Chapter 6
Disclaimer: Still don't own.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I hope you enjoy this chapter. The usual thanks go out to Soar, JuliaAurelia, and Sinead-Conlan.
"Dean, get out of the car," Sam insisted.
"It's not too late for you to do this, Sam," Dean said trying to stall.
"Yeah, it is. We've established that I know nothing about physics, and dad can't even spell the word, so the students would end up being taught about psychics," Sam replied, trying to set his brother at ease.
"They're going to see right through me," Dean said. He wasn't used to being this unsure about himself and he didn't like it.
"Dean, I got set straight on a lot of things these past couple of days. I know you can do this. Dad believes in you, and so do I," Sam said sincerely.
A genuine grin lit up Dean's face, as it often did when he received rare praise from his dad or brother. "Wish me luck, Sammy," Dean said as he got out of the car and headed toward the gate to check in.
"Hey, Dean," Sam called after his brother.
"Yeah?" he said over his shoulder.
"It's Sam, jerk."
"It's always gonna be Sammy, bitch," Dean answered back as Sam knew he would.
"Me and dad will pick you up at 4," Sam said as he drove off.
Dean watched Sam drive away. He really wished he was back in the car. Knowing he had no choice now, he went to the guardhouse to check in.
-----
Dean relaxed a little when he managed to check in with no problems, and was given directions to the administration building. However, stepping through the gates put his heart right back into his stomach.
It was like he had entered another world. It was hard to believe that he was looking at a school. It was like a miniature city. The buildings were all state of the art. There were full sized athletic fields for every sport you could think of.
The worst of it was that everywhere he looked, people were dressed in suits and ties. Dean, himself, was wearing a pair of jeans. He was thankful that he had listened to Sam, and put on a pair that were clean and had no holes, Dean had wanted to wear his jeans that were ripped at the knees, saying that he felt that it would help him relate to the kids better. He'd put his brown shirt on and had buttoned it up, and added the black sports jacket from the suit that he had brought during the airplane demon case. He wished now that he had just worn the whole darn suit. Knowing that there was nothing he could do about it now, he just made his way to the administration office. Upon entering, he gave his name to the receptionist and sat down, waiting for his name to be called. He tried not to fidget. This reminded him of being called to the principal's office when he was in school.
"Mr. Newstead, Principal Maddock will see you now."
Dean stood up, swallowed nervously, thanked the receptionist, and went through the door she had pointed him toward.
-----
Dr. Chad Maddock sat behind his desk, going over the file of his new sub. He was in an extremely bad mood. The most recent physics teacher had broken his collar bone, and had quit. So his time, which he really didn't have, was spent calling candidates to come in for interviews. The head of the board of directors had told him in no uncertain terms that he was getting tired of the accidents, and that he had better get to the bottom of them. The problem had been going on for decades, he hadn't understood why it was such a big deal now, until he'd been informed that Yorktown was in the lowest percentage of scores in sciences of all private high schools. They'd apparently lost 2 students, whose fathers had been the school's biggest donators. The board was looking for someone to blame and unfortunately, Chad found that it was his head on the chopping block.
So to say he was in a bad mood was an understatement, and he took it out on the first guy he saw. The new substitute physics teacher that had just come into his office.
"We have a dress code," he said by way of introduction.
"Sorry, sir," Dean said respectfully. "The school board just called me and asked if I could be here this morning. They never said anything about the dress code. I'll make sure I'm dressed properly tomorrow," Dean said hoping he sounded sincere. He was really hoping to wrap this up quickly. He didn't want to have to come back tomorrow.
"I'm sorry," Chad apologized immediately. It wasn't this guy's fault. "It's understandable and believe me, you're not the first one. It's just been one of those mornings. I just got off the phone with the head of the board of directors. Trust me, that one could try the patience of a saint."
"Tell me about it. I know someone just like that," Dean thought, and a small grin erupted on his face when he thought about how many times Pastor Jim had said that about his dad. "Don't worry about it."
"So what exactly did the board tell you?" Chad asked, as he rubbed his brow. He could feel a headache coming on already.
"Not much," Dean said honestly. Jefferson had said that he knew someone on the board of directors for the school that owed him a favor, and would set it up. Dean really hoped he wouldn't be asked for the name of the contact, as neither his father nor Jefferson had told him that. "I was just asked if I could sub for the physics teacher, since he'd had an accident. He didn't say how long though."
"We'll we need to replace him. Mr. Wellesly decided that he wasn't coming back. It will take me a few days to replace him though. Have you heard about the accidents?"
"Yeah," Dean said. "You seem to go through a lot of physics teachers."
"I hope you're not worried, we've never had a problem with subs, just permanent teachers."
"I'm a teacher," Dean said lightly. "That means I don't scare easily."
Principal Maddock smiled. "You're right about that. I guess only the truly brave become administrators."
