Chapter Three: Interview with the CIT

I bit my lip as I looked at my cell phone's caller ID. Courtney's name was blinking vividly in time with each vibration. My mouth went dry. I flipped open the phone and held it cautiously to my ear. "Hello?"

"Noah! Oh, thank God! I was afraid you wouldn't pick up. I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

"Noah? You dialed the wrong number, sunshine." I couldn't help grinning at the sound of her phone fumbling out of her grasp on her end. "I'm free to talk, though." I heard her swear and I felt my grin only get wider.

"Duncan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to call you. I was trying to get a hold of Noah and…I'll hang up now." I heard a few voices in the background but I ignored them, soon realizing that she was about to hang up.

"Wait!" I probably sounded a little too alarmed but at this point, I needed to hear her voice. "Listen. I haven't heard from you in ages. I have a few questions for you before you block me from your life."

There was a small pause but luckily, I could still hear her shifting around on the other end. At least she didn't hang up. Finally, she sighed and began to speak. "Duncan, I don't have time for this. I really need to reach Noah and to be frank; it was a total accident that I called you." More voices in the background. "Can you two be quiet?" I heard her call out to some unknown person. "Duncan. I'm sorry but-"

"Three minutes!" I said desperately into the phone, cutting her off. "Only three minutes of your royal highness' time and I promise I'll hang up. Come on, Princess. Do it for me." I smoothed back my hair and held my breath. I just wanted to speak to her. All the messages I've left her, all the texts I've sent, I really needed her right now. Gwen could only do so much; I was craving someone's help.

Courtney hesitated briefly on the other end before giving in. "…Fine. You win, Duncan. Three minutes and not a second longer: I'll be timing it." I released a breath and pressed the phone to my chest so Courtney couldn't hear my laughter. Thank you, Courtney. My mind raced as I started to think up questions. I wanted to ask her so much, and now, I'll finally get the chance.

"Okay, Princess. First question: Why have you been ignoring me since Total Drama Island ended?" I waited patiently for my answer as I took a seat on a nearby bench.

"You always choose the hardest questions, don't you?" I smiled at her evasive answer and started chipping off some old paint from the bench. Courtney was definitely one-of-a-kind. "After that poor excuse for a reality show, I really couldn't face you after I left you with a sprained ankle. I just wanted the money so…well…BAD: I lost sight of everything else. Blame my competitive nature." I rubbed my ankle tenderly; it had just begun to heal a few weeks ago. On the other hand, her competitive nature and her overachiever personality was what got me going. The fire in her eyes when she went out of her way to accomplish her goals was inspiring. It actually kind of reminded me of myself. I guess I affected her in more ways than one. I chuckled at the memory of the two of us sneakily stealing the food stash from Chef and Chris, back before she had been voted off the show. "Duncan?" Her voice snapped me back to the present. "I heard you chuckle. You think that my confession's funny? Well, let me tell you something – I don't HAVE to be talking to a juvenile delinquent. I'd probably be doing the world a favor if I stopped contact with you entirely."

"I wasn't laughing at you, sweetheart. You're about as funny as watching paint dry. In fact, I've enjoyed myself more in juvie than-"

"I get it, thanks. I'm afraid I'll have to let that little comment slide – after all, you only have two minutes left." I checked my watch and cursed aloud when I realized how much time I had just wasted. "In continuation of my answer to your ridiculous question, after the final episode, I saw you at the finishing ceremony. I thought that it would be better if we went our separate ways. I guess that won't be the case since Chris found a loophole in your contract for Season Two. Apparently I'll be on some sort of 'Aftermath' show, watching the contestants compete without actually competing myself."

"That's too bad. I was looking forward to winning the money and rubbing it in your face." The wind blew gently against me, causing a nearby newspaper to flutter away. Suddenly, the fact that people were walking by and giving me weird looks didn't matter anymore. My main objective now was irritating Courtney. I found that she was the most amusing when she was annoyed. Who better to annoy her than me? "I guess you'll never have the chance to prove to the rest of the contestants that your determination and attitude will win in the end. It appears that the Criminal has bested the Princess."

Courtney made a 'humph' noise on the other end. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Duncan. After all, I was unfairly voted off in the first season. I'll get my lawyers on it, and I can promise you that you haven't seen the last of me on that stupid show. I will be the one claiming the money in the end, and if you're nice to me, I MIGHT consider cutting you in three percent."

