AN: Happy New Year!

Chapter Twelve

Courtney's POV

It didn't matter how many times I reported for treatments, I still could never get past the barfing and sickness that came from them. The only thing different about this time was that Duncan wasn't with me.

I didn't want him to always be missing school so he agreed to come pick me up after I was finished.

So I was hanging out waiting to be checked out with my parents, when he pulled up in his car.

"Hello beautiful," he greeted me. I heard my mother laugh softly behind me.

Duncan walked up to me and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around him too, even if I was feeling extremely weak and tired. We said goodbye to my parents and he walked me to his car carefully.

"I got you a present." He said and reached into his jacket pocket. I felt something slip into my hand.

"You bought me a pack of gum?" I asked curiously.

"I know that you like spearmint gum when you're sick. You said that it makes you feel better when your stomach is upset. You told me once." He replied simply.

"I can't believe that you remembered that. This is so sweet Duncan. Thank you," I said, getting slightly choked up.

"Please tell me that you aren't seriously going to start crying because I bought you a pack of gum." He joked. I stuck my tongue out at him. I chewed on a piece of gum silently.

It was a perfect gift because my mouth tasted disgusting and the spearmint always seemed to settle my stomach. "So where exactly are we going Duncan?" I asked.

I could see him smiling as we drove right past my house.

"You've been called to an impromptu cheerleading practice. Your team called and said to bring you in." he told me.

Why would they have a cheerleading practice without me? Or when they knew that I was just getting done with a treatment?

XXX

Duncan's POV

"What are you doing?" Courtney asked when I put my hands over her eyes. I was walking her into the gym for "practice". There was no practice but she didn't know that. All Bridgette told me was to bring Courtney to the gym.

"I'm just making this more interesting. Relax and I'll lead you to the gym. Just trust me." I said stressing the last part.

"Duncan, I'm sorry about what I said the other day with the necklace." She said sadly.

"I know. I'm not mad at you, but don't worry about that right now. It's not important anymore." I told her. By that time we had made it into the gym and I took my hands away from her eyes.

"OHMYGOD!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. I laughed.

All of her female teammates, well those with long enough hair, had come together and decided to donate theirs to charity. So all the girls had hairstyles similar to Courtney's.

"I can't believe you guys did this!" she shouted happily.

Bridgette was the first to speak up. "We got the idea from Duncan," Bridgette explained.

"I had nothing to do with this." I said confused.

"No, but you did give us the idea. We could show our support by cutting our hair like you did. We just didn't cut it all off. Because unlike you, we all could donate it to make wigs for other girls that need them." She finished explaining.

Courtney let go of me and ran and hugged all her friends.

XXX

Courtney's POV

I couldn't help but be extremely happy right now. This is the coolest thing that I have ever seen! All my friends had chin or shoulder length hair, just like me.

"I may just cry from this!" I joked. We all laughed.

"Well, all of us girls thought that it would be a way to show our support. We know that you wanted to hide this from us, but we love you anyway. And besides, Duncan doesn't get to be the only one who does anything for you," another one of my friends, Sadie, spoke up.

(AN: yes I did just bring Sadie into this!)

"Yeah, we love you too!" Katie also spoke up.

(AN: Can't have Sadie without Katie!)

"Thank you guys. This means so much to me!" I said appreciatively.

"Okay, we all love each other. Can I take a picture of everyone now? I'm betting Courtney's mom is going to want to scrapbook this for memories." Duncan spoke up. He pulled out his phone.

Everyone gathered around me and smiled. We took a couple of pictures then everyone went their separate ways. Except Bridgette.

"Geoff is going to flip when he see's you!" I said. She looked at me worriedly.

"I haven't even told him about this! What if he gets mad because I did it? I mean I know it was for a good cause, but what if he liked my hair better the way it was before?" she asked worriedly. I laughed. Bridgette was so crazy.

"If Geoff has a problem about something that you did for me then I'll kick his butt," I said seriously.

"No, you'll get your butt kick princess. I'll kick his ass if he has a problem with it. Besides Bridge, you always overreact about things. Plus, I texted Geoff one of the pictures that I took of you and Courtney. So he already knows," Duncan told her.

Bridgette gasped.

"How could you just surprise him like that!?" she shrieked. Then her phone vibrated. She instantly melted when she read the text. "Geoff said that I look cute and he wants to take me out for dinner!" she said excitedly.

"Nothing to worry about." I told her. Then we said goodbye for the afternoon and Duncan took me home.

XXX

Duncan's POV

Another call came at two in the morning for me. I ignored it. I knew it was Heather calling me again. I was getting sick and tired of this shit.

Then a text came.

One last chance Duncan. Courtney doesn't love you and there is still time for you to have me. I'm not going to wait around for you forever.

I deleted it and went to bed. What was wrong with Heather?

AN: Happy New Year! Now we have another 525,600 minutes to measure in love and spend writing!