiting six weeks before I even think about asking."

He nodded. He then threw the covers off of them before slowly getting up. He felt the bed shift and turned, watching her get up and off the bed. He smirked as she threw her shirt off. "Are you trying to turn me on this morning?" he asked.

She shrugged, going through her bag. "Is it working?"

He chuckled, standing up. "Always."

She laughed, grabbing her clothes and a small bag. She walked into the bathroom and, despite Duncan being in his room, kept the door opened as she changed.

"What if I want to change in privacy?" he questioned, walking over to the doorway and leaning against it.

She finished putting on her pants and turned around, shrugging. "You can shut the door yourself."

"Are you going to put a shirt on?"

"Once I get done cleaning my belly button... I don't like wearing a shirt while doing that."

"Maybe being topless would be easier..." he murmured, reaching forward and letting one of the straps fall.

She was looking down, cleaning her piercing, but she smiled. "Oh, Duncan," she muttered, shaking her head. "You already got to bang me today..."

"And yesterday..." he murmured, winking.

She rolled her eyes, but a blush quickly covered her cheeks. When she was done, she looked up at him. "I'm hungry," she said.

"Well, I've got a nice, long lollipop you can lick..."

Courtney gaped at her boyfriend. Whether he was truly horny or not, she didn't know. She was still a bit shocked, regardless. "Duncan!"

"Oh, put on a shirt and we'll go downstairs," Duncan said, winking at her.

She rolled her eyes and tossed on a tank top before following her boyfriend downstairs.

"Took you long enough," Brian said as they arrived downstairs. "What, did you two do it or something?"

"Brian!" Sally snapped.

"Sorry," Brian murmured.

"Totally." Duncan winked at his cousin.

"Duncan..." Sally warned. "Don't let your Mom hear you talk like that."

"I've said worse in front of her," Duncan said to his Aunt.

Sally shook her head, smirking. "I bet you have, young man... Or, should I say, Mister Adult."

Duncan groaned. "I haven't graduated yet..."

"Oh, darling, you're graduating tonight, and you've already turned 18," Sally said. "I think that's reason enough to call you an adult..."

"Where's Courtney?" Brian asked.

Duncan turned his head and saw that his girlfriend wasn't standing beside her anymore. "I dunno..." he murmured. He walked through the house and looked into the kitchen. A soft smile emerged on his lips as he saw his Mom and girlfriend sitting at the kitchen table. He walked into the doorway and leaned against it. "Mornin', Ma."

His Mom instantly stood up and quickly made her way over to him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and didn't say anything. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. He knew she was getting emotional about him graduating. While she was always confident that he would succeed in life, despite his past experiences, even had a few doubts about him in high school. She knew how bored he got, how easy a lot of it was for him. He went through a few moments where he seriously felt like dropping out. He was never in danger of failing, he just hated being there. A lot of it was just too easy for him.

"God, sweetie," she murmured. "I don't know what to say..."

"Maybe something like, 'What would you like for breakfast?'" he teased.

Suzie laughed. "Oh, goodness. Another serious moment ruined by you..."

He smirked, letting out a small chuckle. "So... What were you and Courtney talking about?"

"Well, she showed me her belly button ring..."

"Willingly?"

"I saw the outline through her shirt, and I asked if I could see it..."

"Nosy..."

Suzie laughed. She gave her son one final squeeze before letting go of him. "Now, would what you like for breakfast?"

He shrugged. "Surprise me."

"Honey, you look so beautiful tonight."

Courtney blushed at another comment made by Mrs. Evans. She softly said, "Thank you."

"Where did you get your dress?"

Courtney was wearing a black mini-dress. It had long three-quarter length sleeves. The dress was a V-neck that knotted in the front. She hesitated before answering, "Victoria's Secret..."

"They do have nice things there," Mrs. Evans said.

"Do either of Duncan's brothers go to Duncan's school?" Courtney asked.

The two of them were sitting in a local college gymnasium, waiting for the graduation to begin. All of Duncan's family was there, and many were conversing with each other. Mrs. Evans had decided to sit next to Courtney. Courtney had never thought about Duncan's school name before, and was surprised to find out he attended Hill Park.

