A/N: I'm uploading this story with the same amount of conviction that kids play tag. Think of me as throwing this first chapter at you, yelling, "You touched it last!" and running away. If I'm lucky, you guys won't be too disappointed at the lack of slash (no, this isn't a Dean/Sam fic) and will hopefully enjoy it anyway :) I'd love to get some reviews back on this, just so I know if you guys want another chapter! This started out as a fic I wrote for fun, sort of a nonsense stress-reliever in between chapters of Tethered, etc.

~o~

Chapter One: Enter the Punk

The new boy at school wouldn't have caught my attention if he weren't a dangerous combination of two things: attractive and unique. No one around Cidersburg, Ohio wore leather jackets, much less in late March. Dean Winchester did, though. Every girl in Mrs. Walkins' General Physics class noticed, and it was several minutes after his introduction that the torrent of whispers and giggles subsided and the class was reeled back into focus. The boys in the class despised Dean Winchester immediately, but he didn't seem inclined to mind. He took his appointed seat by the window at the far side of the room and nothing else was said about him – not out loud, anyway. He had no books with him, no papers of any sort. He didn't even bother listening to the lecture. After exchanging very suggestive glances with several of the prettier girls in class, he fell asleep over his desk.

Just what the school needed; another dead-end jerk with more looks than brains. My seat was at the other end of the room, so I had no trouble in turning my attention from the new guy. I resigned myself to ignoring him.

Underneath my determined focus away from the new student, I admitted that maybe I was curious about him. There was a way about his presence in the room, how he didn't appear the slightest bit self-conscious or awkward, which set him noticeably apart from the others in the class. Maybe he wasn't a jerk at all, but someone who was maybe just a cut above the rest; someone had told me once that exceptional people often appeared arrogant, and so far, Dean Winchester definitely fit that latter qualification. I toyed with the idea of trying to talk to him after class, but by the time I'd half-formulated the conversation in my head, I felt so stupid that I threw the idea aside completely.

It would be better to ignore him. Better, yes, but of course the world would have other opinions.

~o~

"Emma! Wait, Em – Excuse me, jerk, I'm walkin' here!"

In the hallway headed to sixth period, I was caught up by my best friend at Hodgenson Memorial High School. Regina Northers was a loud girl in both speech and personality, but somehow she remained on the near side of off-putting. Rather than abrasive, Regina managed a level of 'friendly' that I still couldn't understand (well, she was friendly to everyone but freshmen).

After shoving aside the freshman boy who was in her way, Regina came up beside me. We shared the same sixth period, and it was custom that we walk together. There was a wide, excited sort of smile on her face that she seemed barely able to contain. Regina was a pretty girl, all the boys thought so. She was wearing lip gloss today, and her waist-level blonde hair was in loose waves down her back.

"I've just seen God," Regina said with a starry look in her eyes.

I snorted. It was supposed to come out as a laugh, but it got choked somewhere along the way. "And He's been here in Ohio all this time? Well hot damn, better alert Fox News."

Regina waved her hand, too impatiently eager to deal with my petty humor. "No, Emma, I mean whoa. He's so cute that I'm surprised they even let him enroll at this school. Wait until you see him."

"See who, Reg?"

"The new guy. He's in Jovi Bennett's third hour. She pointed him out to me just now and oh my God, Em, you'll die when you see him."

Our progress down the hall faltered until we stopped completely.

I snorted again. "I've already seen him, I think. His name is Dean or something, right? Yeah, he's in my Physics class."

Regina did a spazzed out little jump-and-squeal, like she was a ten year-old in the Barbie aisle at the toy store. "So you know, then! Isn't he gorgeous?"

Her smile was almost too ecstatic to deny, but I shrugged. "Eh, yeah, he's cute but I dunno, Reg. He seems weird to me. And by weird, I mean he looks like a jerk." He was weird in other ways, though. I wouldn't tell Regina this, but there was something about Dean Winchester that made me uncomfortable. For a high school bad boy, he was a little too over the top. His attitude seemed more well-earned than any of the other guys who thought they were tough shit. I couldn't explain it – not even to myself – but Dean Winchester seemed dangerous.

