This one's considerably shorter then all the others and I'm sorry for that, but it was a good ending point for this chapter. Nevertheless I enjoyed doing this very much. I hope you enjoy it as well. :)

For the rest of the day she couldn't tear her gaze from Zane nor her mind from Duncan. She figured her mind was plagued by him by the mere fact that he was absent. He didn't show up in fourth or fifth, not even sixth. He was stuck in detention for the entire day and she wanted to beat him senseless for it. He shouldn't have been so careless! He should have watched his actions more closely. And most of all he should have thought about them. Yes, the both of them. For it was not only Zane that suffered from his absence, although he hid it just as much as she did, but she did as well. The lack of jokes and slightly hurtful taunts bugged her more then the taunts themselves. It was to quiet, to cheerful, to empty without him there. Not even the reunion of Zane filled the void, which she found to be a shame considering she'd pictured this meet up to be the thing that got her through the week and possibly the month. Seeing that it meant next to nothing, and all thanks to him, it really pissed her off.

However as she was leaving school she ran in to him. Unfortunately it was not the reunion she pictured because moments before she'd tripped over herself and skinned up her hands as well as garnered a nice bruise on her chin. He laughed his ass off upon seeing her, unable to hold back. "You look like you got in a fight with a weed eater!" he'd cried between laughs, holding his head as he pointed at her. She blushed furiously, hating herself for being the klutz that she was. Although she had held her tongue accordingly, stomping off and leaving him to his laughter and hopefully to feel bad for putting her down. Besides, she'd get him back tomorrow. After all, she wasn't one to accept defeat or harm to her.

The next day was no where near as perfect, which was bad since the day before hadn't been all that awesome in and of itself. She didn't think Zane would disagree with her on the former aspect either. She didn't really see what she'd done exactly, but she knew she'd messed up. It had been in first period, Zane didn't know then, and she was ready to extract her revenge. Only she had no idea how. Not until he walked through the door.

"Hey, buddy." She said with false cheer as she twisted her hands in each other, a big cheesy smile stretching across her noticeably bruised face.

He looked lazily at her, waving absently at her as he took his seat a little farther away from her.

Courtney was perplexed by this. He'd never tried to get away from her, it was only she who desired to be apart. So seeing him being the one to keep his distance was almost unnatural. It didn't help that he eyed her warily. "How are ya?" she asked, keeping her fake tone all the while.

He shrugged lightly. "Dunno." His tone was softer then usual, eyes lacking the spark that Courtney had come to know so well.

Courtney let her grin slip as she narrowed her eyes at him. What was wrong with him? It wasn't even a full day ago that he had been cackling at her for her mistakes. What could have changed? "Come on." She pressed, moving over a seat so the gap between them was as it always had been, as it always should be. "I wanna know what you did yesterday."

He grit his teeth, averting his gaze so he wouldn't fall victim to her intense eyes and be tricked into telling all. "Nothing." He grumbled.

She blinked, any trace of her supposed happiness gone. Now her face was etched with confusion, head tilted to the side. "What's with you?" she pried. "Why aren't you jumping at the chance to enlighten me of your wonderful journeys? Usually I have to fight to get you to shut up." She chuckled lightly at herself, amusement lasting no more then a blink of an eye.

He offered her yet another shrug. "What do you want me to say?" he mumbled, looking back at her sadly. "I just don't have anything going on. Zane didn't come over and I stayed inside." He sighed softly. "Can't you accept that?"

Courtney's frown deepened. "No…not really. It doesn't sound like you." She hesitated. "I kinda expected more…" she trailed off.

He scowled at her. "Well that's just too damn bad!" He barked. "Cause I don't have anything! It was a boring, uneventful day! Ok?" he sighed irritably. "So drop it."

Courtney was stunned into silence for a while, passing the time by staring intently at the side of his face and thinking of possibilities behind his behavior instead of being a good girl and paying attention to the lessons being taught in class. "Please." She half begged, tugging lightly on his arm. Although she couldn't say that she was entirely interested in his going ons. She merely couldn't tolerate being denied by this punk.

He glanced back at her for the first time in thirty minutes, miserable as ever. "No." he growled with a fierceness that didn't belong to him, pulling out of her loose grip. "Leave me alone."

