Summary: Fifteen year old Dean writes an essay on heroes, based on his father John. "This is the kind of stuff heroes are made of."
"Dean Winchester, it's your turn", called out the teacher.
Fifteen year old Dean walked up to the teacher's front desk and took a deep breath. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of his jeans and straightened it up before reading it out loud. He cleared his throat and then began.
"There are all kinds of heroes in the world. There's the phony type who aren't really heroes but pretend to be ones. Then there's the other type who do good deeds but expect something in return of their actions. The real heroes are those who do not show their faces or ask for anything in return. They are those who put their lives at stake to help and protect others."
The whole classroom of twenty five students sat up straight, their eyes focused on Dean as he spoke. To them, Dean was somewhat of a hero. He always stuck up for those students who were bullied by seniors, he never walked away when someone was in trouble and even though he knew that there was a large chance of him getting in trouble as well, he stuck around to make sure nothing truly bad happened.
The girls and boys alike had their attention on Dean while the teacher looked on in confusion. Mr. Allan Jeffery didn't like his class and as far as the Winchester boy was concerned, he thought of him as nothing but a trouble making hooligan.
Dean didn't stop in between. He read out, "Real heroes are hard to find and it is almost impossible to trace back their whereabouts. These are those who silently make the world a safer place to live in for civilians. They don't ask for any form of repayment or acknowledgement in exchange of the services they provide. Instead, they work with diligence and determination to protect those who can't stand up for themselves. All sorts of bad deeds are done daily in the world and whether we accept it or not, there are some evil things that can't be explained."
He was somewhat an expert on evil things that can't be seen but are present around people. He'd been trained from the age of four to recognize the signs of wrong doings.
After all, John Winchester taught his two boys everything he knew.
"Evil is all around us. It is hiding and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Heroes have ways of finding trouble and dealing with it. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of a hero is a person dressed in tights and a cape and has superpowers. Truth is, those type of heroes don't exist anywhere but on television screens."
Dean paused for a second to take a glance at his classmates and teacher.
"What are true heroes made of? What kind of people are they? They're the kind who do good for the sake of doing good. They preserve, protect and defend. They're fiercely loyal, loving and caring. They always make sure that they do their job even if it means to neglect their own family. Even the best of heroes aren't fearless or unbreakable but then again, no one is perfect."
Dean also knew quite a lot about heroes who did the most amazing things but weren't around all the time. An example was his father, John.
"Everyone is flawed someway. Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and ages but the most important thing about them is that, they are people whom you can count on. You can trust them to do the right thing."
"Being a hero isn't easy. It's anything but that. These brave saviours who spend their time saving humanity from darkness, they know what comes with the job. They know what their responsibilities are. They know all the problems that make their way into their lives but they still don't stop what they're doing. They fight for justice. This is the kind of stuff heroes are made of."
The young boy's voice shook with emotion at the end and he lowered his gaze to the floor. "That's all Mr. Jeffery", said Dean. "Can I go back to my seat?"
"Not as yet, Dean", answered the teacher. "I'd like to ask you a few questions."
"Great", mumbled Dean under his breath. "Go ahead." He didn't like Mr. Jeffery as well. The feeling of hate was mutual.
"What inspired you to write this essay?"
"My Dad", answered Dean instantly. "He's my hero."
"Oh? How so?" inquired Mr. Jeffery.
"He does whatever he can to help others."
"Really? But isn't he a mechanic? I didn't know a mechanic was capable of doing hero's work."
Dean restrained himself from shouting at the older man. "He's a mechanic now but he used to serve in the army. He was a corporal." Well, that wasn't a lie. It was actually the truth. But Dean wasn't referring to John's ex-post. He was talking about his current job as a hunter. However he couldn't tell that to his teacher, could he?
Mr. Jeffery nodded. "That was very well written Dean", he said almost grudgingly. "If only you'd write such quality essays more often."
Dean shrugged. "If only you'd give more interesting topics now and then", he said. "It's not my fault you love to bore all of us."
"Dean..."
"Yes sir?" said the teenage boy innocently.
Mr. Jeffery sighed. "Nothing. You can go back to your seat now."
"Great", said Dean. "But uh... before that, could you tell me what grade I'm getting on this?"
"Sure."
Dean watched as Mr. Jeffery read through the essay once more.
"So...?" said Dean.
"You're getting an A."
Everyone applauded as Dean fist pumped in the air. Thanks a lot for encouraging me to write this, Sammy, he thought to himself. I should listen to you more often. Or not. This is just a one time thing.
So, what do you think of this? Please review if you liked it! Thanks for reading :)