Week 3 before Graduation
Dean cautiously enters the dark room. Sam didn't even turn on the lights when he came in, and it's black inside. Dean stumbles at least three times, which makes it even more of a miracle Sam didn't fall over just once, but he can hear the soft cries coming from Sam's bed.
"Hey, it's me, Dean, you know, your awesome big brother?" Dean jokes half-heartedly. Sam just sniffles, unable to speak.
"How 'bout I switch on the lights, alright? I think I already sliced one calf open on the metal of the bed…," Dean smirks. He can hear a faint laugh coming from Sam's bed. The older brother knows that this is a "yes, alright", so he goes ahead and switches on the lights. Sam is, as already predicted, on the bed, back resting against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest, the mop of brown curls covered in the blue denim of his jeans, and arms defensively put around the long frame. That's the posture Sam always had when he argued with dad. It's a matter of self-protection, to shield himself off of the crap around him. Dean goes ahead and takes his seat on the edge of Sam's bed.
"You shouldn't have done that, Dean," Sam suddenly says, still with the face buried in the denim.
"Shouldn't have done what, Sammy?" Dean frowns.
"You shouldn't have said those things to dad. Now he's mad at you just as well. I really didn't want you to be put through that. It's my business," Sam explains guilt-ridden.
"Sam, you're my business, so your business is mine, too. I wanted to tell dad those things in a while, and just now was the perfect moment to do so. I mean, I don't know if he had some stones for breakfast, but surely he is acting as if he's trying to crap them out now and I am done listening to him telling such shit," Dean says.
"I just didn't think dad would… you know, go as far as to… to trick me, pretty much. He knew I would understand it in such a way that I would be able to join graduation, the ceremony, I mean. He played with that. And that's what hit me so hard. Dad usually doesn't do that. He knew that I was working for that very hard. He knew I spent my days with jobbing in that supermarket, working my ass off, and…" Sam sighs heavily.
"Yeah, I still have a hard time believing you didn't kick that Kirby-dude in the balls yet. For one, he is ugly and fat… plus he stinks, will die a Trekkie-virgin… and for two… he makes you work like a slave… and you're treated as exactly such. I mean, you know, there actually exist laws that forbid such treatment and there even was a war going on for exactly that reason some time ago…" Dean smirks. And yeah, he had a hard time understanding that. Sam, after coming from school, would grab a bite to eat, and that already only on Dean's insistence, and then the youngster run down the street to spend the rest of the day in that supermarket carrying boxes of all sizes around just to put them in the original place, and that since they came to that town. Sam still did all his homework, fulfilled the training-schedule, and was on the hunts. The younger teen really isn't the one to complain, but the one day Sam came back home, the head deeply bowed, his sneakers barely lifting off the ground, dragging himself forward, Dean already knew something was not right with the kid. And when Sam sat down he let out such a cry that Dean jumped out of his boots when he heard it. For a moment the oldest really believed that his brother's neck had snapped into two, judging by that cry and the incredibly loud snap that echoed through the room. Sam had overdone it so much that he couldn't lie flat on the tensed and cramped back for at least two nights. Dean had to put up their entire arsenal of medication and whatever remedy he could come up with to ease Sam's pain at least some. And Dean was pretty damn close to drag him to hospital since the improvement was minimal and the older brother was that close from slapping Sam square in the face because he still considered to go not only to school, but also to work for that Kirby again, even if he couldn't move a finger without it hurting like a bitch. And it took Dean a lot of effort to convince the younger man to leave the work at rest for at least another week and Sam had to promise he wouldn't overdo it another time.
"I know, I know, but I needed the money for the robe and everything," Sam argues with a soft smile. This time he is actually able to meet Dean' gaze. And Sam really looks like hell. His face is over with red blotches and is wet with tears. His eyes are red, too, and he simply looks like a mess.
"And I told you I would lend you the rest of the money," Dean sighs. After Sam's involuntary "holiday" because of his bad back, Dean had almost pleaded Sam to take the damned money to pay for the gown and cap, but Sam had constantly refused. He just told Dean that he needed to do that himself and that it was his job. And no matter how much Dean argued, Sam shook his head and once he was better, the younger man returned to Kirby's shop to work his butt off yet again, and even if Sam didn't witness another day that bad, Dean knew Sam's back must still hurt today from the overdoing it for so long.
"Dean, I needed to do that on my own. It is my thing to have graduation and everything. So it is my thing to raise the money for it just as well. And I wanted to get it the… the legal way, the right way, just once. I could have hustled pool or something, card scram, but I wanted to honestly earn the money, you know? And that is also why I couldn't accept your money. You did enough for me, really. You definitely did me the greatest favor ever with accepting to come and everything, excluding today because that was even beyond that, but… I had to do that for myself, prove myself that I could do it without any help. I earned the grades, I earned the money, I earned the gown, the tassel, the cap… and to me that meant… it meant that I earned to be there that day," Sam explains.
