Total Drama series 1. The Start Of It All

**MELTING HEARTACHE**

**A/N**: _A new multi-chapter fic for you all… And it's in first person this time; Gwen's perspective! _

_Basically, if you like my other fic, _**_New Beginnings_**_, then I think you'll like this, too. _

_Care to review at the end? Just for your thoughts and such?_

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing related to the Total Drama series.

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><p><strong><span>CHAPTER 1: The Start Of It All<span>**

My life is the definition of social suicide.

Every weekday I am forced to put on my bravest face and attend the torture chambers which I call high school. One of the things I hate about school is the fact that I have to wake up at six-thirty every morning. I'm not a morning person, so if it wasn't for my cheap secondhand car to get me to school, I'd probably be in a murderous frenzy. I remember one time my car broke down and I was forced to catch the bus… It wasn't exactly the best place for a gothic loner to hang out.

I can still remember the crowd of judgmental teens facing me and doing their usual jobs of suspecting the worst. Normally I wouldn't give a damn about their opinions, but I'd rather jump out the bus window than face those people again.

The second, and last thing I hate most about my school, is the people. Sure, I have some friends I can rely on, but rarely anyone can be trusted these days. Just last week Harold McGrady told everyone in our math class that Leshawna has triple D's. I mean, who cares about her bra size?… Other than all the guys of course. Well- most guys.

And how would Harold know of Leshawna's bra size? Well, believe it or not, they're a couple. A weird combination for a couple, actually… _Very weird_. Leshawna either felt sorry for Harold one afternoon and flashed him, or he secretly rummaged through her drawers and just happened to find a section dedicated to her undergarments. Either way, both thoughts are now rammed inside my head; much to my displeasure.

Leshawna isn't my only close friend who is in a relationship. There's also Bridgette. She's been going out with Geoff for a year now. Sure, they break up at least once a week, but they usually get back together in the next hour or so. That only tells me that their love is too strong to be broken. Their personalities also match perfectly: Bridgette is laid-back and strong-willed while Geoff is a party animal who gets along with everyone.

And as for myself? I've never been in a serious relationship. I mean, I kissed my old friend, Reaper, once when I thought I liked him, but we both laughed it off since there was nothing there in the end… But then there was that one time with Cody, the annoying gap-toothed geek who attacked me with a harsh kiss. It was the most embarrassing day of my life while it looked to be the happiest for him… To be honest, I'm not sure if I would count that incident as a kiss since it was one-sided.

And then there's Trent, the most sweetest and caring guy in the world. I've only kissed him once, but just the thought of him gives me butterflies. But then again I don't know how I feel about him. Bridgette and Leshawna keep telling me he's crushing on me big time, but I don't feel like I should go for it. What if we got together and broke up right away? Then it's goodbye to one of my best friendships… I just couldn't risk it. _Could I_?

And lastly, there's Courtney who doesn't really have time for relationships. This is because she's aiming for a perfect report card as well as a successful future as a lawyer. But that was until a month ago… She scribbled out that rule and ditched it once she met "_the man of her dreams_". Just by the description of him, anyone could tell that this guy was completely wrong for Courtney. Yet again there are incidents where opposites do attract, but that's all in those cheesy romance movies…

All Courtney talks about nowadays is her boyfriend. I don't know much about him, except for the fact that his name is Duncan and that he's a "_hot rebel_". And just by the way Courtney talks about him gives me the impression that she's rubbing it in my face… _on purpose_. Maybe it's because I don't have a boyfriend, or the fact that he seems to be more like my type of guy rather than her's… But she seriously needs to chill. I've never met the guy; let alone know what he even looks like.

I groaned in agony as the bell rang, signalling the warning bell for last period. Entering the crappy reality known as my life once again, I found myself standing with Bridgette, Courtney and Leshawna in front of a row of lockers. I stood there in silence as Bridgette began fumbling with her lock while trying to remember her combination. I smirked at the situation in front of me. Bridgette is the worst at remembering things.

"I forgot my combination again! Ugh!… Do any of you guys remember it?"

"17, 8, 24," Leshawna answered.

Bridgette pouted her lips in annoyance, "Thanks. How come I can't remember my own combination but you can?"

"Girl, I'm good and as luscious as an apple. I can't help it."

Courtney rolled her eyes at Leshawna's confidence. I can't help but notice she's more irritated than usual. Normally she was the confident one who took self pride as a way of life, but now her role was being taken by _Luscious Leshawna_.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"These two, that's what!" she spat, referring to Bridgette and Leshawna.

"Okay, what did you guys do now?"

"Nothing, Gwen. We just don't want to meet her boyfriend," Bridgette answered.

"Oh, please, guys. He's really sweet! I just want you both to get along with him so we can all talk about our boyfriends together."

"Nuh-uh, girl. I see what he's like in class, picking on poor Harold like that… The boy is a bully, and I don't associate with bullies."

"Leshawna's right, Courtney," Bridgette frowned. "Sure, I accept that he's close with Geoff and all, but I've also seen what he's like… He once threatened an elderly woman with his army knife! She's still probably traumatised in the hospital!"

"Oh come on, Bridgette, she was probably one of those nasty old people who deserved it! Please, he'll be nice! Or maybe you, Gwen? Maybe you can meet him, yeah? Just once at least?"

Oh, shit… I knew she'd turn the whole situation on me eventually. But I couldn't. I had plans today.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm meeting up with Trent after school."

"Just hanging out or finally dating?" Leshawna raised a brow.

I sighed. Leshawna would do anything to drive the situation away from Courtney before she took it too far. Too bad I had to be under the limelight instead. "We're just hanging out."

"Do you want it to be a date?" Bridgette eyed me curiously.

I would have replied if the bell hadn't beaten me to it. Bridgette closed her locker and looked at her timetable. Her usual smile vanished as she found her next subject.

"What is it? Maths?" Courtney asked.

"Yeah. I guess I'm not with Geoff, then…"

"Don't worry girl, you still have me to keep you company!" Leshawna smiled.

"So that means we have art," Courtney said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me across the hallway before I could answer.

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><p>Normally I'd be psyched to have art, but it was last period and I clearly wasn't bothered doing anything. A nap sounded nice, and the paint-covered table looked good enough to be a pillow right now.<p>

As the teacher began handing out sheets of paper to everyone, I already knew this was going to be a sketching lesson. From the corner of my eye I could see Courtney struggling to say something. I rolled my eyes and looked at her, instantly knowing that she was going to try and manipulate the situation.

"Oh, wow! You sure have a nice piece of paper there. It's so white and smooth."

I eyed Courtney suspiciously. She was up to something.

"What do you want?" I asked cautiously.

"N-Nothing!" She looked appalled.

"Spill the beans, Court…"

Courtney put a finger to her chin and started to think hard about her choice of words. Something about her face made it look like she was constipated. I tried my best to keep in the laughter and turned out to be successful.

"Well, as I mentioned before… Can you please meet my boyfriend? Just do me this one favour and I'll do anything for you!"

I took hold of a led pencil and started to draw. "How come? Is he asking you to make friends for him?… Shouldn't he be doing that himself, or something?"

"No, it's nothing to do with that. I just want one of my friends to meet him so I can have someone to talk to… Please? It would be nice to talk about about boys to someone…"

I smiled in order to show my appreciation but the inside of my mind wanted to let Courtney know that she already spoke of her boyfriend 24/7. What more could she want to talk about?

"I'll think about it."

"No, that won't do! Please, Gwen… If it helps, he sort of has the same fashion sense as you…"

I looked at Courtney and her sudden puppy-dog face. There was no getting out of this one…

"O-Okay, fine! But only if you stop pestering me about it so much!"

I could tell Courtney was happy since she practically squealed and pulled me into a tight hug. She let go of me as soon as it looked like she thought of something horrifying.

"You have to get along with him! Please try your best because I know how much you like being rude to people… And I'm warning you now, don't fall in love with him because he's _mine_!"

I can't help but sigh irritably. Of course Courtney would play the jealous card… Taking a deep breath, I turned to focus on my drawing once again. Whilst looking at the light shading on the paper, I can't help but already wonder if meeting Courtney's boyfriend is going to be added to my long list of mistakes.


	2. Foolish Disputes

**MELTING HEARTACHE**

**A/N****:** _I tried to update as quickly as I could. And just to warn you all, there may be some cheesy stuff in this chapter, so please don't hate! _

_Since we're only at the second chapter, I decided to elaborate on Gwen's relationship with Trent first since she hasn't met Duncan yet. I'm not really happy with the result of this, but it's the best I could come up with. Hope you all enjoy._

**DISCLAIMER**: I own nothing related to the Total Drama series.

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><p><span><strong>CHAPTER 2: Foolish Disputes<strong>

I try my best not to grin from ear-to-ear as my art teacher, Ms Simmons, claims that my sketch is top-notch. I look at my artwork once more to admire it's quality and it somehow reminds me of Trent… I feel my face burn as the butterflies appear in my stomach once more. I've been waiting all day to meet up with him… He said something about organising a picnic. Maybe he's going to use this opportunity to finally ask me out.

