Not going to lie, this is not my best. I was on a dive into Donovan's early life kick so I wrote this but I don't know if you like it.

So with that resounding vote of confidence, read at your own risk. 😄

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The metallic bang of Donovan's locker door opening got lost in the noise of the busy hallway. Donovan put his social studies textbook inside his locker then stared at it. Social studies. He'd taken the class ages ago, but now he repeated history. It didn't get better the second time.

For a brief moment, Donovan wanted to take the textbook and rip it in half, just to feel the way the binding split in his hands. He didn't. Instead, he did everything he should, shut the locker door, and zipped up his backpack.

Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed Donovan, spun him around and shoved him against his locker. Stars popped in his vision as he hit his head against the hard metal. When he blinked the dizziness away, he found himself staring at Kyle Denton. A boy, though only fourteen, already matching Donovan for height and muscle. Kyle glared at Donovan with murder in his eyes.

"Stay the hell away from Lauren," he growled.

Donovan knocked Kyle's hand away from his shoulder.

"You're delusional if you think I even have a clue what you're talking about," Donovan said, passively.

Kyle shoved Donovan again and anger flared inside Donovan. The emotion raced through him, sparking every nerve, tensing every muscle. It felt good, it felt energizing.

"There's a rumor going around that you two were making out behind the gym," Kyle said.

Donovan knew he shouldn't do anything, should let this boy have his say and eventually leave. But Donovan needed this. Needed a fight. Needed action. He craved it.

So when Kyle went to shove Donovan again, Donovan slammed his palms into the boy's chest, sending him staggering back. Kyle stumbled, shocked at the strength and force of the hit. Donovan could feel the edge of his lips wanting to curl. He vibrated with energy. After a year of mind-numbing monotony, it felt good to have a change.

Fury sparked in Kyle's eyes as Donovan's reaction created a wall of onlookers. Students silently asked Kyle if he was going to take that kind of treatment. Kyle stormed forward, fists curled. He swung at Donovan with all the grace of a lumbering bear. Donovan wanted to laugh at the boy's lack of training. With barely a thought, Donovan blocked the punch and smacked Kyle on the side of the head, like he was reprimanding an unruly kid. The strike disoriented Kyle and he tottered to one side, clutching his ringing ear.

The crowd clapped and shouted their appreciation. Enough of them had been on the receiving end of Kyle's anger. Donovan stood, hands waiting at his sides, knees bent slightly, waiting for another chance to put this punk in his place. It felt amazing to move, to act, to fight. He willed Kyle to come at him again.

But Kyle didn't get the chance.

Before Kyle could charge Donovan again, a teacher cut through the onlookers and grabbed Kyle's arm and pointed at Donovan.

"Both of you are coming with me," he said.

At the stern command and twisted features of the teacher, Donovan crashed back into himself, struck by the stupidity of his actions. Had he really gotten into a fight with a fourteen-year-old? Grabbing his backpack, he trailed after the teacher, spotting Link in the crowd, eyes wide. Shame crept over Donovan. He wasn't a middle-schooler looking to prove he could take on the school bully. He was a Marine given a job. A job he'd ignored for his own selfish reasons.

The teacher deposited both boys in the principal's office. Principal Warren was a woman in her late fifties with a soft voice and an unyielding will. As both Donovan and Kyle took seats before the desk, Principal Warren thanked the teacher and looked to the two students.

"Which one of you wants to tell me what happened?" she asked.

Kyle crossed his arms and slouched in his chair, clearly not planning to speak. Donovan knew that in most instances neither boy would talk and the principal would be forced to give them equal punishments. But Donovan didn't plan on following that unspoken rule.

"After hearing a rumor that I kissed his ex-girlfriend behind the gym Kyle shoved me into my locker telling me to stay away from her. If he'd asked around at all he would have found out I don't date and barely talk to girls. But since he acted without thought it shows a sense of insecurity. As for the aggression he displayed instead of asking me about it, I have a feeling he also struggles with anger issues."

