"Tell me what I did to push you off the cliff": Jason Reeves

"Duncan Ryan Groves!" His aunt called from downstairs, sounding impatient. He knew the one things she hated most was having to repeat herself, and this was the third time she had called him. There was faint giggles coming from the kitchen, no doubt from one of his two younger sisters knowing he was going to get in trouble. His Aunt Marie never used his full name otherwise.

Duncan played on his bed; his feet over the edge. He didn't want to move, he was perfectly content lying here and staring at the ceiling where posters of his favorite bands littered the white space. A Day to Remember, Say Anything, and Blue October had words that shouted album names in graphic letters. He had put a mirror up on the ceiling as well, and he stared up at himself. The way his body was positioned was aggravating the meticulously gelled spiked Mohawk; the tips of which was dyed a bright green. His multiple piercings on his face were out, but you could still tell where they were. Two on one side of his eyebrow, one on the other; a stud below the left side of his bottom lip. He closed his eyes and sighed, hearing his aunt stomping up the stairs.

"Duncan!" His aunt threw open his door, eyes smoldering with irritation, "You know I hate repeating myself! Would you come downstairs? You're mom and dad are here."

Duncan sat upright at this, "What? Why?" He asked mildly surprised. Now, don't get him wrong, he didn't not like his parents. Its just that their family was a little... quirky. Duncan and his siblings lived with his Aunt for one reason. She wanted them to. Marie Merrill couldn't have children of her own, so instead she basically had adopted her sister's children. Duncan's parents worked late nights and long hours at the police station. It all worked out really.

His aunt pursed her lips and shrugged, turning on her heel and retreating down the stairs she just came up. Duncan followed her down looking at his parents suspiciously. They were never here just to talk, it was only if something if Duncan had done something bad, illegal, or a combination of both. He really couldn't care less.

He heard the soft sound of his sisters foot falls and turned toward the little girl hurtling at him at full speed.

"Duuuncaaaaan!" His 4 year old sister, Celia, cried happily. She leaped into his arms and giggled.

"Hey sunshine," He smiled, ruffling her dark hair. She gave him a grin and turned towards her mother and father.

"Mama! Daddy!" She said and squirmed out of Duncan's grasp to hug his mom's leg. She smiled down at her and then turned to glare at her oldest child.

"Duncan Ryan. You said that after last time you wouldn't get into anymore fights!" She scolded, giving her sister a look, telling her to get the younger ones out of the room. Duncan shrugged, giving off an air of indifference.

"Your point? I say that all the time? What's so different about this time? Besides, the guy had it coming to him. No one just randomly decides that he's going to try and act tough in front of his girlfriend because I was flirting with her!" He shrugged, grinning at his mom. She wasn't amused and rolled her eyes in response.

"I'm serious Duncan. I told you last time that it was you're last warning. You were expelled this morning, did you know that? NO! You didn't because you didn't go to school this morning. You know you've been in trouble more days than you've actually been there! how the hell is that even possible Duncan?" She was seething now; and when Jane Groves was mad she was dangerous. When she was infuriated, as she was now, she was just down right frightening; after all Duncan must have gotten his temper from somewhere, right?

"Yeah, yeah I get it. This is the whole 'you're an embarrassment to the family. You're switching schools again, this is the last chance you get Duncan. No more warnings.' speeches isn't it. Don't bother. I really don't want to hear it right now."

"No son. What you're mother is trying to say is, you're done. We've given you so many opportunities, so many chances, to change your ways and you haven't. So we're turning to an alternative, as of Monday morning you're going to a boarding school. This is a very well known academy, it's in the States and we think it is the best option for you right now." His father said, a note of finality laced in his voice. Duncan just stood in stared, not really comprehending what they were saying.

"You aren't serious right? You're not sending me away, right? This is some sort of sick joke that you guys are laughing at." He gave a nervous chuckle a that. They were kidding right? There was no way they were even thinking about sending him to school all the way in the US, no where near his younger sisters. Who was going to protect Celia when she was older? Who was going to protect Sid, now?

Duncan's father looked at him gravely, "Afraid not Duncan. You leave tomorrow. Here's a pamphlet about the school, your mother has a suitcase of some of the clothes you'll need to stay in dress code. Oh! And Duncan, you may be thinking that you'll just get expelled like that will solve the problem; but it won't. If you get expelled from this school I'm afraid it's either Juvenile Hall or Military School. Your choice." With that said his mother and father turned around and walked out the door, his mother slamming the door tightly shut behind her.

Duncan stared, slack-jawed, at the now closed door and sat down on the couch. He still heard his father's voice ringing in his ears, and normally he wouldn't care. He would blow it off as an empty threat and continue on with his lifestyle; but this time, feeling the pamphlet in his hand, he knew it wasn't an empty threat. That fact didn't really sit well with him.

"Duncan?" A small voice asked, crawling up onto his lap and poking him in the nose. Celia was looking up at him with her watery mismatched brown-blue eyes.

"Yeah Cee?" He murmured, ruffling up her dark brunette wavy locks.

"Where are you going?"

"Mama and Daddy are making go to a special school. I have to leave tomorrow Sunshine. I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll come back and visit you okay? You're going to call me every week right? You'll have Aunt Marie teach you to use her cell phone?" He asked her. She looked sad, but at the mention of learning about the shiny electronic she smiled brightly and nodded enthusiastically. She wrapped her pudgy child arms around as much of Duncan's stomach as she could and gave him a tight hug before scampering off to their Aunt.

He was going to miss that kid while he was at school.

Life is to important to be taken seriously- Oliver Wilde

After a long, awkward conversation with his Aunt at dinner, he decided that he might as well read that damned pamphlet and start packing.

Duncan trudged up the stairs and lazily landed flat on his back on his bed. He pulled out the pamphlet and opened the first flap; a folded note fluttered out of the brochure. He looked at the strange paper, one eyebrow raised. He turned the paper over in his hands and was surprised to see that his name was on the back.

Probably just a note from mom and dad. He thought, opening up the tri-folded piece of paper.

Dear Mr. Duncan Groves,

We'd like to inform you that you've been accepted to Leanne Academy for the Gifted and Talented. This academy is a special academy, full of students with secret talents just like you Mr. Groves. Do you ever recall a memory of you doing something unexplainable? Or something unexplainable happening to you? If you do, and we know you do, it is because you have one special talent Mr. Groves. Has anything else happened to you since that incident when you were twelve? When you threw that baseball at gym teacher without even being near it? Yes, this may all sound like you have being stalked by us, but that is not the case here Mr. Groves. Here at Leanne's it is our responsibility to make sure that these special students are educated correctly, and the best way to do that is to insure that they are indeed one of our special students.

Believe it or not this is real. We believe this school is the best way for you to further expand your talents.

We're very glad to have you a part of our student body, Mr. Groves. We cannot wait to see you at Leanne's.

Headmaster Alaine Adams.

"I'm not running, and its a little different now"- Sick Puppies

::~::~::[TBC]::~::~::

[This is my first TDI fanfiction. Obviously, it's AU and characters might be out of character. Actually I lied. They probably will be out of character. I normally type these things out on my phone, and half the time while I'm half asleep so any crazy ideas will *hopefully* be accepted? Next chapter is my OC's. I think the one after that may be Courtney?. I have six main characters as of right now: Duncan, Courtney, Geoff, Bridgette, and two of my OC's: Gavin and Finnlee, the owthers will be basically background characters.)