Generously Endowed Damsels…
Dean tried to come up with interesting ideas for the dull initials G.E.D.
Generally Entertaining Dictionaries.
Dad had said it didn't matter that he didn't graduate high school.
"School isn't made for everybody. Sometimes the smarter you are, the harder it is for them to teach you…"
Yeah, so explain Sammy who never met an "A" he didn't bring home.
Grotesquely Excruciating Duties.
Anyway, Dad told Dean, the GED was appropriate.
"They started it for soldiers who couldn't finish school because they were fighting a war. And you're a soldier fighting a war."
Gravely Enthusiastic Dancers.
Dean hadn't told Sam he was taking the test. Sam'd asked once or twice why Dean didn't graduate high school, and Dean gave him some lame but funny answer about graduation being for girls and Dean'd be sure to get him a corsage when his time came.
Geologists Excavate Dunklesaurus.
But he never told Sam he was taking the test.
Sam already knew everything else, he didn't need to know that Dean was taking the test.
Because didn't need to know if Dean failed.
Gigantic Emotional Distraction.
Pastor Jim helped Dean sign up for the test and figure out how to study and they stayed the week with him that Dean took it. Dad took Sammy out for supply runs and weapons training and even driving lessons now that he'd turned sixteen, while Pastor Jim drilled Dean in his lessons one last time and drove him to the old high school where he took the test.
Then they left Pastor Jim's again and Dean tried to put the test out of his mind and get on with his life.
Greatly Exaggerated Defensiveness.
It didn't matter anyway. Sammy was smart enough for all three of them. All getting the GED would mean was one more piece of paper Dean would have to remember not to forget whenever they packed up and moved on.
Giraffes Exotically Dance.
Then Pastor Jim called Dad, and Dad told Dean and Sam they were going to head there to pick up some packages. Sam didn't question it; they used Pastor Jim's address if they ever needed to order a book or supplies or anything delivered to them.
Dean knew Sammy used it to have college catalogs sent to him on the sly.
But the look Dad gave Dean told him there was a specific envelope waiting specifically for him.
Grossly Effusive Deliveries.
And Dean's mouth went dry.
The drive back to Pastor Jim's was very quiet.
Gasoline Enhances Driving.
Sam sprawled in the back, lost in some textbook or another. Dad kept the radio on, but low. And Dean tried to tell himself that whatever the results were in that envelope, it didn't make any difference. He'd still be him and that's all.
Generally Equivalent Disasters.
They pulled into the church parking lot sooner than Dean was expecting and he followed Sam into the rectory, with Dad coming up behind.
Pastor Jim met them in the front room, like a Midwest Santa Claus, holding packages and envelopes and dispersing them as each Winchester came in. Sam grabbed his and headed for their room on the second floor.
Guilessness Exudes Deviousness.
Dad took his box of delivery but waited, watching, as Dean shakily took the envelope Pastor Jim held out to him.
Gracelessly Experiencing Dread.
One deep breath. One quick slit of the envelope. One quick flick of the paper.
Passed. He had passed. He had his GED.
Gloriously Euphoric Dude!
Dean looked up at Dad in shock. Dad was already grinning.
"Told you that you could do it."
"Yeah - uh - wow. Wow."
"Congratulations." Pastor Jim said. "I've got a celebration dinner all planned. Including your favorite pie."
That made Dean grin almost more than passing his GED.
"Thanks. Thanks for all your help. I couldn't have done it on my own."
"Anything for you boys. Now why don't you go on and show Sammy."
"Yeah, go on." Dad urged him as well. "He'll be thrilled."
Gentility Escapes Deceit.
Dean ran up the stairs, but the closer he got to their room, the slower he walked. Why would Sam care that Dean got his GED? Sam, who was in their room now, hiding his college catalogs inside an ancient issue of Popular Mechanics in case Dad walked in, reading about admission requirements and student meal plans the way most boys his age read skin mags.
Gibraltar Eluded Depthcharges.
