So after a long hiatus (sorry) I'm finally posting another chapter. It's a little short and very Gwen-centric but I just needed to get back into it, hope you enjoy!

Trent was gone, and Gwen couldn't help but feel relieved. She did feel a little guilty of course, but she couldn't see how she had any other option in the end. With Trent out of the game she could focus on other guys. Things! Other things. Not guys.

Her relief was short lived however as the other team kept reminding her of what she owed them because of the deal they'd made. She couldn't even relax on their day off because Justin kept giving her knowing looks and putting her on edge. Gwen wasn't sure how she was supposed to sabotage her own team without them knowing. She wished she could talk to someone about the whole thing. Specifically, Duncan. He was the only one in the competition she could actually talk to about anything. Except she couldn't talk to anyone on the team about this. She was pretty sure he wouldn't understand.

Still, she went looking for him anyway, and found him on a prop bridge, staring up at the stars, a dreamy expression on his face. She wondered for a moment if he was thinking about her. It wasn't impossible. They'd grown pretty close over the past few weeks. They had a lot in common and Gwen would be lying if she said she didn't feel a connection between them. Her lines weren't coloured in, and neither were his. As far as she knew, they were the only ones. And she definitely wouldn't mind if he were her soulmate.

Duncan didn't even seem to notice Gwen sneak up beside him. She leaned on the side of the bridge in a similar fashion to Duncan and gazed up at the stars, wondering what he was seeing, hoping she was on his mind.

"Is it just me, or does that constellation look like Harold's pancake butt? With his spaghetti legs attached?" Gwen asked, breaking the silence. Duncan didn't even laugh. He must have realised she was there already though because he didn't seem startled. "See?" she prodded, trying to get a response from him. What had gotten into him? "I just gave you the perfect set up for a dig, and you leave me hanging?! What's your damage?" Gwen cried, while Duncan just continued to stare up at the stars. And okay, maybe she was trying to be a little flirty, but he didn't seem to notice that either.

"You think Courtney might be looking at the stars now?" he finally said. Right. Courtney. Gwen had almost forgotten that girl existed. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. She was pretty sure Courtney and Duncan weren't together but evidently he wasn't over her. Gwen masked her disappointment with disgust, sticking her finger in her mouth to illustrate her repulsion by Duncan's sappy romantic thoughts. She would probably never admit she wouldn't have found the sentiment so disgusting if it were her he was thinking about, not snooty, stuck up Courtney.

"Wow, who knew you were such a sucker for the A type?" Gwen joked. Jokes would make it better. And maybe bring him out of his love drunk stupor.

"Oh, you wanna make something of it?" Duncan punched her arm playfully. Gwen grinned, rubbing her arm. Success.

"You can do better than that!" she laughed, and Duncan stepped up close to her, laughing along as he pushed her to the ground. She clutched at him, pulling him down with her and her heart was pounding at the proximity. Surely Courtney was the furthest thing from his mind now. Their noses were almost touching as the laughter died in her throat and Duncan became suddenly serious as well. Oh my god, he's going to kiss me, she thought.

"Hey, Gwen," Duncan whispered, a smirk playing across his lips.

"Mmm?" Gwen replied, her head feeling kind of foggy.

"You wanna steal everyone's underwear and fly it up the flagpole?" Duncan grinned. Reality came crashing back around Gwen as Duncan lifted himself off her and held out his hand to help her up.

"Sure, that sounds fun," Gwen agreed. And it was fun, and it helped her blow off some steam, and it definitely helped her feel better to steal the underwear of the people who were making her life a living hell. But it didn't take her mind off the fact that she was ninety nine per cent sure she and Duncan were soulmates. She just had to somehow get him to see it too.

The worst week of Gwen's life was finally over. She'd broken up with her boyfriend on international television, gotten him eliminated, made a deal with the devil (who knew the devil was a sixteen year old male model whose ego was bigger than his brain?), had Beth's retainer in her mouth, been vomited on by Lindsay, sabotaged her own team, hit Harold over the head with a shovel (okay, that part was kind of fun) and eliminated herself. She was then subjected to insults and ridicule by Geoff and some of the other previous contestants at the aftermath show. She had thought she and Geoff were friends, but apparently ratings were more important to him than friendship. Well, good riddance. She'd done her best to appease Courtney's fears about her and Duncan's non existent relationship, without actually saying she wasn't interested in Duncan. Courtney did not seem mollified.

Trent had said he didn't hate her, which was a relief but she was pretty sure the rest of the world did.

At least Duncan had stuck up for her and had even offered himself up instead of Gwen when it came time for her to get into the lame-o-sine, even if he wasn't entirely serious about it. Even though she hadn't got him to admit they were soulmates, she had hope for the future. Maybe he'd win the million and then they'd drive off into the sunset together. Okay, gross she did not just think that.

Courtney was seething. Another HORRIBLE Aftermath show. This one was even worse than the one before. Courtney couldn't stand to look at Gwen, that boyfriend stealing fake goth girl. She had already called her lawyers to let them know she wasn't wasting another second sitting on the sidelines. Maybe Gwen was out of the competition but Courtney needed to make sure she was out of Duncan's head as well, and she couldn't do that sitting in a hotel room watching Total Drama reruns. She was going to get back into the competition, get the million dollars and get her man and no annoying ugly goths, or narcissistic TV show hosts were going to stop her this time.

So Duncan and Courtney will finally be reunited next chapter, hopefully it will get more interesting again.