As Principal Warren stared at Donovan in shock, Kyle turned on Donovan, growling with anger, fist curling.

"Go ahead," Donovan said to Kyle. "Do something violent. It will only prove my point."

Kyle froze, caught between wanting to make Donovan bleed and proving his words correct.

"Donovan, why don't you wait outside while I talk with Kyle here," Principal Warren said.

Donovan left, slumping into a chair in the main office. The bell rang, emptying the hallways of students. Leaning over his knees, Donovan dropped his head into his hands. He struggled with the monster inside him, giddy at having acted out. He hated how good it felt to break from the constraint around him. Years of growing up on a Marine base surrounded by a million opportunities to get into trouble and be wild hadn't prepared him for this dull job.

Even during his homeschooling when Donovan would get antsy, his mother would send him outside to run two miles before coming back. She understood he'd been born a very physical boy who needed to move or he'd get in trouble. Donovan shook his head, he hadn't changed at all.

The office door opened and Donovan glanced up. Link stepped inside, hands buried in his pockets. At least the dullness of this life had meant even if Donovan left Link for a minute nothing was likely to happen. Link slid into the chair beside Donovan, looking at everything but him.

"What happened?" he asked.

Donovan stared at his laced fingers, the lines of his palms.

"Kyle thought I made out with Lauren."

Link snorted, then tried to cover up the sound.

"Sorry, it's just...you never talk to girls, why would he think you'd do anything with one."

Donovan almost smiled. "Because he's insecure."

Link laughed and scuffed his shoe against the floor.

"How'd you get out of class?" Donovan asked.

"Faked a stomachache."

Donovan nodded. As the office door opened again, both boys looked over. Donovan's stomach dropped as Brock strode in, grinning.

"What are you doing here?" Donovan asked, standing.

"You seriously got in a fight?" Brock asked, not at all masking his amusement.

"What are you doing here?"

The grin widened and Donovan felt the urge to start another fight right there in the office.

"As your guardian, I was called and told to come by since this is a serious matter."

But from the way Brock appeared on the verge of laughter, it wasn't a serious matter to him.

"Did someone steal your lunch money?" he asked.

"I'm going to kill you," Donovan growled.

"Hey now, you already got into one fight, don't go picking another. I'm not some preteen you can beat up. I'll wipe you out without blinking."

"You sure about that?"

Donovan said it but held no delusions about what the outcome of a fight between Brock and him would be. Brock had fifty pounds on Donovan, all of which was pure muscle and Donovan ran five miles each morning to keep himself looking thin and younger.

Principal Warren appeared in her doorway, letting Kyle out and motioning for Donovan and Brock. At the sight of the Principal, Brock's entire demeanor changed, becoming serious like the responsible guardian, he supposedly was. When all three of them were seated, Principal Warren laid out the issue to Brock.

"As this is the first time we've had a problem with Donovan and since he was provoked by Kyle I'm only going to suspend him for the rest of the day. I wanted you here so Donovan would understand the seriousness of the situation. We don't tolerate violence in this school."

"I'm firmly against violence as well," Brock said.

Donovan fought against kicking his brother hard and bursting out laughing. Brock had once thrown Donovan off a roof. Half of the scars Donovan had were because he got into scraps with his brother. But still, Principal Warren believed Brock's sincerity.  

"I'm glad to hear it. I appreciate you stopping by."

A few more words were exchanged then Brock led Donovan out of the office with one hand on his shoulder, ever the stern guardian. Once the door closed behind them, Donovan shoved Brock's hand away which only made him smile. Signing Link out, the trio headed out of the school. As they walked down the front steps, a girl with honey blonde hair rushed up to Donovan, worried. Without having to ask for her name, he knew her.

"Look, Donovan," Lauren said. "I-"

Donovan cut her off with a steely glare. "Next time you make up rumors to boost your social standing and piss off your ex-boyfriend leave me out of it."

