Growing Pains

Chapter Nine

Duncan

"Duncan, my man! How's it been?" DJ said as he clapped me on the back.

I smirked at him, "I scared a couple of freshmen last week, so I'd say it's been pretty good. Gave one a pretty good wedgie too."

He laughed, "I'm glad you haven't changed in the week I've been gone." DJ only left for a week and yet, it felt like things were already so different. Courtney was going on a date. A date with some guy who was way too pretty. I should beat him up later and change that. The idea made me smile.

"DJ!" Gwen said with a wave and a smile. We were walking over to our typical hangout spot in the mornings before class. We were right outside the auditorium where there were a few park benches. We only had to share it with a group of moron kids that were considered popular. Justin was among them, a fact I hated more than usual.

"Hey, Gwen!" DJ greeted with a broad smile.

"You have to tell me everything about it! Did you commit to any schools?" Gwen asked with eagerness. For being goth, she seriously needed to work on the perky sides of her personality.

I didn't hear what he said because I felt everything stop dead as I saw the scene before me. Justin and Courtney were sitting very close together, smiling and giggling at whatever they were saying. I stopped walking, catching the attention of Gwen and DJ.

"What's wro-oh," Gwen said as she followed my line of sight.

"He's a dead man," my hands were clenched into tight fists. I marched forward, ready to punch the douchebag in the face, but I was quickly stopped.

DJ blocked my path, moving in front of me every time I tried to get around him. "Duncan, he didn't do anything wrong," DJ said, attempting to calm me. I guess I didn't need to fill him in on anything now. From my reaction and their flirting, he could connect the dots.

"He's talking to my girl! My girl." I was going to pound his pretty boy face into the ground. He might've had muscles, but those were all for show. I wanted to explain to him what real muscles could do, you know, without words.

Gwen let out an exasperated sigh, and leaned past DJ's large frame to look at me. "She's not yours, Duncan. In fact, she's not anyone's."

I glared at her, "Oh, don't go all feminist on me now."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Boys," she muttered.

DJ grabbed my shoulders and looked at me squarely in the eye, "If you kill him, you'll get a detention. And if you get a detention, you can't go to the cabin. And if you can't go to the cabin, then you lose any shot at getting alone time with Courtney." I took a breath as I digested his words.

Winter break was only a few weeks away. If I could get Courtney alone, then maybe there would be a chance for something to happen. I hated the pathetic feeling of hope that needled its way into my heart. Hope didn't do anything for anyone. If anything, it only made things worse.

And yet, Gwen's words of wisdom from Monday rang in my ears. I knew it was stupid to pass up good advice and that seemed like pretty great advice to me. I would try and fight for her, but I couldn't do it if Mr. Model was in the way.