"People thought you were weird, too, when you came here, missy." Regina giggled and poked me in the shoulder.

It was true. Just over a year ago, I'd been the new kid in school. My mom and I, well, we move around a lot. We have to for her job. At least, that's what I've told everyone at Hodgenson Memorial. The bare-bones truth is too far off the normal spectrum, which was why I kept it all to myself. I'd never even told Reg what my mom actually did for a living.

I batted Regina's hand away, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. If you start hunting down this Dean guy, though, leave me out of it."

Regina frowned. "Aw, come on! You never go on dates. Like, remember Brent? He totally liked you! And you guys went on, like, one date."

"Brent is a moron. And he's too handsy!"

"Okay, yeah, maybe. But he is cute. Too bad, though. You lost your chance."

I laughed. "Yeah, I lost him to Stacey Mills. If you ask me, they belong together."

Regina giggled as well. After we both said a few more slanderous things about Hodgenson's biggest and baddest "power couple," Regina led the way to Study Hall. We entered the room just as the bell was ringing. I followed Regina inside, letting the door fall shut behind me. But rather than the soft click of the door's mechanisms sliding home, I heard the muffled pat of someone catching the door with their palm.

I glanced over my shoulder on instinct.

"Hey, doll." It was the new kid – Dean Winchester. He smirked at me, and I had just enough time to turn back around before he could catch me blushing. I may not have been in his fan club like Regina and the other girls, but he was damn cute up close.

Regina looked over as well at the sound of Dean's voice. Her appraisal of him was professionally subtle yet flirtatious, and Dean seemed to notice her right away. Hunting season had officially started.

"You've gotta be Dean Winchester," Regina said. She sat down at our usual table at the back of the room, and Dean made himself comfortable at the desk in front of us.

His grin was easy and instantaneous, gushing nothing but confidence and an inflated ego. He was the kind of guy who knew how attractive he was, and he didn't mind exploiting that fact. He and Brent would have gotten along.

"You know me?" Dean said. His eyes flicked up and down, no doubt appreciating Regina's undeniably nice body. When he looked over at me, his gaze grew a fair bit disinterested, like he was only barely okay with the fact that I was there.

Regina giggled softly, glancing over at me and grinning. She leaned forward on the table, putting her chin in her palm. "Well, of course. Everyone's been talking about you."

Dean chuckled under his breath. This close to him, I could tell that his leather jacket wasn't some sort of fashion statement; it looked old, worn in, like he'd had it a long time. "And what's your name?" His eyes didn't leave my friend, neither did his grin.

"Regina," she replied. "Regina Northers." She stuck out one hand and smiled at him.

Dean chuckled and shook Regina's hand. When their hands clasped, Regina's all but disappeared. Dean had large hands that I noticed with a glance looked rough. Internally I chastised myself for looking too much at this guy. I hated to think I was analyzing him. Leaving Regina to her flirting, I opened my Psychology book and began my outline of chapter six.

I loved Regina and everything, but when it came to boys, she had a terrible habit of choosing them over me. She didn't do it out of snobbery or spite, I knew that for sure. Really Regina cared about me, and she always caught herself before she left me too long out of the conversation. She was the one who set me up with Brent Tanner in the first place. After the fact, she assured me that she had no idea what a complete low-life he was, but at the time I'd been flattered. Even if I wasn't so much of a beauty queen as Regina, I was no troll. She always told me I was a "classic pretty." Every time I showed up to school in a ponytail or without makeup, Regina liked to nag me until I at least let her give me some eyeliner. She was a sweet girl, but we had different priorities.

"—just me and my brother Sam," Dean was saying. I finished my psych outline with twenty minutes left of class, so I had no choice but to attempt to join the conversation (if I didn't, Regina wouldn't let me hear the end of it).

"Well what about your mom?" Regina said. She was still slightly leaned over the table, giving Dean her full attention, which he seemed to appreciate.

Dean took a moment to clear his throat. His eyes took a surprising downcast, as if Regina had asked a question he was hoping she wouldn't. "She died," he said. "When I was a kid. Don't really remember her all that much." When he looked back up, his eyes flicked to me. He took notice that I'd stopped playing the geek, and he smirked slightly at the discovery. "You're in my physics class," he said, as if he were commenting on the weather.

