October 16th, 2013

I didn't know if I was delusional or if my powers were starting to come back on their own. The only thing that made sense was that I'd been working to get my emotions more controlled rather than explosive.

A few days after the incident at the diner, Sam and I went for a jog through the park. I rolled my ankle awkwardly, and after closer inspection, it appeared to be sprained. Just a few minutes later, I was able to finish the run like nothing had even happened.

I became curious and needed to explore this a little more to determine what was truly happening.

I was standing at my station, waiting for my pans to heat up before the initial lunch rush came in. The sound of my coworkers shouting across the kitchen was drowned out.

Were my powers really coming back? It seemed a little strange. Although Sam had been able to grow stronger without the demon blood before.

"Maddison! You ready back there? I've got people starting to be seated, so we should be rockin' and rollin' here shortly!" the voice of Erik, the lunch shift manager, called out from behind me.

In my haste, I quickly turned to respond, but I accidentally brushed my hand up against the searing hot handle of one of the cast iron pans that was heating up.

"Damn it!" I blurted out as I reached for the hand that touched the pan.

Erik looked into the kitchen, concerned. "Everything okay back there?"

I looked down at my hand, where a blister suddenly disappeared, and the redness returned to normal. "Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine."

"All right, well, here's your first one," Erik said as he prepared to give me the first lunch order of the day.

October 19th, 2013

"Ugh!" I walked into the motel room, threw my bag on the side table, and collapsed onto the couch.

Sam walked out of the bathroom as he buttoned up a dress shirt. "Rough day?"

"Yeah. That's the second double shift I've worked this week. I really should get better shoes," I said, beginning to channel surf.

"Well, look." Sam handed me a pile of take-out menus. "I'm goin' out with Amelia tonight. So, here's a few bucks. Order yourself some dinner and relax."

"Oh, you're on a first-name basis with her now?" I smirked.

"Uh, yeah. Her and Riot get along really well," Sam said.

"Well, she's a vet, so…" I shrugged. "I would hope she likes dogs."

"True. Hey, listen, I ran into Yvonne at the grocery store earlier." Sam began tying his tie in the mirror. "She asked about a cut that you got the other day at work. Said it was a really nasty one."

I sat up. "Yeah. I actually meant to talk to you about that. I think my powers are starting to come back."

Sam looked at me, worried.

"No. I haven't been doing anything crazy. I noticed it the other day when I fell during our run too." I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the meditation is helping me somehow get in control of it."

Sam shrugged. "There were some children of Azazel who were gaining their powers and learning to control them without demon blood. So you may be just naturally progressing."

"I think so too." I started going through the take-out menus. "I definitely wasn't expecting them to come back, honestly."

Sam had put his jacket on and was adjusting the sleeves. "As long as you're staying safe and not putting yourself in harm's way, then it's okay."

"Yeah, I guess." I gave up on the take-out menus. "What are you guys getting for dinner tonight? All of these look boring."

"Actually, I was thinking of taking her somewhere…" Sam said, almost as if he was unsure of himself.

"Oh, yeah? Any idea where?" I asked. "Hopefully, not Clint's BBQ Pit Shack… I heard they have cockroaches."

Sam chuckled and shook his head. "No, no. I was thinking something along the lines of Kneed Amore Thyme."

"Really?" I laughed. "We made fun of that place the first week we were here. You said it was, and I quote 'too sappy.'"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, well, the names not good, but the food is apparently delicious." He got up and started to walk towards the door.

"Well, have fun tonight," I said.

He hesitated. "Yeah, you too. I hope you find something nice for dinner."

I chuckled. "Unlikely."

Sam nodded. "Maybe I'll bring you back some leftovers." Then he walked out and closed the door behind him.

I sat there for a moment, wondering what to do. I turned the volume on the television up and changed the channel.

"Clint's BBQ Pit Shack, there ain't no better place to get a Smoke Stack." A jingle came on as the commercial started.

A large man wearing overalls and a "clean" apron appeared on the screen, holding a massive platter. "Hey, I'm Clint… that's right… The Clint, and this is my BBQ Pit Shack. Come in today and get your very own Smoke Stack now for only $12.99."

The camera zoomed in on the large platter, which held a pyramid of unrecognizable meats and BBQ sauce slathered on it.

"Folks, here at Clint's, we pride ourselves on supplying the highest quality, cleanest meat dishes this side of the Mexican border." The camera returned to the man in the apron. "Shoot, if you tell them I sent ya, we will even throw in a Pit Shack koozie. Gotta keep that beverage cold."

