AN: I DON'T OWN DEAN, SAM, OR JOHN WINCHESTER OR ANYONE YOU RECOGNIZE. BUT I DO OWN MICHAEL, ANDREW, AND RICH KELLER, AND ANYONE ELSE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE!
Early that morning, the Keller brothers stood together, looking at their own reflections in the mirror, brushing their hair, getting ready for their first day at their new school. Running a brush through his thick, wavy dark brown hair was 10 year old Michael, and mimicking his big brother's moves through his own mop of dark wavy hair was 6 year old Andrew. The occasional glance was sent Michael's way by Andrew as though to reassure the younger boy that he was brushing his hair correctly.
For Michael this was nothing new. He'd been doing the school thing for a few years now. He had switched schools almost on a routine basis because of his father's job. And even though school wasn't his favorite thing to do in the world, he had to put on a good face for his little brother because this was his first year ever, and this was the fifth school they were going to this year and it was only March. And let's just say that Andrew wasn't having all the fun his father and brother had told him he was going to have in kindergarten.
"Are you boys almost ready?" Rich Keller asked from the living room of their small, rented home. He stood, growing impatient, by the front door, keys in hand, sons' backpacks sitting on the floor next to him. He was determined to give his boys some kind of normalcy starting with moving them into a house, not a motel room, and giving them the opportunity to finish out the rest of the school year in the same school! Now if they would get moving already…
"We're coming!" Michael called back, putting his brush on the counter of the sink. He nodded for his little brother to follow him, grabbing their jackets along the way before meeting their father and heading out to school.
"Alright, Mike. You know the drill," Rich said as his two boys climbed out of their car, slamming the doors shut. Michael turned and faced his father through the rolled down window. "I'm going to be out on a job. You're in charge. I want you and Andrew home directly after school. You don't invite anyone in, and you don't answer the phone, unless it's me. No excuses." Rich pointed to his eldest with a stern finger.
"Yes, sir," Michael reassured his father. He knew the phone routine of his father's calls. If I rang once, stopped after that, and then rang again exactly two and a half minutes later, then it was Rich.
'Great,' Andrew thought as he looked up at his older brother wearily. Dad wasn't going to be there when they got out of this dreadful place. Just like always. But the little boy supposed in a way that was a reassuring thing. If he and Michael had to walk home, then that meant they were staying at least for a while. Whenever Dad was there to pick them up, it meant they were leaving.
"Ok, I'll see you boys later tonight," Rich sent his sons his goodbye before pulling out of the school's parking lot. Off on another job he went. Michael and Andrew waved as they watched their car become smaller and smaller until it was out of eye shot. The kids on the giant yellow school buses had just started piling out of the vehicles. Talking and various chatter filled the property as they all passed the Keller boys. That was fine with Michael and Andrew. 10 minutes less the two of them would have to spend being noticed as the new kids.
"Michael, I don't think I like it here," Andrew commented as his big brother led him to his new classroom; the fifth one he'd been in for his kindergarten year.
"Don't worry, kid, it's only for three more months. Then we'll be home free for the summer." Michael smirked. Personally, he couldn't wait for summer vacation, just like almost every other kid out there. That was the time when kids ruled! Plus, he had been planning plenty, and saving any bit of money he made, for this year's 4th of July.
"I liked our old school. Why can't we go back there?" Andrew was referring to the very first school he had ever gone to. It didn't take him long to make his first friend inside the classroom. But right before Halloween, Rich had up and moved his family. And Andrew never saw or talked to his little friends again. In the second school, Andrew had made another friend, but it wasn't long before they moved again. By the time they went to their third school, right after Christmas, Andrew gave up on making friends figuring that he was just going to be up and moved again right after. So why bother? And why bother trying to make friends here? Like Michael said, it was just for three more months.
"Because Dad doesn't have a job there anymore. Look, I'm sure you'll like this school just fine. And remember," Michael said as he knelt down to his kid brother's height when they had finally found his classroom. "If anyone gives you any trouble, you come to me, and I'll take care of them." Michael looked his brother sternly in the eye, letting him know that he wouldn't let him down, that he was worthy of trust.
"Alright." Andrew slightly smiled. True, he could always trust Michael.
Michael patted his little brother on the shoulder a few times before leading him into his new classroom. After knocking on the door and waiting about a minute or two, a young woman with straight, long brown hair and gentle hazel green eyes turned around at the sound of the young voice. "Good morning, boys."
"Good morning, Ms. Carson?" Michael wondered as Andrew grabbed hold of his hand, trying to morph into his big brother's back as well as he could. "I'm Michael Keller. The kid morphing into my back is my brother, Andrew." Michael cracked a smile as he tried to pull Andrew out from behind him. But the younger Keller boy was intent on staying in his hiding place.
"Yes. Andrew, we've been waiting for you," Ms. Carson said as she knelt down to the boys' height, trying to get Andrew to come out from his hiding spot.
"Sorry, Andrew's on the shy side today. Especially since our dad had to leave in a hurry for his job."