"Danny does," Suzie informed the younger girl. "Dylan did not. He went to Ancaster." Courtney nodded, recognizing the school's name. "What school do you attend?"

"Bayview," Courtney said.

Mrs. Evans nodded, impressed. "That's a very prestigious school... Oh! When is your graduation? I keep forgetting to write it down..."

"On Wednesday," Courtney said.

Mrs. Evans nodded. "Okay, good. I already have the night off." She smiled at the young girl and said, "I'm so excited! My baby and his baby, both graduating in the same week..."

Courtney let out a few giggles. "I... I don't think I'm his 'baby'..."

"Oh, I know," Mrs. Evans said, patting the girl's knee. "You're his 'Princess'."

Courtney blushed. "Yep," she quietly said.

"You have nothing to be ashamed about," Mrs. Evans softly said.

"I'm not ashamed," Courtney said, looking up at the older woman.

"Maybe 'ashamed' wasn't the right word..." Suzie paused for a few moments. "Maybe 'embarrassed'?"

A small smile formed on Courtney's face. "I didn't like the name at first," she softly said. "I... I don't know, I really like it now. It's just funny to think about."

Mrs. Evans smiled. She patted the young girl's back and was going to say something, but the lights dimmed. Courtney had been to a few graduation's herself and figured that this would be a pretty boring process. What surprised her was that this wasn't as boring as she though it would be. True, there were speeches by the Principal, both Vice Principal's, and some other people, but there were performances by some band and orchestra members, the choir, and even some dramatic pieces were displayed.

Then came time for the two big speeches, by the Valedictorian and the Salutatorian. In the program, both were listed as "TBA" - To Be Announced. It was different from her school, at least, where she was already listed as Valedictorian.

The Principal walked back onto the stage. "Now it's time for the Salutatorian speech..." The graduating students started to cheer loudly, causing the Principal to laugh. "This person... During his first year here, I didn't know what to expect out of him. Now he's here, about to give you a speech... Hopefully he'll follow the guidelines about which words to use and not to use..." Everyone laughed. "I'll let him introduce himself."

Courtney furrowed her eyebrows. That definitely sparked her attention. Who was this person going to be? And why did it sound like a certain boyfriend of hers? As the graduating class started to hoot and holler and the audience began to applaud, she couldn't help but do the cliche thing and cover her mouth with her hand after gasping. Her boyfriend was the Salutatorian! She couldn't believe it!

"Hello, hello..." Duncan murmured, rolling his eyes. He pointed at his classmates and said, "You all can stop now. That was wonderful. A little bit too much cheering, but..." He shrugged, smirking when everyone laughed. "Now, while I had some of a speech planned, I didn't really finish it... Due to some grade errors, I didn't find out I was 'Mister Salutatorian' until today, so I'll be winging some of this speech." He shrugged.

Courtney rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised he didn't finish a speech.

"Now, I'm sure some of you didn't expect me to be standing up here right now. I didn't even expect to be standing up here right now. A lot of you know about my former problems with the law... Oh, some of you are acting a little too surprised. It's like you all didn't watch that show I was on..." He grimaced slightly, causing everyone to laugh again. "Yeah, that show. It sucked. I'm sure you all loved to watch it each and every week for two summers... The best thing that came out of that? I met my girlfriend." His eyes got wide and he shook his head when everyone began to 'aww'. "Oh, no, I made that sound so romantic and cheesy... I may say some more cheesy things, but that will be the only romantic thing coming out of my mouth. Hopefully.

"Anyways... Wow, this is going to sound very out-of-order, but... Congratulations, fellow graduates! We're finally getting out of this hellhole!"

While the graduates and some other attendees laughed, Courtney couldn't help but mutter, "Oh, my God..."

Duncan pursed his lips. "Woah, that was harsh. Totally didn't mean that... Kinda. Nah, I did, but what I meant was 'We're finally graduating!' Yeah. This year was crazy, huh? So many things happened... To all of us, really. Things will only get crazier from here, probably. We all have to grow up and move away from home, much to our parents dismay... Well, we don't have to move away, like, tomorrow. Nah. Eventually we'll have to, for fear of looking like huge moochers...

