Summary: Delaney Mannings is dropped off with the Winchesters a few months after her father's death. She stays with them for two years and they become close. What happens when she has to go? What happens when she comes back?

Chapter 25: Momma

Delaney's POV

The school wasn't that far so I thought I would be able to make it on time. And anyway, I was a hunter or in training to be so piece of cake.

It was already starting to darken, the sun setting, slowly becoming twilight. I walked on, down the empty street, the concrete hard under my flats. I regretted putting on the shoes now.

One or two cars passed every five minutes meaning this side of town wasn't visited much. I doubted this town was visited much.

"Praise the lord!" I said when I saw the school. Kids were all splayed out outside of the school. They were talking and running around, chasing each other. I crossed the parking lot and tried for the front door.

"Hey! You're that new girl, Delaney, right?"

I turned.

There was a group of boys, the big types that most likely played sports. Maybe even the football players themselves.

"Yeah." I answered simply.

"You cheerleading?" A big one asked. He was tall and kind of intimidating in his physical appearance and stance. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. He was the one that had spoken the first time.

"Yeah. I guess so. Jenna said I mostly have to just stand there and wave my pom-poms." I answered.

"Good. Bad timing you have, though." He shook his head.

"Why?" I stared at him closely.

"I'm sure you've heard of all those murders or suicides or… whatever they are. They're going after cheerleaders." He said seriously.

I stared at him then at his group of boys. They weren't snickering so I figured he was serious about being serious. I had observed over the years that men or males usually refused to accept the things that had to do with supernatural beings or strange things. They judged you crazy and usually made fun of you after. These boys were actually warning me and even Gerard and David had seemed serious. The girls had been the ones to dismiss it. Either this whole package deal was really bad or it was really bad for this town. Maybe they were acting this way because they had never seen something of the likes.

I looked back at the speaker, "You think something did this?" I asked, shifting my weight onto my other foot.

"I… don't know. I don't know whether it's real or not or a thing or someone. I just felt like you should know and be warned, Delaney." The guy shrugged.

"Well… thanks." I turned back to the entrance.

"I'm Derek, by the way." He called out.

I turned to him, my hand on the door. "Nice to meet you." I gave a small smile then stepped into the school. Immediately after, startling me, my phone gave a ring and I removed it from the little pocket of my skirt. I put the cell phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Laney. Are you at the school?"

It was John.

"Yeah." I looked up and down the hallway for people. Clear.

"What is it? A football game?" I could hear the rustling of paper in the background.

"Yeah." I said again. I wanted to keep this conversation as normal as it could be. Or sound as normal as it could be. I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to go into a restroom and into a stall or into a janitor's closet.

"Do you have any stats for me? Clues?" We hadn't seen each other at home so I hadn't been able to report my facts to him.

"Okay, so in the morning the girls asked me to be part of the squad or team or whatever. They warned me about the murders. They said people had started to leave, mostly families of girls on the squad. Shops have been closing down. People are really scared." I said softly.

I looked up and down the hall for a janitor's closet. I found one and I silently opened the door and slipped in. I turned the light switch on.

"I checked some stuff out at the library. Newspaper articles and stats from the high school."

"Oh, and Jenna gave me some interesting information earlier. She said that Bree, the most recently killed, had been acting strange before her death. Slutty and a party-goer. I also found sulfur in the coach's office." I muttered. "Do you think it might be the coach? She probably spends a lot of time with the girls. The demon might be in her now. I haven't met her or seen her but…"

"I don't know. Maybe. Watch the girls and even the coach if you have a suspicion. So far the demon has been sticking to young girls. The girl's have access to the coach's office?"

"Yeah. Jenna even had her own key." I rolled my eyes even though no one was in there but me.

"In that case, it could be any of those girls and the coach. Do you have your stuff?"

"Yes. Knife on thigh, phone, small bottle of holy water, and exorcism mambo in my head." I reassured.

"Take care. Call me if there's a problem." John seemed about to hang up.

"Wait!" I said loudly.

