Chapter Text
Courtney believed that the type of apartment that you had said a lot about you. That’s why her apartment was spotless. An organized apartment meant an organized mind.
Gwen’s apartment was nothing like that. It was messy and chaotic. Not too much where it was overwhelming, but enough that every surface was covered in something.
The walls were covered in posters and signs. The countertops full of scattered papers and fruit bags. The floor scattered with every chair imaginable. It felt lived in.
Gwen and Duncan had been living in that apartment since their second year of university. They met during their first year, when they happened to live on the same floor in their dorm. The pair clicked instantly, both living some sort of alternate lifestyle, although they never went too far as not to be able to fit in with normal society. They bonded over the love of horror movies, colorful hair dye, and dark colored fashion choices.
That floor was also, coincidentally, where they met the rest of their friend group. Half of which were currently situated in their living room.
Courtney and Gwen were sharing the main couch, legs entangled with each other, and covered with a throw blanket. Bridgette was lounging in the bean bag in the corner of the room and Heather was splayed across the fuzzy rug in front of the television like it was the comfiest place to ever be.
The girls were all wearing face masks, gossiping, and barely paying attention to some show that was on in the background.
“Are you sure you’re not interested in anyone?” Bridgette asked.
“There’s still time for me to set you up with my lab partner.” Heather said.
“I’m sure.” Courtney said. She was getting really tired of her friends trying to set her up with anyone. Her love life was doing fine. Well, it was actually nonexistent, but she didn’t need to be with anybody to be happy.
Or that’s what she was trying to convince everybody.
“It’s just that its been months since you’ve even been with someone.” Bridgette said with care in her voice.
“And I’m okay with it.” She could feel the unbelieving eyes of her friends, “Honestly.”
“I know that you’re not Court.” Gwen chimed in.
“Just cause you guys are all paired up, doesn’t mean that I have to be.” Courtney fought.
“We just want to save you from dying alone and being eaten by your cats.” Gwen said.
“Gross, plus I don’t have cats.”
“That’s when we know you’ve gone off the deep end.” Heather said. “This is just stage one.”
Courtney needed to think fast. If she let us continue any longer, she knew she would end up being sent on another terrible blind date with anyone that Heather or Bridgette could find for her.
“Actually, I didn’t want to say anything, but I’m talking to someone right now.”
That didn’t come out nearly as smoothly as she expected, but it still caused the girls to react.
“Finally.” Heather said.
“Exciting!” Bridgette reacted.
“Really?” Came from Gwen.
“Well, tell us about them?” Bridgette said. “Like are they a guy, a girl, a something else? Where did you find them? Do we know them?”
Courtney needed to deflect. “I’m not going to divulge any details because I don’t want to risk jinxing it. But I let you guys know once something actually happens.” She should’ve known that her statement would bring up more probing, instead of less.
“So, the Princess found herself a Prince.” Courtney heard a deep voice come up behind her.
She turned around to see Duncan smirking. He was leaning against the couch that Courtney was sitting on, his elbows mere inches away from her face. She let out a grunt.
“Who invited you to this conversation?” She snapped.
“I live here.” Duncan rebutted. She smacked herself internally, she usually had better comebacks than that.
“Aren’t you supposed to get somewhere?” Gwen chimed in. Probably trying to stop an argument from ensuing.
It was common knowledge that Duncan and Courtney didn’t get along. They argued constantly, Duncan enjoying poking at her buttons and Courtney having the fire to poke his buttons back. It was chaos that all of their friends were used to but didn’t enjoy.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting some sort of witch ritual.” He said defensively to that.
“We’re literally just wearing face masks.” Heather said dryly.
“And I’ll leave you to it. If you need me, I’ll be at Geoff’s.” Duncan said grabbing his keys and heading to the door. “Have fun girls.”
Courtney let out a groan the minute the door closed. Great, now her lie was going to get out. There was no way Duncan was going to keep this information to himself. What mess did she get herself in this time?
-
Duncan lounged on Geoff’s couch. If Courtney considered his apartment messy, he didn’t want to know what she thought of Geoff and DJ’s. It felt like a tornado went through a frat party, took it to a beach, went on vacation at the state fair, and then dropped everything off in their living room. It was a perfect mess, or well a mess.
It didn’t faze him. He was over enough to get used to it.
He was currently lying on the couch. One leg on the arm rest, and another that fell to the floor.
Geoff was currently standing up trying to clean up from the last party they had that Friday. DJ had gone home for the weekend and was still yet to come back, leaving the surfer alone.