However, speaking of perfect quality, I couldn't say Courtney was having the same success as myself… Her mood turned sour while Ms Simmons continued to point out the flaws in her work. I could tell Courtney wasn't appreciating the criticism because a crease was edging it's way on her forehead.

Courtney's basically the most competitive person I know. I guess it's because she's highly intelligent, follows the rules, and takes her subjects at school seriously. These are probably the qualities which make her seem perfect at everything- Well, everything except art.

I have to admit that it feels good to be better than Courtney at something… But let's face it; If I ever her told her then she'd never let me hear the end of it.

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><p>I struggle to keep up with Courtney in the hallway as soon as the class ends. It was kind of embarrassing to be seen with her psychotic side since she kept pushing every student who stood in her way. I couldn't help but apologise to everyone who got knocked down in the process. Actually, I don't think I should be near Courtney at all for now… She'd probably slap me just for breathing.<p>

"I can't believe she said my sketch was too clichéd… So I sketched a princess holding a frog, so what?! It's not a cliché! Tell me it's not a cliché, Gwen!"

I roll my eyes as I finally catch up to her. Courtney really needed to relax right now. Having constructed criticism aimed at you isn't so bad- Actually, I'm quite used to it. But yet again I struggle to disagree with her… I guess Courtney can be too intimidating at times… That, and I didn't want to see what would happen if she got any more infuriated.

"Yeah, you're totally right."

"I mean who even needs art?! It's not like I'm going to paint a picture of a flower once I become a lawyer. And, if you ask me, art is for _losers_!"

I decide to be mature about the situation and put on my best smile, yet I don't think it was very convincing. Some talk-show woman once said that smiling prevents taking certain remarks as an insult; but now I realise that her advice is wrong since I still felt like shoving Courtney into a dumpster… Being friends with Courtney is like being strapped to a ticking time-bomb. No one knew when she'd switch from being polite to bitchy. The only reason I let her roam around like a bull right now is because her short temper was getting the best of her. In other words she probably didn't mean all the things she was saying right now.

I have to say it was pretty hard keeping a straight face… She was pissing me off more than usual.

I was expecting Courtney to shut her trap once we exited the front doors, but she continued to complain about Ms Simmons' knitted poncho on our way to the car park… I honestly didn't care about the clothes our art teacher decided to wear today. As a matter of fact, I don't care about fashion. _At all_. My motto is to wear what you want, when you want, and feel comfortable about it. I hate those people who dress up in order to impress others… It's completely fake and lame. And if thinking that makes me different, then different is what I will be.

My pale cheeks start to burn as I witness Trent leaning against his car, waiting for me to arrive. I literally want to leap into his arms and beg him to rescue me from Courtney's evil clutches… I feel my whole face turn as red as a tomato as I rid my thoughts of the heroic fantasy. And it's not like I hated Courtney. She was a close friend and all, but our personalities tended to clash once she turned all ape-shit.

"Hey there, beautiful. Ready to go?" Trent greets. His green eyes glisten in the sunlight and all I want to do is kiss him right now.

"Yeah. My mom said I need to be home by 5, though. Is that all right with you?"

"Of course. I might even drive you home half an hour early just to get in your mom's good books-"

"Aren't you driving home, Gwen?" Courtney asked, suddenly disposing her hatred towards art.

"No, I left my car at home since Trent gave me a ride to school this morning."

"I'm taking her to the park for a nice picnic," he explains, directing a smile at me. I would have smiled back, but I would've looked like a hairy orangutang begging for a pile of bananas, so I didn't.

Courtney seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe I should tell Duncan to give _me_ a surprise picnic someday… "

I arched an eyebrow, "Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of a surprise?"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't hurt to give him a little push."

"_Duncan_?" Trent asked, "Wait, so you're _really_ going out with him? I thought that was a joke…"

"For your information, Trent, Duncan and I are a _perfect_ match! And I have a debating speech to complete by next week, so I better get home and start on that… I'll text you the details later, Gwen. Bye!"

Trent's face contorted with confusion as we both watched Courtney heading towards the front gates. You see, Courtney's mother usually picks her up after school. It seems as though her parents aren't a fan of their sweet little Courtney catching the school bus. But hey, you can't really blame them; I haven't been on that bus in two years.

"I don't understand how you two can get along so well," he said.

"She can get a bit competitive, but she has her own qualities…"

"What kind of qualities?"

"Uhm… uhh…. well, she has a special knack for criticising people… And I guess she gives a good shoulder to lean on- Oh, I don't know!"

Trent let out a small chuckle and it instantly reminded me of the picnic he'd planned. To be honest, this was the perfect chance for a break I really needed. I mean I just agreed to meet Courtney's boyfriend and become his newest 'pal'… It's kinda sad for me in a way because Courtney's never going to leave me alone now… _Never_.

"Come on, lets go. I think you'll really enjoy what I've got planned for you."

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><p>Even though the park was a five minute drive from the school, Trent still offered to drive instead of walking. The inside of his car is fresh. All I can really do is indulge the smell of spearmint and cinnamon. Trent hasn't looked my way once he started driving. That's what I like about him: he's funny, laid-back, <em>and<em> a safe driver.

"You know, you didn't have to go through all this trouble…"

"It's no problem. I'd do anything for you, Gwen."

I turn to the passenger window in order to hide my smile. What can I say? I'm more of a loner… It's not easy for me to get close to people, let alone trust them. Revealing my emotions doesn't help either because I've been in situations where people have taken advantage of me. I guess that's why I refrain from most conversations… But my friends understand me; including Trent. But of course I'd never tell him that. He'd probably think I've suddenly gone all obsessive on him, or something-

_Buzz, Buzz. Buzz, Buzz._

My body jolted in the air from the unexpected vibration of my phone. Trent looked over to see what the fuss was about as my head collided with the roof of his car. At that moment I thought I was going to die from embarrassment, but instead he looked concerned.

"Sorry!"

Why is it whenever I'm alone with Trent that I suddenly turn into the biggest goof?!

He smiled, "It's no sweat. I would've reacted the same… Are you all right, though? It looks like you hit your head pretty hard."

"Yeah, I'm fine… Sorry again."

"There's no need to apologise. As long as you're okay, I'm good."

It was like Trent knew the right words to say. _Why can't I be like that?_ And even though he tried to make me feel better, I still wanted to dig myself a six-foot hole and live in there for the rest of my life. Well, I don't really mean it… My biggest fear _is_ being buried alive, after all. Actually, lets just say I'd rather be kissed by Cody again…

I decide to check my phone in order to see who it is that just caused the most embarrassing scene of my life… As I look at my phone, I feel my skin turn grey and blotchy. Courtney's name is written in bold letters on the screen. Didn't I speak to her just ten minutes ago?!… It doesn't matter now because I'm going to kill her tomorrow!

**Courtney - **_I just spoke with Duncan and he said he's going to be at school tomorrow. (He had a dentist appointment today… I always like a man with good teeth!) Anyway, I think tomorrow will be a good chance for you both to finally meet each other. What do you think?_

Is she serious?… Couldn't she call me tonight? Or at least after my sorta-date with Trent… I decide to quickly reply back while Trent is paying complete attention to the road. From what Trent told me last week, his green Toyota Scarlet was actually a birthday present from his father. He was also told to drive carefully since his father hasn't applied for the car insurance yet. So it was no wonder why he seemed so concentrated on the road.

**_That's great, Courtney. Tomorrow sounds good._**

After sending my reply to Courtney, I hope to myself that she doesn't respond. After all, I don't want another text to come whilst I'm daydreaming again, or even while having some proper alone time with Trent…

Once we arrive at our destination, Trent made sure to position the car safely in a nearby parking lot. While he was doing so, I remembered that the sketch I made during art class was still in my backpack. I wanted to give it to him to show my appreciation of our friendship, but was it too soon? I don't want it to look like I want something more…

_But do I want something more?_

Meh, I decide to take my chances. He's already looking at me with those big eyes, as if he's expecting me to head out of his car at any moment. I quickly take the sketch out of my bag and hand it over to him. At first he was confused, but once he took a proper look at my sketch he was astonished. I just hope he realises it's a turtle, and not some hairy elephant.

"Wow, you've outdone yourself this time. It looks brilliant!"

"The teacher said it was top of the class. It reminded me of you, so here, you can keep it."

He looks at me like a child on Christmas morning.

"Thanks," and then his face sorta froze… "Wait. How do I remind you of a turtle? Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah. Well, turtles are all mellow and cool. And last time I checked, you are the definition of cool."

I can't stop myself from smiling at Trent as he does the same. His pearly white teeth practically hypnotise me. Courtney was right; a man with good teeth is, well… good. But Trent's smile was absolutely gorgeous- Oh great, now I sound like Katie and Sadie… I can be the third member of their fucked up girly club… I heard they were still stalking Justin, the Hawaiian hottie. Poor guy.

