It wasn't quite as connected as I thought it'd be, but it still goes with the 'theme' of the last chapter. Just read it and see.
He came as he promised he would every day for the next week and a half. He didn't try to climb through her window again because he still could not put much pressure on his wrist, but that didn't stop him from pestering her. He could do that just as easily on the ground.
Courtney hated each and every visit. She wanted to sprain his other wrist so that he might not be able to come. She didn't really think about the fact his legs were what carried him here. She was just incredibly flustered. However, not even she could keep up her hatred forever.
After about half a week she started leaving her window open and waiting by it, knowing he would come. In all honesty, she was pretty used to his presence by now. He had integrated himself into her routine, her life even. She would almost say his absence would sadden her at this point.
In fact, she had learned a few things from their conversations. His favorite color was teal, he seemed to have a disdain for his father, he loved skateboarding, and he had a scar on the back of his neck. The last one she had learned by dropping out of her window. It had been near the end of the week and a half and he had not been pleased. Actually, he had thrown a fit.
Only once she told him it was cool did he calm down a little. The scary thing for her was that she really meant it. She had hated scars not long ago, associating them with troubled people and punks. And Duncan was a punk. Yet it wasn't the same. Something about his mark was different.
It was only as the end of the second week approached that the routine was broken by the both of them. Courtney was not waiting for Duncan by the window and Duncan was not on time. They both had an issue to deal with that distracted them at least to a degree.
Without Duncan sitting outside her window it was strangely quiet outside her house. There was not even the stir of a creature. But she didn't care. The silence wrenched at her heart. She'd give anything for a distraction.
Suddenly there was a burst of noise in the distance. It sounded like guys shouting. But she could not be bothered to check out her window, not even as the noise continued to grow in volume.
She did not know it, but at the head of the disturbance was the one and only Duncan. He was sprinting across streets and hopping fences in yards to escape the group of boys chasing him. He was a decent length ahead of them, but he wasn't sure he could keep it up much longer. His breathing was labored and his sides ached.
"Get back here!" He heard one of them yell.
Duncan moaned as he forced himself to go even faster. Just because he was well trained at running and could run circles around any soul in the school did not mean he could run forever. As this thought set on him, a panic began to rise within him. Where could he go? Where could he go!
Then he realized where he was. He started and a smile stretched across his face. He had never been so happy to have pointlessly bugged Courtney for so long. Now she could be useful. She could be his source of refuge. "Thank God."
He burst through some bushes and found himself standing at the back of her house. He doubled over the moment he stopped, gripping at his aching sides as his breathing overtook him. "C…Courtney…" He breathed, forcing himself to stand straight.
His heart sank and an irritated feeling rose within him as he noticed her window was not propped open. He scowled darkly. "D…Damn it…today…of all days…" He hurried closer to her house to yell. "C…Courtney!" He cried as loud as his body would allow.
He stared apprehensively, his hands clenched in worry. There was no answer.
The cries of the boys were coming to his ears again. It would not be long until they found him. He needed Courtney to hurry! "Courtney!" He screamed.
It took a minute, but this time he did get a response. However, it was not one he wanted. "G-Go away." Came her soft voice.
Duncan frowned deeply. "What? Why?" He glanced fervently back and forth to her window and the empty space behind him.
"J-Just leave me a-alone!" She whined.
He felt bad for her based on her tone, but her denial was really pissing him off. "Courtney!" He said with unintended harshness. "Get over here and open the window! Now!" The noises were closer still.
Courtney slammed her fist down on her bed and almost screamed she was so furious. Still she flung herself off the bed and over to the window. "What!" She shrieked, her tone a mix of anger and tears.
Duncan started as her face appeared in the window. She was nothing like the Courtney he'd seen the past couple of weeks. Her hair was matted and sticking up at all angles, her face was stained with old and new tears, and she seemed to be choking back sobs. "Dude, what happened to you?" He didn't mean for it to sound offensive, but once it was out of his mouth he realized it sounded that way.
Courtney's lip trembled uncontrollably and she nearly broke down crying. All that kept her from this was knowing that he would only insult her more if she was weak. "Shut up!" She moaned in a vain attempt to sound angry. "And get out of my yard!"
They were nearly here. Duncan gritted his teeth in anxiousness. This was bad. Of all the days...of all the days! "Courtney! Open up!"
"No!" She screamed. "I'm not doing this anymore!"
"Courtney!" He snarled. "Open up or I'll open it myself!" He really meant it too. He already was searching for a rock.
"No!" She screeched.
There was no rock around today and without it there was no other way through her window. Then it hit him. He jolted out of place to the vines leading to her window. He knew he wasn't supposed to put pressure on his wrist for a few more days, but this was important.
