A napalm sunset simmered over the suburban streets, blaring oranges and pinks rippling in the small puddles. These hues were just a signal of the imminent danger around her, residing next to her very home.
And what exactly was that danger you might ask? Courtney would tell you it was a neanderthal, and you'd laugh in her face. Of course, the once previously dominant species went extinct 40,000 years ago. But a few of them must've been able to escape the jaws of death, and managed not to breed themselves into non-existence. And one of these ancestors just so happened ended up living back-to-back from Courtney.
Duncan Nelson.
From what she had observed, his parents seemed normal. When the Nelsons first moved into the neighbourhood, her parents threw a semi-lavish dinner party to get them associated with them. They accepted the invite, and when Mr and Mrs Nelson showed up on their porch that evening, they seemed cordial. They could hold a conversation that spanned politics, the arts, world issues and sports. That of which was important to Courtney. They followed etiquette of the Santana household- taking off their shoes, and washed their hands.
The dinner party was the night she first encountered Duncan, and within 5 minutes, she had decided she hated him. Hated him and his green hair. When he trundled into the Satella dining room, ate with his mouth wide open, and called a KFC to her house, that's when she decided he had to be adopted.
But when she turned her head to the Nelson parents, in an attempt into pry into whether her hypothesis was true, she saw it. The resemblance between Duncan and his father was uncanny. They both shared the same hair colour, and Duncan's features belonged to his father. Maybe he's only his dad's... 0ffspring. She turned her head to Mrs Nelson, to whom stared back at her with a polite smile and the exact same eyes as Duncan.
When the Nelsons bade them a good evening, and left for their new home, Courtney was left with one question. What went wrong with this... delinquent? A question that replayed over and over in her mind.
For instance, now was a time where that question plagued her mind. Courtney was sat poised at her desk, approaching potential questions on the LSAT she will take in the future. If not hard enough with the fact she hadn't eaten in 7 hours, Duncan was currently kicking a basketball at his garden wall. What angered Courtney even more was that he was smirking up at her occasionally. His perma-cocky expression was completely visible from her bay window.
Duncan had just kicked the ball particularly hard, and Courtney's scowl deepened. She threw her pen onto the table, and got up from her desk. Duncan had seemed to take notice of this, and purposefully kicked the ball into Courtney's garden. Courtney's hand balled into a fist, and Duncan sniggered at the sight.
Courtney soon disappeared from the view of her bay window, and she was already storming down the staircase. Duncan was already popping his head up against the wall, so it looked like he was doing pull ups. What he was really doing was waiting for Courtney.
Courtney stomped out of the glass doors to her garden, her footsteps filled with more annoyance with each step she took. "Why did I know you'd be waiting for me?" Her dark eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms against her chest.
"Uh, because you're a nerd?" Duncan laughed, his bust visible from over the wall. Courtney could see how his biceps were tensing as he held himself up. She quickly realised what she was doing, scowled again, and turned her nose up. Duncan had learned that was her go to when she was embarrassed, so he snickered again.
"I am not a nerd," Courtney rolled her eyes, her head shifting back to face him again. She knew that avoiding eye contact would give the impression she was intimidated. "I have an affinity to academia."
Duncan laughed again, his amusement reaching his eyes as he did so. "Only a nerd would say that, Princess," Courtney dug her nails into her palm, "No normal person knows what 'affinity' means."
"You know how I can tell you're a nerd?" Duncan tilted his head, and Courtney couldn't help but have her curiosity piqued.
"How am I a nerd then, Duncan?" She sighed disinterestedly, her arms crossing even tighter around her chest.
"You've got the same glasses that librarians wear in the movies," He laughed again. It occurred to Courtney that he was always in a perpetually humoured mood. "with the little beads attached to them as well!"
Her body tensed up in anger, and Courtney felt like she weighed an extra 50 pounds. Her jaw clenched, and if she didn't diffuse her anger, she was sure she'd start growling. She didn't know why his jeers affected her so much- the power imbalance, PMS, tension?
She didn't want to elaborate on which type of tension.
Duncan broke the silence, and Courtney's brief episode of overthinking. "So, uh, can you throw me my ball back, Courtney? Courtney's your name, right?"
He didn't even know my name? She thought, scowling deeply. "Yes, Courtney is my name."
"Do you promise not to kick it at the wall, or be as loud as you were?" Courtney's voice softened, but traces of her annoyance were ever present. "I'm trying to study."
"I know," Duncan smirked, his head gesturing not-so-subtly towards his basketball. "I've seen you in your room, sat at your desk for, what, 7 hours?"