She snorted. "Why? Why should I leave you alone when you never abide by my wishes in the same scenario!" she snapped, arms crossed firmly over her chest.

"Because I said to!" he bit back, eyes ablaze. "And you'll listen to me if you know what's good for you!" he was facing her straight on now, having forgotten the reason he had struggled so hard to both remain calm and not look at her.

Courtney sucked in a sharp breath, eyes wide with fear. She had not expected him to snap at her like that, if anything she figured he'd get back into his groove and become the guy she was so used to mingling with. So when he did the opposite it rattled her to the core. The intensity in the depths of his eyes and anger in his frown didn't help either. She was frozen. This wasn't even taking into account his new facial mark. All around his left eye was swollen and purple, dark purple, unimaginably noticeable at this angle.

When she saw this, the picture of malice was complete, as was her plan. Sure her initial thought was to ask what the hell had happened to him, if he was all right and who did it, but upon remembering his remark from yesterday she quickly changed her tune. Her parted lips fell back shut, concerned expression transforming into a smug smirk with conniving eyes. "Nice shiner." She sneered. "What happened? Get into a fight with a weed eater?" she snickered, quoting him for what he'd said to her the previous day. Besides, what harm would it do? He was as far down as it got to her eyes and it was just innocent fun. If anyone knew that it had to be Duncan. She didn't find it possible for him to see it any other way.

Duncan's anger flared up for an instant, whole body shaking profusely as he lifted his clenched fists up. However this stage lasted but a moment. He was soon overcome with grief, bitterness, and the utmost sense of betrayal. His hands now shook from the hurt, eyes losing what little life was left, face paling, and mouth falling into a deep grimace. See? This was why he didn't tell her. This was why he'd struggled to hide it, to make sure no one knew the truth. He knew that this would happen. He knew the minute someone where to see that they'd mock him. It was just made a million times worse since it had to be her. Usually so kind and considerate she was twisted into a heinous beast who threatened to rip his heart from his chest.

Courtney was blind to his pain, only barely sensing something was more amiss then it had been at the start. She was just consumed with the fact his demeanor had not improved. Why? Why was he doing this?

Duncan struggled to hold himself together now, lip quivering noticeably as her still smug eyes pierced him. She was enjoying this. She was enjoying watching him fall apart! He emitted a low growl at the notion, tiny tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He wanted to make them disappear, wipe them away from the surface, but he didn't want her to see that he was at the brink of crying in the first place. It was a dilemma he found only one solution to. It wasn't something she or anyone else would approve of, but it was the only way. He had to escape. He had to remain strong. So in one swift movement he was up on his feet and in another instant he was out the door of the class, racing down the halls of the all to familiar landscape of the school. The only difference now was that he was blinded by the tears lacing his eyes and the walls seemed to be closing in on him the faster he ran. He felt like he was trapped in on of his infamous nightmares, only this time there was no waking up and for once he absolutely didn't want anyone to come after him. He wished that everyone would disappear, leaving him as the last remnant of the Earth, this hell. He wanted it all to end, he wanted to die. And that's why he headed straight for home. He knew if he played his cards right he just might get his wish.

Courtney was left staring blankly after him, to shocked to move and to attached to her studies to get up and follow. Whatever it was that was killing him he needed to deal with on his own anyway. If anything she'd learned this from her screw up with Zane. If he hadn't chased he out of the room she wouldn't have yelled him into silence and been back talking to him the day after. She didn't want to be one the receiving end of the brute or in this at all. She wanted to be able to go to him tomorrow and laugh at this as well as get teased some for worrying so much. She smiled wanly at the thought, but it wasn't much comfort, not since she couldn't get the image of his shattered expression from the front of her mind. And the worst part? No one noticed. No one had seen him in the class, no one realized he'd been her before the start. So the teacher merely shrugged her shoulders and marked him absent. He was sick to them, and would be back whenever. Only Courtney knew better then them. He wouldn't be back soon, maybe not ever. She merely tried her hardest to deny the fact. "He'll come later." she said with a sigh. "He's just taking a breather, skipping as usual." And for the rest of first and second it was enough to keep her sane. But upon seeing Zane her wall of comforting lies came crashing down on her.

"Zane!" she cried, waving as she trotted to their table near the back of the class and seated herself, allowing a bright smile to pass her lips. She wanted to be as cheerful as she could be for Zane.