He winked and smiled at the camera as the jingle came back on. "Clint's BBQ Pit Shack, meat so good, you'll be begging to come back!" The jingle ended, and a very professional voice came over the commercial. "Clint's BBQ Pit Shack is not liable for any food-related illnesses you may or may not contract. Ingredients in the Smoke Stack Special are subject to change due to quality of freshness. All sales are final, and pricing is non-negotiable."

Clint came back on the screen. This time sitting at a picnic table with a plate of ribs in front of him.

He looked at the camera while holding a rib. "Shoot, that's some dang good barbecue."

With a smile, he took a bite out of the rib, and the commercial ended. 817-HOT-MEAT flashed across the screen as the commercial faded out.

"What the hell did I just watch?" I asked myself.

Then looked down at my phone as I began to type the phone number.

"Eh. What could possibly go wrong?" I pressed call and waited for someone to answer.

"Thanks for calling Clint's BBQ Pit Shack home of the famous Smoke Stack. What can I do ya for?" the man asked with a slight southern accent.

"Hey. I'm calling because Clint sent me," I said.

"Did he tell you to order the Smoke Stack? That you'd get some sort of special deal on it if he sent ya?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Shoot!" he shouted. "That Clint sure is crazy. Of course, you get the Smoke Stack Special at the new low price. Would you like any sides with that?"

"What sort of sides do you have?" I asked.

"Well, we've got BBQ Smidgens, Moo-re Meat, Tater's Famous Mash 'ems, Cheesy Mac, and of course our most popular side, Clint's Crispy Corn Nuggetz."

"Who's Tater?" I asked.

The man chuckled. "Shoot, man, I don't know. I think he used to work here. I'll actually go ask someone."

"No, no. It's okay. Uh. I have no idea what any of those sides actually are," I said.

The man chuckled. "Well, then you must not be from around here. I'll just give ya Clint's Nuggetz and the Mash 'ems."

I shrugged. "Okay. Works for me."

I had enough time to wash up and get comfy before the delivery driver from Clint's arrived with my dinner. I opened the door to find a young, maybe sixteen-year-old boy wearing the same sort of outfit that Clint was wearing on tv.

"H— Hey, do you mind helping me take this out of the car?" he asked with a bit of a stutter. "It's a bit heavy for one person."

"Yeah, no problem." I stepped outside.

We got over to his delivery truck, and he opened the back door. I peeked inside to see that he was attempting to pull out a large, nearly three-foot-wide tray with styrofoam containers on top.

"I wish I had friends to share this kind of food with," he said in a very sad tone as he carried the tray into the motel room.

I hesitated for a second, feeling a little awkward. "Well, why don't you take some? That's gonna be way too much food just for me."

He looked up at me. "Oh, no, thanks. I actually have to get back to the Shack. That will be $24.99."

"$24.99?" I asked.

"Yeah. Delivery fee. That's how he gets ya." He laughed, snorting slightly.

I laughed with him. "Okay." I counted the bills and added a little tip, and handed it to him.

He took the money and then just stood there for a moment, not saying anything, still chuckling to himself about what he had said. "Well, I should probably get going, foods not gonna eat itself."

"That's true. See ya!" I chuckled anxiously.

He walked out of the motel and closed the door behind him as I lifted the lid to the largest container. It was just a pile of BBQ-smothered mystery steak-em style meats.

I heard the doorknob turn as the door opened and Sam walked in. He walked up to a Clint's BBQ Pit Shack bag and flicked it with his hand. "Cockroaches, huh?"

I shrugged. "The commercial drew me in."

Sam looked at the containers laid out all over our table. "Well, I hope it was worth it. Doesn't look like you even ate any of it."

I chuckled. "Don't even get me started. They claim to have the best meat, but all I could taste was random chunks of stringy 'meat' flavored chewy bits."

"That sounds horrible." He read the label on one of the containers and cringed as he opened the top. "The Mash 'ems couldn't have been bad."

I shook my head. "No. No, they weren't bad. They were absolutely horrifying. Anyone who does that to a potato needs to serve jail time."

"How do you mess that up?" Sam asked as he lifted a spoonful of Mash 'ems up. He tipped the spoon as the potato mixture spilled off like it was pancake batter. "Oh, that's horrifying."

"Told ya," I said.

"So, was there anything actually good from Clint's?" Sam asked.

I walked over to him with a container. "I think these were a gift from God himself." I held out the container for Sam to take it.

Sam looked in the container. "What's this supposed to be? All I see are yellow crumbs."

"Uh, yeah, 'cause I ate them all," I said.

"They were that good, and you didn't save me one?" Sam asked.

