Alright, so I know I already have a few stories going already, but this is a sudden idea that I have that I would really like to write up now! It is a Christmas fic, so when will there be a better time to do a fic like this? (:

On a side note, you might recognize the story...maybe. It is based on the book Last Christmas by Kate Brian. Don't worry about not knowing the story-you can still read it, no problem!

I have no other notes for now, so here is the prologue! I don't own anything obviously. ;)

Courtney Osgood panted as the car she was driving almost veered off the two lane highway completely. She had almost hit a bush now, and a deer a few minutes ago. Courtney gripped tightly onto her steering wheel, and kept adjusting her rear-view mirror, glancing back nervously every few seconds.

Calm down, Courtney. Just calm down.

She was almost positive that she wasn't being followed. Everyone back at Wawanakwa Academy was fast asleep now…they had to be! No one could have possibly seen her sneak away from McLean House in Trent Hollis's Range Rover as she retraced the same route she had taken less then an hour ago with Heather Lange, Lindsay Hayes and Bridgette Bell. No one even knew about that little adventure, and they were never going to either!

But no one knew that she was coming back for Duncan. No one knew why she needed to find him, or why she was going to. Her secrets-their secrets-were safe. Not even Heather could decipher or understand this plan of hers. No one could.

Rocks and chunks of ground up gravel crunched between the tires of the Range Rover as Courtney drove through the grassy field to where Duncan was. She squinted her eyes in the darkness as she tried to locate him. She knew he was out here somewhere. She had to find him, and talk to him to make him understand. Once he heard her out, he would understand everything. He would finally realize that he was wasting his time with Gwen Brennan. He would realize that she was nothing but a mistake, something never meant to happen. He would realize that he was supposed to be with Courtney. Not Gwen, Courtney.

Finally, her dim headlights finally caught something. Someone rather. Someone hanging limply from a pole.

Duncan.

Courtney screeched her brakes as she halted right in front of the pole and hopped out of the car.

"Duncan!" she screeched.

Duncan's head lulled forward, and he mumbled something Courtney couldn't understand. A lump formed in her throat as she stared at him. She stared at him in disbelief, as if she was seeing him for the first time. She glanced at the thick ropes tied around his arms and legs. She saw dried blood on his shoulder, and blood all over his shirt, which was discarded on the ground next to Trent's baseball bat, which they had obviously forgotten.

Courtney heart twisted with pain. She had never meant for this to happen. Maybe she and her friends had taken things a bit too far with this…she had never wanted to hurt Duncan-she just had to go along with Heather's plan. She knew that if she didn't follow the plan that Heather would get suspicious, and everyone knew that that was never a good thing.

As Courtney finally walked closer to Duncan, she brushed her fingers against his clammy skin. He immediately flinched back into the pole, banging his head hard. As usual, he didn't seem to care.

"Duncan, it's me…" Courtney finally managed to choke out. She ripped the bags off of his body, and started untying the ropes. She looked up as his cold, almost grey face and forced a smile.

"Don't worry…you're safe now," Courtney murmured. "I'm here to take care of you," she added softly.

Duncan's eyelids fluttered and he opened his mouth to finally speak.

"Take care of me?" he asked, his voice dull and raspy.

Courtney smiled and looked him in the eyes.

"Of course!" After everything they'd been through, he would be so grateful for her saving his life. He would be grateful for her keeping all of his secrets, and he would finally come back to her. And they'd be together. Like they were supposed to be. Just like they had planned. They had promised.

"Go to hell!" Duncan moaned.

Duncan's voice stung like venom in her eyes. He had never spoken to her like this before! He was probably still drunk or high-because he obviously wasn't thinking clearly! He had no idea what he was saying. He wanted to be with her. Courtney knew he did. She just had to make him remember…remember all that they had been through together.

"Duncan, I just want to help!" Courtney shouted, sounding weak. She hated sounding weak. She tugged at the ropes on his wrists and hoped that this little argument would end soon.

Knocking Courtney down on the ground, Duncan briskly leaned away from her.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled, his teal blue eyes locking hers with a gaze full of hatred. He eyed her with disgust as he continued to speak. "You think I didn't recognize your voice as you were tying me up? After all we've been through, you do this to me?" he growled.

Tears formed in Courtney's eyes as she stood up.