"Creep." Courtney blurted out with a high-pitched scoff.
"You've got a big-ass window right where you were sitting, don't blame me," Duncan raised his hands defensively, and caught himself on the edges of the wall before he fell. Courtney had to look up at him, due to the wall's 6.5ft stature. "can I have my ball back now? Please?"
She muttered something derogatory under her breath, but obliged to his request. She trotted over to the wildflower bed, where Duncan had kicked the ball. She picked it up, outstretching her arms so the dusty ball didn't touch her v-neck. Courtney positioned herself to throw it over the wall, grimacing as she held it in front of her.
"Wait," Duncan interrupted again. At least Courtney now knew what Duncan had an affinity for. Interrupting people. "Come to the wall, stand up on that Vespa and hand it over to me."
"I can just throw it," Courtney tried to assure him, positioning herself to launch the ball. "Give me a moment."
"If you throw that ball, you're gonna send it right through one of those windows, which happen to belong to my parents," Duncan sighed, shaking his head at Courtney's insistence. He seemed to be stood on something now. "Frankly, I don't wanna be blamed for something I didn't do."
"Wow!" Courtney cackled, with mock surprise. "The neanderthal properly utilised the word frankly!"
"Neanderthal? You and your obnoxiously big brain couldn't come up with something more, y'know, scary?" Duncan looked sort of offended at her nickname. "Just c'mere already, give me my ball."
Courtney let out an exhale, giving into Duncan's request. She placed an expensive shoe onto the footrest of the Vespa, steadying herself. She looked down at the loud, lime green paint. One of many relics belonging to her parent's youth. She placed both feet onto the vehicle, and held up the basketball for Duncan to take. "I don't know why you made me go to so much effor-"
She shrieked, feeling herself being swooped into the air, her hair whipping into her freckled face. With a thud, and the now dissipating feeling of the whiplash that would effect her in the morning, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a burst of teal, which surrounded two dilated pupils. Duncan's.
Courtney sat up, utterly horrified, and backed away from his amused form. Duncan had an arm slung behind his head, and he had a look of disappointment on his face as she backed away. "What, am I not the hugging type?" Duncan smirked, and let out a raspy exhale.
"You-" Courtney almost admired the nerve of him. "You snatched me from my garden! You deceived me!"
"Hey, hey-!" Duncan tried to calm her down, placing a wary hand on her forearm, before withdrawing it. He still didn't know yet if she was a biter or a puncher. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to go out, like, for a walk. Or something." Duncan kicked the grass.
"What?" Courtney scoffed in reply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I told you, I'm trying, or was trying to study! I can't just ditch my regimen to go for a walk!"
Duncan sighed, then chuckled to himself. "Darling, you've been in that room for 7 hours. I could see you contemplating ripping your hair out."
"Besides, someone like you would know that exercise is like, good for people, right?"
"And I haven't seen you do something outdoorsy in the 5 months I've lived here." Duncan finished, visibly proud of his effort to convince her.
"I spent 3 weeks as a CIT!" She argued back, glaring at Duncan.
"Fine," Duncan groaned, and started to reword his point. "I haven't seen you do something outdoorsy that you couldn't put on a resumé. You're my age, right? And you're throwing your youth away for a stupid test that happens in a gazillion years? I could show you what you're missing out on."
Courtney sighed, and Duncan's eyes widened subtly at the possibility of her giving in. "Fine. I will go out with you, for a walk."
"And I would like to be back at a reasonable time. Around 8:30."
Courtney brushed the arid particles of dust from her khaki skort. "Can you do that?"
"Can do, princess." Duncan's expression could be summarised in one word. Delighted.
---
After briefly waiting for Duncan to find his shoes, Courtney was continuing to consider if she should run or not. Was this a bad idea? What if someone from her inner circle spotted her with him? She wasn't exactly oblivious to Duncan's reputation at school. She tried to reverse her thoughts, calm herself down, but her attempts weren't holding up.
Duncan was leading along the pavement, often looking back to make sure Courtney was still there. It's like he's aware of what I'm thinking, Courtney thought to herself. And she started sweating even more. She began to silently thank the inventor of antiperspirant.
"Fairgrounds aren't as shitty as they seem, y'know," Duncan told her, nodding towards a fading poster for the town fairground. "when it comes around next year, I'll see if you want to come along, sneak you through the back with a couple of my dudes. It'll be a blast, I tell you."
