"… Earth to Sam, anyone home?" sounded a frustrated voice, interrupting Sam's concerned reverie. It had been four days since his father and brother had left to track down a werewolf, and there had been no word from them since.
"Uh, sorry, what was the question again?" Sam replied to a stern looking history teacher.
"Of course I don't mind repeating it a third time for your benefit. Wouldn't want to interrupt your beauty sleep," Mr. West huffed. "By the end of the 17th century, what modern general regions did the Ottoman Empire comprise of?"
"I suppose it would be mainly Southeast Europe, Western Asia, the Caucasus, North and the Horn of Africa… based out of modern Turkey of course. Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." Sam replied with a polite smile, suggesting that butter wouldn't melt.
Mr. West narrowed his eyes, attempting to find a flaw in Sam's response.
"Well Mr. Winchester, I'm glad at least that you've done your reading. Perhaps next time you could start it a little earlier in the evening so that you're not so tired when you arrive in class."
"Sorry," Sam replied, and went right back to worrying about his family.
The rest of the class passed uneventfully, if slowly, and Sam was more relieved than usual well the bell sounded for lunch. Normally he enjoyed history lessons, but he just could not focus today. Exiting the classroom, he made his way along the corridor, and out the main double doors toward the parking lot. He didn't like skipping class if he could help it, but he simply had to go back to the hotel and check if there were any messages from his family. He resented himself for worrying like an overinvolved grandmother, but there was no helping it sometimes. Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him and tensed. Praying that it wasn't a teacher, he turned to meet his follower.
"Hey… I saw you going out the main doors, and it seemed like you were skipping, so I thought I'd follow you since… well since I'm bored, and I have nobody else to eat lunch with anyway." Eric finished his sentence with a good natured grin.
Sam groaned inwardly. It's not that he wasn't always happy to see his friend, but now was really not a good time. He had just been making up his mind that if there was no word from Dean and his dad that he would pack up this afternoon and go searching for them.
"Hey Eric! Listen… I am skipping this afternoon, but it's only because I'm not feeling well, and I'm just going home to rest – it'll be super boring," Sam explained.
"Oh… right, okay." replied Eric, looking downcast.
Eric had been acting particularly gloomy, and even a little resentful for the past week. Sam wondered what was going on, but he honestly had bigger concerns for the time being.
"Sorry dude, honestly," Sam said sheepishly, "but I mean you're not really the type to skip class anyway, huh? You're a good student, you know how much getting behind sucks."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a nerd and I can't handle breaking the rules, I get it" Eric retorted, ears turning pink.
Sam blanched at his friend's sudden bitterness. He really hadn't meant his comment to imply anything of the sort and he wondered where this emotion had stemmed from.
"That's not what I meant at all. What's going on with you, you've been acting weird all week?" Sam asked, not unkindly.
Eric shifted, and didn't meet Sam's gaze for a short while.
"I don't know, I guess I'm just thinking about what things are going be like after you and Dean have left… You've been so out of it these past few days, it kind of feels like you're already gone honestly… Sorry if that sounded like a sentence from a chick flick," Eric attempted noncommittal sarcasm.
Sam felt awful - transience was just an integral and unquestioned part of the Winchester's lives. Sometimes he forgot that not everyone was used to making and then leaving friends behind. Eric read the concern and guilt on Sam's face and felt somewhat ashamed of his resentful attitude. He relaxed and smiled at his friend, cutting him off before he could apologize.
"Listen, forget about what I said, I get it. Obviously you're not deciding to move, and me whining like a prepubescent girl is not going to change anything. But I don't want to be that same scared kid I was before you two came along – and I don't want to just be a good student either. I want to actually act like I have balls for once. Let me skip with you – I don't care if we just hang out and I'll make you fucking chicken noodle soup or something. And maybe you can teach me how to not get my head smashed in by Michael Baker after you're gone." Eric finished his piece, and looked up at Sam with a hopeful expression.
Sam surveyed his friend and considered his earnest speech. He really couldn't say no at this point, or he'd run the risk of really hurting Eric. He mentally ran through the possibilities of what would happen if he invited him back to their dingy motel. He supposed he could check the messages at the concierge without causing suspicion. John and Dean were intelligent enough to be cryptic. And if he did have to pack up and leave? Well he supposed he could figure out something. He was an experienced hunter, and therefore an excellent bullshitter after all.
"Alright, let's go." Said Sam.
The nervous, yet joyous way Eric snuck off campus grounds (he resembled a graceless spider having an emotional breakdown) was enough to convince Sam that he'd made the right choice.