This story is based on the song Untouched by the Veronicas

Duncan looked at the clock in his dark room, anxiously for the twentieth time in that hour.

He had to do it, he told himself unwillingly. Even though Duncan didn't want to do it, he was forced to.

Courtney was one of the best aspects of his life, she was sexy, adorable when she was competitive, and much more.

Yet, Duncan admitted that this was for the better. Her parents kept giving her a hard time about him, she was focusing less on what mattered, or what used to matter to her, and she was becoming too much like him. Her behavior became less unwilling towards his attitude, and her appearance had changed as well. She dyed the ends of her hair neon green, just like his. Also, she got triple piercings in her ears. At first, Duncan was honored, but now it seems that she had become attracted to him in a way, he didn't know what to do.

But that wasn't the real reason Duncan needed to break up with Courtney. No, that was just a pathetic excuse that even he found a little cute.

The thing that really troubled him was, that he thinks that she doesn't feel the same way he feels about her. Time over time he had said to her, 'I love you', but she hadn't given any response, let alone say 'I love you' back.

They had fun over the years, and Duncan would truly miss her. This wasn't because Duncan didn't love her anymore; no in fact it was completely the opposite. Duncan loved her too much, he didn't want to see her get hurt, that was all. And if Courtney in fact truly didn't love him, then why stretch the pain for her?

Duncan paced around the room, clearly upset. He didn't want to break up with Courtney, but deep inside he knew he had to, for the better.

He sighed and glanced around his barren room. Everything was in boxes, just waiting to be moved. Duncan and his family were moving. His parents had been forced to move locations to a less safe neighborhood, in a different city. He was moving, away form life, away from Courtney. He was starting a new life without her when he got there.

Duncan sighed, and decided to get it over with. With trembling hands, he picked up his cell phone and pressed the number one, she was on speed-dial.

"Hello?" Courtney's perky voice immediately soothed all his worries.

"Hey babe, it's me."

"Oh, hey! What's up?" Duncan sighed and decided to do it face to face, instead of on the phone like he'd been planning, he wanted to see her face, see her happy, just one more time before he left the next day.

"Will you meet me at the park? I want to talk to you."

"Sure. But Duncan, are you alright? You sound upset." Duncan sighed; she could read his emotions anywhere, even if they were miles apart.

"No, I'm fine. I'll see you there okay?"

"Okay, but you know you can tell me anything okay, and I won't think different of you." Duncan almost blurted out to the phone, "what do you really think of me? Do you love me? Tell me so I don't have to leave you!" but Duncan forced his mouth shut, though he let his mind scream the last part a few times.

"Yeah, that's great Courtney, bye."

"Bye, feel better okay?"

"Yeah, and Courtney one more thing?" Duncan decided to give it one more shot.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Duncan could have sworn he heard Courtney groan on the other line before clearing her throat and saying, "yeah, uh, I'll just see you there, bye."

She hung up before Duncan could say anything else.

Duncan lay on his bed and groaned, what if he was making a terrible mistake? What if she really did care? What if Courtney just didn't know how to say that she really cares about him too? Courtney was never good at expressing her true feelings, just look back on Total Drama Island.

Duncan forced himself to calm down and look at the evidence. If she really did care wouldn't she at least have said I love you back?

Duncan knew that if he was really going to make both of their lives easier, no matter how much as he loved Courtney, he had to break up with her now.

Duncan halfheartedly threw on his jacket and made his way to his car. On the drive, Duncan rehearsed in his head how he was going to break the news to her. Of course he wouldn't tell her why he really needed to break up with her that would just break her heart. He would tell her that she shouldn't go out with him, because he was too dangerous to be near her, and he didn't want her to get into trouble when he's around. Then, Duncan decided, he would tell her that he's moving. That way, she couldn't contact him and it would be easier for her and for him…or so he thought.

By the time Duncan reached the park, Courtney was on a bench, anxiously waiting for him.

Duncan got out of the car, and hastily greeted Courtney with a quick peck on the cheek. Courtney looked at him strangely; Duncan had always given her more than just a peck on the cheek.

Duncan motioned towards a picnic table not too far from them, and Courtney nodded and eagerly grasped his hand. Duncan stifled a groan; Courtney was making this harder for him. Duncan pulled his hand away from Courtney's and sat down opposite her on the table.

Courtney, clearly surprised, sank down onto the seat of the opposite side, a look of suspicion on her face. Duncan sighed and looked Courtney directly in the eyes.

He thought, Courtney, if you can read my eyes you'll know that I really didn't want to do this. I love you, but I don't want to see you get hurt. I just want things to be easier for you.

