Today was Dean's first day in In School Suspension, and I felt his absences from my class acutely. It wasn't so much that I missed Dean's physical presence sitting in the third row, but it was that I knew what he wasn't in my room, and because his words last night weren't sitting really well with me.

That boy was anything but stupid. He obviously didn't know that, and honestly how could he with teachers like Jane making sure he was aware of just how not smart he truly was. My plan period is in the middle of the day, and when the last kid from my fourth period said good bye and my door closed I slumped down in my chair, and starred straight for a few moments. If I could just get Dean to let me tutor him some more, if I could just get Dean to work at it just a little longer, he would be all right, he would get it, he would be where he should be for a ninth grader.

I looked down on my desk, saw the Dean Koontz book I had purchased for him, the one that was just enough horror to keep Dean interested, and enough complex writing for him to learn something, and sighed. Then, like the light bulb that I wait to go off for my students, I realized that perhaps ISS wasn't the worst thing that could be happening to Dean right now.

I packed up a few necessary things, and I made a trip to the ISS classroom, I was going to teach Dean Winchester.

The look of astonishment on Dean's face was almost comical when he saw me come through the door. I felt his confused eyes watch me as I went to the ISS teacher and told her that I would take Dean back to my room for 5th period and tutor him in reading and I would bring him back before the bell. She hesitated, but then released the boy into my care. I have no idea if what I'm doing is legal, or even right, but it is the only way I know how to get this boy educated.

I headed over to Dean and his cocked his head to one side, and I knelt in front of his desk. "What are you doin' here Teach?"

"You're going to serve 5th period in my room, and we are going to do some more reading."

He sighed and shook his head. "Teach, no, you could get in trouble for that."

"That's my problem."

"No. No. I told you. I don't need to learn to read. I'm too stupid. That's the end of it. Why won't you just leave it?"

"Because you aren't stupid. I don't know what has crawled into your brain and nestled itself in there to suddenly make you decide that you are too stupid, but whatever it is, it's wrong. You are bright Dean, remarkably so. I just need to give you the tools. I mean, you like cars right?" Dean nodded. "Well a car isn't a car until they put all of the pieces in it right?" Dean smiled.

"You don't know much about cars do you?"

"No." I grinned sheepishly. "I know where the gas peddle is, and where the radio is. The rest of it is just all pretty, and then someone else opens it and figures out why it makes noises it shouldn't." Dean continued to smile and shake his head.

"Teach. There is a lot more to cars then that."

"And there is a lot more to being smart than being able to fill out worksheets." I had him there and he knew it. He looked down at his paper and then back at me.

"Okay. But I think we should stay here. Gotta keep up appearances."

"Yes sir." And I pulled a desk in front of his and I put the reader in front of him and we began again, sounding out unfamiliar words, learning rules of language and reading.

***

Dean was waiting for me outside of school when I left. I was sorta afraid he wouldn't meet me after school anymore, I mean after what he said to me last night, and the quiet morning, I was pretty sure hated me now. I don't' like that. I don't ever want Dean to be so mad at me that he won't speak to me, or send me away. That would be horrible. So, when I saw him standing by the flag pole, where he always was, I was so happy I ran to my brother.

"Hey kid." He said with a smile and we began to walk.

"Hey!"

"How was school?"

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

"Naw. I'm sorry for yelling at you last night. I shouldn't have done that."

"So you aren't going to never talk to me?"

"Nope. I wouldn't ever not talk to you Sammy."

"Okay. Good. I was scared."

"No matter how mad I am Sammy, I've always got your back."

"Okay." I thought for a minute. "Then why did you yell at me last night and tell me to get out?" Dean looked down as we walked and shrugged his shoulders.

"You always tell me that shrugging my shoulders isn't an answer."

"Gonna use my own words against me huh squirt?" I glared at him. He laughed a little at me and shrugged again.

"I'm just mad I guess."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You tell me that's not an answer either."

"God, you remember everything don't you?" He asked aggravated.

"I guess."

"I'm not mad at you Sam. I'm mad that I'm….I don't know….a loser."

My big brother, my protector was anything but a loser, and hearing him say that about himself made me angry. "You are not a loser."

"Yeah, right whatever." He sighed real big and said, "One day Sammy, you'll realize that I am a loser, and when you do you'll leave me and quit talking to me, and become someone important and won't care about me anymore. That's just how it's going to go."

"No it won't Dean."

"It will Sammy, trust me. You're too little to understand right now. But one day, you will realize just how stupid your big brother really is and you won't want to be around me either. I'm too hard to deal with Sam. Just ask anyone. I require….too much work." He patted me on the back. "Come on kiddo, how was school?" I turned and looked up at my brother amazed.

"What?"

"Was school okay today?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I huffed and started walking faster than Dean.

Dean grabbed my book bag by the little loop, and jerked me back to his position. His eyes were angry, and when he's angry they are super green, it was always a little scary. "Don't do that Sam."

"What?"

"Don't you go all quiet on me. You had a good day at school, and I want to hear about it. That's the deal. We tell each other everything. We're brothers." His eyes were serious. I don't understand my brother lately. I simply do not. It was like he changed into someone I don't' know, and then there are little windows where my brother shows back up. I don't know what to do. One minute he's telling me that one day I won't want to speak to him anymore and the next he's telling me we are brothers and that we tell each other everything. I'm starting to wonder if that means, I tell him everything, and he says nothing and just thinks we've talked about his problems, or talked about what is bothering him.

"Come on Sammy. What did you do today?" I looked back at him and sighed.

"I got an A on the science test I took yesterday…." Dean nodded and smiled, and poked me to continue, and I did all of the way home, and I chattered about school, my teachers, and my class mates, and Dean smiled, laughed and talked to me about my day. It was just like before we got here. But the moment we got to Bobby's house, he got quiet, and the weird quiet angry person that had taken over my big brother came back, and he shoved his hands in his coat pocket and made a b-line for the stairs. I guess he was done with me. And it must be that only little brothers have to say everything, big brothers must not have to.

***

"Dean. come on. Time to go work on your homework."

"I'm done."

"Dean, come on. You have studying to do."

"No. I don't."

"Dean. Come on. Up. Now."

"I don't' have any homework. I don't want to study. I want to stay right here and watch television."

"You aren't going to get an education by sitting there."

"What does it matter?"

"You have to get a high school degree."

"Last time I checked a ghost didn't ask to see your credentials before you offed it."

"Dean. There is more to this world than hunting."

"Maybe for Sam." He mumbled.

"Dean. Get up, get your books and get in the kitchen so I can help you study."

"What? You think I'm some kid, who needs his daddy to help him study because he's too much of an idiot to do it himself?" Dean was on his feet, I hadn't noticed just how much he'd grown lately. He was all legs and arms and danger.

"No. I think you need to quit acting like a spoiled brat and do what you're told."

"Yeah. Of course. I'm spoiled. I forgot, I got everything I wanted this year for Christmas."

"Dean Aaron Winchester! Get your ass up stairs and get your school stuff…."

"Or what? You going to kick me out? Go ahead. You've wanted to do it since I got here. So, just go ahead."

"What in the hell are you talking about Dean? I don't want to kick you out."

"Sure you don't." Dean's eyes flicked behind me for a second and I turned, Sam was standing in the doorway watching the exchange. Dean turned back to me and I to him and he whispered. "The only reason anyone keeps me around is because of him." And he took off for the stairs, and the door slammed.

"I don't know Uncle Bobby." Sam said softly from the doorway. God, I wish I knew what was wrong, what I did wrong, that made Dean so angry.