"Or just the truly crazy," Dean blurted out and then wished he'd bit his tongue.
Chad burst out laughing and decided that he liked this young man. "I think you're right," he agreed.
"Do you have a lesson plan that I should be following?" Dean asked, glad the man hadn't taken offence to his joke. Please tell me you do, he said to himself. He had looked up some information on the internet the night before, but he still wasn't confident in his ability to lead a class.
"No," Chad said with a sigh and Dean bit back an urge to groan. "That's the problem. The kids aren't learning anything. There are so many substitutes, and cancelled classes, assignments and tests. The students love it for that reason and it's actually a very popular class. It's like a free period for them. The thing is, they're not learning, and it's affecting their scores on tests. We rank near the bottom in national testing in our science scores, and we just lost two students because of it."
Dean could suddenly understand why the guy had been in such a bad mood when he walked in. "Because of that, your head's on the chopping block?" Dean guessed, echoing the man's earlier words.
"Yup, so whatever you can do, it would be appreciated. Here's your schedule. You can call me at 555-5739 if you have any questions or need anything."
"Thanks for the heads up," Dean said. He wondered if he would actually even have to teach. Sammy could have done this.
"Here's your schedule and class lists. Good luck," Chad said as he handed an envelope to Dean.
"I'll do my best," Dean said, hoping he sounded confident.
-----
After getting directions to the science building, Dean went straight to his classroom. He was glad that when he looked at his schedule, he didn't have a class during first period. It would give him a chance to look around, and hopefully scan the classroom for EMF.
It was strange being back in a classroom. He hadn't been in one for ten years. He smiled when he realized that they hadn't changed much. There were still the desks, and the chalkboard. This one though, had something other classrooms didn't. A lot of state of the art lab equipment. Dropping out was something he wasn't proud of, but at the time, it had seemed like the only solution. He couldn't let it happen again. He shook his head, trying to keep himself out of the past. He really didn't want to dredge up those memories, instead he pulled out his homemade EMF meter.
He was suddenly so overwhelmed with memories though, that he had to sit down. As much as he didn't want to go there, he found himself pulled down memory lane.
------
PAST
Dean made his way down the hall, glad that it was finally the last class of the day.
They had just arrived in town the day before and John had left that morning on a hunt. A need to know hunt, where his father had decided he didn't need to know, and Dean had no idea where his father was. He understood that his father had to leave. His dad was a hero. Dean just hated it when he didn't know where his dad was, or what he was fighting, or worst of all, not knowing when he was coming back. Like he's always so punctual when he does give you that information. Shut up, Dean. He was so not allowing himself to go there.
Dean's father had managed to find his eldest son a second hand junker of a car. It looked like crap, but it ran well enough for Dean to get himself and his brother to and from school, the library and the grocery store. So that morning, he had driven Sam to school, and enrolled him under the name Wilson. He had wanted to use something more creative, like Bonham, but Sam had put his foot down, as had their father. Dean was always a little nervous when he registered them at a new school, that their old school records wouldn't arrive in time. One of his father's hunter friends, a computer expert, usually doctored them to make them reflect whatever name they were currently using. Dean wished he and Sam could be in the same school. How was he supposed to do his job and keep an eye on his baby brother if he wasn't there?
This school was like any other Dean had been in. Classes were typical and he was bored silly within 10 minutes. The only time Dean had ever liked school was when he went to Eden Academy and could be himself. Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone though. That school just had too many bad memories attached to it. Dean made sure to stick to his father's rule about not getting noticed, so he did his best to blend in with everyone else.
One would think "playing dumb" was easy, but it wasn't. Dean had to find a balance. He didn't want to fail too many tests, because that would get him noticed just as much as being too smart. He had to do just enough work to make him an average student, not just on tests, but questions that teachers asked in class, as well. He had made that mistake before and he was determined not to make it again. The problem was that when you got right down to it, Dean was getting tired of pretending all the time. He felt resentful toward Sam, that his brother didn't have to do it.
For the most part though, Dean was managing to play his part. The problem was his physics and math classes. It was an area where he had always excelled, and the area in which he found it the most difficult to play down his natural ability in, because most of the stuff fascinated him.
The biggest problem Dean was finding in this school was the fact that he didn't want to disappoint his teacher. Chase Atley taught both his math and physics classes.
On the first day, Mr. Atley wanted to get a read on his students' abilities. His teacher had put a particularly difficult problem on the board and asked his class to solve it. Not being able to help himself, Dean had blurted out the answer before he really thought about what he had been doing.
Dean wanted to curse himself when Mr. Atley had asked him to stay back after class. He had spent the entire class trying desperately to come up with an excuse as to why he knew the answer. His father was going to kill him if the school tried to call him again.
Much to Dean's surprise, all his teacher wanted was for Dean to show him how he had come up with the answer. Dean relaxed slightly when the teacher hadn't mentioned anything about calling his dad.