"To be honest, I don't know if they were that great or if I was just hungry." I laughed. "But they were really good and probably the only reason Clint's is still open."

Sam nodded. "Sounds like we have to make a run to Clint's at some point."

October 22nd, 2013

I walked into the half-filled diner.

"Hey. There's a package in the back for you that got dropped off earlier," Yvonne said.

I looked at her, a bit confused. "Um, okay. Thanks. I'll be out in a minute."

I walked into the back, where we got ready for our shifts. Sitting on the table was a rather large box. A note was attached to it:

Sorry that I was so rude the other day, had to put on a show in front of the guys.

-Kyle

I opened the box and saw a dozen roses arranged in a fancy bouquet.

I grabbed the note and walked back out to the front. "Yvonne. You have a minute?"

Without turning from what she was doing, she nodded. "Yeah. Just a second."

I turned and walked into the back and waited a moment for Yvonne.

She came around the corner. "What's up?"

"Uh, Kyle left me this note." I handed it to Yvonne. "And these." I gestured towards the roses.

She smiled as she read the note. "This seems genuinely sweet. Oh, and he got you flowers. Girl, you better keep this man."

I looked at her, a little unsure. "I don't know. I'm not really buying that he 'had' to put on a show for his friends. Still seems kinda douchey, but I'll keep an open mind."

"Sometimes, boys will be boys. But when they have eyes for you, you should be able to put them in their place," Yvonne said with a laugh.

I looked away. "We'll see."

October 26th, 2013

I splashed my face with cold water as I finished cleaning myself up. Pauline and I were closing the diner after a crazy dinner rush.

I took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom to grab my things.

"Okay. I'm heading out here. I'll lock the door, too, so make sure you don't forget anything!" Pauline called out.

I grabbed my bag. "Thank you. Have a good night."

"You too," Pauline said as the door squeaked open and then slammed shut.

I walked out back through the employee exit, but the door quickly closed behind me before I realized it was raining outside. So, I decided to wait for Sam in the back under the small awning by the door. I waved goodbye to Pauline as she got in her car and drove off.

A dark car began to pull around the corner just a few minutes later. I perked up but quickly realized that it wasn't Sam. The car slowly crept across the parking lot until it came to a stop right in front of me. My heart started to beat a little quicker in anticipation. The window rolled down, and I could barely see a man lean over.

"Hello there, Ms. Maddison. I believe I forgot something in the diner if you wouldn't mind letting me in to get it," the voice of Philip, the husband of the year, called out.

I took a small step closer. "What did you lose?" I asked.

"My wallet. I believe I left it right by the register while I was gathering my things," Philip said.

There was no way this man was telling the truth. I cleaned the counter by the register and the rest of the diner with Pauline, and we didn't find anything like that.

"Sorry. I don't have a key. But I can have Erik or Yvonne check in the morning and call if they find anything," I said.

"Aw, well, that's a shame. I was hoping I would be able to get it tonight." He began to roll up the window before abruptly stopping. "On second thought, why don't I give you a ride home? Wouldn't want you getting sick from standing out in the rain all night," he said with a smirk.

"No, thanks. My ride should be here soon," I said.

Philip turned away and opened his door to get out of the car. "Well, take this then." He walked around the car, holding an umbrella. "Wouldn't want you to get too wet. Ya know, because… hypothermia."

My stomach rose into my throat. This whole thing seemed off, and I wasn't convinced Philip was sincere.

"No, thanks. I'm perfectly fine. Like I said, my ride should be here any second," I said with a little attitude.

Philip stepped closer, underneath the awning. I could smell the whiskey coming off of his breath as he reached out and stroked my shoulder. "Just take it," he said with a smile that made my skin crawl.

"Do. Not. Touch. Me." I gritted my teeth at him. "This is a warning."

He leaned down, so his eyes met mine. "I like them, feisty." Philip dropped the umbrella and stepped even closer to me.

"You need to back off," I said anxiously, feeling my body tense up.

"No need to fight it." Philip pushed me against the brick wall of the diner. "I know you've been teasing me." He leaned in and pressed his lips against my neck.

Suddenly, a loud squeal echoed down the alley. Followed by a crash of metal against the asphalt.

"Hey! Get away from her!" Kyle's voice yelled.

Philip turned quickly but was tackled onto the ground by Kyle. I just stood there, frozen, almost in shock by what had just happened.

"I was just offering her a ride home. There's no need for—" Philip's cries were interrupted as Kyle swung his fist down into the old man's face.

Kyle swung again. "Stay away from her." He swung again. "Old perve." He swung down once more.