Courtney's replies to whatever Duncan had told her defaulted to an 'uh huh' and 'I'll see'. What didn't change was her wide eyed, still expression. She looked... anxious. It wouldn't be long until he started to pick up on it. Or had he already, and she hadn't noticed?
Duncan halted in front of her, and Courtney instinctively followed suit. He gazed back at her, the darkening of the dusk sky making his eyes appear a deeper shade than they actually were. He reached out, his hand meeting with Courtney's, encapsulating it in its size and warmth. He smirked down at her. "Do you think I'll be able to get a kiss?"
Courtney's eyes were glossy as her trained eyes looked back into Duncan's. Did he just ask me if he'd be able to get a kiss out of me? She felt her windpipe constrict subtly at the thought. Was this where she started to bolt? She shook herself out of the depths of her mind, and she giggled. "You're not my type."
"Oh." Duncan paused momentarily, coughing to unblock his throat, "And what's your type, princess?"
"I haven't decided yet."
Duncan let out a satisfied hum, the air whistling out of his nostrils. Courtney could already depict his smug expression in her mind and they continued walking through the streets.
She wasn't lying when she told Duncan she hadn't decided her type yet. Hell, she hadn't had a 'boyfriend' since pre-k. And they broke up because Courtney tackled him into the sandpit for talking to another girl. Then stole his chocolate pudding as revenge. She was scared of opening herself up to the world; she couldn't control what happened when she opened up. So since grade 6 Courtney had told her friends (and herself) 'I'll get boyfriend later. I just need to study!' Now she was a Junior, and still hadn't had a kiss since an 8th grade sleepover. Which she never wanted to bring up again.
Continuing to think, Courtney stopped momentarily (and to break the awkward silence). "So, Duncan?" She waited until Duncan stopped walking, which he did. "What do you like to do when you're out, since you spend all your time aimlessly wandering around?"
She had to add some snark to make it appear she wasn't too interested.
Duncan's head perked around to face Courtney, and she could see he was trying to hide his joy with a blend of cocky amusement. "Oh look, The Ice Princess actually wants to do something!" He laughed, but he definitely was happy Courtney wanted to something. "I'll show you."
Duncan's pace had sped up noticeably, but it wasn't something Courtney couldn't catch up with. She had spent a year on a varsity track team, after all.
"You ready for some excitement?" Duncan laughed, walking just a few steps ahead of her. "And I mean real excitement, not scoring all A's on your report card or whatever."
"Of course I'm ready," Courtney replied as if it was obvious. "And how would you know if getting straight A's is exciting? I don't think you've ever got a grade above a C- minus. Ever." She smirked.
"Grades don't matter when you're going straight to working in an auto shop after high school," Duncan replied swiftly, without turning to face her. "Keep up, if you go any slower, you'll get back to your house by 5 in the morning."
Courtney scoffed, rolling her eyes as she began to quicken her pace. "Where are we going, exactly?"
"I'll show you." Duncan quipped.
"Couldn't you just tell me?" Duncan had mentally noted that she wasn't partial to surprises. He was going to be able to annoy her to a whole new notch now.
"It's a surprise," Duncan stifled his chuckle, to not much avail. Courtney was suspecting he kept speeding up to annoy her. "keep up, or you won't see, darling."
"Are we at least almost there?" Courtney replied, her tone bored and frustrated.
Duncan nodded. And sped up again.
"You're so annoying!" Courtney whined, basically stomping after Duncan like a dog.
"And you're still here," Duncan chuckled, finally coming to a halt. "...we're here now, anyway. Happy, Ice Princess?"
Courtney tilted her head, obviously confused to what Duncan was gesturing so proudly at. "It's a... busy road?"
She weaved past Duncan, in an attempt to get a better look at what was on the parallel side. She took notice of the vibrant bouquets displayed in the windows of the florist's across the street.
"I didn't know you liked flowers." She hummed, looking admirably at each bouquet.
Duncan scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Me? Like flowers?" He laughed, shaking his head. "You thought I was pointing at the florist's?"
"Of course I was, Duncan," Courtney scoffed in a similar tone. "Is there something I'm unaware of?"
"Clearly." Duncan retorted, approaching the curb, busted converse teetering over the edge. Duncan began to swing his arms at his sides. "So, Courtney, how fast do you think I can get across this road?"
"You're not getting across that road without being in a body bag, Duncan." Courtney laughed at his immaturity.
Cars zoomed past at immeasurable speeds. Gusts of air picked up in Courtney's hair, ruffling it.