From that day forward, Mr. Atley had seemed to take a special interest in Dean. It wasn't anything big, Mr. Atley usually had a book he thought Dean might like, or he just wanted to let him know what a good job he was doing in class.
For the first time in his academic career, Dean found himself wanting to please a teacher. All his homework assignments were turned in on time, and completed to the best of his ability. Dean knew he was breaking his father's rules, but he couldn't help it. He got praised so rarely that he was eating it up with a spoon. He didn't blame his father, he knew his dad was busy, and that what he was doing was important, and Sammy had his friends, and the little geek had been asked to join the debate team. Dean was proud of his family.
Mr. Atley was giving Dean something he hadn't gotten in a long time, though. In the teacher's eyes, he was Dean Winchester, okay Dean Wilson, but it wasn't important. To Mr. Atley, Dean wasn't John's son, a hunter in training, or Sam's brother.
Dean was still nervous that his teacher would want to speak with his father about something, but so far, he hadn't mentioned it, so Dean allowed himself to relax and accepted all the attention he was getting.
Things, for once, seemed to be working out for Dean. His father had shown up after two weeks, telling them that there was a good chance they would finish the school year there, because John had several more potential hunts lined up.
Things were calm between Sam and their father for a change. Sam was happy that they were getting to stay in one spot. Both John and Sam were surprised at the change that had come over Dean. He was more animated than John had seen him in a while, and it seemed that every sentence that came out of Dean's mouth these days, started with the words Mr. Atley.
John had questioned his eldest, but Dean had informed him that he wasn't doing anything that would draw unwanted attention on their family. John believed his son, and didn't press too hard because it was rare to see Dean so upbeat.
The problem was though, that Winchester luck often reared its ugly head.
It didn't seem like much when Mr. Atley mentioned the science fair. Participation was voluntary, so Dean hadn't planned to enter. Then his teacher had called him back and personally asked him to consider entering.
Again, Dean still didn't want to. It was too risky, but part of him wanted to, as a way to say thank you to Mr. Atley for all he had done for him.
Dean hadn't really committed to anything. He just said he'd think about it. His dad was still at home, so maybe he could just ask him. If the school tried to call for any reason, John would be at home, so there would be no suspicions aroused there, and the $250 dollar first prize would really come in handy. His car needed new break lines, and the Impala needed a tune up, plus Sammy's pants were getting way too short. He needed new clothes.
Things started going wrong when Dean had gotten home that night. John was leaving for a hunt. Dean knew from experience that you didn't ask John anything when he was getting ready to leave.
Then, when John left, Sam mentioned that his debate team was going on an overnight field trip to Washington, DC. They would get a tour of the White House, and go to the space museum. Dean was a little jealous over that part. Then out for a fancy dinner and spend the night in a fancy hotel. The cost of the trip was $250 dollars.
Sam had been crushed when Dean told him he couldn't go. Even if they had the money, which they didn't, their father would never agree.
There was one place Dean could get the money, though. If, and that was a big if, Dean won the science fair, he'd be willing to forge the permission slip. The problem was, what would happen if he did win? Would the school go looking for John, like his old one had?
The thing was, Dean couldn't stand seeing his brother so miserable. It was his job to look after his brother right? He doubted that he could win, but if he entered, it would give Sammy hope, and maybe pull him out of his funk.
"Sammy," Dean said to his brother one night.
"What?" Sam huffed. He was still in a very bad mood.
"I might know a way for you to go on your trip," Dean admitted.
"How?" Sam asked. His eyes suddenly narrowed suspiciously. "You're not gonna hustle are you? Dad said you weren't allowed to do it by yourself." That had become a rule after Dean had ended up in the hospital with busted ribs and a punctured lung from a bar fight. To Sam, nothing was worse his brother getting hurt.
"I won't hustle, Sammy, promise," Dean said sincerely. "I just need you to trust me. It's not guaranteed, so you have to promise me that you won't get your hopes up. The trip's not for another month, you know that Dad will be home sometime, and if he is, he isn't going to let you go."
"But if he's not?" Sam said hopefully.
"Then I'll sign the permission slip."
"Did I ever tell you that you're the best big brother ever?" Sam said fondly.
"Don't get your hopes up," Dean cautioned his brother again. "It's still a major long shot, Sammy," Dean said. "The money may not pan out, and dad's a big factor."
"You're still the best big brother ever," Sam said sincerely.
"You're such a girl," Dean said, as a way of deflecting.
"You're such a jerk," Sam countered.
"Bitch."
-------
That night, Dean made a list of ideas for the science fair. He didn't have a lot of funds, so he was pretty limited as to what he could do. He scratched most of the things off, and then his eyes landed on his old walkman. It didn't work anymore. Dean had thrown it against the wall of a hospital room after being told he was probably going to need surgery to repair his punctured lung.