"Stop, that's enough!" I stepped forward and grabbed Kyle's shoulders, pulling him back as best I could, but he kept swinging.

The roar of the Impala's engine erupted down the alley. I looked to see Sam get out and run towards us.

"Hey, hey. What's going on here?" he asked as he pulled Kyle off of Philip.

Kyle stood up and faced Sam. "This isn't your business. We have everything under control."

"That's my sister. So this is my business. And you beating a man in an alley tells me this isn't under control," Sam said.

Philip began coughing. "I was just trying to give her a ride home."

Kyle stepped toward Philip and kicked him.

"That's enough!" Sam yelled.

Philip rolled over, crying in pain, and started crawling towards his car.

Sam looked at me. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I was waiting for you." I gestured towards Philip. "He pulled up and started being creepy. Then Kyle came over, and then you showed up." I looked at Sam. "Can we just go?"

Sam held his arm out to me. "Yeah. Yeah, come on."

"Maddi!" Kyle called out.

I continued walking with Sam. "Just go home, Kyle!"

I walked out of the bathroom after a long shower. Sam was sitting at the end of his bed, leaned over, and thinking. He jolted up as soon as he heard me come out.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I said.

"Listen, Maddi. I think we should go to the police about this," Sam said.

"About what?" I asked.

"That man," he said, a little shocked. "He just tried to assault you in the alley."

"What are the police gonna do?" I shrugged. "It was handled."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. This time. What happens when nobody shows up to save you?"

"I don't need saving. I can handle myself," I said.

He shook his head. "That's not the point, Maddison."

"Yeah. Well, if we would have left weeks ago when we were supposed to, this never would have happened," I said.

"Maybe not here. But there are creeps like that all over," Sam said, "We need to go to the police so he can't do that to anybody else."

"And what do you think will happen to Kyle?" I asked, "The guy who helped me? He's eighteen and has a football scholarship for next year. He could lose that after they see what he did to the douchebag. I'm not doing that to him."

"I'm sure that they would understand once they begin investigating what actually happened. It's not like he drunkenly beat up some innocent man," Sam said.

"No, Sam. I said, no." I shook my head. "I'm not taking my chances messing up someone else's life when we aren't even going to be here that much longer to worry about the aftermath."

Sam took a deep breath. "Well, actually. I've been meaning to talk to you about that. Things with Amelia are getting a bit more serious. I think we need to stay longer so I can see where it goes from here."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, pissed off.

Sam shook his head. "No, and to be honest, I haven't felt this way since Jess."

I felt taken aback by that. I really didn't know what to say because Sam really loved Jess, and while I wanted him to be happy, I wanted to find Dean.

I shrugged. "So, what? You're— You're just done looking for Dean? Because of some girl?"

"She's not just some girl," Sam snapped and sighed. "We looked for Dean for months, and we have nothing… no evidence of where he is… nothing."

"That's why we keep looking!" I yelled.

"It was always the rule that when something happened to one of us, we would go on and live a normal life. That's what I'm trying to do," Sam said.

"Yeah, and the fine print under that rule says, look anyway!" I said.

Sam sighed. "Look, Maddi—"

I shook my head. "I'm done with your excuses, and I'm definitely done with this conversation. I'm going to bed."

October 31st, 2013

I stood in front of the mirror, doing the finishing touches on my make-up.

"Are they really making you do that?" Sam asked.

I shook my head. "No. Pauline is just very festive and asked us all to dress up. Apparently, they do a trick or treating event at the diner every year."

"Well, that's actually kind of cool," Sam said, "So, you're going as—"

I jumped out of the bathroom. "Zombie waitress. I know, super original."

Sam laughed. "It's a lot better than black clothes and cat ears."

I put my finger to my lips. "Shh… don't tell Yvonne that."

Sam chuckled. "I'll be sure not to. She's— She's kind of scary, to be honest."

"Yeah." I laughed. "She can be pretty intimidating when she wants to be."

I brushed aside the cobwebs that covered the door of the diner and walked in. Looking around the room, Pauline must've stayed overnight to add more decorations to the already highly decorated diner. It looked like a completely different building on the inside. Pauline was standing behind the counter dressed as a witch and began to cackle when she saw me.

"How was that?" she asked.

"It was…" I paused. "Realistic."

She began fiddling with a radio behind the counter. "Hopefully, it doesn't scare the children. Could you come help me with this? Erik dropped it off with no instructions."

"Yeah. What's going on?" I asked.

She gestured towards the radio. "I can't get the boombox to work. I was hoping to listen to some festive music this evening. Get everyone in the spirit, ya know?"