But enough about Justin! I seriously can't take looking at Trent's smile anymore. We've already kissed once before, so I guess it wouldn't be awkward if I tried again now… So I closed my eyes and connected my lips with his; a little more harsh than intended. _Oh, uhmm… Whoops!_

It wasn't like we were making out or anything, but the kiss was really rough and forced. All I can think right now is '_Oh God, this is so embarrassing…_'. If any bystanders were to walk past Trent's car and peek through the windows, it would look like I was going all cannibal on him and trying to eat his face! Yet again, I couldn't help but notice how his lips tasted like cheap breath mints… I guess he came more prepared than me.

Trent's reaction didn't look as bad as I thought it would after I stopped 'attacking' him. Actually, he looked kinda happy that it happened.

"Where on earth did that come from?!" he asked, trying to catch his breath. He sounded ecstatic.

"I really don't know." What could I say? I was shocked that I was even brave enough to do it.

"Well it was awesome, I can tell you that! But we better go have our picnic now before it starts to rain."

As I step out of the car I look at Trent with confusion. "What do you mean? The weather's fine."

"The weatherman predicted rain this morning. I just hope it happens tonight."

Looking up at the sky, I could see the clouds were starting to turn grey, but it was nothing major. The weatherman on tv usually predicted the wrong weather anyway. Once he predicted hail when the day turned out being sunny. Actually, this reminds me of the time when I was seven and wanted to be a weather presenter, but that's another story…

After when Trent collected his guitar and picnic basket from the boot, he guided me over to the more empty area of the park. Once we sat ourselves down on the blanket, I couldn't help but feel like I was in those romance movies when the girl finally gets her dream guy… I really hope this is going to be the moment when I get _my_ dream guy.

Trent's attempts at being romantic were very cute, however I don't think he could say the same about the food when he opened the picnic basket. It turns out one of the water bottle caps were unscrewed and it's contents were spilled all over the food.

"Ah, crap… The food's all soggy!"

"Don't worry, it's cool. I'm not that hungry anyway."

Trent picked up a soggy sandwich and dropped it in disgust. "I can't believe this is happening… Why now?"

"It's the effort that counts, and I really appreciate it. So thank you," I say. Truthfully, that was all I could come up with, but I meant it.

"You're welcome, but this is only the beginning! I'll make sure that by the end of this date, you'll be saying _'I want another awesome picnic with you, Trent'_."

He made a squeaky imitation of my voice and I slap his shoulder with applied force.

"What was that for?!" he asks.

"That was for making me sound like Katie and Sadie!"

We laughed the situation off and ended up spending the next few minutes talking about our day and plans for the weekend. I would have accepted Trent's invitation to see a movie tomorrow but I already promised to go to the mall with Leshawna. Don't get me wrong, I rarely go to the mall, but Leshawna somehow found out about my fear of being buried alive and threatened to tell everyone if I didn't go. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation.

After a while I started feeling miserable. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't because of Trent. Our conversation about world peace was going perfectly fine, but then we started feeling as though we were being pinched… I almost let out a yelp as I noticed a large family of fire ants surrounding the picnic blanket. They were practically crawling towards Trent and myself, biting on any patch of skin they could find. It turns out they were attracted to the soggy food… And so Trent quickly stood up, helping me along the process, and we dragged our itchy selves to another area of the park.

As we set the picnic blanket on the grass once again, I took one quick glance at Trent and could already see that he was gutted. But hey, I'd be gutted too if a picnic I planned didn't go my way… In some way, though, I was having fun. I mean, the picnic could have gone a whole lot better, but it wasn't all that bad. At least the worst part of the date was over… _I hope_.

"It's cool, Trent," I say as we sit down, "These things happen all the time."

"Not really…"

"… Okay true, but cheer up. I'm still having fun, aren't you?"

"I guess I am. I just wanted this picnic to be perfect. I've tried to ask you on this date for a while now, you know…"

I curse my pale skin as I feel my cheeks burn once again, "Really? That's so sweet."

"Yeah, well it's out in the open now…" and then his face transforms into a shy smile. "Actually, I wrote this song quite a while ago. You inspired me to write it, so would you like to hear it?"

"Yeah, of course."

Trent took hold of his guitar and already formed some kind of regret on his face. He looked at me like he was begging me to stop him, but I wasn't going to do so. Apparently from my smirk, he knew what I was thinking: _he wasn't getting out of this one no matter how much he tried_. And so he gave up and started strumming his acoustic guitar like some professional. Playing the guitar is not as easy as it looks. I've tried and failed… But there were no flaws to name with Trent's performance. It was perfect. The way I see it is that I was on my first sorta-date with Trent and he was already serenading me- UGH! I want to slap myself right now for thinking such a girly thought. I sound like a desperate Beth, just begging for some dweeb like Harold to get in my pants…

Trent's acoustic performance was going fantastic until a loud '_ping'_ noise could be heard **(1)**. He stopped playing immediately and begun to inspect his guitar. From what we could both see, it turns out that one of his guitar strings just snapped. Trent looked irritated and even I was starting to have doubts. It was almost like destiny was against us having this picnic together. I wish I was wrong, but I can't help but think it.

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"Will you be able to fix it?"

"Yeah, I've got an extra packet guitar strings at home. I really thought this performance was going to-"

_Buzz, Buzz. Buzz, Buzz._

I didn't budge from the vibration of my phone this time. Why did this have to happen now?! If it's Courtney, then I'm going to have to torture her before killing her tomorrow! But I decided not to check, for Trent's sake, so I quickly turned the phone off and focused my attention on him once again. He looked like he was giving up and I really didn't want him to.

"See how bad this picnic is?! You even had to look at your phone in order to distract yourself from this disaster."

"Come on, Trent, I was only turning my phone off…"

"Look," he said, helping himself up, "we better cancel and make this date another time. For all I know, one of us could be struck by lightning if we continue this…"

"Don't be like that. It's all just bad timing."

Trent now looked like he had lost his last shred of sanity. He was annoyed. "I'm cancelling. We'll do this another time… At least you can keep looking at your phone now."

_'What a jerk!_' I think to myself. Trent sounded as though he was blaming me for all of this. And just for that I could even feel my mood starting to crumble… I didn't even do anything wrong; I was actually trying to make him feel better, but forget about that! Screw the nice act if he's going to act like a spoiled brat to me.

"Look, I don't even know why you're going all angry at me. So stop pretending to know me like we're dating, because we're not!"

"Of course we're not dating! Why do you think I brought you here today? I was going to ask you to go steady with me."

I normally would have smiled at his choice of words, but we were both feeling angry to put our frustration behind. His face started to soften and all I wanted to do was punch him. _How is it that he could just ditch the anger act but I couldn't?!_ And to make things worse, it looks as though Karma decided to participate in this disaster, so she made it rain. The lightest sprinkle was all it took to wreck my mood completely. I felt like the Incredible Hulk.

"You know what?! This was a complete waste of time! I'm going home."

As I begin to walk away. I immediately feel my wrist being caught by Trent's hand. As he jerked me back towards him, I stared down at his hand; a way of warning him to let go of me or some serious damage was going to be made to his nether regions. He seemed to get the message, yet he still didn't let go. He held some concern in his eyes and dropped the angry act completely. I couldn't say the same for myself, though.

"I'll drive you home, come on…"

"No, it's fine. I'll walk."

"But you'll get soaked! Come on, just let me drive you home," he pleaded. Now was not the time to be a gentleman. He already messed up that act anyway.

"Don't worry about me," I said, pulling free from his grip. "I just… need to clear my mind."

What could I do? I was pissed and the rain was only pressing my mood further. There was no way I was going to face an awkward ride home with Trent. I hated him right now and I was especially ticked off at Courtney for texting me in the first place. She knew perfectly well that I was going to spend my afternoon with Trent. Didn't she have anything better to do other than ruin my plans?! Of course not because Courtney only thinks about one person: _herself_. Well, all I can really say is that Karma has struck once again. The picnic was a dreadful experience, but whatever the fates were planning for the future, I could certainly thank Courtney for it in the process.

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><p><span><strong>AN****: **_LOL I actually updated quickly for once. To me it was so cheesy and out of character, but oh well._

_It took a lot of researching to find the perfect car for Trent and I'm really happy with my 'choice. Just gotta find a good car model and colour for Gwen now…_

_I know it was all Gwen x Trent in this chapter, but I really wanted to get their relationship out of the way… And don't worry; Duncan will make his appearance soon._

**_. . ._**

**(1)** - Just a small reference regarding Trent's audition tape.

**_. . ._**

**_REVIEW!_**


	3. Unfortunate Events

**MELTING HEARTACHE**

**A/N****:**_ I have no excuse as to how late this is. I'm just really lazy… But hey, at least Duncan finally makes his first appearance!_

**DISCLAIMER****: **I own nothing related to the Total Drama series.

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><p><span><strong>CHAPTER 3: Unfortunate Events<strong>

I was in the worst mood. The picnic with Trent ended so badly that I felt like shooting myself in the head. Actually, scratch that thought… I'd rather shoot _him_ instead. It was by far the worst date I've ever been on. Wait, should I even call it a date? It wasn't like Trent asked me out properly… It's also very unlikely that I'm going to be his girlfriend any time soon… But still, Trent admitted that he was planning to ask me out. I can't help but smile at the thought-

NO!

