Welcome to the Club

Things are not always what they seem
She will always say what she means
You'll never know who your friends really are

Don't Turn Your Back, Blue Oyster Cult

"She?" Dean asked, but only Sam heard him.

"Oh, there she is," Jane said, sitting up straighter at her desk and looking studiously forward. Neither one of them saw where Jane indicated the professor's arrival had come from. Dean and Sam looked around at the entrances to the room. There were three in all, the one they had just come through from the basement and two from the first floor of the North Hall that were at the back of the classroom. They tried to locate the professor among the incoming students, but saw no one who fit the bill.

"You're sitting in on a good day," Jane whispered as she leaned across Sam's desk to talk to both of the boys. "The students are having presentations right now. Professor Marten lectures on different folklore and mythological beasts and such, and then the students each pick one for further study. Each student gives a presentation and then the final covers both the professor's lectures and the extra information from the students' presentations."

"The students give presentations?" Sam asked Jane to show he was paying attention.

"Yes. You see, the professor will give pretty detailed lectures, but she'll always leave out bits of information for the students to find and present to the class. The presentation, along with some quizzes and a final, determine the students' grades," Jane told him just as a bell began to ring.

"All right, please take your seats," said a young woman from the front of the room, "that was the bell, people." The students began to quiet down and take out notebooks and pens.

"Is that another TA?" Sam asked Jane. She looked at him like she was waiting for a punchline.

"No," she said with a small laugh when it didn't come, "that's Professor Marten."

Dean and Sam looked as one to the front of the large classroom. The professor was a young woman, no older than Dean if he had to guess. She was 5'4" if she was lucky, but what she had lacked in height, she gained in physique. Professor Marten had the sort of hourglass figure that all women wanted, but didn't seem to notice she had. While most women would have worn something low cut, she wore a turtleneck sweater of deep green that accentuated the red in her pony-tailed dark auburn hair. As Jane had stated earlier, the professor wore jeans and some brown slip-on loafers. Her eyes were dark and hypnotic behind her small rectangular wire-rimmed glasses.

"OK," Professor Marten said, looking down at her notes. "Today we have Marcus," a quick look and a smile to a student not far from the front of the room, "and he will be telling us all about the Manticore."

When no one in the room moved, Jane began to tentatively clap her hands and glance around. Many of the students followed her lead, but Marcus sat still and smirked at his teacher, slightly shaking his head.

"Mr. David," the professor said after the uncomfortable applause died down, "we're waiting." She smiled and added, "Don't be shy." She gestured to him to come to the from of the class, "You're presentation please."

Marcus David, no more than a junior, Sam thought, sat quite still and continued to sneer at his teacher.

"This is so stupid," he said simply, looking around as he snickered, hoping to find some support. "There's no such thing as mandicorts."

"Oh dear," Jane whispered anxiously.

Dean shook his head and tried not to laugh at Marcus. The rest of the class gasped at his insolence. Sam studied the professor and tried to figure out why Kole Marten seemed so familiar. But the professor, she just grinned at her student.

"Mr. David," she smiled with her lips but not her eyes, "I don't suppose that you still have a copy of the syllabus that I handed out at the beginning of class?"

If they hadn't been already, all eyes shifted to Marcus, and his sneer began faltering under the weight. Everyone looked at him quizzically, except for the professor, whose smile was still plastered on her lips. Without waiting for him to answer, she smacked a copy of the syllabus on the middle of the three overhead projectors.

"I lecture on the supernatural," Professor Marten began, smile on her lips and nowhere else, "you take notes. You pick one, and only one, being to focus your presentation on. I have not, nor have I ever asked for you to believe in these beings. That is not the point. The point is for you to research the beliefs of another culture and to report on it. Your fellow students' grades may just depend upon your report. Up until today, no one has had any problems with this…"

The entire class, excluding Marcus and Dean, seemed to look around awkwardly.

"So, this doesn't happen a lot, does it?" Sam whispered to Jane.

"Never," she uneasily whispered back.