"It was Heather, I couldn't stop her!" she protested. "I would never hurt you, I love you! You know that!" she cried. "You love me too…you have to!" Courtney sniffled as tears started to drip down her cheeks.

"What if I don't?" he spat. "Are you gonna kill me?" he laughed. "Like you-"

"Stop it!" I interrupted. "You obviously drunk, and are not thinking clearly!"

Duncan shook his head and laughed, the tension lingering in the air between them.

"The thing is, for once in my life, I actually am. Everything is clear now that I have Reed in my life-"

"Don't you dare say that name in front of me!" Courtney snapped, interrupting him again. She dug her nails into her arms, and hot rage rose inside of her. "She's not like us, and you know it! She's a nobody, she's nothing!" Courtney screeched, the anger bubbling faster and faster inside of her.

"Don't you get it Courtney? She's everything!" Duncan argued. "I love her!" he shouted.

"No!" Courtney screamed. "You love me! Do you not remember everything I've done for you? Done for us?"

"Courtney, there is no us!" Duncan barked.

Courtney gulped.

"No us?" she repeated, stunned. Courtney slowly took a step back, and fought to keep her voice steady, and to not break out in tears again. "Do you not love me?" she asked.

Duncan shook his head a laughed.

"Not anymore! Not after the things you did…the things we did!" Duncan tried to hold his temper as he spoke. After a few moments of silence, he continued speaking. "But I have to make it right…I'm going to fix it," he announced.

Courtney's throat suddenly felt tight. He wouldn't…he couldn't do that to her! She couldn't get enough air Why did he not love her anymore? He had to! He promised that he always would, no matter what! He was the reason that she had done all those things! She had done it for them! And now it was all worth nothing? She gasped for air.

In…two…three

Out…two…three

"S…so what are you saying?" Courtney finally asked, even tough she already had a pretty good idea of what was going to go down.

"I'm coming clean!" Duncan declared. "I'm going to the police, and I'm telling them everything about you and me…maybe while I'm there I can tell them about this little incident with you and your little McLean friends too!" he shouted, spitting saliva in her face.

"No, no, no, no!" Courtney screamed.

Courtney doubled over, unable to believe what was happening. Why was he doing this? What had ever gone wrong? Why didn't he want her anymore, or even want to protect her?

"Duncan, please! You'll ruin everything! My life will be over! Please!" she begged, sounding weak again. "Don't do this to me!" she screamed.

"I have to," he repeated slowly. The cut on his shoulder started to bleed again. Courtney leaned in to stop it from bleeding, but Duncan just shoved her away violently. "I'm doing it for Gwen!" he yelled. "She deserves the truth!"

"Duncan…" Courtney moaned as she collapsed on the ground. Several tears poured down her now filthy face as she cried. Everything she had ever worked for was about to be ripped out from under her…she couldn't let that happen. She would be left with nothing, and no one.

Suddenly, the blurred image of Trent's baseball bat appeared in front of her. It was only a few inches away from her, so she reached over and grabbed it. She quickly wiped some dirt off of her face, then she stood up and started walked towards Duncan.

"I…I can't let you do this to me," she whispered. "I can't let you leave me, and ruin me." When Courtney spoke, it was as if it was someone else speaking. This couldn't be her…she was Wawanakwa Academy's Good Girl. "I'm sorry…I just can't…"

Fear quickly spread across Duncan's face. He shook his head.

"I should have known!" he yelled. "You're fucking insane!" he yelled.

Courtney could feel her blood rushing faster and faster as Duncan spoke.

"Shut up Duncan!" she screamed.

"Just like your mother!" spat angrilly, looking her directly in the eyes as he spoke.

Courtney screamed as she cried even harder.

"Stop!" she shrieked violently. "I'm nothing like her! Nothing!"

"You were never good enough for me. For anyone!" Duncan yelled.

You never know what people are capable of until they're pushed to their edge, Courtney.

"You're crazy, you're insane-"

Courtney looked at the pleading look in his eyes as she raised the bat above her head. She gulped and closed her eyes, and finally lunged.

Then, everything went black.

It all happened Last Christmas, before Gwen had to come along and ruin it all…

Hmm….I dunno. Do you guys like it? I don't know if I'll continue it. But tell me what you think maybe?

By the way, a lot of the answers to your questions will be answered next chapter, if you want another one.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

~Lauren