"Soon, a lot of us will be heading to University. Weird, huh? I still remember a lot of us playing kickball back in, like, third grade... Eh, separation is good, so maybe this isn't a weird thing." He shrugged and received a few more laughs. "But, seriously, a lot of us have gone to school together forever. We've seen each other grow up and become the people we are today... Some good, some not-so-good..." He pointed at himself, a smug look on his face.

"This is becoming something that's all over the place, but that's pretty much how I've been." He shrugged. "As I'm sure you can tell, this isn't really a very 'profound' speech. Nah, I'll leave that to my Valedictorian girlfriend... Oh, no." He laughed before continuing, "Amanda, the Valedictorian at this school, isn't my girlfriend. You're cool and all, but... No." He chuckled once more before saying, "My girlfriend is the Valedictorian at her school. She's super smart, super profound... Super lots of other stuff, too."

Courtney smiled, a blush emerging on her cheeks. She didn't expect Duncan to bring her up again, or even compliment her again.

Duncan chuckled again, shaking his head. "Man, I still can't believe it... We're all graduating. We've spent all this time together, even if we spent a lot of time complaining about how much homework we had." He longingly looked at his classmates, his friends. "Some of us have grown closer... Some of us spent a nice night or two together..."

Courtney gaped at what he said. It was like he was saying a bunch of them had one-night stands together! She didn't even dare look at Duncan's family. She didn't know what they were thinking about his speech.

"Some of us have drifted apart..." He sighed, shrugging. "And it sucks. One moment, you're best friends with someone, and the next, you see them at the mall with their new best friend after they ditched you because they weren't 'feeling well'." He paused for a few moments. "But that was in the past. These bad things only help us prepare for the future, and help us become who we are today.

"So, I'll go ahead and wrap up this speech. Even if we seemingly hated high school, we actually liked it. We had some of the best experiences of our life during these years, and we've also had some of the worst. And, hate to say this, because I'm sure some of you want to forget about me, but we'll always remember each other. Um..." He shrugged. "Let's hope for the best, and for all of us to make it to our fifteenth reunion." He chuckled. "Thanks."

Courtney couldn't help but beam when her boyfriend finished his speech. Yes, it showed how much of a scatterbrain he was. Yes, it was far from being profound. But, it showed the real him, the one that was always surprising people. She so desperately wanted to run over to him and just hug him until he forced her off of him, but she knew she wouldn't be able to do that until after the ceremony was over.

Thankfully, after the Valedictorian gave her speech, the graduates were called to the stage to receive their diplomas. Duncan's Mom was crying by that point, continuously muttering either "My little boy is growing up..." or "I'm so proud of my sweetie..." They had to wait a few minutes before Duncan's name was called, but once it was, his whole family started cheering. Duncan looked a little embarrassed by such a display, but he laughed nonetheless. Courtney thought everyone would still be cheering, and didn't realize they had all quieted down when she literally screamed, "I LOVE YOU, DUNCAN!"

Duncan slowly turned around. She knew he recognized her voice. She waved at him. He looked surprised when he finally found her, but he waved back. She sheepishly smiled as he walked off the stage.

Finally, the graduates were able to leave the arena. Duncan's family had already started to get up so they could meet him outside. Courtney remained in there for a few moments. She figured he would want some alone time with his family before spending time with other people. She turned to look around and surprisingly saw that Michelle and Brian were walking towards her. "Hey there," she said, smiling at them.

"Hey yourself," Brian said, grinning at her. He plopped down in the seat beside her before asking, "So what'd you think about your boyfriend's speech?"

Courtney shrugged, an ecstatic smile returning to her face. "It was pretty remarkable."

Brian laughed. "You would think that. He definitely should have at least outlined a speech..."

Courtney just stared at him. "I haven't known him nearly as long as you have and I even know that he wouldn't have done that."

Michelle laughed. "I have to agree with Courtney there."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Whatever. So, are you coming with us?"

"Where?" Courtney asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Where are we going first?" Brian quietly asked Michelle.

