Three Months Later...
I sighed as I tried to pull my already short, castagna, castagno hair into a tight ponytail. It held… but just barely.
Frustrated, I left my hair in the lousy ponytail and went over to the kitchen. I stumbled and pushed around for something to eat when it suddenly hit me. When was I going to tell my parents about the baby?! Wait, that doesn’t exactly matter… The domanda was how the hell I’m going to tell them.
I nervously walked over to the divano and sat down successivo to Duncan. He put an arm around my shoulder and wrapped his other arm around my stomach. It already supported a small bump.
“Hey Princess, what’s up?”
I laid my head down on his chest. “Duncan, we need to tell my parents…”
He quickly sat up and looked in my eyes. “Why the hell would te want to do that? Do te know what they’d do to you?”
I nodded absentmindedly. “But we have to tell them sometime, and the sooner the better… Right?”
He sighed and laid back down again.
“Fine, whatever te say,” he grumbled. “We can drive up tomorrow morning, alright?”
I nodded and snuggled deeper into his chest.
I planned on sleeping here just like this. In fact, I wished I could stay here forever.
I woke up and found that Duncan was no longer holding me as he had all night. Instead, I smelled bacon, pancetta affumicata and eggs. For a while, it smelled good, but the successivo minuto it smelled revolting. I dashed over to the toilet while I spilled the remnants of last night’s midnight snack out.
I got up and felt Duncan rubbing my back.
“I thought this morning sickness thing was supposed to end,” he detto jokingly.
“I guess I’m just a little nervous about seeing my parents,” I replied as I lifted my head.
He gently lifted me up and handed me my bathrobe. “Go doccia and be dressed in an ora if te really want to go.”
He walked out as I smiled. Duncan really was changing from the inside out.
I quickly showered and changed into something respectable that hid the “bump” from my parents. I definitely didn’t want them finding out immediately.
I chewed down a few saltines before blow-drying my hair. I stepped into the car and had to use all my will power just to keep from jumping on the seat.
“Will te calm down already? I’m nervous enough as it is,” Duncan snapped.
I ignored him and settled for holding his free hand and the tracing strange patterns. It seemed to annoy him a little but he smiled and kissed my hand.
We arrived in about an hour. I slipped out of the car, pushed back my hair, and closed my giacca further. I grabbed onto Duncan’s hand and shifted closer to him as he knocked on the door.
My mother came and the door flew open. Judging from her expression, she looked shocked to see me.
“Courtney! And… err… Duncan. What a… err… pleasure to see you!”
She came inoltrare, avanti and gave me a hug. She basically ignored Duncan and he rolled his eyes. My parents pretty much hated him and all his tactics, although he has been good lately.
“Dear, sit down on the divano and I’ll make some tea… Is there a reason te came here with…err, him?”
“Yes, actually. We just wanted to talk and tell te some news."
My mother frowned at the word “news,” but called my father down, who glared at Duncan and proceeded to hug me. After the tè was ready my mother stared at me and began to talk.
“Courtney, dear, what happened to your hair? Did he have something to do with it?”
I ignored the way she stressed “he,” but Duncan spoke up adamantly.
“I have a name, te know, and yes, I did it myself. Don’t te like it?”
He wrapped his arm around my waist and I smiled on the inside.
“I think it looks simply preposterous,” she answered back, folding her arms. Then she turned to me. “You should have never trusted this hooligan with your personal image,” she said.
Duncan scoffed. “Hooligan? Is that the best you’ve got? Princess came up with better names at camp!”
I pulled his arm. “Duncan! Sit down!”
When he complied, I straightened myself up. “Mother, father, Duncan and I have some news to tell you.”
My father looked appalled. “What could news possibly mean?”
I shifted around and glanced down.
“Mom, dad… well… I’m pregnant.”
I swear I heard my mother scream.
“You can’t be pregnant! You’re barely nineteen! You’re not even in college yet!”
She turned to Duncan with fury in her eyes.
“And you! te caused all this! I knew te were trouble for Courtney when te first talked to her on that preposterous Televisione show!
“I was close to tears and had to try hard to keep them from falling. My father looked as if he was about to kill Duncan and me at the same time.
“Courtney, I thought we raised te better. How could te be so irresponsible!”
My mother was red in the face and looked as if she was about to explode.
“You irresponsible, imperfect child! te were gong to be big! Do something great in the world! Run for office! And te spoiled it da being with this animal!”
Duncan looked just as furious as he wrapped his arms around my sobbing body.
“Listen lady,” he yelled. “This girl is the best thing that even happened in my life, and soon I hope to marry this “imperfect” girl. Why? ‘Cause I Amore her, and I plan to be responsible for the child inside of her.” He glared at my parents angrily. “You’re just gonna have to deal with it.”
I glanced up at Duncan and almost kissed him until my father cut in.
“Courtney, if te aren’t planning to abort the child then there will be major consequences.”
I nodded and detto quietly with the tears streaming down my face. “I’m sorry dad, but I don’t plan to abort the child,” I told him.