He had been meaning to try and fix it, but he just never seemed to get around to it. He wondered if he could convert it into an EMF meter. He had learned a lot about them when they were staying at Caleb's one time. The young hunter had found Caleb's meter, and he'd wanted to know how it worked. His butt still stung from the memory of the one and only time John had ever spanked him. He'd totally dismantled Caleb's meter in his desire to know how it worked, despite repeated orders from his father to leave it alone. How was he supposed to know that Caleb had been from a multi-generational hunting family, and the thing had belonged to the elder hunter's great-grandfather? Dean still didn't understand why they'd been so mad when they had found out what he was up to. He had fixed it, hadn't he, and the damned thing had worked better than it had before.
Making up his mind, Dean decided to go the library to look up some information on EMF, to see if was possible to convert his walkman into one.
He didn't tell anyone what he was up to. His father would have been mad, and he didn't want Sam to know. He didn't think he had any shot at winning, so he decided that the school looking for his dad wasn't going to be an issue, but he had to try, for his brother.
He asked Sam if he wanted to go to the library with him, and Dean looked up some information on EMF to see if his idea was possible. He discovered that it was, and he was excited to get started on his project. He made short work of his homework when he got home, by not doing it, and spent all day Sunday working on his plans for the EMF.
By the time Monday rolled around, he couldn't wait for his physics class so that he could show his plans to Mr. Atley.
-----
One Month later
Dean was in the gym with the other science fair participants, nervously trying not to bite his nails. He had been on pins and needles for most of the month, jumping out of his skin each time the phone rang, but things seemed to be going well. No one had tried to call his father. John had actually been home during the last week, but Dean still couldn't relax because he hadn't told his father what he had been up to.
Sam had gone back into a huff, because he didn't want his father to find out about the school trip. For the first time that he could remember, Sam actually wanted his father to leave on a hunt.
Dean watched as Mr. Fraser, a biology teacher, walked up to the microphone to announce the winners. He had been thankful when he had found out that there was no big awards ceremony. No one questioned why he didn't have a parent there, and while he did feel a little wistful that his dad wasn't there, Dean was also relieved. He'd taken a big risk by doing this.
"I just want to say that all the participants have done an outstanding job, and that it was really tough to choose. After much consideration, in third place is Ms. Lynn Markly for her project on greenhouse gases. Second place is awarded to Ms Kirsty Potts for her project on Earth's oceans. Now for the winner. I must say it's not often the voting is unanimous, but this year we all agreed that first place goes to Dean Wilson for his project on electromagnetic frequencies. Congratulations Dean."
Dean sat in stunned silence. He had won! He quickly went up to the stage and collected his check. He grinned from ear to ear when Mr. Atley congratulated him personally.
It was worth it when he got home that night as well. His father was leaving for another hunt the next morning, and Sam's reaction had been worth it when Dean gave him the money for his trip.
For the next week, everything was fine. Things were normal at school, and Sam went and had a good time and returned from his trip without incident. Dean thought they were in the clear.
Then one day at school, Mr. Atley called Dean back after class again. At first, he didn't think too much of it. It was something that happened regularly.
"I just wanted to say congratulations again on your project, Dean."
"Thanks, sir," Dean said sincerely.
"I was wondering if you were going to enter the regionals?"
"The what?" Dean asked in surprised.
"It's the next step. The regional science fair. If you win there, you go to state, and then from there, it's on to the nationals. Your project has the potential to make it that far," Mr. Atley informed his student.
"I don't know," Dean said hesitantly. He was pleased that Mr. Atley thought that highly of his project, but could he be any more of a dumbass? This was precisely why he wasn't supposed to stand out.
"The winner at nationals gets a $100,000 scholarship," the teacher said, trying to entice him.
"I'm just a junior," Dean pointed out.
"It doesn't matter," Mr. Atley pointed out. "Competition's open to juniors and seniors."
"I don't... I…I don't think so," Dean replied.
"Dean, you're a smart kid. I don't get why you don't work to your full potential in all your classes. You may think I don't see it, but I do. You could be a straight A student if you just put a bit of effort in your other classes. Tell you what, have your father call me, and maybe the three of us can get together and disc..." Mr. Atley stopped abruptly. The face of the young man before him had just drained of all color, and he looked like he was about to faint. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern.
"F... ffiine," Dean stammered. "I'd better go. I have to pick up my brother." Dean bolted out of the classroom before his teacher could say anything else.
He spent the rest of the day berating himself for being such an idiot. Why had he thought Mr. Atley was any different from Mrs. Albright? He had thought Mr. Atley hadn't noticed anything but what Dean had wanted him to see. He couldn't let his family be broken up again. He just couldn't.
He even skipped school the next day. He knew that was another stupid thing to do, but he couldn't face his teacher. He spent the day pacing and calling himself every derogatory name he could think of, trying to figure out how he was going to get himself out of this one.
