Chapter Two
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"Hey, you the owner?" an impatient voice greeted John as he approached his work-place.
"Yeah, what can I do for you?"
"You're late! It says eight o'clock," the man declared loudly pointing at the plaque showing the opening hours."I've been waiting here over an hour for someone to turn up."
x
"Sorry 'bout that," John answered evenly, though the man's attitude was rubbing him up the wrong way. "Most of my clients are local and I wasn't expecting anyone to show up before half-eight, but I'm here now so what's the problem?"
"My damn car stopped dead just down the road and a guy pointed you out as the nearest repair shop. I'm in a hurry. Got an appointment I can't miss."
"Well then, let's go take a look," John suggested, opening up shop and grabbing his tool bag.
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The guy was unpleasant he decided, but a client was a client; if he paid good money, John couldn't care less if he had two horns growing out of his head!
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"Well," John declared as he lifted his head from under the hood. "I'm afraid this girl's not gonna move from here anytime soon."
He held up a cracked and worn part he had pulled from the engine. "And I don't have a spare. It's impossible to keep all the parts on hand for these foreign cars," he said nodding at the big Honda. "It'll take at least three or four days to get a replacement."
The man's face went from ruddy to bright red.
x
"Oh, Hell! I just have to get there in time. I've got a huge deal going down," the man lamented as he started to pace up and down. "Listen, maybe you've got a car you can spare back at the shop? I'll make it worth your while. I'll pay everything upfront and when I come back for the Honda, I 'll throw in a coupla hundred more."
"I'm not exactly a trusting kinda guy," John answered doubtfully."But if you leave me a hefty deposit I might consider it."
x
John watched more than satisfied, as the man drove off in one of his old cars. He had just earned a neat little sum of money, whether the client came back for his Honda or not! He really had been desperate to keep his appointment!
X
Four days later the Honda was up and running and John called the number its owner had left him.
"Hi there, this is Winchester, from the garage. Your car's ready to be picked up whenever it's convenient," he said.
" Listen Winchester," the man answered tiredly. "Sorry, but I've had a bit of an accident. Broke my damn leg. If you drive it back to my place, I'll make it worth your while. You can collect your own at the same time."
John huffed before answering. What the guy was asking was grossly inconvenient.
"Well I' don't know if I can manage. I'm pretty busy right now. "I'll get back to you on that," John said brusquely cutting the call.
x
"What is it, dad? " Dean asked hearing his father's grunt of annoyance.
"Nothing, just some guy who was supposed to pick up his car but can't. He wants me to run it back to him up to Sioux Falls, but I've got this big repair for Jim Brogan and .."
"I'll take it, dad," Dean said eagerly. "I've finished the car I was working on and a little trip out of town sounds good. I can make it ithere and back n a day if I start off early. Sioux Falls is only about six hours from here."
"Well, if you're sure?" John said hesitantly.
Dean was eighteen, he could look after himself but John still saw him as a kid. Maybe he was a bit over-protective but he had already lost one son, he never wanted to go through that again.
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Dean read the worry in his father's eyes. "Dad," he said gently. "After summer break I'll be off to College. You gonna come and put up a tent on the Campus to keep an eye on me?"
John sighed. Dean was right. He had to learn to let go of his son. He knew Dean could look after himself, but... God, being a father was damn difficult!
"Okay son. I'll call the client and let him know someone will be bringing it out, but he better hand you some compensation for all the bother!"
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Two days later Dean rolled into Sioux Falls and consigned the car; his pocket felt a bit heavier with the two hundred dollars the guy had given him for his trouble, but he had driven non-stop for six hours and now his stomach was clamoring for food.
It was only three o'clock ; plenty of time eat before heading home. He called his dad as he walked into the nearest diner; he knew John would be worrying.
"It went like clock-work, Dad and I got a nice tip into the bargain, so win-win! I'm gonna eat and then I'll head back."
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He slipped into the seat and waited for the pretty waitress to arrive.