I mentally slapped myself for thinking of such a girly thing. This was no time to swoon over Trent. I was supposed to be mad at him. He acted like a total jerk, and after today, I'll be surprised if I ever speak to him again.

… Okay, I don't mean that. The truth is that I'm just really mad. Knowing me, I'll probably be over the issue in an hour or so. I guess a small part of me feels bad for storming off like that, and Trent was most likely over our fight since he offered to drive me home. But no... I just had to be stupid and decline his request.

And so, I am now stuck in the most awkward position I can think of: walking home in the rain. Sure, my hair may be soaking wet and my body temperature was decreasing with every step I took, but there was no way I was going to turn around and ask Trent for a ride home. Besides, I'm pretty sure the walk home will be refreshing and make me feel calm.

* * *

><p>Screw being calm! The walk home did nothing but make me feel even more irritated. I guess you can say that I wasn't so angry at Trent anymore, but I was more annoyed at the weather. After all, who likes walking in the rain for thirty minutes?… I guess you can say my biggest regret at the moment would be the fact that I left my car at home this morning. Oh, and my second regret would have to be declining Trent's request to drive me home… Sometimes I wish I wasn't so stubborn.<p>

I could still remember the look of terror on my mother's face when she saw me. She screamed out of pure horror. My shocking appearance of dripping eyeliner, speared lipstick and wet hair made her believe that the gothic grudge had come after her. The dramatic thunder in the background didn't help either. It looked like I stepped out of a horror movie. **(1)**

The first thing my mother did was ask me a bunch of questions about my day. It was funny… Even though she was visibly speaking, none of the words were processing through my brain. So I guess I did what any normal teenager would do… I ignored her attempts of interrogating me, headed straight to my room, and shut the door behind me in order to hint that I wanted to be alone.

I sighed. Now that I was finally by myself, the first thing I did was inspect my arms. I noticed that they seemed paler than usual and that they even had goosebumps everywhere.

"Geez, I better not get sick…"

Deciding it was best to cut all contact from the outside world, I set down my phone and backpack on the bedside table. It would probably be best to have a shower now and then start on the English homework later.

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning with the biggest headache. It honestly felt like my brain was trying to crush itself against my skull. So in order to ignore the pounding inside my head, I sat up properly on my bed and lazily read the alarm clock.<p>

"Eight forty-five… What the hell?! I was supposed to wake up at seven thirty!"

It was like the life had sprung into me once again and I was suddenly running around my room like a headless chicken, looking for any piece of clothing to wear. As I found the perfect shirt to put on, my cellphone began to vibrate. That's when I remembered that I must have left it on all night.

"This better not be Courtney…"

Groggily walking over to the bedside table, I unlocked the passcode to my phone and found myself at a loss for words. As it turns out, I apparently had eighteen missed calls and two text messages from Trent. There was also two missed calls from Leshawna and even the text message from Courtney which I forgot to answer yesterday.

_Please answer your phone, Gwen. I'm sorry - _**Trent.**

_Just answer my calls, please. I want to know if you've made it home safely - _**Trent.**

_Tomorrow it is, then. I'll make sure he looks presentable enough to meet you - _**Courtney.**

Looking at the texts from Trent, I could feel a lump form in my throat. He was probably worried sick about me yesterday… Then again, there was also this situation with Courtney. To be honest, her pestering was starting to get on my last nerve, so I deleted her messages. Although, I decided to reply to Trent since he was probably having a panic attack about my whereabouts.

**_I'm fine, Trent. I'll talk to you at school._**

Now that I'm finally prepared for the day, I collected my backpack and headed outside. Looking up at the sky, I sighed at the weather. It was cloudy, hinting rain once again for the afternoon. I was thankful that I was actually going to be taking my car this time. And speaking of my car… It's a shitbox.

Truth be told, when I first earned my Learners permit, this was the only car I could afford. It was brown, ugly, and non-surprisingly cheap. Actually, I'm currently saving some money on the side for my dream car. It's a Ford 1967 Mustang… Everyday I'm a few cents closer to it. Just another few thousand dollars more and it's all mine.

As soon as I turn the key in the ignition, the engine makes a deep rattling sound. As usual, I'm hoping that my car doesn't break down on my way to school. Through driving distance, the Wawanakwa high school was usually fifteen minutes away - minus all the traffic… The main problem was that most students drove to school and we have an average-sized parking lot. Since I was running more late than usual, I was probably going to have no spot to park in.

* * *

><p>Okay, so far everything was going well. There wasn't much traffic, so my hopes were starting to build once again. With about ten more minutes until I was at school, my cellphone started to ring. Since I was currently waiting at a red light, I quickly looked at the screen, only to see that Leshawna was calling me. I decided to put her on the loud speaker while paying extra attention to the road at the same time.<p>

"Hi, Leshawna."

"Morning, girl. I tried calling you yesterday but you never answered."

"Oh yeah," I chuckled. "I totally forgot about leaving my phone on. Anyway, what's up?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to know how your date was with Trent."

I looked at the rearview mirror. It was funny. For once, I actually wasn't blushing about Trent.

"It's a really long story, so I'll tell you all about it later. Is that why you're calling me?"

"Not really," Leshawna answered. "Courtney called me yesterday and spent three hours talking about her boyfriend. I'm telling you, girl, she is crossing the line with all her show-off talk. She even offered to give me some relationship advice with Harold…_ Me_!"

"Let her have her fun," I sighed, turning right at the nearest corner. "Do you remember when you started to date Harold? We all had to go through the same thing… Do you also remember when you tried to pair me up with Ezekiel for a double date?"

"I've already apologised for that a million times, so there's no need to bring it up all the time! By the way, you don't sound too good…"

"Yeah, I'm actually feeling sick… Are you at school now?"

"Yes, I am. Homeroom's about to start, so hurry up and get your white-ass over here!"

"I don't think I'll make it in time for homeroom… Anyway, I'll catch you later."

"All right, I'll see you in first period, then."

No matter what time of the day it was, Leshawna was always loud. Of course, I was the exact opposite, but that never stopped me from being speechless as to how well we got along. Now, however, wasn't a good time to deal with her attitude. I was still half asleep and possibly semi-deaf right now from our conversation.

* * *

><p>By the time I drove through the school's main entrance, I checked the car radio only to see that it was now 9:10am… Well, this is great. Homeroom was almost over for the day.<p>

As I'm driving around the main parking lot, I can already tell that there are no vacant spots to park in. It was only after five minutes of steady driving when I finally came to a halt and found a free spot. I normally would have been happy to achieve the last available space, but this time my stomach dropped. That's right… I was forced to park next to Heather's finely-polished convertible. At this very moment, the Queen Bee and a few of her followers were huddled around her car, obviously gossiping about the most insignificant things.

I would've been in a better mood if I didn't feel so sick. My nose was blocked, my eyes felt watery, and I had the biggest urge to sneeze every few seconds… Quickly pulling a tissue out of my pocket, I sneezed into at and looked at the contents in disgust. As I did so, the laughter from outside continued to grow. I rolled my eyes at their childish behaviour. Heather was obviously piling up the insults right now and I wasn't in the right state of mind to deal with them.

Now taking my seatbelt off, my current plan was to ignore Heather's snarky comments and head towards towards the nearest entry. But no matter how much I tried to block her comments, they seemed to sound clear and I could already feel my anger rising.

"Hey, goth-girl, why is it that you never cease to amaze me with your ugliness?!"

_Just ignore it._

"Your shoes are hideous! Where did you get them from?! A dumpster?!"

_Just ignore it…_

"Your car looks like an elephant shitted all over it!"

I came to a halt. Okay, that last comment crossed the line. What was I supposed to do about it? Walk away?… Of course not, so I did the first thing I thought of. I simply took the tissue I just blew my nose on and slapped it face-down on her car. The look on her face was all it took to make my day.

"You're just lucky it's not Cody's urine," I warned.

"Y-Y-Y-YOU ARE _SO_ GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" I could hear her scream. Okay, she seriously needs to relax right now… I, on the other hand, was left in a bad mood and a blocked nose. That was my last tissue, and now I was extra pissed without it.

Heather and I have never gotten along and I don't plan to make amends with her anytime soon. Apparently she was referred to as the Queen Bee at school. Every time I hear this label, I laugh.