Geoff was saying something, but Duncan was paying more attention to his phone than anything he was saying.
There was a buzz, followed by another five.
Duncan looked at the notifications. He would ignore them if they didn’t seem like they were important, but they were from his mom.
Ma:
Remember that Derek’s wedding is in ONE month.
You still need to RSVP.
No, you are not getting out of it. He’s your brother.
And you are bringing a date.
I want to see you with someone before I die.
“Geoff, how do you feel about weddings.” Duncan asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve never actually been to one.” He said, excitement over his face.
He could feel his phone buzz again. He looked down once more.
Ma:
PLEASE NOT GEOFF.
I’m serious. No Geoff.
I’m still recovering from your cousin’s graduation party.
“Never mind.” Duncan said, “Ma is still mad about the fondue incident.”
“I didn’t know you weren’t allowed to put your face in the machine.” Geoff defended.
“I know, but she doesn’t believe it.” Duncan said, “It doesn’t seem like I can push this more.”
“So, who do you think you’re going to bring then?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Duncan thought about who else he could even try to bring to his brother’s wedding. He had no girlfriend that he could bring.
If he wasn’t allowed to bring Geoff, his mom probably didn’t want him to bring another guy friend. Even if they would made a great impression, as expected from either Trent or Alejandro. There was no way he could bring one of the girls, they all had boyfriends. Plus, he was pretty sure his mother got the creeps from Gwen.
“Does this look like it belongs to any of our friends?” Geoff asked, holding up a pink scrunchy, shaking Duncan away from his thoughts about the wedding.
“It’s Courtney’s.” He said quickly. There was no one else it could belong to. It couldn’t be Heather’s, there was no way she would wear something so out of style. Gwen despised anything pink. And Bridgette didn’t seem the type to wear a scrunchie, she preferred versatility of a regular hairband. That only left Courtney.
Courtney.
Who apparently had a secret relationship.
“‘Actually, I’m talking to someone right now.’”
Duncan knew that there was no way that she had suddenly gotten with someone in the past month or so.
She was great at planning things (such as coming up with a believable lie), but she was terrible when it came to talking about them. Her poker face was terrible. Well, only to people who paid close enough attention.
She was too stiff. The words were a little too unfamiliar. Her emotions unprepared for the barrage of questions she was probably facing at that moment.
He also knew that she hadn’t been talking to anyone in the recent weeks, as far as he was aware. And there was no way she got with anyone that quickly. She took a long time to even like a guy, it took even longer for her to start dating someone.
He chuckled to himself.
Courtney had a totally fake boyfriend or girlfriend. She definitely made them up to get the girls off her back.
That made Duncan pause.
Fake relationship.
His mother wanted him to be with someone as soon as possible. She never specified that it needed to be real.
Duncan was formulating a plan.
“Sorry bro, I forgot I have something that I need to do quickly.” He said, a little mindlessly, quickly running out of the apartment.
Duncan shot out a little text of his own.
Duncan:
is bridge home rn
No response? Perfect.
-
The burn that the onion had to her eyes was a welcome distraction, after that atrocious hangout with the girls. It wasn’t even that bad for the most part, until she thought about that lie.
A fake relationship? She thought. What am I thinking?
Was it worth it? Probably not, but she was stuck now. And thanks to Duncan and his loud mouth, the entire group already knew by now.
She couldn’t even believe the audacity that he had to ask her if Bridgette was home. He was probably going to say something along the lines of ‘you could invite your lover over while she’s out.’ She could imagine his impish smile as he thought of sending that message. That was why she refused to respond to him.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by an impatient knock on her door.
Courtney didn’t think they were expecting anyone over that night, but she still went to look out the peep hole. Sometimes Bridgette would invite people over and forget to tell Courtney. She usually didn’t mind unless it was Geoff. Sometimes Courtney just didn’t want to see them make out in the safety of her own apartment.
The sight outside immediately soured her already bad mood. It wasn’t Geoff. It was so much worse.
She cracked open the door but not enough to let someone inside.
“What do you want?” She asked with narrowed eyes.
“No, ‘Hi Duncan, what’s up?’” He joked.
“Hi Duncan, what’s up?” Courtney asked, laying on the sarcasm thick.
“First, do you think you could let me in?” He signaled to the door. “You’re going to want to hear me out.”
Courtney went to close the door but was stopped by a foot wedging itself in the door. She sent him another look.
“I’ll leave quickly. Scout’s honor.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Since when were you a Boy Scout.”
“Never.”
Courtney didn’t say anything.
“But I thought about joining, multiple times, actually. Does that not mean anything?”