"Yeah?"

"Where's… Dean? Is he home yet?" I asked.

"No. I have no idea where that boy is. I swear when he gets back-"

"Don't. Just… be easy on him. Just this once." I said quietly.

"I don't know… I know you kids think I'm some type of monster and that all I care about is the hunt. I don't, Delaney. That's not the only thing in my life. You kids...you are the reason I treat you like this. So strict and disciplined. And, you know it's for your own good. I wish I could go easier and be more… more like the dad you kids would want me to be, but I can't. I'm not going to go easier on you or Sam or Dean if it means you'll end up dead."

I stayed quiet. It took me some time to open my mouth and say this, "I understand. And...you're doing well. No matter what anyone thinks. M-Mary… she'd be proud of what you've done. She'd probably tell you to go a little easier on that mysterious demon. What… w-what I'm saying is… she'd want you to be careful." I waited for his reaction. I don't know, but I kind of expected some furious reaction.

"Thanks. Be careful."

He hung up.

I stuck my phone back in my little pocket and headed for the football field. The girls caught me on the way.

"Delaney! You look… beautiful! So amazing!" Jenna squealed, running at me and trapping me in another one of her killer slightly scary hugs.

"Yes, you do!" Leslie smiled then frowned a little. "You're missing something, though."

Jenna immediately pulled back and examined me too. She frowned also.

"What?" I fingered my pearl earrings.

"Bridget, can you give me my bag?" Leslie held out her hand for it, staring at me closely.

I was getting a little uncomfortable.

A redhead, pretty, short girl handed Leslie a large heavy-looking tote bag.

Jenna's eyes dawned over like she knew exactly what was going to happen.

I had no idea.

"We're going to fix you up!" Jenna squealed. Leslie smiled and they all led me to the nearest girl restroom. They emptied out a trash can into a smaller one and they made me sit down on the upside down larger one.

"Oh no, girls. Really." I said but they ignored me.

Jenna was talking non-stop, squealing and giggling at the weirdest moments.

"You look so pretty already but we want you to look outright fabulous! Leslie, here's the curling iron. No-Haley-I don't have the mascara. See? I told you. Anyway, you're going to look stunning!" Jenna giggled.

Well, hell.

…

"Done!" Leslie announced.

They had done my hair and now it was in long curls down my back and on the sides of my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but keep my eyes glued to myself. I looked so different. I had the make-up, more than I would usually put (lip gloss and eyeliner) but they had kept it to a standard. I was so glad I didn't look like a clown.

"Oh and how about we change those earrings to these!" Jenna reached for my pearl earrings while Bridget showed me some small diamonds.

"No!" I covered my ear lobes. "No… not those."

"Oh… okay." Jenna nodded.

"Okay. The football game is in… ten minutes. Let's get going!" Leslie swung the bag on her shoulder.

We exited the restroom and in a few minutes found ourselves in a football field. The school field was nice and clean. I hadn't ever been to a school football game but from what the teachers said in the big cities, the school football fields weren't usually clean.

The bleachers were full from both sides and already kids were yelling at each other in excitement and trying to scream insults loud enough for the opposing team's fans to hear.

"Come on, we have to stand on the sidelines." Jenna moved me on.

Bridget and I got to be the ones that just stood there and wave our pom-poms while behind us, mysteries and atrocities were going on.

I soon realized that this cheerleading team wasn't just about pretty faces. They were outright ninjas! I had to try really hard to keep my eyes forward and smile a "dazzling smile" like Jenna said. Bridget seemed to be pulling it off just fine but I wasn't so sure about mine.

What in the hell would I have to smile about? But…I tried.

These girls had actually turned out to be so different from what I had pictured. They weren't in the least stuck-up. I had the feeling I was more stuck-up. They were sweet and caring. Boy, had I been wrong.

No son-of-a-bitch demon was going to get its hands on any other one of these girls.

Momma was going to make sure of that.

Yay, Guys! We're doing awesome!

Sorry for not updating sooner but I was busy!
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~Mar98