_Queen Bee?… More like Queen Beeyotch._

Ever since we met in high school, Heather and I have had a continuing war. I guess it all started when Heather randomly spread rumours that I was a lesbian… Okay, so having short hair and teal lipstick is supposed to give everyone the impression that I go for the other team? _No_. So what I did in return was collect some embarrassing photos from the Queen Bee's oh-so-kind cousin. As it turns out, Heather likes to have private make out sessions with her cat, Bruiser, at night. Since these photos were considered _private_, I decided to share them on my blog… You see, a lot of people from school follow my blog, so I can see how the photos went viral the next day.

Heather's next attempt of humiliating me didn't go so well. She ended up posting photos of myself all over the school. Come to think of it, I remember those pictures having devil horns and several moustaches drawn onto them. I personally found this hilarious. And how did _I _retort?… Basically, Harold loves eating melted chocolate bars for some reason, so I took one and smothered it on the back of Heather's short-shorts. Everyone totally thought she had diarrhoea that day… Actually, Heather is still known as the 'Devil of faeces' to this very day.

One of the _funniest_ rumours was when Heather told everyone that I was in love with our science teacher, Mr. Hatchet… Since Heather went too far this time, I drove to her house late at night and keyed her car. I'll admit this act of revenge scared me a little since I almost got caught. In the end, the situation is pretty amusing because she still has the words '_Transgendered Troll_' dented in her car. Leshawna laughs every time the Queen Bee drives by. Apparently it's my best work yet.

Our best run-in yet was when Heather distinctly told everyone that I cut my wrists and pour vinegar all over them to enjoy the pain. She went too far that time, so what did I do?… I logged onto that famous anonymous condom website and sent a special package to her parents. To make things worse, I also sent a note which said: _'Make sure you're safe next time, Heather-Feather ;)'_… I noticed that Heather didn't go to school for a whole month after that incident. Her parents must have gone crazy! Oh well, at least her parents now know what she does every Saturday night. **(2)**

Entering the hallway, the first thing I noticed was the large amount of students who were continuously pushing and shoving each other out of the way. Still in an angry mood, I knew that this was going to be a long day… Luckily I had English now. It was a decent class, but the main reason I liked it was because it's the only subject that I have with Courtney, Bridgette and Leshawna.

I wasn't even five steps down the corridor when a few people already bumped into me. Beth was one of these people and even splattered all over my face while trying to apologise… Could this day get any wors-

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" a voice boomed.

Turning around, I could see a tall punk with a green mohawk, numerous piercings, and a monobrow towering over me… Uh, what? Was his appearance supposed to intimidate me?

"_Me_? Why don't you watch where _you're_ going? Punk-ass prick."

"Oh, real fucking mature… Why don't you go cry in a corner with the other emos?"

Seriously? That was his comeback?… Whatever. I had no time to deal with his stupidness so I flipped him off and headed off to first period. But seriously, how the heck am I emo?… I'm a goth. Maybe he should know his facts before speaking next time.

As soon as I walked in the busy classroom, I was greeted with my teacher's smile… My teacher's sickly sweet, cringeworthy smile… Her name was Ms O'Halloran and she basically hated us all. All I did in return was shrug and made my way next to Bridgette. As I sat down next to her, she looked at me with concern.

"You look terrible, Gwen. Maybe you should go home."

"Well, I'm here now… Might as well stay," I sighed, knowing that I had a long day ahead of me.

Leshawna took this opportunity to share her own choice of words. "Girl, you should have stayed home today… But now that you're here, tell us what happened with Trent."

After the not-so-long explanation of yesterday's events, Bridgette looked disappointed. Even Leshawna was confused, but that was most likely because I decided to walk home in the rain. Courtney on the other hand looked relieved, but it was for her own personal reasons…

"Oh, well at least I know why you never bothered to answer me. Do you know how angry I was yesterday when you didn't reply to my text?!"

_Are you kidding me?…_

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you at a time of need…" I deadpanned.

"It's okay, Gwen. I forgive you… Besides, Duncan should be at school today and I really want you to meet him. I really think you'll get along with him."

I could already notice Leshawna planning her choice of words, but I shushed her. After all, Courtney deserves a chance to gloat once in a while.

* * *

><p>Oh, how I wish I let Leshawna speak her mind back at that English class… We were now on our lunch break and Courtney had spent the whole day talking about her boyfriend. Leshawna was at the point of slapping Courtney into a coma, Bridgette still listened out of kindness, and I tried my best to contain my sanity.<p>

"… and he was once in a band called 'Der Schnitzel Kickers'. Apparently the drummer broke his spine, so the group had to break up… I mean, that was so selfish of him to be in that car accident."

"Uh… How is that sel-"

"He also has a pet spider. I honestly hate the hairy creature, but I if it makes him happy, then I can't really complain…"

"Oh yeah, isn't Duncan on the football team with Geoff?" Bridgette asked, trying to change the subject.

Courtney laughed at Bridgette's mistake. "Oh, goodness no! Dunkie hates soccer. Then again, I think he's lying because I once found a few soccer balls in his bedroom…"

I normally would have replied to the conversation at this point, but I was too busy dreading the next class. It was history… With Trent… Truth be told, I still felt awkward about yesterday. I was still surprised at his sudden behaviour as well as my own. Courtney's voice then interrupted my thoughts.

"Gwen! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Huh? Uh, yeah…"

"Good, because that would have been rude."

Feeling the desperate need for a new conversation starter, Bridgette decided to talk about her boyfriend, Geoff.

"Well, Geoff has football training today after school. I hope we'll be able to hang out this weeken-"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there, Bridgette," Courtney interrupted. "You see, you can't just talk about your boyfriend all the time. It can get… very annoying at times."

Leshawna looked like she was about to snap, but Bridgette, being the usual peacemaker that she is, stopped her from doing so. And it was because of this that we were forced to listen about Courtney's life the rest of the hour. So it was when the bell rang for the last period when everyone was relieved… Well, everyone except Leshawna.

"Are you serious?! We have biology together…" she said to Courtney.

Courtney smiled in return. "Great. We have heaps to discuss about my debating speech."

"Oh, hell no! I am not listening to that rubbish again!"

Courtney scoffed. "Rubbish?! Excuse me, but my writing is perfection! _I_ was a CIT!"

Since Bridgette gave up on trying to control Leshawna's behaviour ages ago, she decided this was the perfect time to make her own kind of exit.

"Well, I guess this is my time to leave… I have a study period, so I guess I can text Geoff."

"I don't like this sudden behaviour. You need to learn properly," Courtney scolded.

Bridgette sighed. " I know, but I've already finished my homework for the week."

"That's just an excuse, Bridgette. To be honest, I'm quite appalled at this behaviour."

I rolled my eyes at the latest argument. Seriously… how many fights did Courtney have to start today? But in all seriousness, she had a point.

* * *

><p>By the time I headed inside the history classroom, I witnessed Trent sitting in our spot. That's right, we had spots in this class… At the beginning of the year, we were chosen to pair up and share a table. I guess I was going to have to face Trent, no matter what… Speaking of which, he looked up and smiled immediately, tapping the empty seat beside him.<p>

"Hey, Gwen… Listen, I was out of line yesterday."

"It's fine. We both overreacted," I said as I took my seat.

"I don't think you know how sorry I am. I will do anything to repair our-"

"It's okay. I just think we should put this whole situation behind us."

"Yeah, we should start fresh. I'm glad you forgive me," he smiled. "So, do you want to hang out and watch a movie this weekend?"

Seriously? Trent wanted to hang out again?… What was I supposed to say?

"Uh… I would, but I can't. I have to catch up on my calculus homework…"

"You can tell me the truth, you know?" Trent sighed. "I can take it. You're still angry and I get that…"

I blinked. "N-No… I actually do have to catch up on my homework."

It was true. Mr Andrews was going to murder me if I didn't catch up by Monday. I've been slacking off lately and I really need to find a tutor in order to save my slipping grades. **(3)**

"Look, I'm not angry anymore, so let's just drop it."

Trent was about to reply, but Heather beat him to it.

"Nawww, are you two lovebirds fighting?… I think you two should get over it so you can continue making your serenading goth babies."

"Okay, that sounds sooo cute!" the blonde next to her chirped.

"Ugh, it's not supposed to be cute! You're supposed laugh at my comment!"

"Oh, right…" Lindsay said just before laughing. Heather rolled her eyes at this and all I could really do was smirk.

Lindsay was your ordinary bimbo. Dyed hair, big boobs, and a whole lot of money in her wallet. Her father was a rich investor, so it's no wonder why Heather used her so much… Well, there wasn't really anything to use… She basically had no brain. She was probably the only person to fail English in the seventh grade.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Heather?" I snarked.

"Uh, and why don't you go blow your nose?! You look like a pig."

"I would, but you'd have to wipe my tissue off your tacky car."

"M-my car is not… W-whatever!"

_Yeah. That shut her up._

The remainder of the lesson was painful to say the least… I had to deal with Mr McLean's lame jokes, Heather's constant teasing, and the fact that Lindsay kept squealing whenever she mentioned the latest fashions at the mall… The only good thing about this lesson was that Trent and I were back on good terms.

