Courtney's POV: Soon we got there, and once I stepped onto flat ground I nearly doubled over.

"You alright?" Duncan chuckled and reached down an arm.

I looked up at him, slipped my hand in his for him to pull me up - but instead I yanked down as hard as I could, sending him to the ground tiếp theo to me. I stood up, perfectly fine, with him at my feet on the pavement.

"What the hell?" Duncan looked up at me and smiled a bit.

I rolled my eyes and started walking up to the school doors. Duncan got up and brushed himself off, and followed me.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

About half an giờ later, I sat on a màu hồng, hồng hạt đậu, đậu bag chair, chatting with Tiannah and her best friend IN THE WORLD, Violet. Why do I have to sit with that emo bitch? LOL.

màu tím hates me and she knows I hate her, but I'm scared of her, because if I slip she can beat the living piss outta me. And bạn thought I was tough. Ha, bạn haven't seen violet. She's like Heather, Tiannah, Eva, and Duncan combined. hoặc worse...

Wait.. is that even possible?

I don't know.

I completely tuned out of màu tím and Tiannah's conversation. They were talking about Danny hoặc something.

"Ohmygosh, do bạn think he likes me?"

"How should I know? Haha, he's a lady catcher. Who knows who he likes?"

"I hope he likes me."

Ick.

Boys are ICK! Cooties!! AHHHH! LOL.

I zoned back to reality when Duncan sat in a blue hạt đậu, đậu bag right tiếp theo to me. That feeling I had during the ride here returned as his arm slightly brushed against my body.

"'Sup, Princess?" He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, and Tiannah and màu tím gasped as Danny joined Duncan with a yellow hạt đậu, đậu bag.

I rolled my eyes again. "It's just two retards, what are bạn so hyped about?"

Tiannah whispered in Violet's ear and màu tím giggled, eyeballing Danny, him winking a response.

They make me sick.

Well.. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to settle down a bit and get a boyfriend. I mean, I'm a senior and I go off to college tiếp theo year, and I've never had a boyfriend in my life. I don't want to be a 40-year-old virgin, LOL, but I also don't want to ngày these manipulative asses.

It's like, 'why are bạn so obsessed with me?'

I didn't notice Mrs. Adams standing with a clipboard at the door frame, checking off people's names and the person walking out of the room.

The hiển thị started.

Fifteen phút early?!

????

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Duncan's POV: "I don't know if she likes you, how the fuck am I supposed to know?" I slid my pocket dao, con dao out of its holder and back in, fiddling with it for a bit. "I can't read girls like a book, dude."

"Well, I'm just saying...I mean, look at the way she looks at me." Danny slightly shook his head, shaking his sleek black hair out of his silver eyes.

"So? All chicks do that." I shrugged and reclined in the hạt đậu, đậu bag chair. I didn't care if I looked like a 4 năm old in a hạt đậu, đậu bag. Who fucking cares? "They giggle at stupid shit. It's their way of getting to the point of flirting."

"And bạn know this because...?"

"Because I've had countless girlfriends before, and they're all the same. They're exactly the same kind of simpleminded, bitchy, giggly chicks. I need someone different."

"Like Courtney?" Was the first thing that popped into his mind.

I snorted. "I wish. Chick denies everything bout me but she and everyone else knows she likes me. Just a matter of time before she finally cracks."

"You work on that, dude. It's my turn to go." Danny slid a paper into his jeans pocket and walked out the room, waving a little to Violet.

Chick really needs to chill.

She vaguely reminds me of heather....from her long black hair to her purple-tinted blue eyes, to her body figure, to her attitude and strength.

I spaced out as soon as Courtney walked back into the room. This time, she wore a vàng low-drop áo sơ mi instead of her dark purple one.

"Trying to seduce me babe?" I smirked as she sat down, staring at her slightly-exposed cleavage.

She groaned and slapped me hard. "Shut up, Duncan. I'm tired and bạn know I don't like you."

"Lie."

"And stop with that mind reading, it's creepy as hell!"