Why would the kid who aspired - realistically - to Harvard and Yale and Stanford and Columbia care that his slacker big brother finally got his GED? Dean was twenty for cripes sake. What loser got his GED when he was twenty? Why was that reason to celebrate?
Golly, Everyone's Dazzled…
When Dean opened the door to their shared room, Sam was so deeply interested in his Popular Mechanics that he didn't even seem to realize Dean had come in the room. Dean sat on the edge of his bed and watched Sam lusting in his heart after course loads, GPAs and (tremor of titillation) declaring a major.
Dean would feel sorry for Sam if he wasn't so damn proud of him.
Sam finally glanced up and saw Dean sitting there. He looked embarrassed like he'd been caught doing something.
Gaily Eating Daisies…
"Let me guess…" Dean said, then dropped his voice to a heated whisper. "'the park-like campus offers students a peaceful setting for extracurricular activities with that oh-so special coed…"
"Dean…" Sam complained and threw his pillow at him. Dean laughed and swatted it away. "It does not say that…what's the letter?"
"Umm…nothing." Dean tossed it onto the mattress.
"C'mon Dean - what is it?" Sam set his magazine-slash-catalog aside and clumped over to Dean's bed. He made to grab the envelope but Dean swooped it out of his reach.
"Nothing. I said - nothing."
"Deeeeeeeean."
Sam was finally catching up to Dean in height, but underneath he could still wheedle like a seven-year-old.
"Fine." Dean huffed and pushed the envelope at Sam. "I got my GED."
Got Extra Derision?
Sam's eyes got wide. He didn't take the envelope; he only stared at it like it was a holy relic.
"Really?"
"Uh - yeah. Really."
Glaze Eyed Delusion…
"Wow."
"Wow?" A GED was worth a Sam Winchester 'wow'?
Get Educated Dude.
"Can I see?"
"Uh - sure. Yeah." Dean gestured the envelope at Sam again. Sam took it and sat down next to Dean and slid the papers out.
"Oh wow. Cool. This is so awesome."
Wow? Cool?
Awesome?
What was Sam smoking?
"You think so, hunh?"
Gamekeepers Elevate Dawdling.
"Yeah."
Dean was tempted to ask if Dad had put Sammy up to this little cheerleading session, but it wouldn't be like Dad to ask and it wouldn't be like Sam to pull it off so convincingly.
"What's so awesome about it?"
Sam looked at him like how could he not know the answer to that?
Gauchely Exterminated Daylilies.
"You know everything now!"
There was no sarcasm or pity in his voice or his expression, there was nothing but total Sammy happiness that something good had happened to Dean, especially in the look of pure little brother pride and affection he was shining at him.
"Well…there might be one or two things I don't know." Dean allowed. Sam only laughed like Dean was making a joke. He handed the papers back.
Gazumpers Encroach Diametrically.
"This is the best thing ever." Sam said. "This is amazing."
Wow. Cool. Awesome. Amazing.
Giants Excel Deliberately.
"Well I can't let my little brother outclass me now, can I?"
Sam shrugged.
"I'm only as smart as you taught me."
"I didn't teach you organic chemistry."
Gigabytes Eructate Deftly.
"You taught me how to learn." Sam said. "I'd never have gotten it without you."
Geesh, Everything's Drama.
Dean put his arm around Sam's shoulders and gave him a squeeze.
"Well, I guess a big brother can only be as good as his little brother, hunh?" He didn't give Sam a chance to answer, didn't want to give him a chance to get chick-flicky. He gestured with the envelope. "C'mon, I'm pretty sure I can parlay this into getting some pie out of Pastor Jim."
Games End Disastrously.
Dean stood up and tugged Sam with him and when he looked at him, Sam was still looking at him with undimmed adoration. Like it was something to even be in the same room with him.
Guess Everything's…
Then Sam was out the door and bounding down the stairs, uncharacteristically noisy, calling out,
"Hey Dad!! Guess what?!?!!"
And Dean stood a minute looking at the envelope in his hand.
…Delightful.
The End.