"Oh yeah? Like what?" I asked.

"My personal favorites." She cleared her throat. "'It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater,'" she sang as she swung her arms back and forth and began dancing. "And then there's, 'The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash.'"

I started to laugh. "Is that all?"

"The night wouldn't be complete without." She readied herself. "It's just a jump to the left!" And she jumped to her left. "And then a step to the right. With your hands on your hips," she sang as she put her hands on her hips. "But it's the pelvic thrust. That really drives you insane."

"Let's do the Time Warp again!" we sang loudly together and laughed.

I sighed and chuckled. "All right, let's fix this radio up. People are gonna be coming in soon."

As I was waiting tables, I smiled at all the little kids coming in, dressed up to visit Pauline. She had the storage closet out front, all decorated like a haunted house. The kids would go up, knock on the door, and Pauline would pop open the door.

"Hello, children!" she yelled as if she was Mrs. Doubtfire.

Once the kids yelled, "Trick or treat!" She happily gave them their candy.

A group of young guys walked in, a few in different superhero costumes, a couple dressed like Tom Cruise from Risky Business, and Kyle, who was dressed like the Fonz.

Kyle walked up to me with his friends and pointed at me with both hands. "Aye…"

I shook my head. "That's not what he does. You've gotta do the thumbs, like this…" I demonstrated.

He smirked. "Yeah, I'll try to remember that." He shrugged. "Where do we gotta sit for you to be our waitress?"

I pointed over to one of my tables. "Although, I'm not sure how I feel about three of you guys just wearing underwear while I serve you."

One of the guys laughed and put his arm around my shoulders. "Aw, come on, babe, you love it."

Kyle put his hand on the kid's shoulder. "Ricky, come on, man. Too much."

Ricky pulled his arm from around me. "What? I was just joking."

"Yeah, well, chill," Kyle said.

Ricky put his hands up in defense. "All right, man, whatever."

"Okay, just go get seated, and I'll be right over," I said.

"Okay, guys. Go outside. I'm gonna hang back and pick up the check," Kyle said.

"Sweet. Thanks, Kyle," one of his friends said, and then they all walked out.

I walked to his table and handed him the bill.

He began looking at it. "I'm really sorry about them. They don't know any better," he said as he placed a credit card in the bill folder and handed it to me.

"It's okay. I'll be right back," I said as I took the bill folder from him.

I walked up front, took care of his bill, and brought it back to his table.

"All set." I smiled and turned to walk over to one of my other tables.

"Hey, wait." He stood up. "Listen, um, we're having a Halloween party tonight, and it's totally fine if you don't want to come, but I definitely would be happy if you did."

"Uh." I shook my head. "I don't know. Parties aren't really my thing."

"Well, what is your thing?" Kyle asked. "I see you here basically every day, I've never seen you in school, and I feel like I don't know anything about you."

I shrugged and smirked. "You've never asked me anything about myself."

Kyle nodded and chuckled under his breath. "Yeah, sorry. I'm trying not to be so self-centered. My dad says I need to get my head out of my ass if I want to become something once high schools over."

I laughed. "Sounds like a smart guy." I looked at him for a moment. "All right, well, have fun at your party."

"Wait." He put his hand on my arm and then pulled away quickly when I turned back. "Sorry." He cleared his throat. "Look, if you're not into parties… I still want to hang out. So, how about next Friday on the ninth, you come to my football game. It's one of my last home games I'll play before college, and then after, I'll take you on a date."

I hesitated a second. "Oh, really? Where?"

Kyle shrugged. "I'll figure that out, don't worry about that."

I smirked and shrugged. "Okay, sounds like a plan." Then I turned and walked away.

"Wait, are you serious?" Kyle asked excitedly.

I looked at him over my shoulder and giggled. "Yes. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

November 8th, 2013

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at myself, feeling ridiculous for wearing mascara. Was I really doing this? I had never gone on a date before, and I was honestly nervous. Why was I even doing this? It's not like it's gonna go anywhere. I took a deep breath. Everything's going to be perfectly fine.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Hey Maddi, you've been in there a while," Sam said, "Everything all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be out in a second," I said as I straightened my shirt and turned to the door to leave. I opened the door and began walking out.

Sam looked at me, a little shocked. "Goin' somewhere?"

I hesitated a moment. "Yeah, I actually have a date tonight."

"Anybody special?" Sam asked.

I laughed under my breath. "Uh. Remember, Kyle?"

Sam looked at the floor, worried. "Ah, yes. The hot head?"

I shrugged. "It was just a heat of the moment thing. He's really not that bad."