Courtney quaked with fury and sadness. She just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't he accept that? "Stop it!" She yelled. "Don't you dare!"
He scaled it within seconds, ignoring Courtney's cries. She'd understand the situation soon enough. Those guys would be here any second. "Open it." He asked one more time as he hung onto the window sill.
Courtney shook her head fervently. "Never! Get down! NOW!"
Duncan sighed heavily, dreading what he was about to do. "Fine." He grumbled, rearing his good arm back as it clenched into a fist. "But you made me do it." And he smashed his fist into the window.
It broke instantly with the force of his blow, a loud shattering sound filling their ears. It had not all broken though. He could not crawl through. Instead he attempted to pull the window up by sticking his hand through the hole he created.
Courtney's mortified gasp followed his act. "What did you do!" She squealed. "You broke it! How could you!"
Duncan didn't respond, he kept trying to open the window. It was really hard and really painful. The jagged glass grabbed at his skin to try and tear it. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tight to hold in the pain.
"Over here!" They both heard. It was one of Duncan's pursuers.
Courtney didn't really care about the boys; she didn't even realize they were after Duncan. All her mind saw was all the blood. If she wasn't worked up enough, she became more out of sorts. Her breathing went crazy and she felt as if she might have a heart attack. "Stop!" She demanded, pushing his arm back through the opening. "I said stop!"
He glared at her, but did as he was told.
She shoved the window up in one swift movement and dragged him in. She didn't see why he needed to be up here, but she couldn't stand the blood seeping from his arm and hand. "You idiot!" She immediately scolded, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "Why'd you do that! You-You're bleeding!"
Duncan jumped up and clamped a hand over her mouth. He just as swiftly pulled her down below the window and pressed her body back against his to hold her in place with his other arm.
Courtney flipped out. Her eyes grew to the size of bowling balls and she instantly started to struggle against him. She screamed through his hand, but it was no louder than a whisper. As she fought him she knew she shouldn't be, but she couldn't help but be afraid. The way he so easily overcame her made her fear that one day, when she made him too angry, he would do as he wished to her in a heartbeat.
"Hey!" A voice cried. "Look! You think he went through the window!" the boy pointed to the open window.
Another voice rang out. "Oh, please!" he scoffed. "Don't you know anything? That's the new prep's house!"
A third voice, "You mean that Courtney girl?" He chuckled. "Yeah, no way she'd let a punk like him in. She's too good for him, or anyone in the school."
The first sighed heavily. "Come on then." He snapped. "He has to be nearby." They all sprinted across her yard and away into town, not realizing they'd just missed their prey.
Duncan waited a few more minutes before he dared move. He then sighed in heavy relief, his grip on Courtney finally loosening. "That was close." He half laughed, almost forgetting that he was in a psycho's house.
Courtney jumped up as soon as she could, spinning around to glare with undying intensity at the punk. "You!" She seethed, breathing heavy and heart beating like crazy. The blood on her face only made her crazier. "What did you do!"
Duncan cringed slightly, half from the pain and half from her anger. "Sorry." He tried to say, smiling faintly as he stood. "These guys were after me because of something stupid and I really needed to hide. You were the closest place."
Courtney practically screamed, her clenched fists trembling fiercely. "Then get out!" She exploded. "You got what you wanted! You destroyed my window! Now leave!" She pointed over to the window, not sure how much longer she could keep up this mask of hate.
Duncan frowned deeply, seeing right through her. "Princess, I'm sorry." He said again. "I didn't mean to make you mad." He carefully stepped toward her. "But please don't be that way."
"OUT!" She bellowed, her tears fighting to break free.
As Duncan went to respond, another voice filled the air. It came from below them and sounded close to the same as Courtney's. Only it wasn't her. "Courtney!" The shrill voice cried. "What are you doing up there!"
"Nothing!" Courtney shrieked with as much venom as she had toward Duncan.
"Then stop screaming or I'll come up there and make you!"
Courtney groaned in utter misery, sinking down to her knees. She buried her head in her hands, having forgotten about the blood. Once she felt it she only moaned louder.
Duncan was completely confounded. He didn't know whether to quietly slink away or try to help. She was being so out of character right now. He feared any movement would shatter her in this fragile state. "Courtney…" He breathed, anxious about her reaction.
Courtney crumpled further, slumping down in an unusual pose. She rarely if ever did not stand erect. This was nothing like her. "G-Go away." She pleaded, struggling to stifle her sobs.
"Courtney, what's wrong?" Duncan was extremely worried. He hoped he didn't do this to her. Could that be one of her buttons – breaking windows? What a strange thought. "I didn't mean to break your window." Even though he had. "I'll fix it! Just please stop crying.