Time to try out his charm on the big world of girls outside Lawrence. He smirked appealingly as she came towards him, but his ego took a hit as she didn't seem the least impressed by his toothy smile.
He shrugged; back home the girls were more appreciative of his awesome qualities.
He had better get going though, he thought as he gulped down the last of his coffee. He still had a long drive ahead of him.
X
"Hi there, Sam" he heard the waitress say as a skinny mop-haired kid walked into the diner. "The usual?"
"Yeah, mom's working double shifts and I got a stack of chores to finish so..."
"Sucks to have to cook your own dinner. Bobby away too?"
"Uh huh, he had to bring some parts out to buyers, won't be back until tomorrow."
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Dean slipped out of the seat, left a tip and went towards the door.
The place was practically empty and the kid turned to glance curiously at him but quickly turned away when Dean met his gaze for a second before exiting the diner.
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"There you go Sam," the waitress said handing him the bag of food. "Be careful now, when you're walking home."
"I always am, " he replied as he turned to go.
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Dean walked towards the car. He had left it parked outside the client's house when he had seen that the diner was close by.
He went to put the key in the lock when he heard a rustling behind him and as he instinctively turned, a blow to the head sent him into a painful near-oblivion.
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"Mister, are you okay," a voice murmured hazily from far off, or at least so it seemed to him.
"M'head, What happened?" he slurred struggling to form the words properly.
"Two guys tried to mug you," the disembodied voice replied. "Can you open your eyes; I want to take a look at your pupils."
Dean forced himself to comply and finally managed to open his heavy eyelids only to find himself looking up at the hovering face of the kid from the diner.
"They seem to be normal. If you want we can go to the hospital to get you checked out but I think you're just going to have a whopper of a headache," the kid declared, finishing his diagnosis!
"You think you can pull yourself up? "the boy continued. "You'll feel better sitting down. I'll open the door," he said picking up the fallen keys.
Dean lifted a shaky hand to balance himself against the side of the car while the kid helped him to his feet and settled him sideways on the seat.
The buzzing calmed down a bit though his head still pulsed like hell.
x
"Thanks Sam; that's your name , isn't it? I couldn't help overhearing the waitress in the diner call you that."
"Yeah. No need to thank me though," the boy said. "Your attackers must have been a couple of druggies; as soon as I shouted at them they ran off."
"You're kidding! It took courage to what you did, they could have jumped you as well."
"Nah, I can defend myself. Nobody around here gives me any trouble." the boy said simply without explaining further.
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"You staying over in town? I don't think you should drive until your head feels a lot less fuzzy," he advised.
"No, I'm supposed to drive home today. "
"That's not a good idea. There's a decent motel not far from here. Might be safer to stop over. That way if there are any consequences, the hospital's nearby."
" My dad'll be worried if he doesn't see me arriving."
"Better that you get back a day late all in one piece, than finish up against a tree!" Sam warned.
"Yeah, I suppose."
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"Hey listen, I'm on my own at home for now. You could come backwith me, and when you're feeling steadier check in at the motel; that way I can have a better look at your head and pass you a couple of pain-killers."
The words came spontaneously to Sam's lips and no-one was more surprised than himself as he realized what he had just said.
He never asked anyone back to the house but now he had just invited a perfect stranger that he knew zilch about.
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Dean looked up at the kid. The boy had just came to his rescue, he supposed he could trust him; no, he was sure he could trust him! There was something in the earnest hazel eyes that reached out to him.
He berated himself. He wasn't given to flights of fantasy, but there was just something about this teen.
x
"Why not?" he heard himself answer. "I'll phone Dad and tell him I'm gonna stay over."
"OK then," Sam smiled engagingly. "Move over, I'll drive," he said.
" What age are you, squirt?" Dean asked. "You're not old enough to have a license."
" Doesn't mean I can't drive," Sam answered. "The important thing is not to get caught by the police!"
Dean stared at him but shifted along the seat. He didn't trust himself to keep the car in a straight line just yet, so he gave in gracefully. This kid was full of surprises!
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TBC