--

Older Courtney threw her pocketbook down on a chair, groaning. Her job was entirely stressful, and sapped most of her energy. She dug around in her pocketbook for her cell phone. Finding it, she flipped it open, then dialed her friend's number.

"Hey, Bridge," said Courtney.

"Courtney!" Bridgette exclaimed. "Hey! Oh my gosh! You know that blonde cute guy from work?"

"Geoff?" asked Courtney in disbelief, knowing what Bridgette would say next. "What about him?"

"We hooked up," explained Bridgette excitedly. "You know, he has a really nice house."

"I'm sure he does," sighed Courtney, feeling slightly alone suddenly.

"Aw...Courtney," said Bridgette sympathetically, sensing her emotions. "What about Phil?"

"Phil? That moron?" asked Courtney. "No way. I broke up with him."

"Aww..." Bridgette felt for Courtney. Off and on, off and on, couldn't hold a boyfriend for a whole month. She always went for "bad boys", probably  for relief from her job, that turned out to be idiots after the third day of being with her. Odd, because a beautiful senator like her could not hold on to a good boyfriend. "Oh," continued Bridgette, "by the way, Geoff wants us to go to his friends' wedding."

"His friends? Who are they?" asked Courtney.

"Well, his friend's name is Trent, and the lucky lady is called Gwen," Bridgette said. "The shower's coming up this weekend, and she wants to go dress shopping throughout the week."

"Cool!" Courtney exclaimed. "I'll take the rest of the week off, and accompany you guys all over!"

"Sweet! Thanks Court!" Bridgette beamed. She placed the phone back on its cradle, smiling gently. Hopefully, Courtney would find a new guy soon, and that he would be the perfect one for her, and she'd end up completely happy.

--

"Yeah, I need this in a bigger size," Gwen groaned. She held up the most beautiful wedding dress Courtney had ever seen.

"I'll try it on for you," Courtney offered eagerly. She just wanted to see how the dress fell on her, in case she got married soon. Although she didn't even have a boyfriend, she knew she needed to get married soon. Before she possibly lost her looks...

"Alright," agreed Gwen, handing over the dress. "Just to see how it hangs."

--

"Wow," Bridgette sighed. "That looks gorgeous on you."

"It really does," Gwen added. "I can't get a dress that looks that good on someone else for myself. Save it for your wedding."

"Oh, please," Courtney laughed. "I'm single...and proud of it!"

"Oooh!" exclaimed Bridgette after grabbing the the pricetag hanging from Courtney's arm and investigating the price. "It's cheap, too!"

"Maybe I should get it," said Courtney thoughtfully, turning to see how the dress looked from other views. "It does look nice...and I only am going to grow sideways, if I grow at all."

"Yeah! You should totally get it!" advised Gwen.

"You know...I think I will," Courtney decided.

"Then we need to find you another dress," Bridgette told Gwen, who smiled.

--

When Courtney got home, she had an unexpected surprise waiting for her in her mansion.

"Hey, Courtney," said Duncan, a close friend from Courtney's high school as he threw his arms around the back of the couch he sat on.

"How'd you get in?" snapped Courtney. "Isn't that slightly illegal?"

"Oh, please. That pole was definitely shoved further up your butt when you became a senator," smirked Duncan, avoiding the question.

"What pole? I'm a relaxed person," Courtney growled.

"Yeah, that's what you said before tearing up my homework that I copied off yours," Duncan retorted. "Just before I was going to turn it in."

"Well, it was against the rules to copy and cheat!" Courtney shouted, stomping one foot.

"Whatever," groaned Duncan, sticking out his tongue in a very childish fashion. "So how goes things in Tight Butt City?"

"Shut up," growled Courtney, tossing her bag into a chair. "We were just out dress shopping for Bridge's boyfriend's friend's fiance."

"And how's your boyfriend?" asked Duncan with a small smile.

"Gone! Out the window!" exclaimed Courtney, collapsing into a chair. "I dumped him."

"Toldja he was a douchebag," sighed Duncan.

"Why do you keep turning me against my boyfriends?" asked Courtney angrily. "What if you're the i-di-ot?!" She puncuated each syllable of "idiot" with a whack from her pocketbook to Duncan's shoulders. "Why are you still here? Get out of my house!" added Courtney as she stomped upstairs to put her new dress away.

"Fine!" shouted Duncan, but his face spread into a grin.

--

The next day, Courtney did not feel like going anywhere. She called Bridgette and told her she felt sick. Since she already had the day off from work, she trudged downstairs to eat breakfast. Laying around for most of the day, she just sat and read or watched TV.