Zane looked lazily up at her, sensing the falseness in her smile and eyes. But he didn't care much. If she wanted to pretend to be happy for whatever reason it was fine by him. He was more concerned with other matters. "Hey." he murmured, resting his head in the palm of his hand. "What's up?"

Courtney's smile slipped, eyes dulling. If he wasn't willing to be cheerful then why should she be? It was a waste of effort in her mind. She shrugged. "Same old same old. School, hell of home, you." she chuckled lightly at herself for no particular reason, laughter dying shortly after as the sullenness Zane put off took hold of her.

"What about Duncan?" Zane asked gently, eyes widening ever so slightly as his interest was peeked. It was obvious he had never had any desire to hear of Courtney's day if it left out Duncan.

Courtney was perturbed by this, but refrained from commenting on it. Instead she sighed lightly and answered. "I don't know." she shrugged. "Knowing him he could be anywhere, skipping, detention, home-"

Zane shook his head slowly. "No. No…I checked his spot where he goes when he skips and he'd never go home. Never." there was a strangled look about him, fear etched in every possible crease and curve of his otherwise normal face. "Not even if he were sick."

Courtney frowned deeply, shaking her head. "He's not sick."

Zane nodded. "I know. I saw him in the halls before first." he smiled a tiny smile.

Courtney did the same back to him, growing more and more nervous as the time passed and words spouted from his mouth. "That's good." Courtney was twisting her hands together from nerves, swallowing ever so often.

He shrugged nearly unnoticeably. "I guess so." he whispered. "I'm just kinda worried." he sighed. "He usually doesn't leave school so early after wasting the time to get here."

Courtney grimaced. "What do you mean?" she tentatively asked.

He shook his head for the umpteenth time. "Nothing. It's just…nothing." he lied through his teeth, lies eating away at him almost as much as they were Courtney. He wanted to tell her, he really did. He hated lying like this, but he promised. He swore on his mothers grave that he'd never tell a soul, and he wasn't about to go back on that. Besides, even if he hadn't done that he'd rather cut off his own limb then give away such dark secrets of his best friend. Zane losing a limb would be the equivalent of Duncan's mental torment from all those who ended up finding out and the betrayal of the only person he trusted enough to confide in.

Courtney narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to pry even though she didn't like how evasive he was being about the subject. So instead she settled on offering condolences in a sense. "What about detention?" he tone had a high pitched note in it that made it obvious she was as worried as he was, if not more. Whether he picked up on it was beyond her. "You don't know if he got there between now and then?"

Zane chuckled bitterly. "I'm pretty sure I do." he jerked his gaze away from her then, ashamed for inexplicable reasons. "You see…" he trailed off, eyes saddening further. "He wasn't in second today."

That's when it hit her, the heavy guilt and truth that she had struggled desperately to throw over her shoulder and act as if nothing was wrong. It came back in the blink of an eye and she was suddenly unable to function properly. Her breathing was restricted, eyes open as wide as they could get, mouth curved as far down as possible. "N…No…" she breathed.

Zane looked up at her, boring deep into her emerald green eyes. He plainly saw now what he'd previously been to dense to see. It was written all over her beautiful face, in her dazzling eyes, and hidden in her perfect voice. "What happened?" he growled, eyes hard, mouth drawn into a thin line. No longer was his voice sad, it was cold.

She swallowed hard. "I didn't know you had that class with him." she admitted gloomily, not elaborating further from fear of how he'd react to her hurting his friend. It didn't help that there was some dark secret the two shared. She knew that whatever it was would end up being the reason he bolted and the one thing she should never have screwed with. But the worst part was easily the fact that she already felt like shit for upsetting him, she didn't need to be reminded of how much it hurt to hurt him nor did she need a lecture on how stupid she was and that he was more hurt then she could imagine. She realized her stupidity long before and she'd seen the limitless hurt in his teal eyes. And she didn't want to think of it again.

Zane stared at her for forever before he got tired of waiting for her to go on and pried. "And? What does that matter? I didn't ask you that!" he sounded beyond harsh even to himself, but he was to scared of what she was hiding to care.

Courtney cringed, hating the desperation mingled with an edge of abhor in Zane's usually cool, collected tone. "And…now I know a hundred percent he can't be in detention." she sighed.

Zane froze. "W-What?"