"Since you can't go out this weekend, did you want to catch a movie next week?" Trent offered.

Oh, Trent… Why are you so persistent?

"Maybe," I shrugged. "It depends if I'm busy or not…"

* * *

><p>As soon as the class ended, I said my goodbyes to Trent and headed straight to Bridgette's locker. She was already there leaning against her locker, smiling at her phone while texting, presumably, Geoff.<p>

"Don't tell me you were texting Geoff this whole time," I said as I approached her.

Bridgette looked up from her phone, wide-eyed. "Of course not! I only started texting him… uh… a few minutes ago."

I smirked at her remark. '_A few minutes_' usually meant fifty minutes in Bridgette's books.

"Right… Well, everything is cool with Trent again. He even asked me on another date next week, but I'm not so sure…"

Bridgette smiled comfortingly. "Well, if you do decide to go out with him, then you should go to Geoff's house party. He was just texting me about his plans to have one next Saturday."

"Uh, yeah… No offence, but I don't plan to take Trent to one of your boyfriend's parties anytime soon…"

Why would I take Trent to one of Geoff's parties? Sure, he was cool and all, but he was too happy. _No one_ can be that happy… Also, my previous date with Trent was a disaster, so having the next one at one of Geoff's wild parties would be terrible.

Just before Bridgette was able to answer, Courtney's cheerful voice cut her off. From afar, she sounded excited.

"Gwen! Look who's here to finally meet you!"

Turning around, I had the biggest shock of my life. Standing next to Courtney was the same punk with the ugly-ass green mohawk from this morning. The way he looked at me told me that he was surprised to say the least, and something told me that I was mirroring the exact same expression.

"Okay, Gwen… This is my boyfriend, Duncan. And Duncan… this is the same Gwen I was telling you about yesterday!"

Focusing on nothing but the rugged teen in front of me, all he did was shrug. Even though he pretended not to care, I could tell that he didn't like me just as much as I didn't like him… So this is the guy who Courtney wants me to become friends with?…

_I don't fucking think so._

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><p><span><strong>AN****: **_And that's the end of that. I did all I could to make this chapter longer, so I hope it turned out okay. Also… Gwen and Duncan really need to stop meeting by bumping into each other in my fics._

**_. . ._**

**(1) - **Mean Girls reference… I just had to add it!

**(2) - **Okay, my friend did this once as a prank and it was HILARIOUS.

**(3) - **If you read New Beginnings, then you'll probably understand who this is… I'm the worst at coming up with names for teachers.

**. . .**

_Thanks for reading. And you know the drill:_

**_Reviews = Motivation for updates._**


	4. Hanging Out

**MELTING HEARTACHE**

**A/N****: **_I'm really happy with the way things are going so far. Thanks for all the support. Let's hope we can make it to 100 reviews in the next few chapters! Writing in first person is super hard._

**DISCLAIMER****: **I own nothing related to the Total Drama series.

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><p><span><strong>CHAPTER 4: Hanging Out<strong>

I usually hate driving to and from school in my secondhand car, but oddly enough, the drive home was a success this time. As I parked on the driveway that belonged to my house, I was happy that the engine didn't rattle as much as it usually did on a daily basis. Other than that, I wasn't really in a good mood. My cold was starting to get worse and I was in the serious need for some tissues. The only good thing that happened today was that Trent and I made up. I'm glad that we're still friends, but that's the problem. I just don't know where we stand anymore.

The first room I headed to was the kitchen. As I set my backpack down on the table, I looked at my mother who was too busy putting the groceries away to notice my presence. She was always so busy nowadays, but when she finally noticed me approaching her, she looked up and smiled as though all the problems in our family life suddenly vanished from the face of the Earth.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"It was okay, I guess," I shrugged in response. "I'm still feeling sick, though..."

"Go and take some aspirin," she advised. I decided to do so because I knew she wouldn't leave me alone if I didn't. As I looked through the cabinets, she decided to take a sharp turn to the next subject. "So, when am I going to meet Trent? He was supposed to come over yesterday."

"I don't think he'll be over here any time soon."

Honestly, I've liked Trent as long as I can remember. We first met when we were forced to sit next to each other in third grade. The fact that he asked to borrow my sharpener was probably the sweetest question anyone had ever asked me at that point. It was also the start of our friendship. At this point, I'm not even sure if I'm prepared to risk something so precious to me anymore.

It didn't take long for my mind to drift away from Trent. As soon as my brother entered the kitchen, his mouth contorted into a mischievous grin. Due to our close relationship, I already knew what he was up to and I couldn't help but mirror his expression.

"Hey, Gwen, do you want to have a horror movie marathon later tonight?"

"I don't think I'll be able to, Jake. I need to catch up on my calculus homework."

"You're no fun anymore," he retorted. "That Courtney sure is turning you into a real nerd."

I scoffed at this. How was Courtney turning me into a nerd? Sure, it was a Friday afternoon and I never cared about homework, but I really need to finish this toda— Okay, maybe Jake has a point...

It wasn't my fault for the most part, anyway. Courtney seemed to have this organised effect on everyone. Well, maybe everyone except for her boyfriend. He needed all the help he could get. Duncan is a total jerk as far as I can tell, but then again, Courtney was usually known for picking the wrong type of guy... Maybe they really are perfect for each other, who knows.

* * *

><p>After countless hours of researching, working out equations, and mashing random buttons on the calculator, it was safe to say that I've finally caught up with my homework for the week. I'm glad I can spend the rest of the weekend with no guilt whatsoever. The first thing I decided to do with my free time was write in my diary. I swear, that green tattered thing of mine has every single detail of my life inside it. I would probably commit suicide if it landed into the wrong hands.<p>

As I turned to the next page in order to continue writing about my day, I eventually found myself focusing on Trent. I've never felt so conflicted about anything my whole life. Letting our friendship go in any way would be a big problem since half my diary is dedicated to him. Unsurprisingly, the other half is dedicated to Heather. I'd rather rant in my diary about her schemes than have some huge random outburst in public.

As soon as I completed my entry for the day, I shoved the diary under my bed. Yeah, don't get me started. I know its not the best place in the world to hide a secret possession, but I have literally nowhere else to put it. Either way, I couldn't care any less about the hiding spot for my diary right now. My stomach keeps rumbling as a reminder that I need to eat. Luckily, my mother ended up ordering a pizza box earlier since she has to work late tonight... This is what most nights are like. She decided to pick up more late night shifts at the grocery store ever since my pathetic excuse of a father decided to leave us. I'm surprised she can even smile nowadays. She's definitely the strongest person I know, and whenever she's working, I do whatever I can to help around the house, especially with taking care of Jake.

It wasn't long before I was distracted from my growing hunger once again. My cellphone started to ring and the first thing I did before answering was look at the caller ID... Its Courtney and I'm honestly not in the mood to converse with her right now. Either way, this was a lose-lose situation for me. If I did answer, then I would probably have to listen to her talk about her debating speech. And if I didn't answer, then I would have to suffer on Monday and endure her scolding as to why I did not answer her in a time of need.

Deciding to take the call, I was already prepared to hear her sickly sweet voice on the other end.

"Hey."

"Hello, Gwen. This is Courtney."

I rolled my eyes. She does this _every_ single time we speak on the phone and every time I would tell her that I already knew who she was.

"I know who you are, Courtney..."

"I know, but I like being presentable."

"Yeah, okay. So, what's wrong?"

I couldn't help but smirk to myself as I faintly heard the CIT scoffing at my question. "Why must something be wrong whenever I call? I just think we should meet up at the mall tomorrow."

"Uh, don't you have a debating speech to complete?"

"Yes, but that can wait. I've already asked Bridgette and Leshawna, and they've agreed to come along. The four of us never get to hang out on the weekend."

I was reluctant, of course. I mean, I have to deal with the pressure of being surrounded by hundreds of students five times a week. The mall was just as bad, if not worse. If I did end up going, then I guess I would have the chance to visit Trent afterwards. He works at the music store and its a great advantage for me because I'm always given a discount for my Gothic Mind Explosion CDs.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I could be up for it."

After answering, I could instantly her Courtney squealing on her end of the phone and I already had a gut feeling that this was a mistake.

"Thanks, Gwen! Tomorrow will be great. Well, I better write another list for the debating club. Meet me tomorrow at noon!"

And just before I could ask her where to meet, she hung up on me.

I normally would have called her back in an instant, but I was too hungry right now so I headed down to the kitchen once more to eat some pizza. Maybe now would be a good time to go through that horror movie marathon with Jake.

