Chapter 9: Only in the shadows
The next morning dawned cold and bleak. Sam woke up in the same spot he fallen asleep in, fully dressed and slightly confused. He couldn't remember going to bed. He couldn't even remember coming home.
Dinner. He had eaten dinner with Cooper. Then they'd gone to his house. Sam ran a hand through hair. Cooper had given him something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag full of pills. Once he realized what they were, and what they were for, he quickly stuffed them back in his pocket and looked for Dean.
Sam frowned when he walked over to the couch and saw Dean lying there sound asleep surrounded by beer cans. It felt like Deja vu. He caught sight of his ruined homework and a vague feeling of disappointment filled him.
He didn't want to be here. He needed to be anywhere but here. But first he needed to clear his head.
A hot shower and change of clothes did wonders for his mental clarity. However it only made he feel worse because being able to clearly think, made him remember why his life was so messed up.
A buzzing sound brought him out of his miserable thoughts. It was coming from Dean's phone which was sitting on the floor next to the couch. Not wanting to wake Dean, Sam grabbed the phone and silenced it. He looked at who was calling and saw it was their dad and this wasn't the first time he'd called today either. There were four missed calls.
Sam went back to his bed and grabbed his coat. He pulled his own phone out and saw there were no missed calls. Of course his dad wouldn't want to talk to him. But whatever it was his dad wanted to talk about was obviously important. The man wasn't fond about making more calls than he had to.
Sam considered waking Dean, but quickly dashed the thought to pieces. He didn't want to deal with a hung over brother. He set Dean's phone on the coffee table. He eyed his messed up homework then looked at his watch. If he left right now, he could make to his first class and talk to his teachers. He wasn't supposed to be back at school until Monday. But how bad could it be coming back one day earlier?
He put on his coat and went back to the coffee table. As quietly as he could, he put all his school books back in his backpack. Then he slowly opened the front door and closed it behind him.
As he sat through his first class of the day, Sam was starting to see why the psychologist had told him to take a break from school. All the stares and poorly concealed whispers were driving him crazy and making him paranoid.
When the bell finally rang he breathed a sigh of relief. He let the other students go past him as he slowly approached his teacher.
"Hey Sam, didn't expect to see you until Monday."
Sam shrugged. Mr. Troy sat on the corner of his desk.
"I got bored," he said with a small smile.
Mr. Troy tilted his head in understanding.
"You gotta do what you gotta do," he said.
"Something like that," Sam said. "Would it be possible to get another copy of yesterday's homework? I spilled something on them."
"Absolutely," Mr. Troy said Standing up and reaching down into a drawer. "I should have another copy in here somewhere."
"Thanks," Sam said.
"Here you go," the teacher said standing up and handing Sam a piece of paper. "Just read those chapters in the textbook and write a summary for each one."
Sam nodded
"And feel free to take more time before submitting your work if you need it over the next week or two," Mr. Troy said.
Sam folded the paper and put it in his backpack.
"I'd already be done with yesterday's homework, if I hadn't messed up the paper," Sam said. "Cooper's been really good about taking back my assignments."
Mr. Troy frowned.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"He's been turning in my work," he said.
Mr. Troy crossed his arms and shook his head.
"The homework I've gotten from him, is his own," Mr. troy said. "I just figured you'd hand in your work whenever you were ready."
"Oh," Sam said awkwardly.
"I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for all this." Mr. Troy said with a reassuring smile as the bell rang again. "You better get to your next class."
Sam nodded and left the room in a daze. There had to be a good reason. Maybe Cooper just forgot?
Sam shook his head. That couldn't be it because Cooper always came back the next day to get his next assignment.
As he walked into his next class, he realized he had yet to see the other teen today. They shared almost all their classes, including Mr. Troy's. Cooper hadn't been there.
As he went to his other classes he could only think about Cooper. Was he okay? Had he gotten in trouble because of the drugs? Suddenly the pills felt like lead in his pocket. As the stares and whispers continued around him, his paranoia grew that they knew just what was in his pocket. Accepting those pills had been a bad idea. Now he itched to get rid of them.
He struggled to keep his cool as he talked to his teachers. Each one told him the same thing. Cooper had never turned in his finished homework.
By the time lunch arrived, Sam felt so trapped he practically ran for the exit. Once outside though, he faced a different type of anxiety.
"Where do you think you're going?"
It was Dean. And he was angry; very angry.
"I wake up and you're nowhere to be seen," Dean said, his eye blazing. "For all I know, you could've..."
Sam rolled his eyes.
"You were drunk as a skunk, out like a light all night," Sam said, venom in his voice. "If I'd wanted to... do... something... I would've done it then. And there would have been nothing you could've done about it."
Dean seemed taken aback at those words.
Sam sighed.
"Can we just go home?" he asked. He didn't have the patience to deal with Dean and he didn't want to make a scene.
Dean nodded and turned toward the parking lot. Sam followed. Once inside the Impala Dean didn't rush to put the key in the ignition.
Sam didn't say anything.
"I talked to dad," Dean said finally.
Sam looking out his window, avoiding Dean's gaze. Things never went well when their dad was mentioned.
