Growing Pains

Chapter Forty-Two

Gwen

"Ten bucks says they're making out," Geoff said in a low voice with a shit eating grin. Despite myself, I broke out into a huge smile.

"Twenty says she doesn't let him touch her," Bridgette challenged with a raise of her eyebrow.

His eyes danced with the challenge. "Oh, you're on." She smiled at him, wide and unfaltering. It was a smile I realized I hadn't seen from her in awhile.

Guilt suddenly eased over me as I realized that I hadn't been such a good friend to Bridge. She went through so much recently, but I was so oblivious to it. In that moment, I was so thankful for Geoff and his easy going smiles. He was good for her in a way none of us could be. He made her brighter.

I looked at Trent, my own brightener, and squeezed his hand as he watched them with a soft smile. He looked at me, his eyes lighting up with such simple joy. He looked so happy it made my heart skip a beat.

He frowned, pulling his hand from mine as he fished around in his pajama pants pocket. He pulled out a vibrating phone and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" He said by way of greeting. I heard the frantic muffled voice on the other line and felt my anxiety spike immediately. "Slow down, Cody, what do you mean?"

We all watched him in silence as Cody continued his frantic rant. I watched his eyes go wide as he asked, "He's on his way?"

"Who?" I mouthed, but he didn't respond. In fact, his eyes seemed distant as if he wasn't really here. I had a very bad feeling.

A beat later, then, "Thanks for telling me, man. I'll try to intercept him. Alright, cool. Bye." He hung up the phone and we all waited with baited breath.

Bridgette was the one who asked, "Who's coming?"

But it wasn't Trent who answered, but a very angry Duncan. He opened the door to the dining and said, "Justin's here." You could feel his anger radiating off of him in thick steaming waves.

"Why?" I asked, feeling queasy.

"Hell if I know, but he practically demanded to speak with Courtney," he explained as he stormed over to one of the chairs, sitting down with the wrath of a tornado.

"And she's just talking with him all by herself?" DJ asked in a high voice that emitted all of our shock.

Duncan shrugged but the movement seemed too forced. His hand was in his pants pocket and it kept fiddling with some hidden object.

"I don't understand. Why would he come all the way up here for her? It wasn't like they were even dating for that long." I said more to myself than anyone else. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Duncan. I mean, he was so close to getting the girl he's been pining after, and now she was being wooed by some other guy. It had to suck.

"It's kinda romantic in a way," Geoff said, only to met with glares and frowns.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that," Duncan said in a grouchy voice. His irritation made his voice sharper and I almost wanted to tell Geoff to run before it was too late.

But Geoff responded before he could duck and cover, "Its Like Romeo and Juliet. Two lovers with the world against them. I mean, unless she knows about the feelings of another..." I felt myself gag at the dreamy sigh he tacked on the end. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Duncan stiffen in his seat. He said nothing.

"Yeah, if Romeo was a lying cheating dirtbag," Bridgette retorted. Duncan smirked at that, fizzling our some of the tension. Geoff simply frowned and didn't say anything else—a very smart decision given Duncan's ever growing fowl mood.

"So what do we do? Wait in here for them to talk it out?" I asked. No one responded, but I felt the dip in energy in the room.

So we stayed in the dining room, waiting for the storm to blow over.