Author's Note: There is a good thing about crazy fandoms that know all there is to know about whatever their fandom is…so, for the crazy Supernatural fandom reading this, maybe you could help me out. To get my timeline in perspective with the rest of the show, this takes place just after John is killed at the beginning of season 2. Adam first meets his brothers in season 4 and is at the time (if I remember correctly) 19. So for my story, he would be 17, yes?

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Supernatural, I'm just a lowly writer that needs something to do.

Chapter Five

Be prepared for anything. That's the hunter creed. When you first walk into a job, chances are you know nothing about what you're up against. You know it kills, you know it's bad, you know that you're the only thing stopping it from killing again. You go in fully loaded and as you figure out what it is your hunting, you select your weapon and strike.

There are times, however, when the research doesn't tell you much, Nicole thought grimly as she looked at the grainy black and white photo of John Winchester from eighteen years ago. Hours of surfing through local papers and this is all she had a blurry shadow of John Winchester. As small as it was, when she considered it was John she was trying to hunt down, she was lucky to have anything. The photo put John in Windom eighteen years ago. It was for job, Nicole could tell that much from the headlines, but she didn't know what he had been hunting. To figure that out, she'd sniff around town, question people who had been around at the time, starting with the sheriff.

…

The lunch room was alive and busy as a bee hive as hungry teenagers poured in to eat, mingle, and gossip. Nicole had quickly learned that the lunch room was sacred to the American high school student. Each cast had its own table, which they ate at every day without fail. No one was allowed to invite themselves into a table or sit at the wrong table for whatever stereotype they fell into. Cheerleaders sat front and center at a long table where they could bask in attention; jocks sat on the next table over so they could flirt; nerds hid in the corner, emo skaters ate in the hall. Adam and Nicole – along with Adam's best friend, Nathan - sat off to the side, avoiding most cliques.

Nathan was a tall, slender boy with thick curly hair and olive skin. He, like Adam, smiled easily and was never serious. He would also be playing soccer in the spring. Nicole had a few classes with him and in her initial check up on Adam's life, he had turned up demon free and safe to be around.

"So, Nicole," Nathan grinned across the table, "I know you're new to the whole high school bit, so I'm taking it upon myself to acquaint you with the foolhardy, pointless, and totally awesome traditions of high school life."

Cocking an eyebrow, Nicole looked to Adam, who only shrugged, "Ok, like what?"

Nathan cleared his throat dramatically, "High school's all across America, in this lovely month of October all partake in ritual to welcome the student body back from summer vacation. This ritual includes dresses, ties, party favors and best of all," Nathan pumped his arms up and down and wiggled his eyebrows, "Dancing."

"Are you talking about Homecoming?" Nicole asked, hoping he didn't really do the arm-pump when he danced.

"Ah, man," Nathan looked dejected, "You already know about that."

"I was homeschooled, Nathan, not Amish," Nicole laughed.

Laughing along with her, Adam turned to his friend, "Where are you going with this? I thought you already had a date to Homecoming?"

Nathan shrugged innocently, "I do, but someone can still help Nicole prepare for it. After all," He looked pointedly at Adam, "Other members of the student body do not yet have dates to the Homecoming dance and need to get asking before the good girls," He jerked his head in Nicole's direction, "Get taken."

"Hey, Adam," Carla's airy voice caused them all to turn and Nicole to roll her eyes.

"Carla," Adam acknowledged, being neither too friendly nor too distant.

Carla twirled her hair and bit her lip suggestively, "I just wanted to ask you if tonight would be a good night for me to come over so we can study for Mrs. Finnegan's test on Wednesday. We are study buddies after all." Carla laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled sweetly.

Adam squirmed under her charm, "Uh, sure, Carla. Tonight's fine."

"Great," Carla leaned forward slightly and dropped her voice, "I'll see you then."

As she turned to leave, she shot Nicole a nasty smirk. Nicole rolled her eyes.

"Dude," Nathan was saying, "You have Carla as a study buddy? She is going to suck the marrow right out of your bones, use you up and spit you out like yesterday's garbage."

"No, she's not, it's just studying," Adam shot a warning glance to Nathan to get him to shut up, but he kept going. Nicole watched him closely, her eyes narrow, fork clenched tightly in her hand.

"Sure is," Nathan declared, "Eddie was her last study buddy and you know how that turned out."

Before Adam could say anything, Nicole asked, her voice controlled, "No, I don't. Tell me about it, Nathan."

Against his friend's shaking head and silent plea not to continue, Nathan spilled the juicy details, "Well, Eddie was a nice guy, just like our man Adam here. Carla set her eyes on him and convinced one of the teachers to make them study buddies. After just one 'study buddy'," he made quote-y fingers in the air, "session Eddie went from nice guy that everybody liked to Carla's man slave. He worshipped her all last year; did her homework, washed her car, walked her dog, took her out all over town, went to the dances with her."

"Really," Nicole looked from Nathan to Adam, who kept his eyes down.

"Yeah," Nathan nodded his head and held up his hands as if swearing it was the truth, "Then, at the end of the year, Carla dumped him. He transferred schools and no one has seen him sense. Adam must be her new target."

With a sigh, Adam denied, "I am not. Carla knows I'm not interested, she just needs extra help and Mrs. Finnegan knows I understand the material. This is not one of Carla's devious plans."

Nicole glanced across the cafeteria at Carla, who was flirting up the quarterback. Not one of her plans, my ass, Nicole thought. As Nicole glared at the cheerleader, a devious plan of her own was forming. When the bell rang and the students began herding to their classes, Nicole grabbed Nathan's arm and held him back.

"Do you really think Carla's planning something, Nathan?" She asked, keeping her voice low.

Glancing around and dropping his voice too, as if sensing a plot coming on, Nathan nodded, "Definitely, she's always been interested in Adam. She seems especially interested since you came along."

Nicole furrowed her brow, "Since I came? Never mind, that doesn't matter. Just meet me outside Adam's house tonight. Be careful not to be seen."

Nathan grinned, "Woah, you're jealous, aren't you? If there's going to be a chick fight, I'm totally in."

"I'm not jealous," Nicole bristled, "I just can't stand that stupid Carla."

"Sure," Nathan grinned wider, annoying Nicole even more.

"Shut up. Wear something dark," She barked before heading to class.