She looked away from him, hoping to escape his blazing eyes. "Because…I…I have first with him."

Zane slammed his fists down on his desk. "Damn it! I don't want to hear all the reasons he can't be somewhere! I want to know why he isn't!"

Courtney shrunk back at the spike in volume, wanting more then anything for him to soften and not bring up this awful topic again. Sadly, see knew that this wasn't going to happen until she spilled the truth. "I…I don't really know exactly…at least….not why he cared so much about it…" she slowly peered up at him, biting her lip repeatedly all the while as a bad means to remain calm. "His eye…it was bruised."

Zane practically fell out of his chair, jumping up to his feet immediately after. "No! You didn't!" he cried, whole body language from his clenched hands to his panic-struck face telling her that he knew what she'd done and hated her for it already.

She made a low whining noise. "I didn't mean to!" she moaned. "But-But…yesterday he made fun of me for the same thing so I-I just thought…" she groaned, gripping her head. "I don't know! I wanted to get back at him."

Zane was on the verge of biting her head off, so very close indeed, until he remembered one small detail. She was unaware of Duncan's secret. She was like anyone else in this school, despite the unusually nice disposition Duncan seemed to have toward her, blissfully oblivious to it all. "Courtney." he said as calmly as he could through clenched teeth. "I need to know exactly what you said."

Courtney swallowed hard. "Nice shiner." she whispered.

Zane groaned. "No. no, no. Please tell me you didn't."

"I'm…sorry." she breathed, thoroughly ashamed. "Again." she added as an afterthought. "I didn't know it was any different then for me. I don't know him."

Zane heaved a sighed of irritation. "I know." he struggled to remain calm. "That's why I'm not mad." it was half a lie since he was completely pissed at her inconsiderate nature, but it was half true because he saw that she meant it when she said she didn't know.

Courtney smiled wanly. Although there wasn't much to smile about in her opinion. It didn't matter that he said he was ok with her actions, she knew he didn't mean it much. He'd been Duncan's friend far longer then he'd been hers so naturally he'd take his side in this scenario. It was what any sane person would do. Otherwise he'd have to be head over heels in love. She snorted at the notion. Ridiculous. Zane couldn't possibly love her. No…no way. "Ok…" she murmured, laying her head down sideways on the table. She hoped this would signify to him that she didn't want to talk about this anymore. But before she had given it time to sink in she found herself opening her mouth. "But…what is it? Why is what I did so bad…?"

Even from her side view she saw plain as day that Zane stiffened, breath caught in his throat. He didn't want to tell her and he wouldn't. It was not worth it to let her know her crime. She knew well enough without seeing the exact reason that anything similar to what she'd done was against the 'rules'. She would never ever do it again. At least Zane was hoping and praying to God that this was the case. He shook his head, unable to speak as he reseated himself.

Courtney frowned deeply. Ok. She would leave it alone. The last thing she needed was to stir him up once more. At least he wasn't yelling at her this way. She swallowed hard, lip quivering as she played this whole mess over in her head. From the moment Duncan walked into class to now, she saw it all. It pulled hard on her heart strings and threatened to push the tears forming in her emerald eyes to spill over. Only she managed to hold them back, at least for a while. Once the end of the period came around and everyone had cleared out she could bear it no longer. A whine erupted from her throat, sobs starting to surface, and finally the tears slipped from the corners of his eye down her face. And this time there was no one there to quiet them, no chance for it. Duncan was gone, Zane was gone, and no one else cared. So she wrapped her arm about herself tightly to simulate the feeling of comfort she'd had with Duncan before she picked herself up from the desk and headed straight for the lunchroom. That wasn't what she had next, but she didn't care much at this point. All she wanted was a place to blend in effortlessly with the crown. Lunch was the perfect place for such a task, always had been and always would be. It was one of those few things in life that never changed, unlike people. She grit her teeth in pain, eyes shut tight as she walked on. She only wished that one person could remain the same, no hate, no sadness, only love for her and the way she was, flaws and all. But that would never happen. It was an impossibility. For that to happen they'd have to be perfect, and no one was. No matter how much she wanted them to be.

How was it? Was anyone out of character? Idk. You decide. This is for your entertainment as much as mine after all. I want to please the audience. :D So please review! And any mistakes would be nice to know about, pov included. :)