* * *

><p>It was already noon and I was currently waiting outside the arcade. The situation I was currently in couldn't be any worse. I looked like the biggest loner right now, especially since I was the only person who seemed to be on their own. It also didn't help that I was standing across from one of the stores that girls like Lindsay would shop at. All I can do to pass the time is look at my watch and constantly pretend to text on my phone. While doing that, I also looked for any signs of Courtney, Leshawna, or Bridgette in the process. Sadly, I could see any other person in the world except for them, so I decided to text Bridgette.<p>

**_Where are you?_**

After sending the text, I continued waiting. I currently looked like someone who was being stood up on a date. However, it didn't take long for Bridgette to respond. And to be honest, her answer was not something I was expecting.

_I'm hanging out with Geoff at his house. How about you? - _**Bridgette.**

I raised my brow at her text and couldn't help but reread it a couple of times. What the hell was she doing at Geoff's house? I replied almost instantly.

**_Why are you at Geoff's house? You're supposed to be at the mall._**

To be honest, I'm not completely surprised about Bridgette forgetting to meet up with us. She usually spends her weekends with Geoff, so this sudden meeting was probably a new adjustment for her to make as well.

_Why would I be at the mall? Did we have plans to hang out? - _**Bridgette.**

Okay, I was starting to get irritated now. Just as I was about to respond to the text, I could hear Courtney's cheerful voice from afar. Turning around to meet her gaze, I had the biggest shock of my life. Standing next to her was an apathetic Duncan, much to my displeasure.

The smile on Courtney's face revealed her guilt. And that's when I realised that she had tricked me into coming to the mall. She knew perfectly well that I didn't like Duncan, so of course she was going to use Bridgette and Leshawna as bait... The world was starting to make sense again.

"We were looking everywhere for you! But of course you would be at a place like this..." Courtney greeted, referring to the arcade.

"Yeah, its nice to see you too," I deadpanned. "So, why did you lie to me about Bridgette and Leshawna?"

"Well, I had to come up with something!"

And that's when the conversation died. I'll admit that Courtney's plan was a clever one, but that doesn't mean I wasn't pissed at her right now. She constantly looked back and forth between Duncan and myself, as though she was expecting one of us to make the first move. None of us budged and there was no way in hell I was going to greet that troll.

"So, its a nice day today," Courtney started. "I like the sun... Its... sunny."

Duncan grunted in response. All I could really do was shrug at Courtney. She sighed at our responses but it didn't take her long for her to try a new approach.

"Well... uh... eh... um... You two have such a similar fashion sense; especially with your hair! Do you both go to the same beauty salon?" **(1)**

Duncan's eyes popped open at the CIT's remark and he suddenly looked angry. All I could really do at this point was look at Courtney. She didn't even seem to be intimidated by her boyfriend's reaction.

"Why the hell would I go to a salon?!"

"Because you're obviously too clumsy to dye your own mohawk."

"Clumsy? I can do it just fine!"

"Oh, please, I see the way you walk. You have a terrible posture!"

"A terrible posture?! At least I'm not bossy, _Princess_."

Courtney shut her mouth at this point and glared at the punk. "I suggest you behave right now because I can easily rip your precious jewels to shreds."

My eyes popped open at that remark and I felt like I was a background character in some anime scene. I knew what Courtney was referring to and apparently, so did Duncan. Either way, he refused to back down and the couple continued firing insults at each other. I honestly just wanted to go home at this point since everyone was staring at the three of us. It wasn't until a good ten minutes into the argument when Courtney finally softened up. She looked up at her boyfriend, clearly upset.

"Look... I'm sorry. Its just... Its just you don't give me a chance when I'm trying to communicate with you."

Duncan softened as well, which was quite a surprise to myself. Who knew a gargoyle could have feelings? "And I get that, but you need to stop assuming things... Whatever, I'm over it!"

"I love you!" Courtney proclaimed, quickly wrapping her arms around Duncan's neck and dragging him down to give him a kiss. Duncan responded by placing his arms around her waist and pulling her close to deepen the kiss. I tried my best not to gag at the scene. It was like watching Shrek eating a bunch of chicken wings for the first time.

"Well, this has been... uh... Yeah, can I go home now?"

The couple seemed too engrossed with each other at this point, and I would have escaped from the scene if a tanned hand hadn't banded itself around my wrist. I turned my head around to look at the concerned expression which belonged to Courtney.

"We haven't even been here for fifteen minutes! Just hang out with us for another hour. Please?"

I quietly sighed to myself as Courtney pulled one of her successful puppy dog faces. She was lucky she was able to have such a hold on people.

"Only for an hour. I'm probably going to meet up with another friend later, anyway."

Courtney clapped happily at my response but Duncan didn't look as pleased. I honestly couldn't care any less because I was here for Courtney, not him. Actually... That's not entirely true. The sad part was that I agreed to get to know Duncan even before meeting him. I'm just hoping that one conversation would be enough to last a lifetime.

"Who are you going to talk to?" Courtney wondered.

"Trent."

Duncan laughed as soon as the response escaped from my lips. I just stared at him with a stern expression, giving what was probably the biggest hint in the world that I didn't give a damn about his thoughts.

"That loser? Does he even write his own songs?"

"In fact, yes," I glared. "He performed a song he wrote for me the other day. It was genuine, so excuse you and your unwanted opinions."

"Wow, how _special_," Duncan retorted. "Tell me, does Elvis even have a job, or is he expecting to pay off his future debts with tips from his late night karaoke gigs?"

"He does have a job. In fact, he works at the music store in this very mall. I'm going to visit him after our hangout."

"Hope your romance works out," he glared. I glared in response and even Courtney wasn't amused with Duncan's attitude.

"Well, I'm happy for you, Gwen. If things work out, we should have a double date."

I shifted uncomfortably at her proposal. "Uh... I think I just want to be friends with him right now. And I don't think a double date with you two would work out so well. No offense."

Courtney sighed. "Okay, but hopefully you'll change your mind once you two start datin—"

"We're not going to date," I interrupted. "Is this why you tricked me into coming here? We could have spoken about this over the phone."

"N-no... I just wanted the three of us to hang out and get along, is all."

"Hmph, yeah, because that's going _so_ well," I could swear I heard Duncan mutter under his breath. What a sarcastic bastard. I swear, if I ended up taking those kung fu lessons that my mother suggested in sixth grade, then I would have dragon kicked his horrendous face to the North Pole by now. Other than Heather, I've never met someone so dislikable.

Instead of going ahead with my fantasy dragon kick, I just stood there silently and wished I was somewhere else. _Anywhere else_. But my thoughts were soon interrupted as Courtney linked her arm with mine. I flinched in surprise with the sudden contact. "What are you doing?"

"We should eat," Courtney smiled. "Its not like there's anything else to do and I'm running out of options anyway..."

I looked behind me to see that Duncan was following us from behind. He didn't seem as happy to be here just as much as I was. His teal eyes quickly traveled around the scene and met my own for a second just before grunting and looking away. I then turned around and focused on Courtney's countless directions once again. Either way, Duncan was really annoying me.

* * *

><p>Once we made it to the food court, Courtney couldn't help but inspect each table for any rubbish and I just wanted to jump off a cliff when numerous people began laughing at her actions. All I could do from this point on was follow the CIT as she made her way through the busy court and it took quite a while to find a table that pleased her expectations. The next few minutes involved me watching Duncan and Courtney in boredom as they started talking about something. I don't even know what the topic was since I wasn't really paying any attention. The frown forming on Courtney's face told me that she was starting to notice this, too, so she stood up.<p>

"I'm going to order us some food," she said. Duncan and I both stood up as well but she stopped us with a wave of her hand. "Nope, I'm going alone."

Duncan groaned at this, understanding the message, and I quirked an eyebrow at his childish reaction. Courtney just smiled as though everything was going according to plan.

"You two can get to know each other more by talking about me while I go and stand in line..." she trailed off as she noticed the annoyance on our faces. "Or maybe not… Anyway, I'll be back in ten or maybe fifteen minutes. This line looks really long..."

Once Courtney was out of earshot, I didn't really know what to do. The only thing I was sure of was that I didn't want to talk to Duncan at all, so I just stared at the floor. While I did so, he continuously shifted left and right in his seat and it was really testing my patience. It was like he was currently trapped inside the body of a five year old who just happened to be high on sugar. When I finally decided to look at him, he still looked like he didn't want to be here as much as I did. I couldn't really blame him for that, but I still refused to speak to him.

Well... that was how I felt until he decided to speak to me first.

"So, how did Courtney make you come here today?" he asked, obviously showing a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I tried to read his expression and it seemed like he was really trying to make an effort. "I was told that I was meeting up with Bridgette and Leshawna... This was a surprise." An unpleasant one at that.

Duncan nodded and folded his arms, now looking up at the ceiling. I mentally sighed to myself. It looked like it was up to me to save this dying conversation. "And how about you?"

"I was paid to come here," he smirked as he looked at me once again and I honestly hated him even more right now. Why the hell would Courtney even pay him to see me? I'm not sure whether to be completely offended or flattered by her attempts.