"I just want you to be safe," he said, "He's already shown how he reacts out of anger once. I'd hate for anything like that to happen in front of you again."

I gave Sam a bewildered look. "You act like I haven't seen worse or that you wouldn't have reacted the same way if you got there first. Hell, if Dean was here, that guy would probably be dead."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but now that we're staying in one place, we have to be more careful of that kinda stuff."

I nodded and looked down, irritated.

Sam continued, "Not to mention, even if it was me, I would have stopped when you grabbed me. He didn't. I just want you to be wary and not drop your guard."

"Yeah, I got it, Sam." I walked to the door. "Thanks for your encouragement, though."

Kyle walked out of the locker room with a group of his teammates. They all high-fived before going their separate ways. Then he and a younger boy made their way towards me and Kyle's car.

"Maddi, this is my little brother Evan. Evan, this is Maddison." Kyle gestured as he was introducing us.

I recognized him right away. He was my Clint's delivery driver. "Hey, Evan."

"Oh. I know you. You're the girl that ordered food for an entire family but were by yourself," Evan said with a squeak in his voice.

I chuckled slightly and nodded. "Yup, that's me."

Kyle cringed. "You ordered from Clint's?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't my best decision."

"And you ate it all? I don't know whether to be impressed or—"

"No. No, I mostly just ate the Corn Nuggetz," I said.

"Oh, those things are the only reason Clint is still in business. Especially since Tater left," Kyle said.

"Tater's real?" I asked.

Evan spoke up, "Yeah. He actually helped Clint open the restaurant. Then he left 'cause he won the lottery and moved to Portugal with his mistress."

I scoffed. "Yeah, well, he would never be able to make that much money off of his 'famous Mash 'em."

"He took the recipe with him. Now they're basically instant mashed potatoes," Evan said.

"Basically?" Kyle and I asked in unison.

"Yeah. Chef Greg uses one real potato for every two cups of instant. So they can say it's real potato," Evan said.

"Ew, gross." I frowned.

"Anyways. You guys ready to go?" Kyle asked and then looked at me. "Oh, we have to stop at my parents' to drop Evan off first. If you don't mind."

I shrugged. "Yeah, that's fine."

We got in the car, and Kyle started it. Celine Dion started blaring through the speakers.

"Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go on. Once more, you open the door."

Kyle quickly turned off the radio and looked at Evan, who was in the back chuckling.

"Got you again, bro," Evan said through laughs and snorts.

Kyle scoffed. "Yeah, real funny. You're gonna blow my speakers, dork."

"Mom said not to call me that," Evan whined.

"Well, stop being annoying," Kyle snapped.

I looked out the window, laughing to myself. This argument sounded all too familiar.

After we dropped Evan off, we pulled up next to a ticket booth at a drive-in.

"That'll be $9.50 each." The girl smiled at us.

Kyle pulled out his wallet and handed her the cash.

She smiled. "Thank you." She handed him a paper. "Pull up wherever you're comfortable, and the show will begin in about thirty minutes."

Kyle nodded and pulled off. He picked a spot toward the back and backed into it, so the trunk of his SUV was facing the screen. Then he handed me the paper. It was a list of the movies playing and a menu for their snack bar. It was labeled:

1980's HORROR AND THEIR REMAKES!

1. My Bloody Valentine (1981)

2. My Bloody Valentine (2009)

3. Friday the 13th (1980)

4. Friday the 13th (2009)

I sighed and shook my head. "The remakes are never as good as the originals."

Kyle laughed. "Yeah, I guess we'll see." He started putting the back seats down. "Do you mind helping me with this?"

"Yeah, no problem." I opened the other door and pulled the seats down with Kyle.

Then we walked around back, and he popped open the trunk. He had a blanket and a couple pillows in the back.

"Do you wanna go get some popcorn or something?" he asked. "We still have a few minutes before they start the first movie."

"Yeah, definitely." I nodded and smiled at him.

He pulled a cooler out from under a seat. "Don't bother getting drinks. I brought some," he said with a smirk and opened the lid to reveal some beer bottles.

I chuckled softly. "Yeah, I don't really drink, so…"

He looked a little shocked. "Really? That's a little strange. Everybody our age drinks."

"Clearly not everybody," I smirked.

He shrugged. "Well then, more for me. Get cozy. I'll go get the popcorn."

"Can you grab me a Sprite too?" I asked.

He hesitated for a moment. "I can, but it's gonna cost ya."

I chuckled and smacked his arm lightly. "Yeah, okay. I'm good for it."

He smirked. "Remember that."

I laughed. "All right, just hurry up. The movie's gonna start soon," I said and hopped in the trunk.