"Wait. You actually want to run across this road?" Courtney got ready to back away.
"Uh huh," Duncan was still on the edge of the curb. "You wanted to see what I do when I'm out, so I'll show you."
"You said we were going for a walk, Duncan!" Courtney exclaimed, regret in each syllable. She finished with a sigh. "I'm not going to endorse your reckless behaviour!"
"Fine. Don't 'endorse my reckless behaviour'." Duncan shot back. A sudden coldness exuded from both his voice and eyes. "Go home, then."
Courtney had rotated, and started to retrace her steps of the street she was unfamiliar with. "Goodbye, Duncan."
"And don't say I didn't try, Ice Princess."
She ignored his last retort.
Courtney began on her embark back to her house, much earlier than she'd expected, even for her standards.
How could she be so foolish? She had finally relented in her strict schedule she held for herself, and look where it got her, she thought. The guy she so stupidly chose to hang out with had the idea that fun equalled putting yourself in danger for a kick. Seriously, though. Did Duncan have a death wish?!
---
The air grew icier as each moment past, goosebumps arising on her extremities. The sun could barely be seen as it stood behind looming office buildings and condos, the shadows cast thieving colour from Courtney's surroundings. The unfamiliarity of her location soon impended on her, and she realised she had no clue where she was.
"Crap..." The word escaped her lips before she had realised. It seems Duncan is having an effect on her already. She exhaled, patting herself down in search for her phone. Which she had left on her desk.
Courtney sighed in defeat, and it was a physical struggle for her to admit she probably had to find Duncan if she wanted to return home. She rotated again, her ballet pumps scuffing against the abrasive surface of the sidewalk. The audible motion of the cars quickly led her back to the 4-lane road, so at least she had that going for her. However, she couldn't see Duncan on the other side. The headlights from the backup of cars triggered her astigmatism, the beams parading as strobes in her vision.
Courtney decided it was best to proceed walking straight, searching for a crossing. She would be stupid if she followed in Duncan's footsteps and dart across the street for 'shits and giggles'. Finally discovering a stoplight, Courtney repeatedly pressed the button, acting like it would make the lights change quicker.
She still hadn't seen Duncan.
After the floodgates of cars had finally came to a halt, Courtney strode across the lanes with a sense of urgency that was alien to her. Was it the need to find Duncan so she could get the directions home? Probably.
Now she was safely on the side of the road Duncan would be, all Courtney needed to do is reach the florist's, and hope Duncan was close by. A deep shade of red unfurled through the sky, seeping into each fibre of each cloud like a blazing fire. Sounds melted into the crisp air and were replaced by a subtle wind- so it was likely Duncan's voice would be lost to the vacuum. The dimness of the scarce streetlights proved futile to guide Courtney. Anything past 10 steps away appeared to be consumed by the abyss of dusk.
Yet, determined eyes skimmed the storefronts looking for an array of flowers or a sign that said 'Florist's'. Nada so far. Her lips pursed, fists balled as she continued walking. Duncan better have not gone home, Courtney whispered to herself. She shut her eyes as she tried to not totally freak out.
The chill caressed her freckled cheeks tauntingly, bombarding her with the unpleasantries that the elements bestowed upon her. The breeze rattled in her ears.
Then she heard, felt even, the deep bass of a metal song. She opened her eyes. Duncan.
Courtney's posture perked up, feeling relieved that Duncan had stayed where he was. Her pace grew quicker, and the sound of her footfalls had gotten louder. She never expected to feel the slightest bit happy to see Duncan. It felt... good? "Duncan!"
Courtney was still an ample length away from him, so she increased. "Duncan!" As she neared, Courtney could register the stoic expression on his face; clearly not noticing her approach. Music spilled out of his headphones, which she inferred meant he was playing it quite loud.
Oblivious to her presence, he pulled out a cigarette. The muscle memory he had while sliding the rollie between his digits was apparent to Courtney, and she was appalled. She now was positioned in front of him, and smacked the cigarette out of his hand and onto the sidewalk. She quickly concealed the discarded cigarette under her shoe, ensuring he didn't pick it up. Courtney typically didn't interfere in other's habits, despite how odd they appeared to her. But she felt compelled to intervene. She couldn't just let him destroy his life over some mediocre buzz.
