Dean and I sat in the Impala waiting on Sam to come out of the hospital. He was better at getting people to talk, with his sweet puppy-dog eyes, than Dean and I were. "Hey Dean, do you think something's up with Sam?" I asked. Ever since our last case something had felt different about him and it worried me. I had asked him, but he would brush it off saying everything was fine; he just was stressed about stopping Lilith. I didn't buy it for a second, but no matter how many times I asked he wouldn't change his answer. "Like what? Are your spidey-senses tingling?" Dean asked in return. I turned in the front seat so I was facing him. "Spidey ain't got nothing on me. But yes, I feel something off, have ever since our last case ended. Except every time I ask he says it's just stress about stopping Lilith. I don't want to push and start an argument with all the crap we already have going on, but I'm worried about him. " I explained. Dean looked over at me and I could see he was worried too. "I don't know Cassidy. Maybe it's his powers now that more seals have broken. Or maybe it is stress, our talk about dying really seemed to get to him." Dean replied. I gave him a weak smile and said, "I certainly hope so."
I then noticed Sam approaching the car, so I climbed in the backseat. Sam opened the passenger door and got in. "So?" Dean asked. We were both waiting to find out if this was our kind of gig or not. "I think she's telling the truth. I mean, the way she talked about being there mentally but not physically - kind of sounds like demonic possession to me." Sam told us. He really did believe the girl, but was confused about something. "Kind of?" Dean asked. "She didn't see any black smoke or smell sulfur." Sam explained. I got extremely confused after he said that. "Maybe it's not a demon. I mean, kids can be vicious." Dean said. Kids can definitely be cruel. I learned that the hard way growing up. Funny enough those kids that picked on me growing up ended up with worse lives than I did and I hunt monsters for a living; paybacks a real bitch. "Dean has a point Sam. Remember what I told you about my high school experience?" I asked. He gave me a small smile and squeezed my hand resting near his shoulder. "I remember babe, but well, I mean, we're already here. Might as well check out the school." He replied
"Right. The school." Dean said. He didn't seem too thrilled about going to the school and it confused me. "What?" Sam asked him. "Truman High, home of the Bombers," Dean replied and now I was even more confused. "What's your point?" Sam asked. I looked at Dean and said, "Seriously what's the deal with the school? I've never seen you so upset about checking out a case." I asked. Dean let out a sigh and looked at me then Sam. "I mean, we went there, like... for a month a million years ago. Why are you so jazzed to go back?" Dean replied. Okay I can see why he wouldn't want to return; after all I wouldn't want to return to my old school. "I'm not. I just think it's worth looking into." Sam told him. I nodded my head, it's not like we had anything to lose. "I agree with Sam, we're already here so might as well." I said. Dean glanced at me and said, "Of course you would he's your boyfriend-" I stuck my tongue out at him "-All right, well, what's our cover? FBI? Homeland Security? Swedish exchange students?" I looked at Sam waiting on his answer. "Don't worry. I got an idea." Sam said. And for some reason I really didn't like the sound of that. "Okay," Dean answered. He then pulled out of the hospital parking lot and we drove off.
We arrived at the school and Sam walks down the hall just as the bell rings. He is dressed as a janitor and pushing a janitor cart. I rush to a room dressed in a black pencil skirt, a blue silk sleeveless blouse and black pumps with a blue bow. I'm going in as a substitute English teacher. I loved English, this outfit on the other hand I hated. I stood in the classroom and smiled at the students. "Hi I'm Mrs. Stark. Today we are going to read a bit of The Hobbit and talk about what Tolkien was trying to say." I told them. While there I watched the students closely for any signs of possession, but didn't find any. I left the class to go join Sam and Dean in the gym.
Dean was wearing red shorts, a white shirt, and had a headband on. Sam had already got his attention so he walked over to us. I chuckled and said, "Nice outfit," He just scowled at me in return. "Having fun?" Sam asked. Dean smiled and replied, "The whistle makes me their God." Well that's certainly interesting. "Right. Nice shorts," Sam tells him. He ignores the jab at his outfit. "Find anything?" he asks. Sam shakes his head. "I've been over the entire school twice. No sulfur." Sam answered. "Yeah all my kids seemed fine. We read from The Hobbit and they enjoyed it and our discussion." I told them. Dean chuckled, "So other than being nerds like you two nothing. No sulfur, no demon. No demon, no case." Dean replied. Sam sighed slightly disappointed. "I don't know. Maybe I was wrong." Sam said.