"Well," Professor Marten began when it was quite apparent that Marcus had not completed his assignment, "I guess the class can thank you, Mr. David, for allowing us to finish the period early. Of course," she said as if it had been an afterthought, "they'll also be able to thank you during the final when they don't know any of the answers that you were to provide for them." Marcus shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Dad…?" Sam said to himself, suddenly realizing who the professor reminded him of. She had the same crooked grin that Dean and their dad shared and the same unyielding, no-nonsense manner that John Winchester was famous for. From what Jane had said of the professor earlier and what he was seeing now, Sam could tell that Kole Marten was firm but fair and did not hesitate to show her hardhearted side when needed.

"So, I guess you're all free to go… unless someone can help Mr. David, and the rest of his classmates, out of an unfortunate situation…"

Everyone looked around, pleading for someone to have some answers. Dean looked around as well, only for a different reason. He raised his hand with apprehension.

"Yes," the professor said, catching sight of Dean, "Mr… um…" she looked to Jane for assistance, but Jane shrugged, unable to give her the answer.

"Winchester," Dean said strongly. "Dean Winchester."

For a moment, Professor Marten locked eyes with Dean and a hint of recognition seemed to illuminate her face. She glanced at Sam and the same expression appeared. She gave a slight grin that didn't explain anything to Dean or Sam.

"Winchester?" the professor said, almost lost in thought, but then repeated, "Mr. Winchester? Are you auditing this class?"

Dean turned to Sam and Jane, both nodded hastily.

"Yeah," Dean told her with a nod, "but I know all about Manticores." The professor smiled again, but with more warmth.

"Really?" she asked. Dean nodded shyly. "Well, I have to say that you would be the first sit-in I've had that would participate in class. But, if you would like to tell the class about Manticores, then I am sure some of them would… really appreciate… it." She gestured for Dean to stand.

"Well," he fumbled as he stood up and faced the class, "the Manticore is said to inhabit the jungles of India…" he began. Professor Marten gave him an approving grin and a nod that seemed to give Dean more strength. He continued his speech, every so often looking for Professor Marten's smile, which she gave him readily. Slowly, the students became engrossed in the subject and began taking notes as Dean spoke.

As Sam listened to his brother give the class a very detailed lesson about the Maticore, he felt a little guilty. Had there been classes of interest for him, Dean could have done very well in college.

When Dean was finished, there was only a small pause before Professor Marten began the applause. Dean gave a shy smile as he took his seat once again.

"Oh, I'm afraid you don't get out that easily Mr. Winchester," the professor said. At Dean's look of bewilderment, she grinned and looked up at the rest of the class, "Q and A?"

Everyone looked around, but no one spoke up. Professor Marten sighed, yet still smiled.

"If anyone happened to miss the color of the Manticore's eyes or how many rows of teeth it has in each jaw, you may feel inclined to ask Mr. Winchester… now…" she said with a slightly weary tone. Nearly every hand in the class rose.

"The Manticore has blue eyes," Dean said with a bashful half smile, "and three rows of teeth in each jaw." After a few more questions, the class was dismissed and filed from the room abuzz with conversation. The students, with the exception of a glowering Marcus David, appeared to be captivated by Dean. And, nearly all of the female students made sure to give him a final smile before leaving.

"Let me introduce you to the professor," Jane said when they were the last four people in the room. She led the way to where Professor Marten was gathering her up her belongings.

"Jane," the professor began when she looked up to see the three of them nearing, "lucky for you the class didn't go any longer. Do you realize that its almost 2:45?"

"Oh no!" Jane said with worry, "My interview is at 3:00!"

"Well, be careful getting there. The roads are still slick from the snow. And good luck," the professor smiled, "you deserve this. Just be yourself and you'll do great."

"Thanks," Jane called over her shoulder as she walked as quickly as her heels would allow.

Dean and Sam watched her go, unsure how to begin without Jane's introduction. They turned back to see Professor Marten looking at them with amusement. Now that they were closer, Sam could see why her eyes had seemed so mesmerizing. They were actually dark green and had deep brown flecks in them.

"So," she started, looking from one to the other as she spoke, "Dean and Sam Winchester."