"N-No…" She shook her head faintly. "I-It's not you. I-It's-" She couldn't bear to say it out loud. It made a sob catch in her throat and her body start to shake slightly. "Just go…"
Duncan couldn't help but sigh. He was so relieved he hadn't done this. He would have felt awful. He might have even started to cry himself. He would have been too much like his father, making people cry like that.
Courtney tried to calm down through the span of the silence, but it was no use. Her original stress combined with the knowledge of him breaking her window and bleeding made it impossible. He was still bleeding. It had to hurt. And it was all her fault!
Duncan tentatively moved closer and bent down on the ground next to her. "Courtney…" He reached out to take her wrists and pull them away from her face. "Talk to me."
Courtney's eyes bulged from her head as he tried to reveal her face. "No!" She shrieked, slapping his hands away. "Don't touch me!" She turned away from him and returned her hand to her face.
Duncan cringed not because her hit hurt, but because where she hit hurt. His hand stung already from being torn open. He didn't her making it worse. "Courtney!" His voice was sharp and meant to cut her. "Stop being brat!"
Courtney sucked in a sharp breath. "D-Don't call me th-that." She shook her head. "I'm n-not a brat. I'm not!"
"You're being one right now!" Duncan hurt as much as she did with each word he threw at her. He knew she didn't need to be yelled at right now, but being nice wasn't exactly working either. So he did the thing he knew best. "I mean seriously! Why would you hit me! What is so awful that you have to hit me to hide!"
Courtney's hands fell away from her face in utter defeat. She didn't want him to see her this way, but his words stung too badly for her not to show him. She was not a brat…she wasn't. She refused to let him say and believe it.
Duncan was taken aback as he saw her face in plain view. He didn't know why he hadn't seen it before as she stood in the window, maybe adrenaline. But now there was no denying the sight before him. "What the-" His eyes grew as large as bowling balls. "Courtney…what happened to you?" Bruises were scattered across her face. It wasn't half as bad as his abuse, but it was obvious it was bad for her.
Courtney hung her head in shame. He would judge her now. He would mock her for being weak, especially when she was always so strong around him. The thought made her sobs grow fiercer and the tears flow down her face like a river.
Duncan grimaced. He had never been good with comforting people. He could scarcely remember a time when he comforted Zane, and he was his best friend. "Courtney…" He timidly ventured, reaching out for her. "Don't cry."
She did not bother resisting this time. She did not have the will. She was so broken. She just needed to believe she wasn't so alone in this.
Duncan pulled her the small space over to him. He wrapped his arms around her middle back and held her like his mother had held him many times before. "Please stop." He found himself saying pleadingly. He brought his clean hand up to her head and ran his fingers gingerly through her hair. "Please…"
Courtney thoughtlessly leaned over with her head on his chest. She shuddered at the contact, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away. Sadly her sobs and tears remained ever the same. She could not break out of her misery.
"Princess." He tested to see if getting a rise out of her was possible and more importantly if it would force her out of her slump.
She did not react in the least. If anything she was made worse.
Duncan sighed. "Tell me what happened." He breathed as soothingly as he could.
He was amazed as Courtney spoke. "Sh-She did it again." She moaned.
"She?" His brow furrowed and he looked down in true interest. Was she talking about her mom? He almost didn't want to know. He didn't know if he could handle knowing that some mothers were not caring people.
"M-My mom." She could scarcely believe she was revealing this. She had sworn never to tell anyone what her mother sometimes did. She knew her mom didn't mean anything by her actions. Still, it hurt. No one wanted to be struck, especially not by their mother.
Duncan's eyes caught fire. He couldn't believe this. "What?" His voice was strained and full of angry shock.
Courtney cowered. She knew he too meant nothing by his tone, but in her state it still scared her. Who really knew what he might do.
Duncan felt immediate guilt. "Why would she do that?"
Courtney shook her head faintly. "S-She didn't mean it." She explained, not knowing why she felt obligated. "S-She was just-just-just-" She broke off and started to choke out heavy sobs again.
"Courtney." Duncan whispered, bringing his clean hand down to her chin and tilting her head up toward himself. "It's alright." He promised. "You don't need to cry. It's only a mark." He thought to the scar on his neck. "It'll go away."
Courtney's sobs suddenly softened and her tears slowed. She was still emotionally unstable and hurt, but somehow it was not so severe. "B-But…it still h-hurt." She moaned quietly.
"I know." He sighed, meaning it with every fiber of his being. "I really do." Every strike ever made on him still ached despite having disappeared. "But you can't dwell on it." He breathed, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her cheek.
Courtney shuddered at the touch of his lips, but she didn't draw away. "Duncan…" She murmured. She almost sounded infatuated even through her tears.
Duncan kissed her gently once more, this time on her neck. He didn't know what he was doing, but he felt possessed to do this.