Duncan wished for the best and was about to speak when Courtney said, "Duncan…are you breaking up with me?"

Duncan was in awe, how could that chick read him so well?

"Yeah, I am." Duncan could notice that Courtney was trying hard not to cry, it ached his heart to watch.

"Why? Did I do something wrong?" Duncan really wanted to say, "no, of course not. The problem is that I love you, and I'm afraid that you don't love me back." Duncan couldn't take anymore of his feelings trying to burst out, so he locked them deep down in his heart. It worked so well, for a moment he almost forgot that he loved Courtney.

"No, I'm…uh…moving, yeah I'm moving far away." Duncan smacked himself, he wasn't supposed to mention that until later!

"Oh, you're moving…but we could still stay in contact, I could send you emails and stuff, and call you."

"No, you just don't get it do you Courtney? I don't want to be with you anymore. It's too hard, one of the reasons I'm moving is because I don't want to be near you." Duncan knew that everything he said then and there was an outright lie. He instantly felt regret when her eyes really filled with tears and one of them fell on her cheek. How he had wanted to wipe those tears away and console her like he had done many times before. Duncan then saw that she bought it and understood the lie.

"okay, so I wont be seeing you around then, ok." Courtney turned away with unshed tears in her eyes. Duncan didn't have the heart to tell her that he would miss her.

Duncan groaned at his loss and thought about what he had just done while laying his head on the splintery table. Duncan felt like crying but with much strength he told himself that he wouldn't cry, especially not over some chick. By the time Duncan got up again the sun was setting, he didn't realize how much time had passed. He got up and slowly trudged to his car.

Duncan couldn't focus on where he was driving, but halfway through he realized that he had run out of gas. He stepped out of the car, he was angry.

Duncan had lost the girl of his dreams, and now this? He angrily kicked the wheel several times, ignoring the looks of passers-by and annoyed drivers. Then he got back into the car and threw a fit.

All that ran through his mind was Courtney, how could he have let her go just like that? After all they had been through? Duncan felt tears stinging in his eyes, but angrily ignored them, hoping they would go away.

He turned on the radio, trying to distract himself. He heard some chick song but froze at the ongoing lyrics that were engraved in his mind.

I feel so untouched
and I want you so much
That I just can't resist you
It's not enough to say that I miss you.
I feel so untouched right now
Need you so much somehow
I can't forget you
Been going crazy from the moment I met you.

Duncan wondered how one song could describe his feelings at the moment so precisely.

Before he knew it he was crying, in fact really crying, banging his arms against the steering wheel.

What have I done?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Courtney stumbled into her house and slammed the door shut to her room. She was crying hard, in fact she had almost gotten into an accident while driving.

How could he! I was the best thing that had ever happened in his life, and he in mine!

Courtney stumbled towards her mirror, having no idea what to do. She closely examined herself and barely saw herself anymore. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, just because of that Neanderthal! And since when did she want to get triple piercings? And the green dye in her hair looked ridiculous.

She stumbled around trying to find the item she most sought after at the moment. When she found it, she curled her fingers around it and headed back towards the mirror. Only focusing on the neon green, she snapped the scissors, cutting any trace of green out making sure both sides were even. Glancing at her reflection, she noticed that her evening out didn't turn out so well, it was still uneven, she cut off more and more until she realized her hair was barely touching her shoulders. She glanced at the floor, long chunks of dark caramel hair lay on the floor. She didn't let her mind focus on it until she pulled out all the bright diamond and black diamond studs letting them fall on the floor along with her hair. One more glance at the mirror and she realized she was pretty much back to normal again.

She couldn't help but glance at the picture of Duncan with his arm around her on the mirror. She ignored it and turned on the radio letting it soothe her.

The next song that was on made her pay attention to the lyrics closely. It described her situation with every detail. She quickly downloaded it onto her ipod, memorizing every lyric and working it to her vocal strength.

As she climbed into bed, ipod earphones in her ears, she glanced at the picture of Duncan she had on her nightstand. She looked closer and saw that he had signed it, something she hadn't noticed when she had first received it.

Hey babe, I love you so much. Never forget it Princess.

It made her want to cry, how could she have never told him that she loved him back?

Courtney softly crooned the last lyrics that she remembered the most from the song;

I feel so untouched
and I want you so much
That I just can't resist you
It's not enough to say that I miss you.
I feel so untouched right now
Need you so much somehow
I can't forget you
Been going crazy from the moment I met you.

"I love you Duncan," Courtney softly whispered into the night while crying herself to sleep.