Born from Conflict -A Duncney Fanfiction

3

Courtney

The rest of my day goes on like usual. At lunch, I went to join Gwen, but she glared at me and walked off with Trent.

When I walk into my last class of the day, I'm super excited because it's Humanities and Social Science, my favorite subject. I love learning about human behavior and the reasons behind our actions. Today, Mr. Todd is announcing our final project, and he usually assigns group work. Luckily, there are a few people in the class that I've worked with before, and I know we'll make a great team.

Duncan is already in class, along with Geoff and Alejandro. This class and AP English are the only two classes I have with Duncan and Geoff.

"Hello class, good afternoon!" Mr. Todd slams the door behind him as he walks in, heading straight to his desk.

The class calms down, giving our full attention to Todd.

"Alright, everyone! It's time for our final project of the semester. After teaching the same things for 28 years, I'm honestly feeling pretty tired of it." Mr. Todd gives a stern look as Duncan, Geoff, and Alejandro yell from the back of the class. "Boys! Calm. Down."

They suddenly fall silent, and I can't resist sneaking a peek at them. But my smirk fades when I lock eyes with Duncan, his piercing teal eyes staring into my soul.

He's so creepy.

"This fun project is a partner project, obviously. I will be the one to choose your partners, and you will have to deal with it," Mr. Todd says.

Everyone in the room groans, but I stay quiet and a bit anxious. I silently pray that Mr. Todd doesn't partner me with someone like Heather Kasuga. Or worse, Duncan Nelson.

"Let's see... Eva, you will be working with Lindsay. Eva rolls her eyes when Lindsay starts to jump in joy. "Eeee! I can't wait to work with you Emelia!"

Classic Lindsay.

Mr. Todd continues pairing people up in groups. Soon enough, I realized he's partnering us up with people with opposite personalities. Not good at all.

He continues listing names until he gets down to the final six students. Please don't let him pair me with Duncan.

"Geoff and Heather."

4 more. Please, not Duncan. I'd rather work with Heather.

"Gwen and DJ."

Oh God.

"And finally, Courtney and Duncan."

Are you serious?

Todd clears his throat loudly, making everyone quiet down. He paces in front of our desks, narrowing his eyes.

"I know this isn't what you had in mind, but let me explain your assignment. It'll make sense soon." He stops behind his desk. "I paired you with someone who's the complete opposite of you. You'll take care of a bag of flour like a baby. Carry it, pretend to feed and change it, and watch it, etcetera. At the end of the semester, you'll present the same bag of flour and give a speech on how you kept it from breaking and how you took care of it over the weeks."

More groans fill the room. I slouch in my seat, nervously biting my lip. I can't be with Duncan. He's going to definitely make us fail this stupid project.

"Now, obviously, you don't want to spill the flour. You might want to dress it up like a baby to prevent spills or anything else that could potentially happen to the bag of flour," Mr. Todd explains.

"For the next three weeks, forget about lectures, tests, and side projects. Spend this time with your partner. Get to know them. Talk to them about how you're going to split custody with the 'baby'. You want this project to be fun!"

"Alright, everyone! Find your partners and do it fast. Keep the talking to a minimum, unless you're chatting with your partner." Mr. Todd grins, clearly satisfied with the chaos he just caused, and takes a seat behind his desk.

I immediately stand up and walk over to Mr. Todd's desk. I stop right in front of him, and he looks up at me with an annoyed expression. "Do you need something, Courtney?" he asks.

He knows exactly what I'm going to say. "I want to switch partners."

Mr. Todd lets out a sigh and leans back in his chair. "I knew you were going to ask me this," he says.

"I hate him." I'm surprised at my own words.

He raises an eyebrow in response to my confident remark. "You don't even know him," He says, emphasizing the lack of familiarity.

"Been here a while, seen it all. We notice more than you think. And yeah, I've noticed Duncan and you don't talk much. It's funny though; you're more alike than you'd expect."

I roll my eyes in disgust. Me and Duncan? Alike?

That's hilarious.

"He doesn't even like me. Can I work with DJ?"

DJ's a real sweetheart. I don't have many friends, but he's one of the good ones. We've been in AP classes together since I arrived as a sophomore, and he even took me home last year. We're just friends, though.

I catch a glimpse of DJ sitting next to Gwen. She seems a bit annoyed while DJ tries to chat with her. "I bet he'd prefer to be partnered with me," I say to Mr. Todd, observing DJ's attempt to make Gwen smile.

"Yeah, I bet." Mr. Todd seems entertained, which kind of bugs me. Now I'm feeling a bit annoyed with myself.

"Will you allow us to switch then? I'm sure Gwen would be thrilled to work with Duncan." I'm pretty sure they hooked up before.

Mr. Todd shakes his head. "No, you cannot work with DJ."

Ugh, it's like my entire being just wilts away and fades into nothingness. "Fine."

My whole body gets tingly with anticipation when I sense someone coming near. I can feel their warmth, and deep down, I just know it's him. "Anything wrong?" Duncan asks, his deep voice stirring up something unfamiliar inside me.

"Miss Barlow had some...inquiries about the project. Isn't that right, Courtney?" Mr. Todd beams at both of us with a wide smile.

I give a little nod, keeping my head lowered. His intense stare feels like it's searing into my skin, and I can't help but worry that if I meet his gaze, I'll literally freeze to death.

"Y'all should go take a seat and get started; we have 45 minutes of class left," Todd urges.

"Alright," I squeak, mustering the courage to glance in Duncan's direction.

Only to find him already locked onto me, his handsome face wearing such a brooding expression that my knees almost gave way.