One Boy. A Thousand Feelings | Duncan

~ Chapter 20 ~

Courtney's eyelids widely retracted in shock at the incident, quickly palming her mouth in disbelief for words. Duncan removed his shades to see what was before him in actuality, also taken aback from speaking. Armana's bare ass was in view. Courtney pulled the second rope, successfully leaving Armana progress to climb the rock but unintentionally tearing away both of her bottom garments in the process. To mirror Heather's actions previously, she attached a large spring snap hook to the waistband of her shorts as the rope could pass through, which must've been fixed on her underwear as well.

"Well you don't see that every day." Chris entertained the occurrence.
"Jee, Courtney, great way of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. I was gonna do the same thing to rein Gwen from falling behind." Heather double crossed on her teammate by pulling on her second rope that would rip away only Gwen's skirt, revealing her pair of purple undies with a pink skull.

Courtney looked on greatly appalled, comparatively dismayed by the fact that it was in Heather's true intentions to humiliate Gwen. Maybe not killing her, but surely making the person wish it did.

"See Courtney? What did I tell you? Heather's main shtick is to abruptly change her personality once she's used the person. That's how she's been playing the game in this competition since she oppressed Lindsay and Beth into an alliance from day one. Now this is gonna damage Armana compromising trust in you." Duncan told her off.
"It's not like I meant to do it." Courtney tried to lessen the blame off her, slightly intimidated by the boy's pointed anger.

Hearing something tore away from her body, Armana curiously searched for the source of sound below her. She became utterly stunned to see she was bottomless, currently in a rock-over position that opened her hips with her butt centered over her foot and shifted to sit on that ankle so it could propel her to the next hold. She remembered Gwen rejoined the climb below her and could potentially see her exposed goodies as several other of the contestants watched on for either to conquer the cliff's face first. She shied her legs closed, too ashamed from going forward by the attention that was already on her. She heard Chris and Heather laugh at her, overwhelming her with unmitigated anxiety. Sure she could've abashed Gwen into covering her eyes and falling once again, but Armana's capability of rationality was brimmed to the point of consternation that her eyes watered.

"PUT ME DOOOWWWWWNNNN!" She cried out, a soft choked sob escaping her lips. "Please! Put me down! Please!"
"Armana! Here! Jump into my arms!" She heard Duncan tell her. "I'll catch you I promise!"

She slowly turned away from the cliff, steadily maintaining her balance on the ledge. She opened her eyes to see that her tears rendered her vision blurry, not wanting to move her hands from covering her to dry her eyes. She felt even more flustered by turning to the audience for them to see she was crying, feeling weak, like a crybaby and that her face looked ugly expressing the spasmodic contractions in her throat.

"I'm right here." Duncan reassured her again, helping her feel less confined by her emotions and the pressure of whose eyes were on her.

She leapt feet first from the rock, officially forfeiting from the challenge. She closed her eyes, feeling the speed pick up as she fell in the air and the wind loud in her ears. She felt weightless succumbing to gravity, her muscles and gut twitching in anticipation of Duncan catching her. Suddenly her back and legs land in a person's arms, opening her eyes to see that he shared her sadness at her distressed state. Too chagrined to look at him or to be crying in the first place made her hide her face in his neck. He kissed her mandible below her earlobe and whispered sweet nothings to her, feeling her arm wrap herself closer to him. Courtney detached herself and took off the rope so Duncan could carry Armana to the cabin for a replacement of clothes, the girl left with a penitent expression for accidentally obstructing her own team member and most likely to be put up for elimination.