I inhaled through my teeth. "I only use it on bạn because I know for a fact that there are things bạn hide from me. Like the fact that when bạn talk about me, I can see your pulse in your neck throb faster and faster."

She didn't dare say a word; she just listened to me danh sách things off the hàng đầu, đầu trang of my head, because it was making her embarassed, which I strangely loved doing.

"The fact that I can see your tim, trái tim when it pounds so hard when you're lying, that bạn can see your chest di chuyển slightly."

Then she slapped me. "You shouldn't even be looking there!"

I chuckled. "I meant around your collarbone."

She sank down in her chair with a groan.

"Why do bạn torture me like this?" She moaned.

I laughed a bit. "Because I like bạn a lot, and because I know deep down, maybe really deep down, that bạn like me, too."

Suddenly, her breathing speed increased. "Holy crap, my brain has a mind of it's own!" She started panicking. "Duncan, help!"

"I...I......"

Then, she swiftly put both her hands on my shoulders and kissed me. My eyes shot up, and I felt something ngọn lửa, chữa cháy up. Something... good. Was that perverted to say? I don't care.

I didn't move; I felt a warm fiery feeling uprise within me, and I knew Courtney felt the same.

I was surprised nobody saw.

Then, she released her grip on me and pulled away with a gasp.

"DUNCAN!" Was all she said.

"Yea?" I reclined further, my lips swollen.

"What was that for?!" She whispered harshly.

"I had no control over it. In fact, I didn't even do it." I got closer to her and brushed her ear with my lips. I could see her pulse growing faster.

"You did."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I heard my name being called, and I immediately got up and walked out of the room backstage.

I didn't notice that Duncan had snuck out into the audience and sat on the floor with a bunch of other people in front of the stage. Him and Danny were in the middle of the small crowd, but they stood out like a yellow con nhện, nhện in a black web.

I saw the curtain close, and I realized the last act was over, and I was next. Someone pushed me, and I uneasily edged my way onto the unseen stage, taking hold of a mic, laying back on the middle of the floor, and gulping hard, trying to do anything to sooth my cotton-dry throat.

Nothing.

Damn.

I heard the audience clap, and the curtain folded open as the âm nhạc started.

I reached the microphone to my lips, and began to sing, hoping I wouldn't screw this night up.

Seems like just yesterday
bạn were a part of me
I used to stand so tall
I used to be so strong

I stood up and started to slowly di chuyển toward the front of the stage, in time with the music.

Your arms around me tight
Everything it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothing could go wrong

Now I can't breathe
No I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on..

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny, can't pretend
Just thought bạn were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But bạn won't get to see the tears I've cried
Behind these hazel eyes

The beat picked up, so I yanked on my ponytail and freed my hair, looking like an animal as I shook my head of thick hair and sang stronger, louder, deeper; dancing swifter and actually beginning to....feel something in my heart... Love? No, no no, it can't be.

It is.

But for who?

I told bạn everything
Open up and let bạn in
bạn make me feel alright
For once in my life
Now all that's left of me
Is what I pretend to be
So together but so broken up inside

'Cause I can't breathe
No I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on..

Here I am, once again !
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought bạn were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But bạn won't get to see those tears I've cried
Behind these hazel eyes

I noticed Duncan and Danny sitting together, and Duncan had a camera up at me, but there were no flashes. He was recording me.

I smirked, and decided to make his recording a night to remember.

When the bridge came, I powerslided to the front of the stage in a split, and I rocked my head wildly as tears formed in my eyes to the song.

Swallow me and spit me out
For hating bạn I blame myself!
Seeing bạn it kills me now
Though I don't cry, on the outside
Anymore!!!

I held the last note for a while, pitching my voice to go higher.

I ran my hand through the thick hair in my face and pushed it back, walking on stage with an attitude to the song.

I repeated the chorus again, and soon the song ended.

Wild claps and screams aroused as I attempted to fix my wild hair, and I saw Duncan slip his camera shut and hand it to Danny, then leave.

I put the mic into its stand, bowed a bit, and walked backstage back to the wait room.

Before I could exit the stage, Mrs. Adams held up a hand and stopped me.

