"Missed Calls"
Note: Takes place a couple days after "In Twilight" ends. The horizontal lines are perspective switches. Deal, eh?
The phone rang and went to voicemail. He arched an eyebrow and closed his phone, dropping it onto the seat next to him.
"It was that damned number again," Ace muttered to her cousin and then, to the phone, "Leave a message!"
"Who do you keep calling?" Sam wanted to know.
"Why don't you answer it?" Sophie wanted to know.
"Ace."
"Because I don't know who it is. I always screen my calls."
Sam squinted into the setting sun and scratched his neck. "Really?"
"Yeah, why?" Dean asked.
Sophie made a face. "Really?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I mean, we just left there the other day."
"Yeah, so?"
"That seems a little silly," Sophie stated.
"It does not."
Sam raised his eyebrows, "You don't think you're looking a little desperate?"
Dean made a disgusted face, "Me? Desperate?" He laughed, "No way."
"Don't you know who has your number?"
"Yeah, but I don't know this number." Ace flashed the phone at her for emphasis. "So, I'm screening."
"You never call girls afterwards."
Dean punched his younger brother in the arm. "She's not just a girl. We've been friends for years."
Sam had to laugh, "You haven't talked to her for the last ten."
"Exactly. I'm trying to catch up."
"Why don't you just answer it?"
Ace made a face at her cousin. "Because I don't know who it is. I'm not going to just answer it and get sucked into some bullshit conversation with someone I probably don't even want to talk to."
"What if it's important? Like your parents are in the hospital or something and you're next of kin?" Sophie wondered.
"They'd leave a message."
"She's just not taking my calls."
Sam's brow furrowed. "Does that bother you?"
"I'll answer it next time," Sophie offered.
"No, they'll stop calling."
"I'm calling her back," Dean said, dialing again.
Sam blinked and looked out the windshield.
"Look, there it is again," Ace said, flashing the phone at her cousin once more.
"Why won't she answer?"
"Just answer the damned thing," Sophie told her. "I'm getting tired of your ringtone."
"Answer the phone, damn it," Dean hissed.
"Fine," Ace grumbled, but the ringing had already stopped.
"Your call has been forwarded to a voice messa—"
Dean dropped the phone again.
Sam cast him a sidelong glance.
"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you."
"Turn your phone off if you don't want to talk to anybody."
"Well, what if somebody I want to talk to calls."
Sophie blinked at her.
"What if you want to talk to the person calling?"
Dean scratched his chin as he drove.
"Why wouldn't she want to talk to me?"
Sam shrugged, "I don't know. Why do you care?"
Dean punched his arm again. "Stop making this into something it isn't."
"If I wanted to talk to them, I would have put their number in my phone."
"Did you ever put Dean's number in there?"
"No, but he wouldn't be calling. I didn't give him my number."
"Why not?"
"He didn't ask for it."
Sophie frowned.
"Stop punching me," Sam growled, punching back.
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Sam rubbed his arm and glowered at his brother.
"That's even sillier than you screening your calls."
"Why?"
Sophie rolled her eyes.
"Did you give her your number? Maybe she screens her calls," Sam suggested.
Dean scoffed at him, but stopped to frown, "You think?"
"You didn't give her your number?"
"She didn't ask for it, and I'm not just going to give it out."
"Because you're not desperate," Sam remembered, rolling his eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me," Ace tutted.
Sophie rolled her eyes anyway.
"What? I'm not. Don't roll your eyes."
"You didn't give her your number when she gave you hers?"
"She didn't give me her number."
Sam made a face.
"What? Stop it," Ace said.
"You guys were locked in your bedroom for like … a day. And you didn't even exchange numbers?"
"It just never came up."
"Hmm," Sophie grunted, shaking her head.
"Then how are you calling her?"
Dean's mouth twitched a little and he said, "Ah, well … you know, I looked in her phone and got it."
Sam gaped, "Seriously?"
"What?"
"Why didn't you just program your number in her phone, if you were already there?"
"I didn't think about it."
"You can answer it if they call again," Ace promised setting the phone down.
"You're so damaged," Sam sighed, getting out his phone. "Why don't I just call Sophie and make sure you have the right number?"
"I have the right number, her voicemail says so."
"Why don't you leave a message?"
Dean pursed his lips.
"Believe me, Dean. After calling her every five minutes for the last hour, leaving a message is not going to make you look any more desperate than you already do."
The phone didn't ring.
"Looks like they gave up," Ace mumbled, going to the kitchen.
"No, if she doesn't want to talk to me, that's fine," Dean grumbled, eyes shifting between his phone and the road.
"Here, I'll call her and leave a message," Sam said, grabbing the phone before Dean could get it away from him.
The phone rang and Sophie grabbed it immediately.
"Hello?"
Sam was surprised. "Hello?"
Dean made a face, "She answered?"
"Sam?"
Ace choked on her water. "What?"
"Sophie?"
Dean swerved. "What?"
"Why are you calling Ace's phone?"
Ace shook her head emphatically, clearing her throat. "I didn't give him my number, either."
"Dude, I swear. It was Ace's phone I got the number from," Dean told him, eyes on the road.
"Why are you answering her phone?"
"Because she wouldn't. She screens or something."
Ace made a face.
Sam laughed, "I knew it," and then pointed at Dean, "I so told you."
Dean made a face.
"Give me the phone, Sophie," Ace demanded, setting her water down and grabbing at the phone, but Sophie ducked away.
"Give me my phone, Sam," Dean ordered, swiping at Sam's hand.
"I'm talking here, Dean," Sam batted his hand away.
"I'm on the phone, Ace, go away," Sophie waved her away.
Dean punched Sam in the arm for the third time. When Sam recoiled, Dean grabbed the phone.
"Give me the phone, Sophie," Ace said through gritted teeth, Sophie's foot in her stomach, holding her back and keeping the phone out of reach.
"Ace?" Dean said.
"Oh," Sophie huffed, handing the phone over. "It's for you anyway."
"Sam?"
"No; Dean. It's Dean."
Ace smiled and took a deep breath before asking, "How'd you get this number?"