"And you earned to be there, Sammy. You worked more than hard to get there," Dean reassures the younger man, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Even if I earned it… dad's not gonna budge, not after today. He won't even listen to me another time, Dean… graduation's… dead matter now… and so is that speech. I'll tell Mr. Parker first thing 'morrow that I can't accept and that someone else has to do it… yeah, probably is for the best. I don't want to destroy everything for the rest, I mean… they deserve to have a proper speech that day and I would hate to see their faces, waiting for me to give my speech, and I am two states away hunting a friggin' Wendigo. I don't want to disappoint them," Sam says flatly.
"Sam, you are not going to disappoint them coz you'll deliver that damned speech on graduation day!" Dean exclaims confidently.
"Yeah? How? Have me phone them and put me on loudspeaker while we are hiding from the beast?" Sam jokes half-heartedly. Dean has to smirk briefly, imagining the situation, but then he shakes his head forcefully to focus on Sam again.
"Okay, even if I think that would be rather dramatic, and probably one of the most exciting and special speeches ever given… but… no, Sam, you'll deliver that speech because you'll be there in that gown and with that stupid cap. You are going to give that speech of yours," Dean announces self-confidently.
"Dean, dad said…," Sam tries to argue, but he is interrupted by Dean.
"Dad said many stupid things tonight and I give a shit on it! Even if you and I have to hitchhike to get away and back here, we both are going to go to that graduation ceremony, period. I'll make it work somehow, Sammy. You'll see," Dean assures the younger man.
"Dean, you don't have to do this, not for my sake, really," Sam argues.
"I want to do it, Sam. Hell, my little brother is going to graduate. Don't you think that is something I am proud of? And he is orator! Okay, given, kinda the geek position, but hey, all people are at your will for at least a couple of minutes. Of course I am proud of that, Sam! And perhaps there is one of those cute cheerleaders around… meow…," Dean smirks.
"The cheerleaders won't be there because they are mostly seniors and those are graduating that day, means they are in normal dresses with the graduation-gown on tops. And the rest is not going to perform in a stuffed gym. No short cheerleader-skirts for you, bro," Sam grins.
"Hey, dresses are cute, too, and some mothers or sisters are surely available there just as well, Sammy-boy," Dean laughs. There is a moment of silence. And suddenly the room doesn't seem as dark anymore.
"Thanks for that, Dean. You can't imagine how much that matters to me, with everything. Thanks for that, big bro," Sam whispers.
"Just for you, Sammy, just for you. Oh, and I so wanna try the Mexican wave!" Dean giggles.
"You try and you're dead. I'll, personally, do batman-dive down the stage, knock you down, and then I'll strangle you in front of the entire audience. I swear to God!" Sam cries out. Dean just claps a hand on Sam's shoulder. That's the brother he wants to see, not the one in tears, but the one with a smirk on his face, the one with a shimmer in his eyes, the one who is simply happy about having his big brother supporting him along the way.
"What do you have against Mexicans, Sammy? Are you a little racist?" Dean jokes.
"Well, you pull anything close to that and you are going to die in a gym… and that's what I'll engrave on your tombstone just as well: 'Here lies Dean Winchester. He died drowning in a Mexican wave in a school gym. He lived for hunts, fast food, hookers, cold beer, and more hookers, son of a bitch'," Sam giggles. Dean can't help it but crack up laughing at that, too.
"I so want the last part on my tombstone, the first part not, but the last is just amazing!" he smirks.
"I think I can arrange that. I got connections…," Sam grins.
"To whom? Sam I told you so many times not to talk to strangers with creepy jobs!" Dean jokes.
"You know, Kirby considers to open a side branch to his supermarket and sell tombstones with personal engravings for dumping prices! He's said it himself, everyone has to die one day, so why shouldn't we try to make at least a little profit from the inevitable?" Sam snickers.
"Good joke," Dean laughs full-heartedly.
"Who said I am joking?" Sam frowns soberly.
"What? You… you're serious? He actually…?" Dean grimaces disbelieving.
"Gotcha right there, Dean," Sam cracks up laughing. Sam is one hell of an actor sometimes that even Dean, the prince of all liars, gets caught up in the most ridiculous stories he's ever heard.
"Oh, now you're dead, Sam!" Dean exclaims, before throwing himself at Sam to start a mock-fight.
Sam just starts to giggle and laugh as he fights back the attack from his older brother, reviving some of the funniest memories both share since early childhood. Dean will make sure Sam will have his ceremony with speech, cap, and gown because the Sam he is putting into a headlock is his little Sammy and for that little brother he would do anything.