Lauren opened her mouth to reply, but Donovan kept walking. Only a minute into the drive home Donovan want to fling the door open and dive out because of Brock cracking jokes at Donovan's expense and Link's overblown account of the fight. From what Link told it had involved blood and broken bones.

Telling Link to go home, Donovan escaped to his apartment the second Brock turned off the car. Donovan's peace lasted half a minute before Brock walked into his living room.

"Go away," Donovan said. "I don't want to hear any more jokes. Go call Clint or James, annoy them. I don't care."

"I'll go," Brock said. "But first I wanted to see your face when you got the call."

Dread washed over Donovan.

"What call?"

As if in answer, Donovan's phone rang. He thought of ignoring it but knew he couldn't outrun whatever waited for him. Scowling at Brock, he dug out his phone. It was his mother.

"You told her!" he shouted.

"Yup, on the way to the school."

Donovan grabbed the rubber ball from his coffee table and hurled it at his brother. Laughing, Brock dodged the ball and slipped out the door.

"Good luck!" he called back.

Donovan sank to the couch, staring at his screen. He had to answer. He knew he had to. Closing his eyes, he put the phone to his ear. He said nothing.

"Ah, so it must have been really bad," his mother said.

Donovan clenched his fist, Brock needed to die. A slow painful death.

"Talk to me," his mother said.

Her soft voice reminded him of countless moments when he'd misbehaved and she sat beside him, draped one arm around his shoulders, asking him what was going on. It cracked the shell around him that everyone else saw. A shell that protected his inner thoughts and fears.

"I can't," he said.

His mother hummed in thought. He didn't know how she did it. Even when he barely spoke she understood things that no one else would. It might have come from being a therapist to some of the toughest and closed off Marines or because she knew him. Most likely a mix of both.

"It felt good to get in a fight, didn't it?" she asked.

Donovan curled and flexed his fingers, saying nothing.

"My troublemaker," she said with a gentle laugh.

The sound teased the truth from him because she didn't blame him or judge him.

"I want..." He swallowed hard, the words concrete in his throat. "I want to quit."

The statement felt like a sledgehammer to everything he'd grown up believing. Marines don't quit. Yet he wanted to.

"I know you do," his mother said.

"You do?"

Donovan didn't know why he was shocked.

"Of course. I've heard it in your voice for the last three months every time we talk. I knew this job would be a challenge. You don't have Clint's patience, James' friendliness, or Brock's determination. But," his mother said before Donovan could feel less than. "You have a loyalty that is stronger than you know. You feel like quitting, but I know you won't because you've grown loyal to Link. That's what you need to focus on."

The truth bolstered Donovan, but still that monster that needed to do more than die of boredom growled inside him.

"I don't know how I can keep doing this without wanting to get in trouble just so I'm not bored. Books aren't cutting it anymore."

He'd lost count of how many books he had read that year. Though they brought a distraction to the dullness of classes, they also reminded him he sat stuck in a classroom when more waited outside.

"Well, I think I have a solution for that."

"What?"

"I think it's time you graduate middle-school and go to college."

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*throws responsibility at you*
Ha! Scared now aren't you! 😏

Well if you feel like it you can go ahead and share your thoughts right here! 💬🗯💭📖📙

I feel like I let you down somehow with this one. I don't know, I just might be in a 🙃🤪🤨😝😩😫😖😳😤 mood so we will never know what's to blame.

I wrote it because in Meeting The Family, Donovan's mom talks about a moment where Donovan wanted to quit after one year and I wanted to see that moment so I wrote it. I really do hope you liked it, despite it not being up to my normal standards.

Also as for my replies this week I don't know what will happen. I just completed a pirate book (A Pirate's Tale) and posted the first 5 parts of a superhero story (Nothing Super) and so my main focus will be on answering all those hundreds of comments. BUT! I always read comments so if you feel like leaving some know that's I'll see it! ❤️

Vote, comment, follow but only if you have nothing better to do.