"Well, good for you," I said bluntly and looked down at the floor again. And that was the end of the conversation... Until I looked over at Courtney who was waiting at the end of the unmoving line. I actually felt really bad at this point and I don't even know why. I guess it could be because she had been planning so hard for this meeting to happen and Duncan and I were both being difficult about it. I looked over at Duncan again and decided to talk about music.

"So, music... What kind do you like?"

Duncan raised his brow at the random question. "Uh, I like punk music."

"I figured. Well, my favourite band is the Gothic Mind Explosion. I hope to go to one of their concerts some day."

"I didn't ask you what type of music you liked," Duncan said.

I glared at him. "I know, knowing your manners," which he rolled his eyes at. "Hey, unlike you, I'm actually trying. Look at your girlfriend over there and try to have the heart to make an effort for her. Today is already bad enough as it is and I'd like to go home soon."

Duncan sighed. A dramatically long one, too, and I just rolled my eyes in response. This conversation wasn't going anywhere. He even revealed himself to be more unusual than I originally thought since he randomly decided to grab my wrist. I was surprised as he inspected it. His touch was surprisingly warm but I shook the feeling away.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Looking for scars. Too bad you don't fit the infamous stereotype of slashing yourself."

"I told you before I'm not an emo," I sneered. "Did you not pay attention to what I just said?! I said I like the Gothic Mind Explosion... as in gothic... They're two different things, take a fucking hint!"

"Mhm, yeah, okay, Sweetheart," he slurs, letting go of my wrist. A strange feeling overwhelmed me as he uttered that pet name. I ignored it and glared at the idiotic punk.

"I don't really care about your expectations or whatever the hell it is that makes you get through the day. I don't need your labels and if you haven't noticed by now, I don't like you."

Duncan put his hands up as a sign of confrontation and mocked a laugh. "Well, that makes two of us."

The more Duncan and I exchanged words, the more he seemed to be comfortable. He was still annoying as hell, but his reactions were more civil than before. His petty nicknames were ridiculous and his attitude could match that of a twelve year old girl. His mohawk wasn't the best shade of green and his choker looked like it was only there to define his stereotype, but I can't really say much without sounding like the world's biggest hypocrite. The amount of times he clicked his tongue in anticipation was seriously annoying as well. It didn't take long for him to notice that I was studying his actions. Instead of being annoyed like I expected, he revealed a smug smile.

"Like what you see?" he winked.

Immediately, I could feel my face reddening from frustration. The fact that he just tried to mock me was infuriating. Courtney and I were complete opposites, so it was starting to make perfect sense why she and Duncan were dating. But when she finally came back with our food, Duncan's face fell as he noticed the salad in front of him.

"Uh, what the fuck is this? I wanted a cheeseburger."

"Its a salad," The CIT rolled her eyes. "You should try eating healthy for once, Duncan. You don't want to gain too much weight and get kicked off the football team, now do you."

I smirked at this. Courtney had a point and Duncan didn't exactly have the best physique to be on the football team. He seriously looked like he could be knocked over by someone as strong as DJ or even Eva for that matter. I also felt like I was slowly dying with this cold running through my system, and Duncan and Courtney just had to bring my mood down even further by continuing their fight. It wasn't even about the salad anymore. They somehow moved over to toasters and I don't even know how the hell that happened. Even after all this time, being the third wheel was still awkward. I just wanted to leave as soon as I finished my salad.

Fortunately, the fight settled down much quicker than the one that happened at the beginning of our hangout. Courtney even tried to include me with the some of the conversations and Duncan didn't seem to mind as much anymore. He was still dislikable and we had a long way to go until we could act in a positive light towards each other, but hopefully that won't happen any time soon. The look on Courtney's face held more of a surprised expression since she probably never expected us to act civil in front of her. She was happy and I was glad for her sake that today wasn't a complete disaster.

After eating the salad, I couldn't really take anymore of this. I really needed to go home, take a nap, and maybe even sneeze a million times. Courtney told me she understood since I've had better days. It was hard trying to not resolve to violence from her bitchy comment, but I somehow managed.

"Looks like its time for me to go home."

"What about Trent?" Courtney reminded. "Aren't you going to visit him?"

Well, crap. I completely forgot about visiting the music store.

"I'm too emotionally drained to talk to anyone else right now." I looked over at Duncan and he smirked, knowing that I was referring to him.

"Oh, okay, but thank you so much for doing this today, Gwen," Courtney smiled, giving me a hug. When she let go, I smiled in appreciation. I really liked this side of Courtney. She was more carefree and less stressed with schoolwork.

"I'll catch you later, Court." Then I sighed, knowing I had to acknowledge the other one. "Bye, Duncan…"

"Later."

* * *

><p>The drive home was more affective towards my cold than yesterday. I don't think I've sneezed so much my entire life. I guess that only told me that I needed to dedicate a few hours to cleaning the inside of my car sometime soon. Once I arrived home, I headed inside and sat on the couch. My mother entered the living room as I switched the tv on. She seemed interested to see how my day was so far.<p>

"How was your girl time at the mall?" She asked.

"It was a trap. I should've known..." I could see my mother was confused so I explained everything to her. "Courtney tricked me into hanging out with her boyfriend instead.

"Oh. Well, at least you had fun, I think?"

"It could have been better," I shrugged. "I just want to sleep and get rid of this cold."

"That's right. I'm always telling you how your health should come first. Oh, also, Jake is hanging out with some friends right now, and I have no idea when he'll be back. I also need to go to work soon, so I've ordered some Chinese food for tonight."

"I can always make dinner," I offered. "I know how busy you are... Just take it easy."

"I will," she smiled. She was about to say something else, but the phone started to ring. She headed over to answer it and I just continued watching tv as she did so.

"Gwen, its for you," she held out the phone. "Its Geoff."

My face fell. "Geoff?"

Don't get me wrong. Geoff is a cool guy and all, but its not exactly everyday when he decides to call me. We were childhood friends since we live down the road from each other, but I guess we grew apart as we entered high school. If it wasn't for Bridgette dating him, then I don't think we'd have any contact at all. But then again, he was probably calling me because he and Bridgette have probably broken up _again_. I took the phone and held it against my ear. "Geoff? Hey."

"Hey, Gwen!" Geoff's voice could be heard on the other side. "I just wanted to know if you're busy next Sunday?"

I rolled my eyes. "Is this about one of your parties? Well, unfortunately I'm busy... uh... cleaning my car next Sunday. Yeah, that's it... Oh well, if only it was any other day, but I guess that's too bad."

"That's great because I lied! The party is actually on next _Saturday_, so I'm glad you'll be able to make it."

"Wait, what?" I froze. Did I seriously just fall into another trap today?

"No sweat, brah. I'll see you there!"

"Geoff, no! You know I don't like parties. They're not my thing..."

"Come on, its just a little get together. My parents are going to be out of town anyway. A lot of people are coming. Are you sure you want to miss out?"

"Geoff, you're awesome and all, but if you looked up the term 'brothel' in the dictionary, then your parties would come up as the definition. I'm sorry but its a no."

Geoff was confused. "Wait, what term?... But you don't need to worry about that. There will be no drinking or sniffing or naked people. Just... casual stuff."

"Still not interested."

"At least think about it. Come on, do it for Bridgette. She'll be there!"

I rolled my eyes. "It looks like I've been doing too many favours for my friends lately. I need to stop hanging out with people who are in relationships..." I said more to myself.

"So, you'll think about it?"

I was starting to get really annoyed. Geoff is really lucky he's not standing next to me because I think I would've smacked him with the phone. "If we stop talking about it, I might think about it. I'm not really in a sociable mood right now, so I'm just going to do us both a favour and hang up."

"Okay, but come at my house seven thirty if you do, or we can just talk about it in cla—"

I hung up before Geoff could finish his sentence. A little rude, yes, but I've spoken more than usual today and I need to rest. Even though Geoff is annoying, I've always had a soft spot for him since we've known each other for so long. I guess there's also the fact that our mothers are good friends since we live so close to each other. There's also the confirmed aspect that Jake looks up to Geoff and his partying ways just a little too much and that really worries me. I'd rather he looked up to Courtney. At least she's set for the future.

Either way, this party sounds like bad news and I know I told Geoff I would think about it, but I doubt it will turn out well in the long run. I mean, imagine all the people who would be there. I think I'm better off just spending the night at home and just sketching more turtles. I mean, its not like I can ask Courtney to hang out with me. She also hates parties but I'm sure she would just drag Duncan along again and we both know how much I can't stand that guy.

* * *

><p><span><strong>AN****: **_This chapter was a pain to write but I'm glad its over with now. In fact, I'm really looking forward to writing the next one. Anyway, I guess you can sort of see where this story is going… I'm trying to form some Gwuncan development here, so I hope you all got that vibe._

_…_

**(1) -** Yes. This is a reference from Duncan's TDWT biography on the Total Drama wiki. Biographies are the bomb!

_…_

_Review? Constructive criticism is welcome and I'd like to know your thoughts. Until next time!_


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Total Drama series, Drama, Romance