The school called twice that day. The first time was to find out where Dean was. He faked his father's voice and said he was sick, then his physics teacher called looking to speak to his father. Dean told him that his dad was at work. Mr. Atley said he hoped that Dean was feeling better soon, and requested that Dean have his father call him when he got home to arrange a meeting.
Dean's mind wasn't going far beyond the memories he had from when he was 11. The school was going to keep calling, and they'd eventually stop believing Dean's excuses. He wasn't going to let that happen again. That was when he came up with a solution. The competition was open to students. If Dean wasn't a student, he wasn't eligible.
His mind was firmly made up. His first stop the next morning was the guidance office.
"Is Ms. Amer in?" Dean asked the school secretary.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"No," Dean admitted. "I was kind of hoping she was free. It will just take a moment."
"Hang on, let me check," she said.
Dean took a seat and it was short time later that he was told he could go into the office.
"Hello, Dean," Ms. Amer greeted him.
"Good morning, ma'am," Dean said politely.
"What's up? Is this about the science fair?"
"Um, yes, no, sorta," Dean said. "I'm not entering."
"You should."
"I heard the speech from Mr. Atley," Dean said. "I don't want to enter. I'm just here to tell you that I'm not coming back to school."
"You're dropping out?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yeah"
"Dean, please reconsider."
"No!" he said firmly.
"Without a high school education, you're seriously going to eliminate a lot of possible careers. You have the potential to do anything. What did your father say?"
"I'm 17. I don't need his permission. I checked it out. I just have to let you know. You can't change my mind." With that, Dean stood up and let himself out of the office.
Ms. Amer looked up Dean's file, got the number for his father, picked up the phone and dialled, leaving a voicemail for John to contact her immediately.
What Dean didn't know, because his father had never thought to tell him, was that John had an emergency cell phone that the school had the number to. John wasn't going to risk what had happened years before happening again.
-------
PRESENT
BBBRRRIINNG
The sound of the bell brought Dean out of his memories. He cursed himself that he hadn't gotten a chance to scan the room before the students arrived. He pulled out the papers Principal Maddock had given him earlier and tried to make himself look official.
The students eyed him curiously, but they didn't say much. They were all too busy talking about the upcoming class trip to the Land of Wonders, the local amusement park.
"Hey, everyone," Dean said firmly to get their attention as they all took their seats. "I'm Dean Newstead. I'm filling in for a couple of days."
"Another sub?" one of the girls asked.
"Looks like," Dean said. "I'm not sure where you're at in your text books, so I'll get you all to open up to chapter 1. We'll restart at the beginning," Dean said, remembering what the principal had told him. "Now, who can tell me the basic unit of physics? Um..." Dean paused and looked down at his seating chart. He looked up at the class, an amused smirk on his face. "So either your parents really wanted a girl, or you guys are trying to stump the sub by switching seats. Which one is it, Annabelle?" Dean asked and stared at the young man in the seat where Annabelle Richards was supposed to be sitting.
The class chuckled and the boy turned red. "If you really want to do that, I would suggest not making it so obvious. What's your name?" he asked the kid.
"Hayden Wells," the boy admitted.
"Okay, Hayden, can you tell me the most basic unit of physics?"
The boy just shrugged.
"You mean you're not going to make us switch back?" one girl asked.
"I don't know about you guys, but in school, I hated assigned seating. With the name Newstead, and a lot of my teachers seating up in alphabetical order, most times I ended up front row center. Let me tell you, it's hard to get away with anything there. So how about we make a deal. I'm going to send my chart around, and I want you to write your name in beside it."
"Why?" another girl asked.
"You know my name, don't you think it's fair that I know yours?" Dean answered as he handed the chart to the kid in the first row. "So what do you all know about physics?" Dean asked a few minutes later when he got the chart back. He was pleased to see that every one of the names were filled in.
"Just that it's really boring," one of the girls piped up.
Dean consulted his seating chart. "What make you say that, Connie?"
"What are we going to use it for? It's like algebra."
The class agreed.
Dean was getting desperate. He had no idea where to go from here. He looked at the clock and realized that there was still 38 minutes of this 45 minute class. His mind suddenly flashed on the conversation he'd heard when the students were filing in. "How many here are going on the class trip to the amusement park?" The entire class raised their hands. "How many roller coasters are there in the park?"
"14. They're opening a new one called The Beast. It's got a 200 foot drop," one of the students said excitedly.
"You like roller coasters, right... Luke?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, It's my mission to ride all the tallest and fastest ones," Luke admitted. "Do you like them Mr. Newstead?" he asked.
"Yeah," Dean lied. The truth was that he had never been on one. They reminded him too much of flying. He suppressed a shudder. "Did you know that without physics, there would be no roller coasters?"