"Well, first, Duncan's family invited us to eat at Mandarin Buffet after this," Michelle explained. "And then Duncan said some people are throwing this huge party, and he invited us to go with him after dinner."

Courtney nodded. "I knew about dinner, but not the party."

"So... You coming?" Brian asked.

Courtney nodded, smiling. "Definitely."

Michelle smiled and said, "Awesome. Well, let's go find Duncan."

The three of them stood up and proceeded downstairs and outside. They immediately recognized Duncan's family, but since they didn't see Duncan with them, they steered away from the large family. As they were looking for the graduate, Brian got summoned by his Mom, and Michelle had to take a phone call, so Courtney was left alone looking for her boyfriend.

She stiffened when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind. After a couple of seconds, she recognized the touch and leaned into it.

"So..." Duncan said, kissing her temple. "Did you enjoy my graduation?"

Courtney turned around. She rested both hands on his jaw and stared into his eyes. They stood there, smiling at each other, before she quickly filled the gap. Her kiss was filled with such love and passion that it almost took him by surprise. She broke the kiss, but kept her lips close to his. "I love you," she whispered, staring him deep in the eyes. "I love you so much. And I am so proud of you."

He smiled, leaning forward and giving her nose a kiss. "Thank you," he whispered, resting his hands on the side of her head.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Salutatorian?" she softly asked, one hand slowly moving down to his shoulder.

He smirked at her. "Why would I tell you that?" She slightly narrowed her eyes at him. Before she could say anything, he placed a finger to her lips. "I figured I would surprise you."

"Well..." She coyly smiled at him. "I was very surprised. Your speech wasn't half-bad, either."

"I would hope it wasn't bad at all," he teased.

She giggled. "It was wonderful. It was amazing. It was remarkable."

"But...?"

"But it was very much all over the place."

He nodded. "I know." He shrugged, now resting his hands on her shoulder. "I didn't expect this, though. Yes, I knew I had really good grades, but I thought a couple of other people had higher averages than I did."

She nodded, now resting her hands on top of his. "Even if you weren't Salutatorian, I'd still be so very proud of you."

"I know," he softly said, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers. "And that's why I love you. You're always saying how proud you are..."

"Because I am," she persistently said, cupping his face in her hands. "I am so proud of you. You are so amazing and wonderful and you never cease to surprise me... And, if we ever have children, we can tell them how we were at the top of our class-"

"Whoa, whoa," Duncan interrupted, a shocked look on his face. "'If we ever have children'? You...?"

"No, I don't want any," Courtney snapped, glaring at him slightly. "I... It was just a heat-of-the-moment thought, that's all."

He let out a chuckle, leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "I figured as much," he softly said. "I just wanted to make sure, y'know?"

She nodded, patting his upper chest. "Yeah," she softly responded.

"So... What was that little outburst when I walked across the stage?"

She giggled. "What? I can't proclaim my love for you in front of thousands of people?"

He shrugged. "If that's what you want..."

"It was."

They stared at each other for a few moments before connecting their lips once more. They just felt the need to be close in that way, with their lips connected and their bodies slightly touching. Unfortunately, they couldn't be invisible, and pretty soon, his family and friends found them.

"Well, well, look who we finally found..."

Duncan sighed, breaking the kiss. His cousin was always finding ways to annoy him. Of course, some of his family was there, too. If it was just Brian, then he would've continued kissing Courtney like nobody was there. He couldn't continue making out with his girlfriend when a lot of his family, including his parents, were standing there. At this point, he just wanted to stand there and hold Courtney close to him. He knew they'd get the chance to later, and that's why he was almost willing to let go of her.

"Are you ready to head out?" his Mom asked, walking over to the couple.

Duncan nodded. "I'm so ready for some Chinese food."

"Well, good," his Mom said, smiling. "Do you mind driving Michelle and Brian to the place?"

"What about Court?" Duncan questioned.

"I figured you were already driving her," his Mom teasingly said.

Duncan smiled, wrapping his arm around Courtney's shoulder and bringing her close to him. "Race ya there."

His Mom winked at him before saying, "You're on."