Three hours and a half later, I wake up because somebody is knocking on my door and won't stop.
"Emily! Wake up!" It's Bobby's voice. "Emily?" I stand up and open the door.
"Bobby what's happening?" I yawn.
"I'm sorry to wake you up like this, but I don't think you can skip school today. The principal is waiting you in half an hour."
"Oh, god… I forgot about it."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"I think I can handle a school alone… Stay here and keep an eye on the boys."
"I'll call you if something happens. Now go take a shower, you smell like crap." I roll my eyes and go to the bathroom. I take my clothes away and open the water. As water falls on my body, I start to realize I actually have to go to school again. I've already passed my application exam but it feels like a life ago. I'm more afraid of going there than to fight demons.
"Come on…" I say to myself. "It can't be that bad. You've handled worst things." I shut the water and dry myself in front of the mirror. Going to school is not the same of facing death. It's scarier.
And this is the most irrational thing I've ever felt in my entire life.
I wear clean clothes and go downstairs. 1
"Are you okay?" Asks Bobby.
"Yes, I think I'm… Why?"
"You look scared, girl."
"I'm...I'm not scared!"
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
"I'm sure.
"Do you have money?"
"Bobby. It's okay. I can do this. It's only school. I'm taking your car."
He handles me his keys and I drive to school. It's not at Sioux Fall, but I can get there in fifteen minutes. The more I drive, the more I'm scared. It' been years since I've last gone to school.
I turn off the car in the same exact moment the bell rings to call all the students. I walk inside the building and search for the principal office. When I find it, I go inside. There is a girl in the waiting room. "Hi!" She looks like a cheerleader. "Do you have an appointment?"
"Yes, I'm...I'm new. It's Reed." She searches.
"Oh, here you are! Mister Roman is waiting for you." I thank her and follow her to the actual office.
"You must be Reed!"
"Yes sir, I am."
"Before I walk you to your class, I want to have a little chat. So, I've read your files: can you answer some of my questions?"
"Sure." I sit in front of him.
"Okay, so… Here I read you went to public school until you were four, then stopped suddenly to be homeschooled. Can I ask you why?"
"Is this so important?"
"I'm just trying to understand your situation, don't worry."
"I was homeschooled because my mother died and my father was very...strict about my education."
Strict is not the right word I'd describe my dad.
"Was?" I already know where this is going.
"Yes, was. He died too a couple of years ago."
"And who do you live with?"
"My brother and my...uncle." I lie.
"I really would love to meet them during the family day."
Oh, yeah I forgot. The family day. I guess I'll be sick. How bad.
"Sure. Anything else you want to know?" I show him the fakest smile I've ever made.
"Can you talk me about your and your family's living habits?"
"What...kind of living habits?" I know where this is going and I don't like it.
"When I got your application, the police of Sioux Fall called me." Oh my god. Why am I still here? "They told me you have had some troubles in the past."
"Yes, sir, but…"
"I'm not done yet. What can you say about your brother, Dean? Is it correct saying that he drinks a lot?"
"I'm sorry, before I answer, can I ask you something?"
"Clearly."
"Why did you search for all of this information? How is this relevant in my application?"
"I want to guarantee every student a great experience and this means to check everybody's past. In addition to this, our school offers various services based on their...needs."
"Okay…" I answer. But it's far from okay. It sucks. "...what was the question again?"
"Your brother."
"Oh, sure, my brother. Don't worry, everything is under control."
"Actually, dear, I worry. Is your uncle...Bobby Singer?" God, please kill me now.
"He is."
"He has a lot of charges related to alcohol."
"...how is this related? They are not going to come here. I am. And I am perfectly fine. Thank you for asking, by the way." I'm using sarcasm to avoid killing him with bare hands. I think he is having fun, making me uncomfortable.
"I'm going straight to the point. Where you live, is there someone who takes care of you?"
"Is this the elementary school? Principal Roman, I'm seventeen, not seven."
"It's not about cooking dinner or buying groceries. It's about your mental health."
"I know what this is about." This is about sending me right to the headshrinker.
"So, would you answer my question? And please be truth. Do not lie to me, I'll find out if you do."