I feigned excitement. "Really, Princess? An entire three percent?" My words were laced with sarcasm. "Thirty thousand big ones is certainly a lot of money, but unfortunately for you, I have my eye on the full million. I won't settle for anything less. Anyway, I think a girl like you would realize how incredibly unrealistic it is for you to come back on the show. I don't care how many lawyers you have – it's not going to happen, sweetheart." Contrary to what I said, I really did want Courtney back on the show. I missed her voice, her attitude: everything about her. Her personality was so contradictive to Gwen's, it acted as a pain-killer. What Gwen couldn't give me, Courtney could provide. I think this is one of those examples where when you lose something, you realize how much it truly means to you.

"Don't blame me when I end up claiming the million and you walk away from the reality show with nothing to show for it." Although I couldn't see her, I knew she was smiling on the other end. "Actually, you're right. I don't think I could handle sharing the set with an ogre like you again. You're self-centered, possess no desirable qualities and the only skill you happen to have is knowing how to pick a lock with a hair pin. I'll never understand why I fell for you in the first place: we're just not compatible, and we wouldn't be able to take our relationship any further than the show." I shook my head, smiling. A teenage boy, two or three younger than myself, took a seat next to me on the bench. He seemed to be interested in my conversation, but after casting him an irritated look, he quickly looked away and pretended to be observing the pigeons that had now started to crowd my feet.

"You don't mean that, Princess. You want me and we both know it. You never were all that good at keeping your hots for me a secret. The entire cast of Total Drama Island knew." My grin emerged as she was quiet – trying to think of a comeback no doubt. I used the opportunity to keep going. "But here's what I don't understand: if you're still crushing on me, why didn't you try to contact me? You don't have a boyfriend, do you?" The kid beside me seemed to be intent on listening. I shifted down the bench, moving my body away from him.

"I am NOT crushing on you. I came to my senses when that idiotic show ended, so I didn't have any reason to contact you. I don't want to open up any wounds that had healed over time. I have a very loving boyfriend, thank you very much. You may find it hard to believe but there are some guys out there who appreciate a woman with brains."

"Oh, yeah?" I snorted. "What's his name?"

"Er…uh…Noah."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's right – I'm dating Noah," she continued more confidently. "See, Noah and I have the same personality, so we understand each other. He compliments me, and we share the same interests. We're the ideal match. And how about you? Did your last girlfriend deflate already?"

Blow-up doll joke. Classy, Courtney. I taught you well. "Believe it or not, I do have a girlfriend. The only thing is that we're going through a few rough patches right now. We've been on the rocks for a while, but I'm sure that we'll sort it out." Suddenly feeling a little vulnerable, I decided to change the subject. "Wow, I can't believe you're dating a nerd like Noah. I thought you'd have higher standards than that, Court. How'd you two get together, anyway?" The kid on the bench was eyeing me again, and I noticed that he had shifted further down the bench towards me. I mouthed 'screw off', glaring at him.

"We ran into each other at the library. I was handing in an extra credit summer project through the library's computer, and he was taking out a book. We got to talking and he asked me out. We went to a movie and dinner: it was extremely romantic. You should really try being romantic sometime, Duncan. Although, to be frank, I can't imagine that an ape like you would have a single romantic bone in his body."

I rolled my eyes.

"So…about your so-called girlfriend: do I know her?"

I felt my face going red. "You could say that. She was also on the island when we were filming. I'm sure you can guess who I'm talking about."

"Katie?" She was giggling – obviously making fun of me.

"Are you serious? I couldn't get a word in before her twin came up and started talking. Those two girls wouldn't shut up. Thank God they won't be returning for Season Two. I thought my eardrums were going to burst due to their constant squealing." I shuddered at the thought.

"How about Lindsay? She'd make a perfect match for you: the dumb blonde and the Neanderthal – you're both about the same in the intelligence department. Are those wedding bells that I hear?" Still laughing.

"Sure, she's got a smokin' body, but I much rather prefer beauty and brains. And a fun personality doesn't hurt, either. Come on, Princess: I know you can do better than that."

"Okay…I've got it. Someone with beauty and brains – you're describing Heather, but I think you skimped out on the personality part." I heard a crash on the other end and it dawned on me that she'd dropped her phone from laughing so hard. She picked it back up and her familiar voice rang once more in my ear. "Never mind. It's Gwen, right? She's a nice girl, Duncan, but her people skills are lacking – Goths are usually like that, I guess."

I scratched my head, silent.