My mother spoke up.
“Then we disown you. te can go sposta in with that monster who caused te this mess, and we can also cancella your application to Harvard. Good luck raising that monster child. The doors of opportunity and family have now all closed for you.”
Duncan tried to whisper comforting words in my ear but I could barely hear them because all I heard was “We disown you…”
Duncan must have steered me outside because I found myself there sobbing, clutching to his neck.
“Our c-child is n-not a m-monster…”
He rubbed my back as he led me to the car. “I know.”
“D-Duncan, I l-love you…”
He kissed me tenderly on the cheek and said, “I know, I do too Princess.”
That was all I needed to hear before I fell asleep against the window.
I sighed as I tried to pull my already short, castagna, castagno hair into a tight ponytail. It held… but just barely.
Frustrated, I left my hair in the lousy ponytail and went over to the kitchen. I stumbled and pushed around for something to eat when it suddenly hit me. When was I going to tell my parents about the baby?! Wait, that doesn’t exactly matter… The domanda was how the hell I’m going to tell them.
I nervously walked over to the divano and sat down successivo to Duncan. He put an arm around my shoulder and wrapped his other arm around my stomach. It already supported a small bump.
“Hey Princess, what’s up?”
I laid my head down on his chest. “Duncan, we need to tell my parents…”
He quickly sat up and looked in my eyes. “Why the hell would te want to do that? Do te know what they’d do to you?”
I nodded absentmindedly. “But we have to tell them sometime, and the sooner the better… Right?”
He sighed and laid back down again.
“Fine, whatever te say,” he grumbled. “We can drive up tomorrow morning, alright?”
I nodded and snuggled deeper into his chest.
I planned on sleeping here just like this. In fact, I wished I could stay here forever.
I woke up and found that Duncan was no longer holding me as he had all night. Instead, I smelled bacon, pancetta affumicata and eggs. For a while, it smelled good, but the successivo minuto it smelled revolting. I dashed over to the toilet while I spilled the remnants of last night’s midnight snack out.
I got up and felt Duncan rubbing my back.
“I thought this morning sickness thing was supposed to end,” he detto jokingly.
“I guess I’m just a little nervous about seeing my parents,” I replied as I lifted my head.
He gently lifted me up and handed me my bathrobe. “Go doccia and be dressed in an ora if te really want to go.”
He walked out as I smiled. Duncan really was changing from the inside out.
I quickly showered and changed into something respectable that hid the “bump” from my parents. I definitely didn’t want them finding out immediately.
I chewed down a few saltines before blow-drying my hair. I stepped into the car and had to use all my will power just to keep from jumping on the seat.
“Will te calm down already? I’m nervous enough as it is,” Duncan snapped.
I ignored him and settled for holding his free hand and the tracing strange patterns. It seemed to annoy him a little but he smiled and kissed my hand.
We arrived in about an hour. I slipped out of the car, pushed back my hair, and closed my giacca further. I grabbed onto Duncan’s hand and shifted closer to him as he knocked on the door.
My mother came and the door flew open. Judging from her expression, she looked shocked to see me.
“Courtney! And… err… Duncan. What a… err… pleasure to see you!”
She came inoltrare, avanti and gave me a hug. She basically ignored Duncan and he rolled his eyes. My parents pretty much hated him and all his tactics, although he has been good lately.
“Dear, sit down on the divano and I’ll make some tea… Is there a reason te came here with…err, him?”
“Yes, actually. We just wanted to talk and tell te some news."
My mother frowned at the word “news,” but called my father down, who glared at Duncan and proceeded to hug me. After the tè was ready my mother stared at me and began to talk.
“Courtney, dear, what happened to your hair? Did he have something to do with it?”
I ignored the way she stressed “he,” but Duncan spoke up adamantly.
“I have a name, te know, and yes, I did it myself. Don’t te like it?”
He wrapped his arm around my waist and I smiled on the inside.
“I think it looks simply preposterous,” she answered back, folding her arms. Then she turned to me. “You should have never trusted this hooligan with your personal image,” she said.
Duncan scoffed. “Hooligan? Is that the best you’ve got? Princess came up with better names at camp!”
I pulled his arm. “Duncan! Sit down!”
When he complied, I straightened myself up. “Mother, father, Duncan and I have some news to tell you.”
My father looked appalled. “What could news possibly mean?”
I shifted around and glanced down.
“Mom, dad… well… I’m pregnant.”
I swear I heard my mother scream.
“You can’t be pregnant! You’re barely nineteen! You’re not even in college yet!”
She turned to Duncan with fury in her eyes.
“And you! te caused all this! I knew te were trouble for Courtney when te first talked to her on that preposterous Televisione show!
“I was close to tears and had to try hard to keep them from falling. My father looked as if he was about to kill Duncan and me at the same time.
“Courtney, I thought we raised te better. How could te be so irresponsible!”
My mother was red in the face and looked as if she was about to explode.
“You irresponsible, imperfect child! te were gong to be big! Do something great in the world! Run for office! And te spoiled it da being with this animal!”
