A/W: All rights belong to Kelly Armstrong

Hi, everyone! It's been a while sense I've posted anything on fanfic. This is my newest story and to tell you all the truth I'm not even sure how it will turn out. I won't be able to update regularly but if you guys just stick with me and give helpful reviews and stuff I promise to try my best to at least update once a month maybe more maybe less. If you see any spelling or grammar problems feel free to point then out to me. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think of the story!

CPROV

Sometimes, what might seem as one's destruction can be their own salvation. I thought my life was over the moment my aunt convinced my Dad to pack me up and send me across the country to boarding school. It just made worse of the fact that I've been moving around for as long I can remember.

One minute I'm worrying about what grade I might get on my Spanish mid-term, and if Holton Connors (the cute guy that sits two rows behind me in chem-lab) had really asked to borrow a pencil the other day. Now all I can think about is being miles away from my family (what small family it is now) and friends.

4 Months Earlier

I leaned back against the warmth of the fake, leather booth. Aunt Lauren sat in the seat across from me; talking aimlessly about her job, complaining about Dad, and just trying to get me to pay attention to her conversation all together. I would nod causally giving her vague answers, only half-listening as I gazed out the window and picked at my plate of food.

I wasn't particularly having a good day. It had all started in gym class this morning when we had a surprise fitness test and ended with me walking head first, right into this kids locker (who didn't even look mildly concerned or asked me if I was alright). On top of that, it hadn't helped that I'd had another nightmare last night and hadn't slept a wink. A flash of a thousand transparent hands reaching for me made me shutter.

I gave my head a shake to clear it. "Chloe? Are you even listening?" "-wah?" I said, turning my attention back to my aunt. She sighed. "I asked you how school was going?" I shrugged. "It's fine." "Fine? What do you mean by fine? Are you passing all of your classes? No ones giving you trouble are they?" She asked, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Schools fine Aunt Lauren." I heaved a sigh and she gave me a look. "It's great. My grades are good and no, no one bothering me. I've been here for what? Four? Five months now? Though it took some time I guess you could say that I'm starting to use to the routine. I've even made some friends."

She got this strange look on here face, like she had something to say. "What?" I asked. She shook her head and gave me a tight lipped smile. "Nothing dear. Finish your sandwich." Still curious, I let the subject drop for now knowing I wouldn't get an answer, and did as I was told.

We finished our lunch, then continued on with the plans Aunt Lauren had for her visit. Those plans consisted of dragging me shopping; which I didn't mind until she made me try on bra's, and insisted on seeing how I looked in them. Then we spent the afternoon in the park and feeding some of the geese while eating ice cream.

~0~

Much later, I gazed out of the car window on the way home, daydreaming about nothing in particular. "Did you have a good time today?" Aunt Lauren asked. I turned from the window and smiled. "Yeah, it was great," which was the truth. I hadn't seen Aunt Lauren in almost a month and I had really missed her. Aunt Lauren tries her best to be a motherly role model for me ever since mom died. I really appreciate what she does, but sometimes it's just not the same.

"You are staying the night this time right?" I asked. "Yes, though I do have a pretty early flight in the morning so we won't be having breakfast together. Sorry, Chloe." She didn't sound that sorry, but then again work (like my Dad) was one of the most important things in my aunt's life, so I was used to it.

Though I'm glad I've never had to compete for her attention over her work, unlike my Dad. "You'll wake me up before you leave right?" "Of course," she said. Glancing at me with a small smile before turning her attention back towards the road. We drove in silence the rest of the way.

It wasn't until we were home and unpacking the car that I noticed Dad's car was in the drive way. "Oh, hey look Dad's back." Aunt Lauren made a noise of discouragement and muttered something under her breath as we climbed the porch. Unlocking the door I set my bags down in the hallway and headed for the kitchen. "Chloe," Aunt Lauren called. "You really should take your things up to your room."

"I will later." I sighed, grabbing a bottle of water out if the fridge. "Chloe is that you?" Dad voice called down from the second floor. A half-second later I heard footsteps steadily maneuvering down the stairs. My Dad came into view from the hallway, standing in the door of the kitchen. "Hey, kiddo, your back early. I didn't think I'd get a chance to see you before I go." He said while straightening the cuff of his blazer. "Go?"

"Got a flight out tonight to Delaware. A meeting that we have with one of our neighboring companies; we have it every year." "Oh," I said managing not to let any emotion show in my voice. "Well good luck." I said as I watched him pour coffee into a portable thermos. "Thanks, Kiddo. Oh and tell Lauren I'm sorry that I can't stay for her, uh... little intervention."

"Her what?" A second after I had asked, Aunt Lauren walk in through the living room. "Chloe you really shouldn't leave your bags-" she paused when she saw dad; forgetting whatever she was about to say. "Steve, there you are. Did you just get in?" She asked, eyeing his suit. "You look like you haven't slept in days." He opened his mouth to respond when I cut him off. "Wait, wait, wait what did you mean about what you said about Aunt Lauren?"

He gaze went from me to Aunt Lauren. "You didn't tell her" "Tell me what?" I asked. Sending a glare towards my Dad, Aunt Lauren pursed her lips. "I was waiting until we got back, so that we could all sit down and discuss this together." "Discuss what?" "I called you, several times in fact and I even left a voice-mail." Dad said making Aunt Lauren frown as they both continued to ignore me.