After lunch, Courtney went back to her room and took out the wedding dress she bought the previous day. She put it on, then ran downstairs to see how it looked in her full-body mirror once more. Suddenly, she heard two knocks from the door in the room next to her.

She then heard Duncan's voice shouting to her, "Hey! Court!"

"Oh, God," muttered Courtney. "I'm in here, Duncan!" She saw Duncan walk in halfway through the doorway, then he stopped abruptly.

"I thought," he started, then stopped for a second, and Courtney saw annoyance, irritation, and something resembling sadness flit across his face. "I thought you dumped the douchebag you were going out with."

"Who, Phil?" asked Courtney, flushing a deep shade of scarlet after realizing what Duncan was thinking. "Yes, I dumped him. He's an idiot!" She saw Duncan raise an eyebrow at the dress she wore. "What? It was cheap, and I'm going to be married soon!"

"What? You're engaged?" shouted Duncan.

"No! No...I'm single," sighed Courtney.

"Well, Bridgette told me you were sick and I stopped by to make sure you were okay," said Duncan.

"What?" asked Courtney. "You came...to check...on me?"

"Yeah, and by the way..." Duncan smiled, stepping in close to Courtney. "You look beautiful," he breathed in her ear. Courtney's heart pounded in her temples. As Duncan closed the door behind him, she fell to the floor, the dress spilling out on the floor around her.

"Why...?" she wondered aloud. "Why is my high school friend making my heart pound?" She put her face in her hands. 'He's just my best friend! I met him in high school,' she thought, 'and we're just really close friends....Right?'

--

That night, Bridgette called Courtney. "Hey, Court, how are you feeling?"

"Confused," groaned Courtney. She told Bridgette about Duncan's visit.

"Oh my God, Courtney!" shouted Bridgette. "He so wants you!"

"Maybe...but he's my high school friend, Bridge!" exclaimed Courtney. "I've known him forever, but if he wants me now..."

"Who knows you better?" asked Bridgette. "Who will help you the most when you get down? Who will bring you to the ultimate place that will make you the happiest when you're deppressed?"

"My best friend," replied Courtney, realizing the truth with a pounding heart.

"More like your boyfriend," Bridgette scoffed. "I hear your tone of voice."

"Oh my God, Bridgette," gasped Courtney. "I love him."

"Mmhmm," sighed Bridgette, smiling.

"Since I met him," continued Courtney. "I thought he was a moron, and idiot who couldn't even keep himself out of juvie."

"But," interjected Bridgette, "he changed, didn't he? He went to school and got a job."

"Not a real serious one, though," Courtney pouted.

"Yeah, but ever since he met you," smiled Bridgette.

"What does that have to do with anything?" snapped Courtney, getting slightly irritated.

"You changed him," said Bridgette.

"Really? You think so?" asked Courtney critically.

"Yeah! He loves you, Courtney," said Bridgette. "You guys are perfect together! Maybe you're soul mates!"

"I don't know," replied Courtney. "I don't really believe in soul mates."

"Puh-lease. You guys should stay together forever."

"Quit worrying about my love life. Start thinking more about Geoff."

"Oooh....You're right! Gotta go!"

Courtney smiled and hung up the phone.

--1 year later--

"Courtney! Courtney! He proposed!" shouted Bridgette.

"A 'welcome home' would be nice," grumbled Courtney.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," sighed Bridgette, hugging Courtney. "Welcome home."

"Anyway, what?" asked Courtney. "Geoff?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" screamed Bridgette enthusiastically.

"When?" exclaimed Courtney.

"Two weeks ago, when you were away!" replied Bridgette, excited.

"We should go on a double date sometime," suggested Courtney.

"I don't think it counts as a date as much when one of the two couples is a married one," laughed Bridgette. "But you could go off with Gwen and Trent sometime."

"Oh...I don't know," said Courtney, making a face. "They have that little boy running around now, and you know how much I like kids."

"But-" started Bridgette.

"And I couldn't ask them to pay for a sitter just so they could spend time and probably more money with Duncan and myself," interrupted Courtney.

"Geoff and I will look after him,"offered Bridgette, laying a hand on Courtney's shoulder. "We won't make them spend a thing on us. Anyway, Geoff and I like spending time together. Also you and Gwen are good friends! Don't you like hanging out with her?"

"Well, thanks for the offer," said Courtney, "but I think Duncan and I are just gonna stay home tonight. I mean, we just got back from our honeymoon."

"Oh! Okay," sighed Bridgette. "Are you guys gonna...well...dot dot dot?"

Courtney smiled mischeviously. "We'll see how the evening turns out. Trust me, I am not looking forward too much to having a kid."

"You'll love it when it happens," replied Bridgette cheerily. "Oh. I would like to go dress shopping with you and my friend Lindsay. You in?"