Open Case File [COMPLETED]

Getting In Trouble

"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."

**********************************************************************

*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.