NEXT DOOR: courtney and duncan; a love story.

chapter thirteen - hell of a week - final chapter

last chapter :((

flashback: last day of the week-long trip...

Duncan was still trying to grasp the fact that Courtney rejected him after she initiated the kiss.
He knew he had to keep pining for her, but it was getting harder and harder since she acted like she hated him for unknown reasons (to him).

And Courtney on the other hand- was bittersweet about the whole situation.
As much as she wanted to kiss him and tell him that she liked him, really, really liked him- the little voice in the back of her head said to her that it would end in tears and that they'd never last. Plus, her grades were what was most important.

Until the last day of the trip...

...

Courtney had been holed up in their hotel room for the whole morning- catching up on her English essay- even though it was for extra-credit and it was due in two months.

"What you doin'?" Duncan grinned as he peered over her laptop, but she shut it in his face.
"Studying, why?" Courtney raised an eyebrow in suspicion that he was up to something.
"Uhh..." he scratched the back of his head, trying to make up an excuse. "I need a... tutor."

"A tutor?" Courtney glared at Duncan- and he felt as if she could read his thoughts or something from the way she stared so intensely.
"A tutor!" he smiled sheepishly as she still was unsure of his intentions.

"Hmm..."
Duncan felt like he was applying for a job from the amount of judging Courtney was doing.
"Okay. Fine. But only because I've seen your grades. And I expect some sort of payment!" she teased and opened her laptop up again.
"Yes, ma'am."

Duncan sighed in relief and when Courtney wasn't looking- he pumped his fists in the air triumphantly. 'YES!'
Though, unknown to Duncan- Courtney knew his intentions and she could see right through his silly lies. She was the only one who could. Then why did she agree?

They spent the rest of the afternoon studying calculus.
Courtney kept talking about it, to teach him- but Duncan couldn't care less about math, especially when all he could focus on were big brown eyes and big pink lips.

"Duncan? Are you even listening?!" she waved a hand in front of his teal eyes, breaking him out of his trance.
"Listening? Yeah, I'm listening, Princess. Trust me." he leaned on the table, watching her, so determinate and focused.
"Duncan! Your future depends on this! Focus!" Courtney crossed her arms and huffed.

"I am very focused. I should get some kind of reward for this. A kiss, perhaps?" he grinned, leaning forward.
"A kiss? Duncan, I... I need you to listen! Let's start on derivatives..." Courtney was clearly flushed, but she tried to hide it by flipping through her notes.
But Duncan was already far gone, again.

"DUNCAN!" she shouted, exasperated.
"Sorry! You're... you're just too distracting, Court." he leaned in once again- inches between them now.
"Stop staring at me and pay attention! I'm trying to help you! Why can't you take this seriously?" Courtney sighed.

"I do take this seriously. I take you seriously." his gaze lingered on her dark eyes a little too long, making her blush and turning her stomach into knots.

"I...I..." she looked at the delinquent. Frustration with something she couldn't quite pin-point rushing through her. The tension between them almost palpable. 
"You?" Duncan locked eyes with her.

Before Courtney could overthink it, she grabbed his stupid skull t-shirt and closed the gap between them, their lips crashing.
"Princess..." Duncan groaned, muffled.