For a while I wanted to write a fic about how Courtney hits herself. I even wrote a small drabble about it, well that drabble turned into a story. The beginning will be familiar to you if you read said dribble. Also, this story follows the Total Dramarama universe, but they're all in high school now. There are serious themes in this story, but it's written by me so THERE'S A LOT OF DUNCNEY. Rated T, for now...

Courtney glared at her reflection in her bathroom mirror. The familiar sting of tears burned her eyes and she gripped the bathroom sink hard to stop them. She grit her teeth as she tried to stifle her emotions but feelings of disappointment and self loathing consumed her.

"You're pathetic." She whispered scathingly to herself for almost crying. There was no one to blame but herself and she shouldn't be crying. Crying meant she was weak.

She had gotten a B- on her AP chemistry exam, practically a C. An exam that counted for fifteen percent of her grade. There was so much riding on junior year and she was ruining it. She had a lot on her plate. She was class president, took every honors and AP class she could, ran Model UN, among other clubs, and did volunteer work. She should be able to handle all of it. Her grades and promise of a bright future felt like they were slipping through her fingers.

Courtney released the sink and raised her right hand so that it too was reflected in the mirror.

"You deserve this." She scolded before slapping herself across her face. Her head turned from the assault and she faced the mirror again, still furious with her incompetence.

She needed to study harder, be more diligent. Maybe if Courtney was lucky her chemistry teacher would let her do extra credit.

Again her palm collided with her cheek, harder this time. An angry, hot handprint was left behind.

Courtney winced but welcomed the pain, then her left hand repeated the action on her other cheek. Courtney panted from the impact but was satisfied that she had punished herself enough for tonight.

She stumbled as she made her way back to her room where she fell onto her bed. Her face and hands stung, but she fell into a fitful sleep.

In the morning she would seek out her professor before classes and do what it took to fix this.

Whatever it took.

She woke up startled by the sound of her bedroom window opening. Courtney jumped out of bed ready to spring into action with the skills she had learned in that women's self defense class she'd taken; and turned on the lamp on her bedside table.

"Chill Princess, it's just me." Duncan said with his hands up before she could strike. Courtney caught her breath, her heart rate slowing down.

"Duncan! What are you doing here?"

"I'm back from Juvie."

"Obviously. I mean what are you doing in my room at," she glanced at her clock, " six in the morning?"

"Thought I'd drop in and see how much you missed me." He'd gotten close to her and grinned. Courtney narrowed her eyes, not impressed with his cocky attitude, she was used to it after all these years but still annoyed nonetheless. Duncan looked down at her tank top and short shorts.

"Nice pajamas by the way." Courtney crosses her arms over her chest and ignored his lingering gaze and how it made her face flush.

"Well... I didn't miss you." Courtney insisted while looking away from him and how he had invaded her personal space. She had missed him, she'd missed him a lot, but she'd never tell him that. In fact, she was angry at him for getting sent to Juvie again in the first place.

"Princessssss..." He singsonged and leaned in.

"What?"

"Say it.

"Say what."

"Say you missed me-" Duncan paused when he noticed the purple bruise marring her face. He remained silent as he brushed his thumb against her cheek. She involuntarily flinched.

"What happened?" He asked in a voice so gentle, that it left Courtney caught off guard and unable to process what he had asked her. It wasn't until he brushed his thumb over her cheek again that her stomach dropped and she remembered what she had done last night.

"Nothing." She got around him and went over to her closet, picking out an outfit for school.

"Don't lie to me Courtney." She ignored him and his use of her actual name and escaped to the bathroom. She quickly looked in the mirror and saw that she did indeed have a bruise on her right cheek. It was nothing that some makeup couldn't hide.

She turned on the shower and reached to take off her top when she jumped at Duncan's reappearance.

"Go away you perv!" Duncan rolled his eyes.

"As much as it's one of my biggest fantasies to see you naked, this isn't about that. Courtney huffed and put her hands on her hips, daring him to say what she knew he would.