Kyle came back just as the first movie preview was finishing up. "Did I miss anything important?" he asked.

"No, not unless you're interested in watching dancing popcorn." I chuckled.

"I'm very interested in that, actually." He laughed.

I shrugged. "Well, sorry, bud, but ya missed it." I patted the spot next to me. "Climb on in."

"Hold this, please." He handed me the popcorn. "And your refreshing Sprite." He handed it to me as well and then began to climb into the back next to me. He joined me under the blanket.

The movie started, and Kyle turned to me. "Do you mind if I put my arm around you?"

I was a little hesitant, but I felt butterflies in my stomach at the same time.

I shrugged. "Yeah, that's fine," I said, trying to play it cool.

"Okay, cool." He put his arm around me. "Ya know, Ricky told me I should do the yawn and stretch move, but that just seemed a little trashy."

"Or like… super cliche eighties teen romance movie." I chuckled.

Kyle laughed. "Yeah. There's a reason he doesn't go on many dates."

I laughed, and then the movie started playing.

A movie and a half in, Kyle started fidgeting around and leaned in towards me. He placed his left hand on my thigh and then leaned into my neck. I felt his lips touch my skin, and he started kissing me.

I turned and pushed him back slightly. "What are you doing?"

He laughed. "The movie's boring. I thought we could have some fun." He leaned in to kiss me again.

I moved back awkwardly, not really having much space to escape to. "Uh, I'd rather just watch the movie."

"Well, you can do that," he said, leaning in to kiss me again.

I pushed him off of me, not really messing around at this point. "Okay, you need to stop."

"Come on. I did everything I could to make this special for your first time," Kyle said.

I furrowed my brow and shook my head. "First time?" I felt a pit in my stomach.

Kyle nodded. "Yeah. I set up the blankets and pillows, got the popcorn. I even got you a Sprite. We're here on a beautiful night. Everything is perfect. Don't go and ruin that for me. For us."

"Okay, dude," I snapped, "I don't know what your problem is. You said you were gonna take me on a nice date. You were acting sweet, and now all of a sudden, you're a douchebag?"

I could tell that Kyle was getting upset.

"Douchebag?" he snapped, "I have been nothing but nice to you since you came to this town. I told my friends to stop harassing you. I got you flowers. I even stopped Old Man Phil from moving in on you. I did all of that because I'm a nice guy. You didn't seem like the type of girl that needed this much attention. I've been trying for weeks. You owe me this. Now."

I laughed. "Yeah, okay. You don't do stuff for people with the intention of getting repaid. Trust me, if that were true, most of my family would still be alive."

He chuckled. "That's where you're wrong. In this town, I don't need to do things for people. So when I do, they're smart enough to give me what I want."

"Yeah, whatever, screw you, dude," I said and started to move out of the trunk.

He reached out and grabbed my arm tightly. "Where do you think you're going?"

"The hell away from you, dick," I said, ripping my arm away from him and punching him directly in the nose.

He fell back from the momentum. "Oh, you aren't going anywhere." He started to scramble to his knees so that he could follow me out.

I hopped out and slammed the trunk shut before he had a chance to recover from my punch and move forward. I started running toward the road, and once I reached it, I walked off in the direction of the motel.

I wasn't walking for more than ten minutes when Kyle's car screeched to a halt next to me.

"You forgot your drink, bitch!" he yelled and threw the Sprite he had bought at me.

As it exploded down the front of me, he squealed off down the road, going like twenty over the speed limit.

I looked down at my now soaked shirt and jeans. Nope. I am absolutely done with this place. Screw this town.

I stomped up to the motel room door and jerked it open aggressively. Sam wasn't inside, which pissed me off more. He was right about Kyle, and I couldn't even talk to him about it.

I shut the door and jumped into the shower. As I rinsed the soda off me, I made my decision. I was leaving tonight. I didn't care anymore. I wanted to find Dean. Sam clearly had no intention of continuing hunting or searching for our brother. He had given up. Most of the people in this town sucked, and I just wanted out. I didn't care how.

I jumped out, dried off, and threw some new clothes on. Then I quickly started throwing stuff into my backpack. Once I had gathered what I could fit into the bag, I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and sat down to write Sam a note.

You were right about Kyle, total douche. I'm okay, but I need to leave. I told you I would give you two weeks and it's been over two months. I'm going to find Dean. Don't bother looking for me, I turned my GPS off, and I'll make sure you can't find me. I'll call you every once in a while to give you an update, but nothing more. I hope you're happy with Amelia… Seriously. Tell whoever you want about Philip and please tell Pauline and Yvonne thank you and bye for me.