Courtney knew how wrong this was, but she could not get herself to push him away. His kisses soothed her tormented soul. She didn't understand the power such a silly action had over her, all she knew was that it was very powerful.
As much as Duncan wanted to hold something over her head, he suddenly stopped. He pulled back and frowned in guilt at her. If he took advantage of her in this moment, he knew he'd regret it tomorrow or even later today.
By the time he stopped, her tears had ceased. Not even her sobs remained. "Thank you…" She breathed thoughtlessly as she leaned back on him.
Duncan started slightly at her kind words. Thanks? Really? Did she mean it? "You don't need to thank me." He muttered, averting his eyes. "It was nothing." He ran his fingers over her face to wipe the tears staining her face away,
"No…" She breathed. "It means everything to me." She shifted her gaze to her back. "But please…stop touching me."
Duncan blinked in confusion. "What?"
"The blood." As he'd kissed her she had nearly forgotten, but now she remembered well. "It's staining my clothes."
Duncan smiled broadly, nearly chuckling in amusement at her. Even through the stress she still made a joke. "Sorry." He withdrew his hand.
Courtney sat up off of him, wiping at her stained face. "It's ok." She was in a particularly forgiving mood at the moment. She'd just have to wash the blood off when her mother wasn't looking. "Even though it is your fault, it doesn't matter."
Duncan half snorted in amusement. True, he was to blame. "Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his neck with his clean hand. "Sorry about the window and all."
Courtney shook her head as she stood. "Whatever." She managed a smile as she walked over to a dresser. "I'll fix it later." She dug around in one of the drawers and came out with some gauze, cotton balls, and disinfectant.
Duncan frowned deeply. "Why do you have that in your room?" He murmured suspiciously, eyeing her with uncertainty.
Courtney shrugged. "Just look at me." She grumbled, sitting back down in front of him. "Who knows when it might get worse."
Duncan cringed. He hadn't meant to bring that up again.
Courtney forced a smile. She knew he didn't mean anything by it, and after what he'd done for her she had no right to be persnickety, but it still stung. "Give me your hand." She quickly moved on from his words. She didn't want to cry again.
Duncan thoughtlessly stretched his hand out to her.
Courtney took the disinfectant and put some on the cotton ball. She then dabbed his hand and arm, grimacing as she was forced to stare intently at the blood. She hated blood. It made her physically ill.
"You really don't have to do this." Duncan said to break the silence.
"I want to." She said without thinking.
Duncan couldn't help but smile. This event really had knocked her off kilter. "Thanks I guess then."
Courtney started snickering unintentionally after a moment.
Duncan blinked in confusion. "What?" He cocked his head to the side.
"Both of your hands are bandaged now." She giggled.
Duncan snorted in amusement. "Yeah. But this one's coming off soon." He pointed to his sprained wrist.
She didn't know why at first, but she started to choke up again. Faint sobs caught in her throat, coming out as hiccups.
Duncan was swept with worry. "What?" He said with obvious concern. "Did I say something wrong?"
She shook her head, quickly finishing the wrapping. "No." She said through closed lips, standing up a little too fast.
Duncan stood up with her. "Then what?" He stared with sad eyes.
"I just realized tomorrow is school." She choked out, her hands shaking. "Everyone will see me."
His heart fell. It was true. Everyone would stare at her and whisper, adding on to her already bad reputation. It made his blood boil. "No they won't." He growled. He had to wonder though how she had never been hit in the middle of the week. She was quite lucky, either that or her mother was really smart. But why now did it change?
Courtney stared with wide tear filled eyes up at him. "What?" She squeaked weakly.
"Anyone who says anything to you will wish they were dead." He said with a fierce passion, his fists clenching instinctively.
A tear slipped down Courtney's face, but it was not from sadness. Now it was from sheer happiness and relief. "Oh, Duncan." She cried, moving toward him and wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you so much." The prospect of school still scared her, but she knew that with him protecting her it would not be unbearable. She could at least smile, even through her bruises.
Duncan smiled despite himself. "It's nothing." He breathed, tentatively wrapping his injured arms around her tiny well curved body. "I'd do anything for you…" He didn't think as he said it, forgetting for a moment that this was a game. He almost thought that this was real, that she loved him and he loved her. He almost lost his grip on what he called reality.
Courtney heard his words, but she didn't really register them. She was just as lost to reality as he was. "I'm so glad." She squeezed out, nuzzling his chest affectionately. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
As they stood in utter bliss, they knew they'd lost their minds. They were not meant to be so close, physically or emotionally. This was not meant to be! Yet they couldn't stop it, and that was truly scary.
So, connected enough for you? Did it satisfy you dxc needs? I liked it pretty well. And with each chapter I get closer to the chapter I really want to write. :D Please review! :)