DW: Thank you for the love on last chapter and I can't believe the amount of people who don't like Lisa. Maybe she'll get better or worse who knows? I don't even know and I'm the writer.
Disclamer: Nothing belongs to me excpet the idea
"So how does the yard look?" Courtney asked.
Duncan and his business partner Geoff scratched thier heads at the same time. "This is the worst yard I've seen" Geoff said. Geoff was a fairly tall guy with a pink open flannel shirt on and a cowboy hat. He had took it off for a moment to rub his blonde hair. Duncan nodded in agreement, "It looks like it should be declared an envoirmental hazard".
"How did you even buy this house like this?"
Courtney poured herself another half a glass of wine and took a small sip. "It was a deal bargain. Low asking price, hideous backyard and front." She took another sip, "I never thought I had a need to celebrate but I do and this yard has to be spotless. What do you say for ten thousand?"
Duncan smirked, "Honey, with a yard that bad and big I'm going to say at least twenty thousand".
Geoff nodded in agreement, "Give or take a little". Courtney shook her head, "Look, I'm not paying to clowns like you twenty thousands for a front and backyard. What if it's not to my sastisfaction?"
They guys shrugged, "You get half of the money back" Geoff told her reluctantly.
Courtney almost choked on the drink. "Half! What the hell kind of business is that!"
"Look, that's our policy. Take it or leave it babe" Duncan held out his large calloused hand. Courtney sighed but shook on in. "So, you guys planning on starting today?" she asked, looking at the large crew of men outside. Duncan nodded, "We plan to start in the front and work to the back. Got any plans on how you want it to look?"
Courtney thought a moment, "I want something classy and elegant. Something that will make every Betty in the neighborhood jealous".
Duncan smirked, "I knew it. You look like the royal type of some crap. Princess" he added slyly. Courtney scowled at the disgusting nickname, "Princesses are made for little girls with ponytails, who dream to big and high. Not for a partner of a law firm who dreams down to a small scale. It's childish".
Geoff chuckled and Duncan grinned. "Sure, princess. Oh, sign these papers here and we can get started". He handed her several random colored forms, which being a lawyer she read over carefully. "OKay, one thing that I don't agree with in here" she said after reading. Duncan frowned, "And what's that?"
"The part where you're my boss when it should be the other way around. I'm the client and I'm the one whose paying for it".
Duncan folded his arms, "I'm the one with the crew and services. Not to mention the eye for design, I make all the deals and compromises with
you two cents. Savvy?"
Courtney threw the papers on the counter. "Not savvy! I want to be the boss!" she sounded like a child but she didn't care. Geoff held up his hands, "How about we spilt the share and say twenty-five percent even. Deal?"
Courtney frowned but agreed to it. "I'll be in my office working. If you need anything knock on the door and I'll come down" she ushered them outside and locked her patio door.
"Wait, what if I have to pee!" Geoff called back in.
"Use the trees!" she shouted back before taking her bottle and glass upstairs to her office. Cupcake came in afterwards and jumped on the leather couch.
"Hey sleepy head" Courtney greeted her. "Where have you been?"
Cupcake yawned and layed out. Courtney continued to work until she got a phone call. "Hello?" she answered, putting it on speaker.
"Court, it's us" Bridgette's voice came over the other line. Courtney stopped typing when a surge of guilt washed over her, she picked up immdiately.
"Bridgette, I'm so sorry for kicking you out and yelling. You're always welcome to come back".
"No, it's okay they finished my locks and I can got back home now. Anyway, you don't need to say sorry. Lisa was way out of line, like way out. She had no right to bring that topic up".
Courtney rubbed her forehead, "Yeah, but it really was me because I can't take a joke." Courtney heard low talking in the back and a struggle for the phone. Soon Lisa was on the line, "Courtney, I don't know what came over me really. I know better but I acted like a complete bitch and I'm the relationship therapist. Anyway, I'm sorry. Will a double fudge ice cream cake make it all better?" she tried hopefully.
Courtney's craving for chocolate and sweets was uncanny. "You know you can't win me over everytime with sweets. No matter how fancy they are, besides I'm on a diet. Honestly" she lied. Lisa laughed, "Oh but it's not fancy. It's from Fat Queen right down the street, you know you love the chocolaty syrup and mushy cake. Am I convincing you?"
Courtney bit her pen, "Yes, but I'm still mad at you".
"What have I told you Court? Dogs get mad, people get angry". Lisa fidgeted with something, "Can we come over?"
Courtney checked the clock, it was almost four. "I've got a lot of work. Maybe tomorrow". Lisa sighed, "You always work! That's you problem Courtney you work to damn much. I mean even congress takes a day off". Courtney didn't want to hear Lisa'a workaholic speech again. "Look, come over on your own time" she grumbled unhappily.
"Good because you need to come open your door" Lisa laughed and Bridgette giggled. Courtney, puzzled, went downstairs and looked throught the peephole. Sure enough they were standing at her doorstep holding the cake in a cardboard box. She sighed and unlocked the door.
Lisa was the first in and she handed the cake to Courtney. "I made them put another scoop in and add extra syrup".
"It's death in a cardboard box" Bridgette said.