"Steve I plainly told you the last time we talked that I was not going to have any distractions keeping me from spending the day with Chloe. My Phone has been off all day." "Well that wasn't the smartest idea, now was it Lauren? What if there was an emergency?" He said in a sharp tone. Aunt Lauren, who was usually calm and collect seemed to be fighting a battle within herself.

"How dare you." She finally said. "How could you think-." Dad cut her off pinching the ridge of his nose. "Lauren I'm really sorry, but I do not have time for this. If I don't leave now I'll miss my flight." "Flight? What Flight?" Dad already had his briefcase and coffee in hand by the time she had asked. "I have a flight out for a important meeting tonight; not that it's any of your concern now if you will excuse me." He said.

Aunt Lauren looked livid. She opened her mouth as if she was about to take his head off. "Does someone please want to tell me what's going on?" I asked. Both of their heads whipped around to me, as if they were both just remembering my presence. Dad walked over to me and tried (but failed awkwardly) to give me a one armed hug. I stood stiffly in his embrace as he said, "Don't worry kiddo we'll have a long talk once I get back. I'm sure there will be plenty of things you'll want to talk about." He let go of me and just like that he was gone already out the door. Wow, He was here for a whole 20 minutes and I got a hug; I was so counting that as a record.

~0~

Aunt Lauren was officially ticked off. About half an hour later, after Dad had, left she still sat at the kitchen table across from me staring down into her mug. Muttering under her breath every once and a while, I caught the words "Irresponsible," and "Unreliable." "Aunt Lauren," I said speaking up. "It's really no big deal. Dad does this sort of thing all the time, he'll be back in a few weeks, more or less."

"It's not that-," she sighed. "Your father is just so . . . irresponsible." "So I've heard," I muttered. "What?" She asked. "Nothing." She frown and went back to staring at her coffee. "Chloe, you like your school right?" "I thought you already asked me that." I said. She sighed, "Chloe." She said again in a stern tone. "Alright, yes. I like it, I mean it's not the art school that I wanted to go too." I shrugged, "It's a decent school though. Why?" Aunt Lauren pressed her lips together in a thin line. I waited; looking at her expectantly. She sighed, "Because it makes it so much harder for me to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" She didn't say anything at first, just gazed at me from the other end of the table. "Chloe I know we promised you that you could stay at this school until you graduate, but..." She shook her head sadly and the realization hit me. "No, no, no...y-y-you can't-." I said while shaking my head. My voice also shaking with anger. "Chloe clam down-," "No!" I said, shooting up out of my seat. "You c-can't do this. Y-you p-promised, you b-both promised."

"Chloe honey, take a deep breath you know how you're stutter gets when you're upset." I breathed deeply then exhaled. "Now sit back down and we'll talk about this. I slumped back into my seat. It was starting all over again. New town, new school, new friends, a whole new life. "Now, before you jump to conclusions I want you to know it's not what you think." I leaned forward in my seat. "It's not?" She shook her head, her lip curling into a slight smile. "No."

"But you just said-," She interrupted me with a wave of her hand. "I know," she said softly. "Your Father and I have talked it over and we both agree that your getting to old to be watched by housekeepers, but you aren't quite old enough to stay home alone on your own yet." I opened my mouth to protest but she continued. "So we've decided that you're going to start going to Cabal's Academy." I gave her a blank long look. "Cabal's Academy of the Supernatural Arts." She said as if that clarified everything.

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, at a loss for words. "Chloe," she said gently. "Your father and I really think that this is for the best. This school can give you a change to learn how to . . . retain your self, Ever since that incident at your old school you've been different. Closed off. Plus you'll get do continue on with all your regular studies." I stared down at my folded hands that I had in my lap. "The schools located in Buffalo, which isn't far from my work. So you'll finish up your last two months of school here and then you can spend the summer with me at my condo."

"Let me get this straight," I said. "You and Dad want to send me," I pointed a finger at myself. "A freakish genetically modification necromancer to some supernatural school so I can learn to 'control' my self." "Chloe we've talked about that, you are not freakish in any way." That's what she always said, but she just didn't understand. I couldn't control it and no amount of practice was going to fix that. I pushed my chair back and got up from the table. "Chloe where are you going?" I didn't answer I went to my room and locked myself inside.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night, there were just too many thoughts swimming around in my head. When Aunt Lauren knocked on my bedroom door the next morning and called through, "Chloe I'm leaving;" I didn't move from my spot buried beneath the covers and eventually she went away. When she called my phone I let it go to voice-mail. Even when I started to get a few calls from my Dad I ignored those too. I dug myself this little depressed hole and I stayed there until I was forced to leave the only normal that I knew at the moment behind.

Present Time

Now here I stood, gazing at the stacks of cardboard boxes that covered my now barren room. Of course, most of my things were staying, but a few boxes would be shipped over to my new dorm once I had started my sophomore year. "Chloe," my aunt called. "It's time to go." I sighed and heaved the last small box into my arms and headed downstairs. I paused on the landing outside my bedroom and glanced back. "Chloe." Aunt Lauren called again. "Coming," I yield back. I shifted the box I held in my arms and reached out to pull my bedroom door closed. Heading down the stairs to the car, I didn't look back. I wouldn't cry over my loss because the truth was that I felt like I had lost so much already.

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