"Okay, so… you want the truth. Fine. It's been a year since I started taking care of my brother. He was doing well. Yesterday he pointed a gun by his head and I took care of him until like… three hours ago. So forgive me, but this is not my favorite topic."
"Okay, if you don't want to talk about this, I think I can… Lead you to your class." Finally, he understood. In one minute I'm the front of a door with "science" printed on it.
"Inside you'll find professor Gray. He'll introduce you your new class and give you the book you'll need, together with your daily schedule. I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I smile to him as he opens the door. The room is filled with a dozen of boys and girl the same age I am, they look bored as fuck.
"Professor Gray." Says the principal. "Here's the new student."
"Oh, Reed. Please, come inside and sit after Jim." He indicates a table with only one big guy. Messy hair falling on his face. I sit there and throw my backpack on the floor. As the professor starts talking again about chemistry, I explore the faces in the room. Nothing interesting. Near me, Jim. Maybe it's better to socialize.
"Hi." He looks at me but doesn't answer. He moves a hand slowly to me. I shake it.
"He's not gonna talk to you. He never does." Says a boy behind me. He looks latin-american and have an headphone plugged in his left ear. "I'm Alex."
"Emily. Is there anyone worth to talk to in this room?"
"Not from my point of view. They are so childish."
"Yeah, I can see it." I say, glancing at a pair of girl sticking a chewed gum into another lady's hair.
Alex goes back to his phone and Jim keeps looking at his hands. At Alex's left, there's another guy. He looks shorter and he is cross-eyed. He does look cute, actually.
Oh, this is not happening.
Okay, I'm going to turn over and start taking notes on whatever is being explained.
"Hi, I'm Fred." Says the boy.
"E-Emily." Why am I even babbling? It's just a boy. Come on. He goes back to his book, covered in drawings of every sort of monster. I look at them for a minute, like charmed.
Suddenly, the bell rings. I look at my schedule and then look at Alex, Fred and Jim walking to the next lesson. I run to them. "I'm sorry, are you going to… English literature?"
"Yes, why?" Asks Alex a bit disappointed by the question.
"I… Yeah I don't know how to get there."
"Follow us." Says Alex without stop walking. They walk quietly and lead me to the english class. We enter and sit the same exact way we did in the science hour. While waiting for the professor, my phone vibrates another time.
I take it out of my pocket and read: The first one is from Bobby:"Dean just woke up and realized he haven't dreamt about Sam being alive. I'm not sure they are going to hug or kill each other."
The second, from Dean:"Where are you?" I'm typing an answer when another message pops on the screen. "nvm forgot about school call me when ur out"
I turn down the phone's screen and take out a notebook. I let hours pass until lunch, when I join Alex, Jim and Fred at the school's canteen.
"So…" Says Alex chewing a burrito. "Which School did you attend before coming here?"
"I was homeschooled."
"Were you? Cool."
"Not really. It's boring as fuck."
"Why did you suddenly change?"
"It's...A long story. Let's say I needed a fresh start." He nods. Fred is still drawing something on his book and Jim is writing on a little notebook. I like that they are this quiet, it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable like a lot of teenagers does. It's like there's a wall between pur table and the rest of the room. I guess I've sat with the "losers". Well, at least they doesn't look complete idiots. At the end of the day, I drive to Bobby's house and when I go inside, I find empty beer bottle everywhere.
"How many beer can you guys drink before remembering to throw them away?" I yell throwing my bag in a dusty corner.
"Welcome back, mama" Says Bobby sarcastic. Says Bobby, sarcastic.
"God, Bobby, don't call me mama ever again." I go upstairs searching for Dean. I knock on his room's door. In a moment, he opens to me and I go inside. He's standing after his empty wardrobe.
"Are you ever going to unpack your clothes?" I say looking at the bag lying near the bed.
"How was your first day of school?"
"Boring. What about you? Did you sleep?"
"A little. But I've the evening shift today at work, so…"
"Yeah. Do you have anything to clean? I'm doing the laundry."
"I don't think so." I look at him.
"Do I need to check or did you already?"
"I…" I bend down and look underneath his bed, finding a pair of socks. I take them out and glance at him.