"Uh, yeah." I glanced at Regina. She winked at me without Dean noticing.

"What's your name?" he said.

"Emma," I replied. I brushed my bangs out of my face, feeling my cheeks get warm all over again. I'd never been good at making small talk with people that I knew nothing about. I would never have become friends with Regina in the first place if not for her persistent attitude.

Dean's attention lingered on me another second or two. He gave a dry chuckle and leaned back in his seat, scratching the back of his head. "Man, so is this town a real drag or what? Bet nothin' good happens here."

Regina and I exchanged a look. She seemed enthralled, but I was just ready to go home.

"It's pretty boring," Regina said. "But there are some fun things to do."

"Oh yeah?" The quirk of Dean's eyebrow was more suggestive than one expression should be allowed to hold. I was becoming steadily more fed-up with him.

Regina giggled, oblivious to my agitation. "Well yeah. There's the old Snyder house."

"Oh come on, Reg, that's nothing but a stupid story," I said quickly. I knew exactly what road she was planning to walk with that tid-bit of local lore.

"Is it a scary story?" Dean said, chuckling. He looked between Regina and I, a smirk etched into his face. "I love scary stories."

Regina smiled at him, moving in just a little closer as if the story were a secret. "Well, get ready for this one, then," she said with a playful edge to her voice. "Fifteen years ago, the Snyder house belonged to James Snyder and his four kids. His wife was dead when they moved to town, but everyone says that James was a good father, so no one thought much of it. About a year after they moved in, the youngest Snyder girl died. Just dropped dead for no reason at all. The doctors couldn't explain it; it was like little Georgia's heart just stopped workin'. Well James couldn't handle it. He started going a little crazy after Georgia died. He told everyone in town that his daughter's ghost or something was haunting the house. Of course, no one believed him. Then, he just sorta disappeared. His kids didn't show up for school, Snyder didn't show up for work. A month to the day that Georgia Snyder died, the whole rest of the Snyder family was found in the basement of their house, each one of them dead. But you see, the real sick part is, well: James Snyder killed his kids. Bashed their heads in with the butt of his shotgun, then went and shot himself.

"Now, no one from around here goes in the Snyder house. No one lives there for long, either. It gets rented out now and again, but even out-of-towners know somethin' ain't right with it. And they say that if you stand in the street in front of that house on April fifth at midnight, you'll see the ghost of James Snyder standing in Georgia's old bedroom with that bloody shotgun in his hands."

Regina finished her story with a small grin at Dean.

"Wow," he said, chuckling softly. "Maybe Cidersburg ain't that boring after all."

"It's just a story," I said again. "There's no ghost in that house."

Dean raised his eyebrows at me, surprised, like he'd forgotten I was there. "You know that for a fact?"

I nodded once. "Yep."

"Well they always say it's the skeptics who prove the rule."

"No one says that," I said flatly.

Dean shook his head. He was looking fixedly at me now, his eyes moving over my face. I could practically feel him staring at me and I didn't like it at all. "All I'm saying is that you probably don't know for sure. I'd be willing to bet the story's true."

"You'd lose that bet."

Beside me, Regina giggled, sounding suddenly nervous. "Guys, come on, chill okay? Didn't mean to upset anyone, here. Emma's probably right, Dean, the whole Snyder house thing's just a story they use to scare kids."

There was the noise and chatter of the class beginning to pack up. School was two minutes to being over, and I hadn't even noticed the clock. I broke the suspended staring contest with Dean and hurriedly put away my things. God, if I could just not act like a freak in the presence of jerks who'd only tease me, that'd be a great note to my social life.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, Regina," Dean said. I hated how amused he sounded.

When the bell rang, I made up some excuse to part ways with Regina and Dean, saying that I had to stop by my English classroom and talk to the teacher. As soon as Regina made me promise to call her later, I nodded absently and left them, barely bothering to bid Dean a goodbye. He didn't seem to mind all that much, and I'm pretty sure he was too busy checking out Stacey Mills as she walked past.