Hello to new followers and readers! Sorry that you discovered this story and then I disappeared for a month lol. Gotta love when things just keep happening.
On with the show!
Sam had never been so relieved to hear the bell. It felt like this day was never going to end. He had been dragging his feet since the moment he got up this morning, going from class to class. Bobby had given him the chance to stay home again, but Sam needed to get out of that house. Besides helping Bobby with hunters or bothering Dean at work, school was his only other distraction.
"Mr. Winchester."
Whispers. No doubt everyone knew something was up. Since Brooke's death, Sam had grown to become quite popular, and not in a good way.
Sam groaned as he gathered his belongings and the other students left the classroom. So close.
"Yeah?" he asked, making his way over to the teacher's desk.
The teacher leaned back in his chair. "Is everything okay?"
No.
"Yes," Sam answered without hesitation. "Why?"
"You haven't turned in your essay on Of Mice and Men yet. It was due last week. And it's not like you to fall so far behind."
Not totally wrong.
Sam shrugged, not really caring. "I'm sorry."
The teacher sighed. "If you have it with you now, I can still give you partial credit. I'll take it as is."
Don't help me.
"I don't," Sam admitted. "I didn't even start it."
The teacher sighed again, looking rather disappointed. "Sam-"
Unanticipated anger rose in Sam. "And I don't care!" he suddenly snapped.
The teacher was appalled by Sam's sudden shift in emotion. His attitude changed to match Sam's. "Watch yourself Mr. Winchester," he warned.
"No! None of this matters!" Sam suddenly screamed, his voice cracking. "It's a stupid, old, boring book and there's more important things than a stupid, old, boring book!"
Sam left the classroom in a hurry as the teacher continued to call after him to stop him. Spoiler alert: it didn't work.
Sam huffed as he made his way across the parking lot toward the Impala. Dean drummed on the steering wheel along to the song on the radio, completely oblivious to his brother's negative attitude. Sam threw open the car door and threw his bag on the floor.
"There he is!" Dean cheered. "How was school?"
Sam pretended to rummage through his bag to avoid answering. Dean noticed his upset brother and his curiosity was piqued.
"Sam?"
Sam sighed harshly. "Don't ask," he snapped.
"That bad, huh?" Dean asked back, a poor attempt at coming off like a joke.
Sam looked around annoyed. Why are we just sitting in the parking lot? "Drive?" he asked with a demanding undertone.
"Not until you tell me what happened," Dean answered promptly.
"God! Nothing happened, Dean!"
"Are you sure? 'Cause you look pretty upset over nothing."
Sam felt like screaming. He would have if there weren't a bunch of witnesses. "I just... had a bad day, okay?"
"Wanna talk-"
"NO."
Annoyed, Dean turned up the radio, rolled his eyes, and drove out of the parking lot.
They arrived back at the house to find Bobby sitting on his front porch. "Look who's back! Man of the hour!"
Sam had never brushed past someone so quickly before. He ran up the porch steps and let the screen door slam shut behind him.
Bobby turned towards Dean. "Now what's up?"
Dean didn't even bother thinking of an excuse. "Hell if I know." He joined Bobby on the bench and leaned his head back. "He was in a mood when I picked him up."
Bobby sighed. "I think we should call John."
"Absolutely not," Dean answered quickly.
"Dean-"
Dean sat back up and faced Bobby. "He's only going to make things worse."
"You don't know that for sure."
"I don't!?" Dean yelled. "Did you forget how he's reacted to everything else that's been happening here?"
Bobby huffed. "Dean, I know your father can be a difficult man, but if Sam tries to do something to himself, there won't be much I can do!"
"You won't have to! Sam would never."
Dean was in denial. Bobby watched him as he started to bounce his leg anxiously.
"Great," Dean muttered, jumping up from the bench and running inside the house. "Now you got me all freaked out over the stupid kid."
Dean raced upstairs. "Sam?" Dean called. He stuck his head in the bedroom, finding Sam's backpack but no Sam. He ran back down the hall. "Sam!"
Bathroom.
"Sammy!" Dean cried. He started banging on the door. "Sam, open up!"
"Go away, Dean!"
"Come on Sam."
Silence.
Dean continued banging on the door. "Sam!"
The toilet flushed, followed by Sam's bitchface opening the bathroom door. "What?"
Dean grabbed Sam and pulled him tightly into his chest, catching Sam by surprise. "You scared me."
Sam's voice was muffled by Dean's chest. "Because... I went to the bathroom?"
"Promise me you'll never do that again."
Sam was even more confused. "Use the bathroom?"
Now Dean was confused. "What? No!" He gently pushed Sam off him but kept his hands on Sam's shoulders. "Promise me you will never, ever hurt yourself."
Suddenly, things started clicking in Sam's mind. He had been acting really off lately and he knew Dean was worried and concerned, but he never wanted Dean to be scared. Sam was scared enough as it is and he thought he was doing an okay job hiding it. Guess not.
"I promise."
"And you'll tell me if you think you want to?"
Sam nodded.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Dean pulled Sam in for another hug. This time Sam hugged back.
Later that evening, Dean and Bobby watched a movie. Dean encouraged Sam to join them, but Sam insisted on doing his Of Mice and Men essay instead, hoping his teacher will give him a third chance. When the movie finished, Dean made that chamomile tea Sam liked to drink and took it upstairs. He found Sam already in bed in the dark room.
"Sam? You awake?"
No response. But not because Sam was asleep. Sam was awake, wallowing in the dark. But he didn't want Dean to know that.
Dean quietly set the tea on the table next to Sam's bed, making sure it wasn't close to the edge where Sam could knock it off in his sleep.
Sam listened as Dean started opening drawers and changing his clothes. He just wished Dean would go back downstairs.
"I know you're not really asleep," Dean said quietly. "I wanted to tell you when I picked you up today that I got the weekend off. Thought we could go do something. Take an overnight trip somewhere, just the two of us. We never hang out anymore and I miss you. And I know you're going through some tough shit right now but I don't know how else to help you."
Sam started tearing up at Dean's confession. He squeezed his eyes shut and rolled his face towards his pillow.
There was a knock on the door. "Your dad's on the phone," Sam overheard Bobby whisper.
"I'll be down in a minute," Dean responded.
Sam listened as Bobby walked back down the stairs, followed by Dean walking towards Sam's bed.
"Happy birthday little bro," Dean whispered. He ran his hand through Sam's hair and bent down to kiss Sam's temple.
Sam didn't move. He had forgotten that was today.
Dean quietly left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
As soon as he was gone, Sam shot up in bed. DAD?
someones-big-sister