"Oh, that's ok. Everyone gets a little shy on their first day in a new school," Ms. Carson said, knowing exactly how to deal with situations like these. "Andrew, do you like Dr. Seuss?"
When Andrew heard the name of the man who wrote his two favorite books of all time, "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham," he peaked his head out from behind his older brother. "Yeah…" he shyly replied.
"We are celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday today in class. So I thought it would be fun if we all spent the day learning all about Dr. Seuss. Would you like to join us?"
After putting some thought into the offer for a few moments, Andrew reluctantly let go of Michael's hand and nodded.
"Ok." Ms. Carson smiled as she held out her hand for her new student to take.
"Can Michael come in?" Andrew asked, looking up at his new teacher. She seemed alright, but he wasn't sure about any of the kids inside.
Ms. Carson knew that Michael had his own class to get to. However, she also knew how reluctant some children could be when it came to leaving their families behind. "Of course he can, Andrew. Mommies and daddies, and even big brothers are always welcome in my classroom." She smiled which made Andrew smile and take hold of her hand as she led the two of them inside.
"Class, may I have your attention, please?" Ms. Carson requested once the Keller boys were inside. "This is our new friend, Andrew. Can you say 'hi' to him?"
"Hi Andrew!" the whole class said.
Andrew smiled back and waved his little hand. No matter how much he had received this introduction and greeting from all the other schools he had gone to, he still never got used to it.
"It's Andrew's first day here so I'd like all of you to make him feel very welcome."
'A new kid?!' Sammy Winchester thought as he sat at his desk, coloring a new picture for him to give to Dean when they saw each other later. 'That must mean that I'm not the new kid anymore!' Sammy smiled at not being the odd one out any longer. At least not in this class.
Sammy watched as Ms. Carson led Andrew and Michael over to the cubbies and showed Andrew which one was his. He saw Andrew take something out of his backpack, but he didn't know what. Then he watched Michael suggest something to Andrew, who nodded, before the two of them went over to the block area.
Together, Andrew and Michael built tall towers and bulky buildings. Sammy watched as the brothers interacted with each other much in the way he and Dean interacted with each other. He heard Andrew roar and Michael make a pretend scream.
"Hey!" Charlie, one of the boys in class, said. "Dinosaurs don't belong in the block area! They belong with the other dinosaurs! Put him back!" He pointed at Andrew's stegosaurus with an accusing glare as Andrew did his best impersonation of a turtle trying to hide within his t-shirt.
"This dinosaur doesn't belong to the class. It belongs to my brother. He brought it in from our house," Michael calmly explained.
"Why did you bring it in today? Ms. Carson said we are having Share-and-Tell on Friday!"
"We didn't know that. Right, Andrew?" Michael asked his brother who was clutching his favorite dinosaur tightly.
Andrew looked up at Michael wearily and nodded. He wondered if he could go to his big brother's class. Maybe the kids there would be nicer. Or maybe they were having Share-and-Tell today. Then he'd have something to talk about.
"Oh. Well Share-and-Tell is on Friday," Charlie said before walking away over to the math center.
'Charlie,' Sammy thought. He didn't like Charlie. Charlie was bossy and mean. He always jumped to conclusions, never letting anyone explain themselves or give a reason for doing something or bringing something in. He even yelled once at Sammy when they were asked to their favorite things in the whole world. Sammy had drawn his big brother, Dean, and Charlie had accused him of getting it wrong, saying that Dean was a person, not a thing! And that they were supposed to draw their favorite things, not their favorite people.
'I know someone whose ass I might be kicking sometime soon…' Michael thought as he watched this Charlie kid reason and work through the math games that were offered.
When free play time was over, Michael broke the news to Andrew that he now had to go to his own class. Andrew hated the news, asking if he could go to Michael's class for awhile.
"Sorry, kid, no can do," Michael said as he knelt down to his brother's height. "But I'll see you on the playground during recess. We'll meet over by the jungle gym, under the washing machine slide."
Andrew giggled at the memory of the washing machine slide. He remembered a couple of summers ago when Dad had taken him and Michael to a park on his rare-to-come day off. There was a big swirly slide and Andrew and Michael had gone down it for hours. It twisted and twirled like a washing machine and that's how all swirly slides were dubbed washing machine slides.
"Ok…" Andrew agreed before Michael led him back to the Circle Time rug, right next to Sammy, before saying, "See you at recess, kid," before walking out and going to his own classroom. So school had been in session for a half hour already, big deal. Andrew was more important.
"What's a washing machine slide?" Sammy asked as Ms. Carson started a class discussion on remembering the Dr. Seuss book they read yesterday.
"It's the big swirly slide outside," Andrew said. "It's kinda like a washing machine when you go down it," he explained.
"Oh," Sammy nodded. "I'm Sammy." He offered his hand to Andrew.
"I'm Andrew." Andrew took Sammy's hand in his and shook it.
"Was that your big brother?" Sammy asked as Andrew nodded.
"His name is Michael. He's in the fourth grade!" Andrew smiled.
"Wow! My brother Dean is in the fourth grade! Maybe Dean and Michael will be in the same class!"
"Oh that would be awesome!"