Chapter Three – The Coveted Crown

It was all Blake's fault that the news had travelled around the community. Well, it was a mix of Blake and the news media but Courtney found it a little easier to place the blame on her younger brother. She had people talking about her all over campus and she didn't like it. She had once wanted to be in the limelight. She had once felt offended if the limelight fell on anyone but her but over the past two years, she had learned to sink into the background and be conspicuous.

She heard people talking about how she was in middle school and she wanted to avoid that, more than anything though, she didn't want Celine to hear about that. As she put her books in her locker, she saw Celine approach her with a strong smile and Courtney felt that she had been exposed. She could imagine herself becoming her younger self and wondered how she would treat Celine. She would probably attempt to correct her in some way but Celine was perfectly imperfect.

"You doing okay?" Celine asked as she looked at her best friend. "I know that when any story circulates around the student body it's hard, even the good ones."

"I don't know how good it is," Courtney worried. Celine hugged her and Courtney let her head rest on Celine's shoulder.

"You know, you don't have to give everything up just because you have money. Use it to your advantage," she said and Courtney gave her a weird look as if she had changed her personality suddenly. Celine wasn't one who ever thought about bribery and Courtney didn't want to become that person ever again.

"My advantage? Look, money corrupts and power corrupts ev-"

"You can use it to buy new material for your clothes, new makeup, spend it on things that you like, on doing things that you like," Celine tried to explain and Courtney smiled at that. That was true. Money didn't have to be spent so frivolously, she would ask her parents to not spoil her and things would turn out okay.

"Thank you," Courtney whispered and Celine grinned.

"Any time," she told her before looking at the locker, "Grab your books. Class starts in about fifteen minutes and if we get to class early then we can talk. It'll be fun," she told her and Courtney instantly grabbed what she needed from her locker. As she closed the door, she thought about Skyler. She hadn't wanted to fall for him so badly but he kept entering her mind.

She had wanted to fall in love with someone the way people did in romantic movies. People didn't really get together with people from different economic classes that much – as horrible as it was to say – and Courtney still felt like a poor girl who should be with a man who didn't rely on money. She blushed as she thought about their interaction, he was very attractive and he had been attracted to her. Was that enough?

Celine looked at her suspiciously as they walked in the direction of class. This was until they were stopped by the cool clique led by Hope Rogers.

"Careful, Courtney," Hope said as she raised a judgmental eyebrow. She had become very different from the girl that Courtney had first met and had told her she looked up to her. Two years of high school had changed her greatly. She was now considered the "it girl" or one of them anyway and Courtney had done her best to avoid her, not only because of their difference in personality but because of how much she was reminded of her past.

"Hope," Courtney said in a steady voice and Celine turned to look between the two of them.

"Don't think that just because your money came back that you can take my spot, I worked hard for it. I earned it. I don't think anyone is going to view you as a celebrity anymore and you better not get in my way. That crown that you had in junior high, there's no way that you're reclaiming it." Hope said as she raised her chin up and Courtney sighed.

"I don't want it, Hope" she replied, "I would never want to reclaim it. I'm happier being one of the crowd, so enjoy it."

Courtney turned to walk away but Hope started to laugh at this. Courtney felt her back straighten and she turned to Celine who was still looking between the two of them. "You can't fool me," Hope said, "You can't honestly believe that I'd fall for that lie. You're the girl who wanted an entire song and dance routine around you, you even had people look like you."

Courtney bristled at that. She had been pathetic and stupid and self-involved. She was different now. She had to be different now. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a few tears gather in her eyes and soon Celine had wrapped her arms around her.

"You know, you're right, you can keep that crown but don't you ever make my friend cry," Celine said and Courtney looked at her in shock as she defended her. "I don't care about who Courtney was, I care about who she is. Just because you're too plastic to see that."

"She's the one who has manipulated you," Hope commented. "She lies and manipulates and twists the world around her finger as if it's a plaything. She's vicious and you're just fooling yourself if you don't think that she is. Do you really want to be with someone that ugly on the inside?"

Celine's eyes had a fire burning within them. "I said that I don't care. You don't know the current Courtney at all and I suggest that you leave. Do whatever you want to me. Make me a social outcast but I won't forgive you for making my best friend cry."

Hope rolled her eyes but eventually walked away. Courtney looked to Celine. Celine was far too good a friend for the person that she had been. She didn't deserve to have someone like that looking out for her and she wouldn't forgive herself if she ever hurt her.

"Thank you," Courtney whispered unable to look Celine in the eyes. Hopefully her words were enough, "Thank you."

…

…

Courtney sat in the hotel lobby reading over one of the books she had for school. She had just wanted to get away from her family and their discussions when it came to money. They could enjoy money for all she cared, she was going to try to stay away from the temptation. Reading and finding more fulfilling things in life was better for her. She turned the page of her book before hearing someone chuckling.

"I knew that you were smart," Skyler told her as he sat down next to her.

"Did I give you a reason to think otherwise?" Courtney asked before closing the book. "Or I could be very stupid and dull and just trying to barely scrape through in my classes," she tested him although she had earned her high grades. When you weren't so distracted by materialism, you had time to devote to other things.

"Nah," Skyler shook his head, "I don't think that's the case at all. I'm just saying that you're the full package. Well, if you showed more love and consideration for me then you'd be the full package anyway."

Courtney hummed and looked at him skeptically, "That's an awfully bold thing to declare," she said and Skyler shrugged. Courtney shook her head as she saw that there were a lot of similarities between the two of them but that didn't mean that she should accept his dinner invitation. She wasn't won over that easily.

"I thought that it might leave an impression in your mind," Skyler winked and Courtney leaned forwards.

"You really want to go out with a plain and dull girl like me?" she asked him. "I could be a manipulative witch who uses people for my own enjoyment. I could be someone who is so self-obsessed that they actually consider themselves the center of the universe."

"Possibly," Skyler said as he shrugged but then looked at her with a challenge in his expression, "But I'll bet all the money that I have that you aren't."

"I don't want your money," Courtney said as she stood up. She looked at him and then looked away before whispering the words, "but you're not kidding. You are rather attractive," she complimented him before walking away and Skyler just watched her with a smile crossing his face. She truly was the whole package.

End of Chapter Three

Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated

Thank you to nazcarfanatic for their review on Chapter Two