Duncan was frozen for a beat, unsure on how to react. He'd assumed Courtney had stomped off home in a rage after their last encounter. But she was standing in front of him after destroying the last of his tobacco? His irritation was palpable through his expression. He slid his headphones down into the groove of his neck. "What do you think you're playin-"
Duncan was cut off by Courtney's lips on his. His eyes widened at the forward act from someone he had assumed to be frigid, but he quickly settled into the kiss, his eyes closing. Courtney's hand clasped around Duncan's, tracing lines along the back of it with her gel nails. She had started off the kiss a tad rusty, but Courtney soon dissolved into a tender rhythm that felt strangely right. One of Duncan's hands snaked around her wrist, the other hand discovering the arch of her spine and resting there. Duncan was captivated by the quiet noises Courtney made while kissing. The intimacy of this whole moment made him feel light in the head.
Courtney soon pulled away, tearing Duncan out of his moment of bliss. Airy gasps escaped Courtney's lips as she stood back. She did feel kinda bad for kissing a guy for the sole purpose to stop him smoking. However, she was sure she felt something else other than just disgust for his habits and acting on impulse. Yet again, she didn't want to establish what these feelings were.
Duncan's irritation at her wasting his tobacco quelled, and his stoic expression did also.
"Seems like I did get my kiss in the end, huh?" Duncan whistled with amusement, wiping vanilla-scented lip balm off of his cheek. "You still owe me for that cigarette you killed, though."
"Oh, please," Courtney giggled, tugging Duncan closer to her by his wrist. "I'm doing you a favour. You'll thank me in 3 decades when all of your friends are on hospice and your lungs function without a ventilator."
"Damn. Kinda harsh," Duncan replied to her morbid statement. "Well, I'm a stubborn fuck, so it's going to take a lot more convincing on your part, princess." He patted her on the head, frizzing up her hair.
"Your teeth are going to be the same colour as your hair in 10 years, mark my words!" Courtney retaliated, ruffling Duncan's mohawk with more laughter.
"Please, coffee does the same to your breath," Duncan had turned this hair ruining into a back and forth. "I've seen you guzzling down two thermos worth of coffee in study hall. And don't think I'm forgetting about the cigarette. I hold grudges."
"I do not guzzle down coffee!" Courtney exclaimed, trying to evade Duncan's merciless attempts at ruining her hair. "And if I do, I totally have a good reason for it."
Duncan chased Courtney down the sidewalk, not a single care for how dark it was between the pair. Courtney took this as an opportunity to get home, so she ran until she reached the crossing. The congestion had fizzled out, so the wait to cross was significantly shorter.
"Wait," Duncan stopped suddenly, narrowing his eyes. "Did you make me chase you across the road?"
"Maybe..." Courtney didn't bother to hide her smirk.
"You could've asked me to walk you home, like a normal person." Duncan chuckled, catching up to Courtney again.
"God, you've already got me eating out of your hand..." Duncan muttered to himself as he walked alongside Courtney.
The walk back to their neighbourhood was spared no silence, as lively conversation persisted between both Duncan and Courtney. Despite how opposite they appeared to the other, Courtney picked up on Duncan's 'soft' side the more they spoke. And Duncan didn't fail to notice Courtney's rebellious streak, either.
Their neighbourhood was plunged into a complete darkness, everyone clearly inside. Duncan was considering 'getting lost' so he could spend some more time with Courtney. Unfortunately for him, plans couldn't be brought into fruition, due to them now standing outside of her house.
"So, I guess this is it," Courtney exhaled through her nose, her tone being favoured for a softer one. She smiled at Duncan. "I've had a wonderful time today."
Courtney turned away to open the front gate, but Duncan grasped her hand again. Courtney, almost on instinct, swivelled to face him. "You know... I'll be willing to forgive you for the cigarette if you give me a kiss."
Courtney giggled again, rolling her eyes playfully as she got closer to Duncan's face. The way she narrowed her eyes made Duncan feel things. Courtney's hand ruffled his hair for another time. "You're still not my type."
Duncan held onto the cheek which Courtney had pecked after ruffling his hair, protecting it as if it was his firstborn child. He knew this girl had him wrapped around her finger when he didn't feel robbed when she bid him bye without a kiss.
"Cya around, Courtney!" Duncan half waved at Courtney, his eyes gazing on her back as she made her way to her front door. To say he didn't know how to act would be an understatement.
Courtney had the courtesy to face him again, giving him a small wave paired with an innocent smile. "Cya tomorrow, Duncan!"
Duncan didn't miss the quick wink Courtney gave him as she slid into her house.
A/N: First update after like 3 months wow 😛 I can't believe this is like 4450 words. If the writing seems inconsistent it's because this has been written over like 5 months and I've only mustered the motivation to complete it now aha.
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