"Rise and shine Sammy."
Sam groaned as his brother yanked the blankets off his bed. "Dean it's seven in the morning, We normally don't get up till eight."
"Well this is a special day. We're skipping school and going to -" Dean paused for dramatic effect, a mischievous grin on his face, "- Playland!"
"Playland. Like Playland Playland?"
"Playland Playland. We can go on all the rides you want and eat mini-doughnuts and pay absurd amounts of money for the chance to win stupid prizes. It'll be great."
"Woah. But how…."
"Nope. No questions. Just get dressed, the bus comes in twenty."
Twenty-five minutes later the two brothers sat side by side as the bus sped towards Lonsdale Quay. They were the only people on it apart from a middle-aged man in a business suit and a mother holding a baby. Sam kept looking around nervously as if someone might recognize him and tell the school.
Dean noticed and said, "calm down there Sammy. You aren't going to get caught. What's the matter with you anyway? You've skipped school before."
"Yeah but I had a test today." Sam muttered under his breath, knowing Dean wouldn't understand.
"A test? So?"
"It was a big deal. The math final."
Dean took a breath, "Sam, I understand that you are some crazy freak that likes school, but it's the seventh grade; it's not going to matter and you'll be able to take it later anyways." Sam nodded, slightly mollified and thought that that was probably one of the more useful things Dean had said to him about school.
"Come on, this is our stop," Dean said ten minutes later, standing up and pulling Sam with him.
They stood on the sidewalk as the bus pulled away and Sam looked around, confused, "this isn't Playland," he said. Maybe Dean had been playing an elaborate trick on him, he thought. Then out loud he said, "what are we doing here?"
"Breakfast," Dean said, pointing to a café across the street.
Half an hour later Dean led Sam out of the café and down the road, stopping at a bus stop different from the one where they had got off. Sam opened his mouth to tell Dean as much when a bus rolled up, its destination sign saying Lynn Valley.
"This is our bus," Dean said, "well our first bus. We have to change twice." Sam nodded, things making sense now.
As they sat on what was now the third and final bus, Dean staring down anyone that dared look at them too long, Sam studied Dean. His eyes were bright and his face relaxed, giving the impression that nothing could bother him. However, Sam knew his older brother and Dean's shoulders were tense, his hand in his pocket where Sam knew it was clenched around a knife. Even on a day out with his younger brother Dean didn't take any chances.
Just then he reached across Sam and pulled the string that requested a stop. As the bus slowed Dean got up and looked down at Sam, "We're here." Was all he said before bounding to the door, giving his brother a wide, carefree smile; one none, even Sam, rarely ever saw.