"Seriously?" one of the kids asked.
Dean checked his chart. "Yeah, Aidan. You'll notice that they have no engines. They work entirely on kinetic energy. The first hill is the key. You'll notice that no other hill is taller than the first one."
"Why is that?" another kid asked.
Dean smiled. "The train is pulled up the first hill by a pulley. Then when it descends, potential, or stored energy, is converted into kinetic energy, or energy in motion. That's what propels it around the track. If the other hills were higher than the first one, it wouldn't have enough energy to get over that hill."
"I'm not sure I understand," one of the students admitted.
"Let me show you," Dean said, going to the blackboard and picking up the chalk.
-------
While Dean was teaching, John and Sam were at the library, seeing if their research could turn up anything that would help speed up the hunt.
"Wonder how Dean's getting along," Sam mused out loud.
"I'm sure he's doing fine," John said confidently.
"It's just hard to imagine Dean as a teacher," Sam said. "I'm not putting him down. It's just not something I could picture Dean doing," he added quickly when his father glared at him. "Although, he's great with kids. You should have seen him when we worked this job in Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. There was this kid, Lucas, and he hadn't spoken since he'd seen his father killed. By the time we left, Dean had the kid quoting 'Zeppelin Rules'."
"I've seen it," John replied. "We worked this job when you were in school. Ghost sightings at a kid's playground. A real easy job from our perspective. A death echo of a young boy who was killed there. Dean talked him into moving on. We didn't even have to salt and burn the body," John explained. John hated digging up the graves of kids. He had been really proud of Dean when his son had uncovered information that said you could talk or scare a death echo out of its loop. "Your brother also recognized a pattern of bruising on the boy from the ring of someone we had questioned at the school. An anonymous tip to the police and the guy was arrested."
"I didn't know that," Sam said. He wondered what else his brother had been up to during those 4 years. Dean wouldn't say much about it, and Sam latched onto any information he could get.
"Surprised the hell out of me too," John said.
"Dad, can I ask you something?" Sam asked tentatively. His dad was usually pretty tight with information.
"What Sammy?"
"Why did Dean drop out of school?" Sam asked bluntly.
John took a deep breath and Sam could tell he was debating just how much to tell him. There was a conversation that had taken place between him and Dean that John had promised never to tell Sam, and he was determined to keep his promise.
"Do you remember that field trip you took to Washington, DC when you were 13?" John finally asked.
Sam just stared at his father. How the hell had he known about that? He had thought that was his and Dean's secret.
"Don't look so shocked, Sammy. Dean confessed after I got the call from his guidance counsellor. Did you ever wonder where he got the money from?'
"Yeah," Sam admitted. "Dean told me to trust him, that it wasn't from hustling. I was just so excited about getting to go that I didn't question it."
"Do you also remember me telling you about a couple of times Dean stood out in school?" John asked.
"Yeah," Sam admitted. "His dropping out was related to the second time, wasn't it" Sam stated. It wasn't a question.
"Yeah. There was this teacher named Atley, I guess he was kind of an inspiration to your brother. Dean would come home and talk about him, tell me all about his classes. It was the first time I ever saw Dean excited about something regarding school."
"I remember that. Every word out of Dean's mouth was Mr. Atley this, or Mr. Atley that."
"Yup, started driving me crazy after a bit," John said with a grin. "Dean reassured me that he wasn't doing anything over the top. Don't start Sam," John added when he saw Sam's face start to darken.
"I won't," Sam promised. "It's just surprising that Dean would drop out just when he was starting to take an interest in school."
"It was more than that. Dean got the money for your trip by entering a school science fair. The winner got $250. He won."
"I didn't know that," Sam said. "What was his project on?" Sam asked curiously.
"He turned a walkman into an EMF detector," John said, his voice filled with pride. "That thing had worked better than any store bought one." He wondered if Sam had his own secret when he looked a bit guilty at John's words.
Sam was beginning to wonder if there was truly anything he really knew about his brother. "I still don't see why he dropped out of school."
"Well, as much as Dean took an interest in Mr. Atley, his teacher took a real interest in him. He saw the potential in your brother, a lot like his teacher did when Dean was 11. Mr. Atley wanted Dean to enter the regional science fair. He felt that Dean's project had a real shot at making it all the way to the national level. Dean said he didn't want to enter. Then..."
"Mr. Atley asked him to have you call him," Sam finished. "You were away on a hunt and Dean thought history was repeating itself?"
"He wasn't going to risk someone getting too nosy again," John confirmed.
"We moved a short time later, but why didn't he just go to the new school."
John shrugged and said he didn't know. The problem was that he did. It was the part he had promised that he would never tell. John was ashamed to say that he had broken a lot of promises to both his children over the years, but this was one he was determined to keep.