"You're doing it again." He accused.

"It's none of your business." Just then the door connecting to her sister's room opened.

"Why are you so loud so early." Cate complained sleepily with her eyes closed. Her dark brown hair in her face.

"You can go back to bed for fifteen minutes Cate." Cate leaned against the doorframe half awake; when she opened her eyes she noticed Duncan.

"Hey! You're back from Juvie!" She exclaimed and went to hug him. He messed with her hair affectionately.

"How's my favorite little sister?" Courtney cut in before Cate could answer, frustrated with both of them.

"Can you two get out of the bathroom so that I can take a shower! We need to leave early so that I can talk to Mrs. Hanover."

"I'm not stopping you." Duncan winked.

"Can you at least wait until I leave to flirt with her?" Cate grimaced.

"Can you both leave so that I can take a freaking shower!" Courtney yelled and pushed both of them in to Cate's room and slammed the door in their faces.

"The pole is extra far up her ass this morning." Duncan commented.

"You have no idea."

They pulled into the school parking lot at a rough stop that jolted the passengers in the car.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Cate shrieked and clutched the handle on the roof of the car.

"Seriously Princess, I'm all about taking risks but you completely blew through that last stop sign." Courtney ignored them and ripped off her seat belt.

"No one was coming, and if you two weren't dragging your feet then we would have been here ten minutes ago like I wanted!"

"What is your deal? You're more uptight than normal."

"I'm telling you, she's been insufferable, probably because you were gone for so long " Cate added smugly, taunting her big sister. Courtney scowled at Cate and grabbed her backpack. She reached for the door but Duncan leaned over her and held the door closed.

"You go ahead, I gotta talk to Princess." Duncan directed to Cate in the backseat. Cate looked back in speculation but left to get to her Freshman Health class.

"I don't have time for this Duncan!" Courtney squirmed and tried to get out of the car. There was only five minutes until the first bell and she still had to see her chemistry teacher.

"You're gonna make time." Duncan didn't budge. Courtney huffed and ran her hands through her hair.

"Fine! What is it that you want from me?" The sooner she appeased him the sooner she could reach her destination.

"Don't act like you don't know." Duncan said sternly and waited expectantly for her to answer him.

"You look like your dad when you talk like that." Duncan immediately recoiled and had to check his reflection in the side mirror. Courtney took her opening and dashed out of the car.

Once Duncan caught onto her deceit he darted after Courtney as she sped into the building.

"That was low." He kept up with her as she made sharp turns down the hallway. She was fast for someone who always wore heels.

"How about you show up to class early? Or I don't know, actually go to class for once!" Courtney felt some relief when she finally got to the classroom she had sought out. As she was walking through the open doorway, Duncan yanked her back by the hand, and pulled her chest flush against his.

"Don't." Duncan stopped her attempt to lash out again. Courtney saw the seriousness in his eyes, he wasn't playing around.

"Can we talk about this later?"She softened her voice and let the tension in her body drop but he stayed unmoved.

"Please..." She added, knowing she wouldn't be off the hook yet but hoped he would hear her desperation. He held her stare for a few moments then nodded.

Just then Mrs. Hanover came through the door, almost bumping into the pair of teens.

"Mrs. Hanover I was just coming into the speak with you." Courtney started.

"I'm sure this is concerning your test grade." The teacher wasn't surprised to see Courtney and had anticipated that she would be coming to find a way to raise her grade.

"Yes, is there anyway that I can retake the test or do any extra credit? I really don't want one test to reflect poorly on my grade." The older woman took in the sight of the delinquent standing next to the star pupil. It was a mystery to her how those two were friends, but it did present an opportunity for Courtney to make up her grade and to make her life a little easier.

"I can give you the extra credit," Courtney sighed in relief and already felt that her day was turning around "but you have to catch Duncan up on the material he's missed in his class." Courtney felt all the tension seize her muscles again. She was so screwed.