Lisa spotted the large crew of men working in the backyard. "Now I know why she wanted us gone Bridge." she said examaining them.
"She's having a crazy sex party without us!"
"Guess she plays for the right team then" Bridgette laughed and jogged over to where Lisa was spying. Courtney gasped, "I would do no such thing in my house!" she protested and joined the other two ladies by the window.
"So this is what lower and middle class men look like" Lisa commented. "They sure are cute. I like the one with the brown hair, look at those packs" she giggled like a school girl.
"Girls" Courtney said, trying to regain their attention.
"I don't know, I think the blonde one with the cowboy hat is cute" Bridgette said.
"Girls!" Courtney called in a lower voice. "Those men are here to work not to be your eye candy. Besides what would the likes of those people have to us. A lawyer, therapist, and a vetenarian. We don't tango with those kinds of people".
"Whatever. I still think they're hot" Lisa protested getting a tighter watch.
"Some people have no class".
After the girls had their share of laughs over drinks and gossip, they went home leaving Courtney and Cupcake be themselves in her office. It was already past seven and she thought the workers must have went home already. There was no noise coming from outside or trucks in the driveway.
Courtney yawned and felt a slight headache coming on from staring at the screen. She opened her bottom left drawer and took out the small white bottle of yellow pills. She popped three in her mouth and flushed them down with a little water.
After a while the screen went into one big blur and she had to close her eyes for a moment.
Just a little nap...
A young Courtney sat at a huge desk with moutains of books around her.
"Must rest" she moaned and laid her head down on the desk. But a loud wack of a ruler woke her up. Her private tutor, a old woman with a long nose and a hairy mole on the side of her cheek looked grimly down at her.
"You are not to sleep young Courtney. You are here to learn! Are you done reading chapters one to ten on the French and Indian war?"
Courtney nodded and secretly wiped the blood off her knuckles. The tutor checked her watch and said, "I guess we can stop for today but when tomorrow back to studying. You have to prepare for you future, young Courtney" she always said that.
Courtney slid out of the chair and scampered out the stuffy old libarary to her room. Her sister was in there, climbing out the window again. "Courtney, John called and wants me to meet him. Cover for me, okay?" she asked.
"Just be back soon" Courtney whispered harshly and helped her slide out.
This was the only time she got to enjoy her childlike things. In her secret hiding spot she carefully got out some paper dolls she made with Hillary and began to play with them. She was so wrapped up in where Jenny should go with Blake that she was unaware of her father watching silently from the doorway.
She felt his cold presence before she even looked up.
"Are those dolls?" he asked with a sneer.
Courtney timidly took her favorite behind her back. "Just paper ones". Her father bent down and took the one from behind her back and examained it.
"Did you make these?" he asked.
Courtney nodded.
"Thery're so pretty but they look awfully plain without any color to them".
"You took me crayons, remember?" she said. Her father smiled a bit, "Oh yes, you don't need those childish things. Do you think lawyers have crayons and markers of the rainbow?"
"No" her eyes widen as her father reached down and in one swoop collected all the paper dolls.
"Dolls are for children Courtney. People who want nothing to do but play all the time. You are eight years old, playtime is long over" he ripped the dolls in half and then into even tiny pieces before he let them fall to the ground.
"Where is Hillary?" he asked looking around.
"I thought she was in the parlor" Courtney lied. But her father's gleaming eyes knew she was lying.
"Really because I was just down there and I didn't see her. Do you know where she is Courtney?"
Courtney didn't answer but shook her head no. Her father became angry and picked her up by her waist and hoisted her over his shoulders. She kicked and screamed as he carried her to the bathroom.
"Where is she!?" he demanded again before submerging her whole head under water for ten seconds. Courtney gasped for air, "I don't know!" she cried.
"Very well" he dunked her again, this time for twenty-five seconds.
He kept the tormenting up until she sputtered. "Over at John's house!" there was blood running down her nose. Her father grinned and stood up adjusting his jacket before leaving.
Later that night
Underneath her covers Courtney saw her sister come back in through the door and staggered over to the bed before collaspes over it.
Her nose and knees stained with blood
Courtney awoke with a jolt from someone touching her shoulder.
"Duncan!" she screamed. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded.
Duncan held up his tool belt, "Forgot this here. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you".
"You didn't." she fixed her hair out of her eyes and took two more pills. Duncan noticed the pill bottle and grabbed it from her,
"Axiodine" he said reading the bottle, "Isn't this banned from Canada?" he asked. Courtney grabbed it back and threw it in her drawer before closing it back.
"You can leave know Duncan. Thank you for your hard work today. Good night".
Duncan glanced at her suspicously but his cell phone went off. "Hey, Gwen, I'm on my way" he ended the call and took one more look at Courtney who returned back to her work.
"You know you should really leave those pills alone" he said before walking out.
Courtney sighed and knew he was right but none the less, she took two more.
DW: Am I good or am I good!? Give me some major propers for this guys.
Oh and if you want to vote on Death Note the whole web address is on one of the later chapters of Death Note. You have to register before you can vote.
It only takes a second and it would mean so much to me!
Peace and Love,
DW