-----
Past
BEEP BEEP
John had been sitting in a bar, waiting for his hunting contact to show up. He heard his cell phone begin to beep, indicating that he had a voice message. It was his private number, one that only his boys' schools had access to. His felt his heart speed up over the fact that something might have happened to one of his sons. He immediately listened to his message.
"Mr. Wilson, this is Dawna Amer. I'm Dean's guidance counsellor. Can you please call my office and set up an appointment. It's really important that I talk to you as soon as possible."
John's mood immediately turned from concern to anger. Why the hell would Dean's guidance counsellor be calling? He had told that kid time and time again to be careful. He picked up the phone and dialled.
"Hello."
"Dawna Amer please," John requested.
"Speaking," the voice at the other end of the line confirmed.
"Ms. Amer, this is John Win... Wilson," he corrected himself just in time. "Dean's father."
"Oh, yes, thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I appreciate it."
"What's up?" John said. He didn't have time for a lenghty conversation. "Dean's okay, isn't he?"
"He's fine. Did you know he came to see me today? He wants to drop out.""HE WHAT?" John said in surprise. I'm gonna kill that kid.
"He said he's dropping out of school. I just wondered if anything was going on. I mean, his project was being considered for the regional science fair, and he's been doing well in his classes. It just seemed so unexpected, coming out of the blue like that. I'm guessing you didn't know," Ms Amer said, hoping she hadn't gotten the boy in trouble.
"No, don't worry. I'll talk to him and he'll be back in school shortly." No son of his was dropping out.
"I didn't mean to tattle, Mr. Wilson, it's just that I hate to see someone like Dean waste all that potential."
"No, you did the right thing. I'll take care of it," John said as he disconnected the line. His mind was going a mile a minute about all the words he was going to have with his eldest son.
This was one of the few times in John's life that he put being a father ahead of being a hunter. He called his contact and told him to get someone else to take care of the job and then he took off toward home.
Dean had been in the apartment all day, checking out the wanted ads, he figured he may as well get a job now, so he was more than shocked when his father had burst in through the front door.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Dean asked in surprise, all the while wishing he could just disappear. He was in for it now. The only thing he didn't know was how his father had found out so quickly.
John just crossed his arms, glaring at his child. "I could ask you the same thing," he said in a cold, hard tone.
"Um, the school closed down," Dean offered as a lame excuse.
"Ms. Amer called me, Dean. You want to explain this science project to me, or tell me why you just decided you were too good for school."
Dean swallowed nervously. "Not really," he said to his father.
"Talk, and that's an order," John said, sounding like a drill sergeant.
"Yes, sir," Dean said nervously. "I hate school. It's a stupid, boring waste of time."
"Let's try this one from the top. If I hear anything but the truth coming from your lips, it's going to be a very long time before you can sit comfortably again. Are we clear?"
"Yes sir," Dean repeated. He took a moment to try and compose himself and than began his explanation. "There was a science fair. I entered and won."
"Why did you do that?" John asked. "I thought I told you not to stand out."
"I didn't mean to," Dean insisted. "It's just that the first prize was $250 and I needed the money…" Dean stopped abruptly, realizing he had said too much.
"I left you and your brother plenty of money. What was it for?" John noticed that Dean had started to squirm, telling John that he didn't want to admit the real reason because he knew that his father wouldn't like it.
"What did you need the money for?" John asked in a tone that said he expected an answer.
"Sammy," Dean said softly.
"Is your brother okay?" John asked, his tone shifting from anger to concern.
"He's fine. It's just that the debate team he's part of... there was this big trip. Some geeky thing that was right up Sammy's alley. He wanted to go so badly, but it was expensive."
"You thought that you might get money for Sam's trip?" John said.
"I didn't think I'd win," Dean said, hoping to placate his father. "But I did. I let Sammy go. Don't be mad at him, dad, please," Dean begged. "I knew you wouldn't let him go, but he wanted to do it so badly and…" Dean said his tone starting to take on a bit of a frantic tone.
John took a step toward his son. He was just going to put a hand on his shoulder and tell him to calm down, but he was surprised when Dean flinched and stepped back. My god, John thought, did Dean really think that his father was going to hit him. He did his best to soften his look. "You knew what you did was wrong. For that, you deserve to be punished. No driving the Impala for one month."
"Yes, sir," Dean said contritely.
"Oh, and Dean, you're going back to school tomorrow."
"No!" Dean said flatly.
"This is not a negotiation, Dean Winchester," John said in a tone that left no room for argument. It was a tone that Dean usually obeyed. One that instantly commanded a respectful 'yes sir.'
"No," Dean said shaking his head. "I'm not going back."
"Look, I'm here, now, okay? What happened back then wasn't your fault. I'll call the school and say that I respect your decision with regard to the science fair, and that you don't have to enter if you don't want to."
"Please dad, don't make me," Dean said softly. He hated the begging tone his voice had taken on.
"Dean, what's going on?" John asked.