"He thinks there's a werewolf here," Dean continued.
Sam eyes widened briefly. He forgotten about the animal attacks.
"The one in Roseburg had a mate, but he could never find it," Dean explained. "All evidence pointed to the mate moving on weeks ago."
Sam continued to look out his window as he processed the information.
"He wants us to go after it," Dean said.
Sam's head whipped around.
"Excuse me?" he said sharply.
Hunting was the last thing on his mind right now. He couldn't be thinking about killing something else while wanted to kill himself.
"He's on his way right now, but he wants us to narrow down its location."
Sam Shook his head and clenched his fists.
"Look we got to put aside our issues for now, and get this done, or else more people will die," Dean said, pleading with Sam to go along with their dad's orders.
Sam smirked and said nothing. He looked out his window as Dean started up the Impala and pulled out of the parking lot.
If Dean and his dad wanted to act like his issues were something to be swept under the rug, then they weren't worth sticking around for.
If he had his way, this would be his last hunt. Yes there would be more deaths, but he was only planning on two: the werewolf, and himself.
The sun was starting to set as Sam and Dean finished their preparations for the night ahead. Sam hadn't spoken much and Dean hadn't tried to get him to say anything, so silence reigned in the small dwelling.
Dad had yet to check in. And that had Sam on edge. He wanted to get out there before their dad arrived. He had no desire to see the man again.
Both of them were sitting on the couch loading silver bullets into their guns. Dean had watched Sam like a hawk all afternoon. Whenever he had to use the bathroom, Dean made sure he wasn't trying to make off with a gun. It made Sam furious.
Dean's ring tone filled the air. Sam bit it lip as his brother answered.
"Yeah," Dean said. "We're almost ready."
Sam rolled his eyes as he set a gun on a map on the table.
"Another attack?" Dean said.
Sam looked at Dean.
"Yeah, I know."
Dean didn't even say goodbye as he ended the call.
"Dad will be here soon," Dean said.
Sam looked back at the guns on the table.
"But he wants to head out first and get the lay of the land."
There was a knock at the door.
Sam jumped in surprise. Feeling anxious, he quickly stood up, knocking his coat off the couch. Cautiously he opened the door, only to be deeply relieved when he saw it was Cooper.
"Hey Sam," Cooper said cheerfully, pushing past Sam into the house.
He immediately stopped when he caught sight of the shotguns on the table.
"Woah," Cooper said, his eyes wide. "Those are some... nice... guns."
Sam rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Yeah, uhmm, we like to hunt?" he said sounding unsure.
Cooper turned back to face Sam.
"No way! So do I," he said. "Me and my dad go at least once a month. Although I've never gone at night."
"Oh we're not going out now," Sam said, trying to sound casual.
Dean was focused on something in his hands, and wasn't really paying attention to Cooper.
"Come on man, you're fully dressed," Cooper said. "And you have that look in your eye."
Sam frowned and looked at Cooper like he was crazy.
"What look?" he said dismissively.
"The look that says you're ready for some action," Cooper smiled. "Can I come?"
Sam shook his head.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Dude, don't worry, I know what I'm doing, you don't have to worry about me," Cooper said. "I'll just go get my dad's rifle."
Sam smirked.
"Like your parents are going to let you do that," Sam said.
Cooper only smiled.
"My parents trust me," he said. "They let me do whatever I want."
Sam frowned. He didn't like the way that sentence sounded.
"Where were you today?" Sam asked, changing the subject. Maybe he distract Cooper. Besides he was itching for an answer about his homework.
"What do you mean?" Cooper asked confused.
"At school," Sam continued. "Where were you today?"
"You went?" he said sounding surprised.
Sam had the strangest feeling that Cooper was lying, but about what, he couldn't tell.
"I had a doctor's appointment," he answered. "I thought you weren't going back until Monday? I would've been there for sure if I'd known."
Sam bit his lip. The explanation was sincere, but he couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this.
"What about my homework?" Sam asked.
Cooper shrugged.
"I figured I turn it in on Monday, when you came," he said. "I'll be right back okay?"
Before Sam could say another word, Cooper disappeared out of the front door.
"What is this Sam?" Dean asked behind him.
Sam was staring at the front door. He turned around to face Dean.
He was holding up a bag of pills.
Sam took a deep breath.
"Drugs Sam?" Dean's voice was getting progressively angrier.
All Sam could do was shrug.
"I only took them once," he explained.
Dean snorted.
"Yeah, that's why you keep in your coat pocket," he said disbelievingly. "Easy access to your next hit."
Sam made a pass to grab the bag from Dean, but Dean was quick to react.
"I don't think so," he said, stashing the pills behind the couch. "We'll talk about this when we get back. We have more important things to worry about right now."
Sam shook his head.
"Don't we always," he muttered.
Dean sighed.
"Look I didn't mean it like that," Dean rubbing his eyes.
"Sure you didn't," Sam said bitingly.
He walked over to the guns.
"Can I have one of these now?" he said.
Dean hesitated before replying.
"You're just carrying them to the car."
Sam rolled his eyes, as he did what he was told.
Minutes later they hit the road.