- Love Maddi.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the town sign was in my sights, but I needed to find a car or something. Walking was just going to take too much time. I stopped walking and sighed, looking around for a second. That's when the street sign to Kyle's neighborhood caught my eye. I knew exactly where I could get something.

I speed-walked down the street to his house as it started to grow darker, and the streetlights clicked on. I spotted the glimmer of Kyle's motorcycle that he stupidly likes to leave in his driveway. I looked around, making sure no one was outside to see me, snuck over to the bike, and stayed low behind the other cars.

I snuck around to the back of the bike and opened the saddlebag when something shiny caught my eye. I reached in and pulled out a set of keys. How does he get through life being such an idiot? At least this made my job easier. I stuffed my backpack into the bag and flipped the kickstand up, then I carefully wheeled it down the driveway into the street. I unhooked his helmet from the back and slipped it on as I straddled the bike. Then I put the keys in the ignition, started it, and the engine revved loudly.

As I got my bearings, Kyle ran out of the front of the house. "Hey, what the hell?!" He screamed as he ran down the driveway.

I smirked over my shoulder at him and took off as I flipped him off.

I passed through a few towns, and after about two hours, police sirens came on behind me. I groaned to myself and pulled over as the flashing lights got nearer. Please keep going.

"Damn it." I sighed as the cop car came to a stop about ten feet behind me.

The officer got out of the vehicle and began walking towards me. My heart raced as I turned the bike off and removed my helmet.

"How are we doing tonight, sweetheart?" the officer asked.

"I'm good," I said anxiously. "How are you, sir?"

"I can't complain. Now, do you know why I pulled you over?" he asked.

"I'm honestly not sure," I lied through my teeth.

"Well, see, the thing is that a bike, just like that one there," he said as he pointed to Kyle's motorcycle. "Was reported stolen a few towns back. You know anything about that?"

I shook my head, trying to look shocked. "I can't say I do."

"I'll just need to see your license and registration. Once it comes back clean, you can be on your way," the officer said.

"Is it okay if I step off the bike? They're in the saddle." I smiled sweetly.

The officer took a step bike. "Of course."

I stepped off the back and turned toward the saddle, opening it carefully, trying to take my time to think, without tipping him off that something was up. I pulled my "license" out of my backpack easily, but now I had to search for the registration. I pulled my backpack the rest of the way out and looked into the bag, hoping it was going to be in the bottom like the dumbass put his keys, but it wasn't there.

"Is there a problem, miss?" the officer asked."

"Oh, no, no," I said, trying to maintain a calm voice.

Then I spotted a zipper inside the bag and quickly unzipped it. When I opened it, the registration was sitting right inside.

"Here it is." I turned around and handed the officer the registration.

"And your license," the officer said, still holding his hand out towards me.

I reached to hand him my license and let it slip through my fingers.

"Oops, sorry about that," I said sweetly.

The officer bent over to pick up the license. "Don't worry about it, darlin'. I'll get it."

I slung my bag over my back and quickly hopped on the bike, started it, and hit the gas as fast as I could, squealing the tires as I took off. I heard the sirens wail behind me, but they quickly faded into the distance.

November 9th, 2013

Once I passed a sign going into Sweetwater, Texas, I ditched the bike in an alley and pulled a different sweatshirt out of my bag.

I walked to the nearest gas station to grab something to drink and a hat, but when I looked at the cash I had in my pocket, I only had a couple bucks. So, I grabbed a drink from the cooler and a beanie off the rack. I made sure nobody was looking, and then I slipped the hat into my jacket. I quickly paid for my drink and then walked out.

As I walked back to the road, I ripped the tags off the beanie and twirled my hair into a bun before pulling the hat over my head. I started walking down the street when a car pulled up next to me.

The driver rolled their window down, and a man a little older than me leaned over. "Hey, you lost? This part of town isn't too safe for a lady to be walkin' this time of night."

I nodded. "I'm good."

His car crept ahead to keep up with my pace. "Ya sure? 'Cause I could give you a ride. I'm headed over to Pettit myself. I can drop you off along the way if you aren't going that far."

I hesitated for a second. "How far away is it?"

The man chuckled. "You don't know where you're off to, do ya?"

I sighed and shook my head. "No, not really."

"Tell ya what. We's supposed to be getting a storm tonight if—" Before he could finish his sentence, rain started pouring down in sheets. "Better hop in quick!" he yelled.

I shrugged to myself and decided a dry car ride anywhere was better than miles of hiking in the pouring rain and hopped in.