Chapter Thirteen

Courtney's POV

"Are you sure you want to do this? Because I can turn around and take you home." Duncan asked me.

I was adamant about doing this.

"We are already at school. Besides, I'll be fine. I'm ready to do this finally." I told him firmly.

Duncan was more worried about today than I was. The other night we were watching My Sisters Keeper, and I got an idea.

Kate always wore a scarf or just didn't have anything on. I only saw her in a wig once in the entire movie. No one was scared of her or anything. She was happy with who she was. It inspired me tremendously. And even though on the inside my mind was telling me to go home and get my wig, I fought against the voice.

Today I had a pink Coach scarf covering my head and that was it. I left my wig at home so that there was no way that I could chicken out without leaving school.

I even wore a matching outfit. I had on a pink spaghetti strapped sundress and pink flip flops. Pink fingernails and toes. The outfit helped me feel a little bit less nervous, because Duncan told me I looked adorable.

"No one is going to notice the scarf. They're going to be too busy wishing they had a beautiful girlfriend like mine." He told me when he picked me up for school.

Now he didn't seem as confident.

"Princess are you really sure about this? I don't want anyone hurting you." He asked again.

I smiled at him confidently. "Let's do this," I said and got out of the car.

Duncan followed my lead and met me outside.

I walked in the front doors of school, hand in hand with Duncan, ready to face everyone.

As we, nervously, walked into school I remembered how similar this was to another situation of ours.

~Flashback~

No one's POV

Courtney and Duncan looked at each other nervously as Duncan pulled into their school's parking lot.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I can drop you off and park alone if you don't want anyone to see us." Duncan asked. Courtney shook her head.

"I am tired of sneaking around and lying to everyone about everything. It's time that we told the school that we are together. I don't care if all my friends get mad. I like you and that should be all that matters." She explained.

"You do know that everyone is going to go crazy about this right? I don't want to put you through that. I care a lot about us princess, but to possibly alienate you from your friends when they find out that we are dating, could hurt you. I mean, what if your friends get mad? I can't make you choose between us and them. It isn't fair to you." He told her.

Courtney hadn't thought about that side of things. She had been happy that her parents accepted Duncan, despite his faults, and hoped that her friends would too.

"I won't have to choose. You make me happy and that's all the matters. If they can't see that then they aren't my friends." She said adamantly.

Duncan smiled and asked: "Are you ready then?"

"Just one thing before we get out." She leaned in and kissed him. They started getting caught up when someone knocked on Courtney's window. They both looked up surprised.

"He lovebirds, you're going to be late to class if you don't get out here." Geoff called from outside of the car, Bridgette beside him.

"Let's go," Courtney said. Duncan got out of his car and walked around to the passenger side and opened Courtney's door. Courtney grabbed Duncan's hand and intertwined their fingers before walking towards the school together.

There was a mixture of shock and surprise on their peers faces as the two most unlikely people walked hand in hand into school. Duncan being one of the least liked guy's at their school (at that time) and Courtney being one of the most popular girls/cheerleading captain/all around good girl were officially a couple. Everyone was shocked.

The only two people who were oblivious were the two who knew about the relationship: Bridgette and Geoff. They walked right alongside Duncan and Courtney.

As Courtney looked around at people, most of them her friends, she saw that she was being ignored or shunned by most of them. She tried to ignore this and think about Duncan but it was beginning to get to her. Her own friends were ignoring her!? Just because she was with someone who made her happy.

Meanwhile Duncan took notice of Courtney's apparent worried thoughts. He immediately worried if he was losing her before their relationship really even took off. Was he going to lose her just because of their friends?

"Princess are you still so sure about this?" he whispered in her ear as they walked through the halls. He was hoping that her answer was a yes.

"We were crazy to think that everyone would be so accepting about this right away. They just need to get used to the idea of us being together." She whispered back.

"So you want to stay together?" he asked hopefully.

Courtney's face brightened and she looked at him. "Who said anything about us not staying together? Who cares what everybody else thinks. You're the best boyfriend I've ever had. I'm not throwing that away for so stupid people in our school."

~End Flashback~

As Duncan and I walked into school, we weren't met with surprised or shocked looks. We were met by my teammates all with their new hairstyles and my other non-cheerleading friends, all of whom smiled at Duncan and I as we walked through the hallway.

No one made a rude comment about my scarf, but I was getting compliments on my outfit. From people that weren't even my friends.

Once we arrived at my locker all of the nerves and worries had completely disappeared.

"Feeling pretty good right now?" Duncan asked me. My response was a quick kiss, to which Duncan laughed.

Then I did something less expected. I just leaned in and hugged my boyfriend.

"What's this for?" he asked with a laugh.

"Thanks for being the best most supportive boyfriend in the world. I love you so much Duncan." I replied.

"You're welcome," he said and hugged me back.

A great day and a new beginning was ahead of me.

AN: No this is not the end! I just wanted to write a chapter about Courtney accepting and coming to terms with what she has. How she is accepting it and ready to show who she really is, not hide what she has. Anyway, I spent some time searching for the perfect necklace and I have finally found it. The one Duncan bought.

Courtney's necklace: Go to google images: type in "colorful diamond heart necklace" it should be the first picture, purple heart stone with a bow on top.