"…I'm really sorry to hear about your relationship problems." I straightened up: her teasing tone of voice had transformed significantly – into something genuinely sincere. "I wish I could cheer you up." It was touching to hear how much she still cared for me: even if she didn't realize it herself, the way that she was currently speaking was giving her away.

I started playing with my studded clasp on my wrist. "Since you offered, there is something you could do for me, sweetheart: take me out to a movie tonight. You can pay, and don't worry, it's not a date – after all, we're both involved with other people. We can be just two friends seeing a movie together. Nothing romantic, I swear. We can see a slasher flick, or a thriller." I leaned forward and waited for her response.

"…I…"

There was a prolonged pause on her end, followed by a heavy sigh.

"…Sure, I'll go with you." She sounded reluctant, like she knew that she was going to regret her decision later. "This is a pity date, though: nothing more. You are not allowed to make any advances on me. Do we have an agreement?"

I laughed and a relieved smile spread across my face – the first true smile that I'd had for a while. All was right in the world. "I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best." I checked my watch. "Well. It seems that I've stolen ten whole minutes from your very busy day. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a hunch that little Miss CIT didn't mind talking to me as much as she let on."

Courtney gasped. "I can't believe I've been talking to you for ten minutes: I should've called Noah by now! Oh, this is so not good: I'm behind schedule. I only wish I could take back those last seven minutes." She was panicked, but I figured that she'd have her usual collected self back by the time our date – and I knew that it was a date – rolled around. "The movie you pick out better be good. And just so you know, I have to be back by ten o'clock at the absolute latest: I need my beauty sleep, and I don't think that Noah would want me staying out too late…especially with you of all people. Alright: I'm getting off the phone in ten seconds, but before I do, I'd like to inform you that – for the last time – I do NOT have a crush on you. I admit that I did back when I was more naïve and foolish, but that was then and this is now. And I hope that you act a little more civilized before our little soirée. Make sure you give me a ten minutes heads up before you come to get me. Speaking of which, be punctual – you know that I hate to be left waiting."

"I'll let that whole crush thing go because I'm tired of telling you that you're in denial. And I think that you actually like the idea of hanging out with a miscreant. Heck, I'll even pick you up with my motorcycle if it'll dislodge that stupid stick from your butt."

"Hilarious, Duncan. Don't even think of bringing your motorcycle: my parents would kill me, and the last thing I want is for them to wonder about the company that I keep."

"Sure, sure. See you later, Princess."

"Take care, you caveman."

We hung up at the same time. I leaned back on the bench and stretched. The teenager was staring at me. Finally fed up, I turned to him. "Can I help you with something, kid? You've been looking at me this entire time. Unless you want a hole where your face should be, I suggest you back off."

The teenager only grinned, completely disregarding what I had just told him. "Was that your girlfriend you were talking to? From the way that things sounded, it seemed like she was into you. Share your secrets with me."

"As amazing as that sounds, I'm going to have to decline that request." I got to my feet and promptly punched him in the arm. I left him alone on the bench, rubbing his arm and swearing. Weirdo. I glanced at the screen of my phone. Last Call: 12 minutes, 13 seconds. I smirked. I didn't have the heart to tell her how much time she'd wasted talking to me. Truthfully, I hadn't wanted the conversation to end. Ah, well: all good things have to end sometime. At least I got to speak to her, however brief it was. As the summer breeze ruffled my hair, I couldn't help but chuckle – I would be able to see Courtney again at last. I opened up a new text message on my phone, addressing it to Geoff. After inserting the title, I started to type in my message. When it was complete, I read it once over, beaming with pride. It was a three-word message, but one that I knew Geoff would understand immediately. I pressed 'Send' and returned the phone to the back pocket of my shorts.

The screen soon refreshed with a confirmation of the message that I'd sent.

Message 378

To: Geoff (Mobile)

Subject: Courtney

Message: She wants me.

Status: SENT

Author's Note: I'm pretty sure this is my longest chapter so far. I really tried to keep both Duncan and Courtney in character but it was difficult since they'd react differently to each other after TDI. I really appreciate reviews. If you're new to this story, please review each chapter. It gives me an idea of how my previous chapters were and how I've improved them since. I hope everyone had wonderful holidays and I wish everyone a Happy New Year. Sorry about the delay, with Christmas presents and such, it was difficult to really write anything.

A very special thanks to my sister, who served as my editor for this chapter. Thanks for correcting my mistakes and giving me your two cents!

Also, if you're new to the story, I would appreciate reviews on each chapter. They let me know what I can do to improve the chapters as I move along.