AN: Duncan's still at the beach. And I don't own anything TDI or otherwise.

Chapter Sixteen

Courtney's POV

I was waiting with my parents to find out the results of my blood tests. It was going to show the progress of my treatment. Duncan was still at the beach but I wish he was here. He had been sending me pictures of the beach since he got there.

Dr. Todd came in and I had an ominous feeling of déjà vu.

Duncan's POV

It was only halfway through the week but surprisingly I was having one of the best vacations ever. Obviously only one person could make this better, but things with my family hadn't been this good in years.

"Duncan we are going for a walk down the boardwalk, do you want to come with us?" my cousin Derek asked.

"Sure." I got up and grabbed my wallet off the nightstand.

XXX

"You know Duncan you're actually really cool," Stevie complimented as we walked down the boardwalk.

"I've always been like this. You guy's just didn't want to be seen with me when I looked like I could beat you up." I commented.

"Which was definitely true. You looked scary as hell." Stevie agreed.

"But it don't matter. I've changed and you can all send thank you cards to Courtney but I think that might scare her because she doesn't know you." I joked.

"Speaking of, when do we get to meet this amazing Courtney? Because when she meets me I can help her realize what a civilized person is like." Derek said. I could tell he was joking or I would have beaten him up already.

"I was going to bring her to my birthday party this summer. She's been talking me into actually celebrating for once." I explained.

It wasn't a complete lie, Courtney had been talking me into having a birthday party. I just didn't feel like explaining how she's been begging me to celebrate because she desperately wants to plan the party.

"Cool. We finally get to celebrate you growing up." Stevie said.

"Yeah," I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. "Will you guys give me a moment?" I asked them as I answered my phone.

"Hey princess. I miss you." I greeted her. There was no response but I could hear heavy breathing, like she was upset. I walked a little bit away from my cousins to get a little privacy. "What's wrong?"

"Courtney, take a deep breath." I hear her breath in and release. "Now talk."

"Dr. Todd told me that I am progressing but at an extremely slow rate, so it's like I'm barely getting healthy, and he extended my treatment for a few more weeks. So this whole thing was a waste anyway!" I could hear her breaking down and crying again.

"It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be fine. You're just going to have to have another few treatments. It's nothing bad." This is such shit. It's worse than that actually. This is hell.

"Duncan, when is this going to end? I'm so sick of feeling completely drained and having no energy. I'm tired of puking every time that I go for treatment. I just want everything to be over." She continued to cry.

I silently cursed myself for going on this vacation. I got the respect of my family, but apparently at the price of being there for Courtney when she needs me most. I'm too far away to do much of anything over the phone and it wouldn't be possible for me to rush home because it would be too much to ask of my parents.

"It will be. In the meantime just imagine all the days of school you're missing and how jealous everyone else will be of that. I am on a beach and I'm jealous of you, not to mention totally in love with you at the same time. And you're one of the hottest girls in the entire school babe and…" I was rambling but she interrupted me, with her laughter.

"Please stop rambling Duncan. You're going to make me die of laughter. It's too much." She said giggling. "And I love you too." She added.

I felt my insides get a little bit warmer, regardless of the fact that we were outside and it was about a hundred degrees.

"I'll call you later, I have some homework to do." Courtney said.

"I finished mine this past weekend so that I wouldn't have to do it on vacation." I confessed. Courtney gasped on the other end of the phone.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"You did your homework before it was due? Really? What has gotten into you Duncan?" she asked jokingly.

"You." I said simply. I could practically see her blushing in my mind.

We said goodbye and I hung up a few minutes later. I found Stevie and Derek in a shop right across from where I had been talking. It was one of those stereotypical beach shops, the one's with the all the suits and towels hanging on the walls and in the windows. Then you have the boogie boards and skim boards in metal bins all around the store, and tacky souvenirs are everywhere.

"You should get Courtney something from here." Stevie said as we looked at the sharks in jars.

"I don't think she'd appreciate a shark in a jar." I said skeptically.

"I meant get her a tacky souvenir. Everyone is entitled to one horrible gift from a loved one. You can get her something else, but this could be a gag gift. You give her a bobble headed dolphin wearing sunglasses and then give her the real gift afterwards." She handed me the exact dolphin and it made me laugh.

"I did that thing once, but it was when I gave her a necklace for our anniversary. She about died when she saw the necklace." I said thinking back to that night. It was a great night.

"You have this really starry look in your eyes Duncan. You really love her don't you?" I thought I heard a hint of surprise in Stevie's voice.

I knew she would barely believe me, but I have changed a lot. I am in love with Courtney and it's the craziest thing in the world. Crazy that she would love a guy like me, but yet she does. Its so weird and exciting at the same time.

"Duncan?" she asked worriedly because I had begun spacing.

"Yeah. I do love her so much it's crazy." I told her.

AN: I needed to add a little bit of craziness to make things interesting and continue to show how Duncan's changing. Anyway there's another chapter.