"Why can't I go back?"

She looked me in the eye. "Courtney, I know you. And bạn have an amazing voice. A voice that deserves to be on the radio and in concerts and on TV."

My face lit up and I was about to scream, when she held her hand up again to stop me. "But... I also know how good Tiannah and Duncan are. I sincerely want bạn to win this, Courtney. So I want bạn to bring out Competitive Courtney and sing again, maybe a duet hoặc something, and try to beat them. OK?"

"OK."

"Alright, Tiannah should be up within a few minutes."

I nodded and she tapped my back and left. I turned my head to the stage and saw Tiannah sitting on the middle of the floor, wearing a black punk dress with màu hồng, hồng and white ruffles. Her dyed hair was down, and I was shocked, since she never wears her hair down.

I picked up an extra mic I found and looked back at the stage, leaning against a wall, and listening to a heavy voice I never thought could come from Tiannah's throat.

Now I will tell bạn what I've done for you
50 thousand tears I've cried
Screaming, decieving, and bleeding for you
And you.. still won't hear me!
I'm going under...

Don't want your hand this time, I'll save myself
Maybe I'll wake up for once
Not tormented daily defeated bởi you
Just when I, thought I'd reached the bottom

Her voice actually scared me a bit. I knew I'd definately have competition against an Amy Lee sound-a-like.

I'm.. dying again
I'm going under!
Drowning in you
I'm falling forever
I've got to, break through, oh
I'm going under..

I shook my head, trying to get the thought of losing out of my head. I saw Tiannah stand up and act with an attitude, diễn xuất with bleeding anger to match the song.

Mrs. Adams was right, she really is better than me.

I started to panic, then I ran over to the side of the stage so I was hidden from the audience, and I held the mic to my lips, overwriting Tiannah and her song, as light airy âm nhạc played and I began to sing.

Hit me like a cá đuối, ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

Everyone looked around, and the âm nhạc stopped as Tiannah was shoved offstage rudely, and Duncan and Danny walked onstage, wearing their formal black outfits. If I know the two brothers, they always have something to do with Eminem. And I knew it wasn't gonna be good but rather hilarious.

Duncan was the first to hold a mic to his lips, and he began to rap to Eminem. I stifled a laugh and walked out into the gymnasium and sat in front of the crowd right bởi the stage, looking up cutely at Duncan and Danny. I knew instantly what his song was, because I recognized the music.

Baby, I know bạn miss your mom
And I know bạn miss your dad, when I'm gone
But I'm trying to give bạn the life that I never had
I can see you're sad, even when bạn smile
Even when bạn laugh
I can see it in your eyes
Deep inside bạn wanna cry
'Cause you're scared, I ain't there
Daddy's with bạn in your prayers
No thêm crying, wipe them tears
Daddy's here, no thêm nightmares
We gon' pull together through it, we gon' do it
Baby, Uncle's crazy, ain't he?
Yea, but he loves bạn girl, and bạn better know it
We're, all we got in this world
When it spins
When it swirls
When it whirls
When it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Looking puzzled, in a daze
I know it's confusing you
Daddy's always on the move, Mama's always on the news
I try to keep bạn sheltered from it
But somehow it seems
The harder that I try to do that the thêm it backfires on me
All the things growing up as Daddy that he had to see
Daddy don't want bạn to see but bạn see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again

As I listened, tears formed in my eyes. I knew he was hát - er, rapping - about me, because I have no parents and neither does he and he understands what I go through. I'm always depressed about my life, so basically he wants to cheer me up.

And if bạn ask me to, daddy's gonna buy bạn a mockingbird
I'ma give bạn the world
I'ma buy a diamond ring for you, I'ma sing for you
I'll do anything for bạn to see bạn smile
And if that mocking bird don't sing and that ring don't shine
I'ma break that birdie's neck
I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya
And make him eat every carat
Don't fuck with Dad!

The audience went wild, and for a moment, I actually didn't care if I won hoặc not. I was crying at this point, and I had no other care in the world than to thank Duncan.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~