Duncan looked just as furious as he wrapped his arms around my sobbing body.
“Listen lady,” he yelled. “This girl is the best thing that even happened in my life, and soon I hope to marry this “imperfect” girl. Why? ‘Cause I Amore her, and I plan to be responsible for the child inside of her.” He glared at my parents angrily. “You’re just gonna have to deal with it.”
I glanced up at Duncan and almost kissed him until my father cut in.
“Courtney, if te aren’t planning to abort the child then there will be major consequences.”
I nodded and detto quietly with the tears streaming down my face. “I’m sorry dad, but I don’t plan to abort the child,” I told him.
My mother spoke up.
“Then we disown you. te can go sposta in with that monster who caused te this mess, and we can also cancella your application to Harvard. Good luck raising that monster child. The doors of opportunity and family have now all closed for you.”
Duncan tried to whisper comforting words in my ear but I could barely hear them because all I heard was “We disown you…”
Duncan must have steered me outside because I found myself there sobbing, clutching to his neck.
“Our c-child is n-not a m-monster…”
He rubbed my back as he led me to the car. “I know.”
“D-Duncan, I l-love you…”
He kissed me tenderly on the cheek and said, “I know, I do too Princess.”
That was all I needed to hear before I fell asleep against the window.
(TDI, TDA and TDWT never happened)
I was toppled over da scrapbooks, ribbons, medaglie and a big canvas bag when I opened the closet door. What really caught my eye was the huge canvas sack that almost pulverized my leg. I wrenched myself out and pulled the bag over to my bed. I dug out my little sister's, Cookie's (her real name is Charlise), little plastic "Sheriff" badge and giggled. I placed it down and pulled out an unopened letter that I never have seen before. I opened and read it:
Dear Miss Courtney Langerak,
Thank te for help saving our ranch from MorcuCorp! We really appreciate your concern for all of the cavalli and the ranch. te are welcome to come here anytime!
From,
Vickie
Barry
Duncan
and the rest of Carousel Ranch!
I ran my fingers over the printed words, especially Duncan's. There was a picture in the envelope of me and Duncan. I now remember how we helped Carousel Ranch like it was yesterday...
I was toppled over da scrapbooks, ribbons, medaglie and a big canvas bag when I opened the closet door. What really caught my eye was the huge canvas sack that almost pulverized my leg. I wrenched myself out and pulled the bag over to my bed. I dug out my little sister's, Cookie's (her real name is Charlise), little plastic "Sheriff" badge and giggled. I placed it down and pulled out an unopened letter that I never have seen before. I opened and read it:
Dear Miss Courtney Langerak,
Thank te for help saving our ranch from MorcuCorp! We really appreciate your concern for all of the cavalli and the ranch. te are welcome to come here anytime!
From,
Vickie
Barry
Duncan
and the rest of Carousel Ranch!
I ran my fingers over the printed words, especially Duncan's. There was a picture in the envelope of me and Duncan. I now remember how we helped Carousel Ranch like it was yesterday...
"You promise to do the forfeit?" Duncan asked.
"For the final time, yes!" Courtney cried, exasperated.
"Ok, right. Your forfeit is to pla-" Danni began.
"To play strip poker" Duncan interrupted his younger sister.
"What?!" Courtney asked in disbelief, "but i dont know how!"
"I'll explain the rules" Samantha detto excitedly.
'Damn! I was gonna pretend i didn't know so i wouldn't have to do the stupid dare!' Courtney thought.
*5 mins later and Samantha had explained the rules*
"Lets play" Duncan said.
"For the final time, yes!" Courtney cried, exasperated.
"Ok, right. Your forfeit is to pla-" Danni began.
"To play strip poker" Duncan interrupted his younger sister.
"What?!" Courtney asked in disbelief, "but i dont know how!"
"I'll explain the rules" Samantha detto excitedly.
'Damn! I was gonna pretend i didn't know so i wouldn't have to do the stupid dare!' Courtney thought.
*5 mins later and Samantha had explained the rules*
"Lets play" Duncan said.
"How could te do this to me?" Brandon said, still in a state of shock. "How could te do this to Duncan?" Court shot back, tears running down her cheeks, mascara all messed up. "I didn't know te cared about him" Brandon detto pointing at Duncan snoozing peacefully. "Well i do" Courtney admitted. Rage suddenly flickered in Brandon's eye's and he grabbed onto her arm with a firm grip. "Let. Go!" Courtney struggled. "LET GO OF HER!" Duncan yelled. "Or what?" Brandon detto furiously, "Or..." Duncan detto
"You can come down princess" i shouted upstairs, "Dont call me that" She said, she ruined any effect of seriousness da smirking as she handed me a card & a box, i gave her a baciare on the lips "Thank you. I have a surprise for you. Close your eye's" i told her and she did. I led her through to the cucina where i'd set up her 'Valentines giorno Special' breakfast. pancakes, pancake in the shape of cuore with syrup spelling dXc, 12 rose at the side, the little box successivo to my plate. I sat her down & she opened her eye's.