"I don't want to go back. What if it happens again? I don't want... I can't... Sammy's only 13, dad. They could take him. They could take him and what if this time... what if this time they don't give him..."
John listened as Dean's breathing got rougher with each word he spoke, and he knew that Dean was on the verge of a panic attack. He had had them when he was younger, but he hadn't suffered from one in years. He quickly closed the gap and wrapped Dean into the tightest bear hug he could. "It's okay, buddy," John said soothingly. "I got you. Come on, sit down for a minute."
John was surprised that Dean allowed himself to be led over to the couch. John sat next to him and pulled him close. He was pleased when Dean leaned into him, but what scared John more than anything he had ever seen, was when a lone tear escaped from Dean's right eye. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Dean cry.
"It's okay, son," John said in what he hoped was a comforting tone. "It's just you and me here. Now tell me what's going on with you. It's more than just this stuff with the science fair, isn't it?"
He felt Dean's slight nod. John remained silent, knowing the best way to get Dean to talk was not to ask him too.
"It's hard," Dean said after a while.
"What is?" John asked, a bit confused.
"Pretending all the time. When the teachers ask me why I failed my test, or didn't get a good grade on an assignment, and having to tell them I don't know the answer. You don't see the looks they give me. It's like they know I'm lying, or even worse, they give me that disappointed look. I had one teacher ask me point blank if I was stupid. I'm not, dad."
"I know that, Dean. Who was it?" John asked, hoping that he had kept the anger out of his tone. He wasn't mad at Dean. He was mad at that teacher, but mostly, he was mad at himself. He had never once considered the effect his request could have had on his eldest son.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Dean replied. "When Mr. Atley asked me about the science fair, it wasn't just for Sammy that I wanted to enter," Dean admitted. "I wanted to do it for him too."
"Mr. Atley?"
Dean nodded. "It was kind of nice," Dean said softly.
Before John could ask what was nice, Dean mumbled something into John's arm that he didn't quite catch. "What was that?"
"Nothing," Dean mumbled again. He hadn't meant for his thoughts to come out.
"Whatever you want to tell me, you can. You have my word, Dean, that no matter what it is, I won't judge or get mad," John promised.
"It was nice to be noticed," Dean admitted softly, which was ironic, since that was what he was trying not to do. "Dad, I didn't mean... I mean, I know you have to hunt and you save lives, and you need me to help out with Sammy, and Sammy has friends. I didn't mean that you igno…"
"Dean," John said, guilt threatening to eat them him alive. "It's okay, son." John squeezed him tighter. "Me and Sammy can get wrapped up in things. We never meant to make you feel..."
"You don't. Can we just drop this, dad, please?" Dean pleaded.
"Okay. Now, Dean, if you do want to enter this science fair, go ahead," John encouraged. "But I don't want you dropping out."
"I don't want to enter it and I don't want to go back. I don't want to do it anymore."
"Dean..."
"Dad, please don't make me do it anymore. What if it happens again? What if someone says something and they take Sammy?"
"Alright," John said giving in against his better judgement. Dean hardly ever asked for anything. John didn't like it, and he knew it was taking the coward's way out, but this was one thing he could do.
"You mean it?" Dean asked, almost as if he was afraid to believe it.
"Yeah, son. I don't like it, but if you don't want to go back, you don't have to."
"Thanks dad. Don't tell Sammy though. I don't want him to be ashamed of me," Dean requested.
"Alright," John reluctantly agreed once again. "I'll tell him I need you to get a job." Sam already saw him as the bad guy, what was more thing? "But you are going to get a job. No hanging around."
"I'm already ahead of you," Dean said holding up the newspaper.
"Dean, what was your project on?" John asked curiously.
Dean grinned, a true grin, and showed his father his homemade EMF detector.
-------
"Dad?" Sam prompted his father.
"What?" John said.
"What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing special," John said wistfully. He really knew that he shouldn't have given in back then. It was something he had always regretted, but at the time, it had seemed like the right thing to do for Dean.
Sam knew his father wasn't going to say anything more. "Dean just called. We need to go pick him up." He knew there was no point in asking. If John didn't want to share, dynamite wouldn't get it out of him.
John and Sam got into the Impala and drove toward the school. Dean had left their names at the gate, so after showing ID, they were allowed to enter the grounds.
"Hey, Sammy," John said, tapping his youngest on the shoulder. "Any doubts you have about Dean's ability to be a teacher should be gone, but if you still need convincing, check that out," John said with a nod of his head.
Sam turned toward where his father had indicated. He could see Dean walking toward the parking lot. There was a group of about 7 students trailing behind him. They appeared to be hanging on every word Dean was saying.
He looked back toward his father. They both had the same thought. What might have been?
TBC
There should be one more chapter to wrap up the hunt, and more teacher!Dean coming up.
Please make my day and leave a review.