“Fine.” She opened the door with a sigh, welcoming the delinquent in.
Duncan wasted no time making himself at home, settling down into one of the barstools. Courtney was in the middle of making herself dinner, chopped vegetables were out, the rice cooker was on, and the stove was starting to heat up. Duncan reached over a stole a couple sliced carrots.
She sent him another glare. “Talk fast.”
“So, you’re seeing someone.” He started.
“I don’t see how it concerns you.”
He ignored that part. “You and I both know something. It’s all fake.” Duncan stood up from the seat and took a step towards her.
She was practicing her poker face, and she hoped nothing slipped. “I’m sorry if you don’t want to be the only single one left in the group, other than DJ. You know what actually? He might be down for whatever games you want to play. Why don’t you go toy with him?”
That didn’t even sway him from his point. “Courtney, you would never admit to it, but you have a terrible poker face. It’s all bullshit.” He took another step.
Her jaw flexed and took a step backwards.
“Which means eventually you’re going to need to convince someone to date you quickly or tell your gossip circle that it didn’t work out and go back to all the blind dates and such.”
He took another step towards her. Courtney tried to step further back but felt the cold, hard wall instead.
“Well, I have a little solution to your little predicament here.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“You pretend to date me.” He said. She saw just how proud he felt with all that. An annoying smirk plastered on his face.
“Why?”
“I need someone to bring to my brother’s wedding, and you’re the only one who would be able to handle my family.”
“So, you’re suggesting this with completely selfish reasons.”
“Yes?” He quirked an eyebrow up, as if her question didn’t need to be asked at all. She smacked herself internally for that. And for letting go of her façade.
“Well too bad, I actually have someone.” She tried to hold on to her lie, but she could see that he didn’t believe it at all.
“It’s mutually beneficial. You get the girls off your back, and I get my mother off mine.”
“I’d rather set myself on fire.” She fought.
“Look, Princess, you don’t understand the urgency here.” He placed his hand on the wall so it was next to her head, locking her in.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I saw your roommate fighting with the vending machine as I was coming up, and she’s going to be back in maybe 15 seconds.”
She refused to let the shock show on her face.
“And she’s going to see us, in this compromising position-”
“Duncan-”
“Our little Princess, pushed up to the wall by her – What is it that you like to call me? – Ogre.”
“You-”
“She’s going to assume that your mystery lover is me.”
“Wouldn’t-”
“And then she’s going to proceed to tell all of our friends.”
“Dare.”
Duncan leaned down even more, making them eye level now. “Oh yes, I would.” He lowered his voice. “Either you admit that you made this whole thing up or you can pretend to date me.”
He leaned in even more. Their breath mixing together, that’s how close they were. She could hear keys entering the lock, signaling the return of her roommate. She shot the punk another nasty look.
“So, what is it going to be?” Duncan whispered.
“You’re the worst.” She whispered back. Duncan smirked back at her.
The door opened and Bridgette dropped the candy bar that she just got from the vending machine. “DUNCAN!”
“Bridge, I didn’t know you were going to be home so fast.” He said, standing up quickly, pulling his arms back in, and putting on a charming smile.
“Hi.” She said to the boy, before quickly turning to her roommate, “Is Duncan the mystery guy?”
“Mystery guy,” Duncan said, “I like the sound of that.”
That was all the confirmation she needed, “Oh my god. Gwen owes me ten bucks.”
“You bet on me?” Courtney reacted.
“I was guessing that it would be someone that we knew and that’s why you didn’t say anything, but I didn’t think it would be someone in our group!” Bridgette exclaimed.
“Guilty.” Duncan playfully put his hands up in the air, like he was getting arrested. Something that he might have actually done before.
“I need to sit down,” She said grabbing a chair, “And you two have been dating in secret? That’s so hot!”
“No, it’s not.” Courtney interjected.
“I never would have guessed.” She grabbed an apple from their fruit bowl. “But seeing you two together makes sense.
Courtney did not like that statement, but Duncan played in to it again. “Thanks, we like to stay private about it.”
“I’ll leave you two little lovebirds alone. I won’t tell anyone, but you guys should come clean soon.” Bridgette said. She got up from the table and made her way to her room. “Gwen is going to implode when she finds out.”
Once the door closed, Courtney let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding. “I hate you.”
“Way to keep things spicy.” Duncan winked at her. He slowly made his way to the door, opened it, and finally exited the apartment.
Courtney looked at her stove, with all her aromatics and vegetables. The only thinking looking back at her was the mess that she had just gotten herself in.