I can see as to why he thought that was a bad thing; he wanted a reason for that girl to do what she did, a reason other than her being psycho and cruel. "Well, it happens to the best of us. I say we hit the road, huh? But after lunch - it's sloppy-joe day." Dean tells him. I grab Sam's hand and smile. "It'll be okay," I told him before a young boy goes running by. He's holding his nose and says, "Oh." I raise my eyebrows a little worried for the boy. "Well at least it was someone else this time," I said. They both looked at me confused. I shrugged my shoulders and didn't answer. It had happened to me while in high school, but I shook it off and kept playing. "Good hustle, Colby! Walk it off!" Dean yelled.
Sam, Dean, and I walked down the hallway. There had been another incident, which Sam arrived during, so the school was having an assembly. "How's the nonviolence assembly going?" Sam asked. I looked at Dean as he answered, "Apparently, shoving a kid's arm into a Cuisinart is not a 'healthy display of anger.' So, the kid had ectoplasm leaking out his ear?" Dean asked. It turned out we had a case after all even though it wasn't a demon. "Which only comes from a seriously pissed-off spirit. It's got to be ghost possession." Sam replied. "Yeah, but that's pretty rare." Dean said finding the whole situation odd. I was too, but at the same time I was glad the young girl Sam had talked to before wasn't just vicious. "Yeah, but it happens. I mean, they get angry enough, they can take control of a person's body." Sam said.
"Well Sam at least we know you were right," I told him with a smile. Sam smiled back, appreciating the fact I had, had faith in him. "All right, so, what, we got a ghost in the building?" Dean asked. It certainly seemed that way since there were no signs of a demon possession. "Yeah, but where? I mean, there's no EMF. Maybe we could find out who it is, at least. You know, check and see if somebody died bloody around here or something," Sam said. And that was the thousand dollar question; no E.M.F usually meant no ghost, but ectoplasm normally meant ghost. This was going to take some time. "Way ahead of you. I had to break into the principal's office to get this. Oh, and FYI, three of the cheerleaders are legal. Guess which ones," Dean said. Okay I take back what I said. "No why would I care Dean?" Sam asked. Dean looked at me then Sam and nodded his head saying, "Good point."
Dean unfolded a piece of paper which he had pulled from his pocket. "So, there was only one death on campus. It was a suicide back in '98. Some kid named Barry Cook. What?" Dean asked noticing the upset look on Sam's face. I could feel the sadness coming from him so I grabbed his hand. He let out a sigh and asked, "I knew him. How did he die?" Knowing the victim always made things harder. "He slit his wrists in the first-floor girls' bathroom." Dean told us. "That's where-" Sam and I started. "-Right where the chick got swirleyed to death, exactly. So, what? This ghost is possessing nerds?" Dean finished for us. "Way to put it lightly Dean," I told him. He gave me a 'what' look and shrugged his shoulders. "And using them to go after bullies, yeah." Sam said answering Dean's question.
"Well, does that sound like Barry's M.O.?" Dean asked. Sam looked at the ground and nodded. "Barry had a hard time." Sam replied. I squeezed Sam's hand trying to reassure him that it wasn't his fault. "You were his friend while here Sam. You couldn't have predicted what would happen after you left. I'm sure Barry was glad to have you as a friend, make his time here better if only for a short time. I know I would have been happy to have you as a friend." I told Sam. He gave a smile showing how grateful he was. "Thanks babe I needed to hear that," Sam replied. Dean made a face and said, "No chick flick moments," I stuck my tongue out at him for the second time today. We left the school and got in the Impala ready to drive to the grave yard for a simple salt and burn.
We all stood around Barry's grave now that Sam, Dean and I had finished digging it up. Sam threw in the salt and fuel while Dean dropped in a lit match. "So long, Barry Cook," Dean said. I smacked his arm and gave him a look. "What?" he said. I looked at Sam and then back to him. He nodded realizing what I was trying to say. I swear sometimes Dean has as much sense as a rock. We got back in the Impala and headed down the road. "You all right?" Dean asks. Glad he got what I was hinting at. "Barry was my friend. I just burned his bones." Sam replied. He was so upset and still blamed himself even after what I told him. "Well, he's at peace now, Sam." Dean tried to reassure him. Sam didn't believe it though and it made me sad knowing how upset he was. "I mean, if Dad had let us stay just a little while longer, maybe I could have helped the kid, you know?" Sam tried to get Dean to understand.
"You read the coroner's report same as me. Barry was on every anxiety drug and antidepressant known to man. School was hell for that kid. His parents had split up. He just wanted out. It was tragic, but it's not your fault. Plus it's like Cassidy said you couldn't have predicted what was going to happen. To tell you the truth, I'm glad we got out of that town. I hated that school." Dean told Sam. He still didn't believe it. "It wasn't all bad." Sam told him. Dean glanced over at him and replied, "How can you say that after what happened to you?" Now I was curious as to what had happened. I looked between them as they seemed to be remembering the past. "Well what happened?" I asked. Sam looked at me and sighed.
A young Sam and Dean sat on the school bleachers. You could tell Sam had gotten beat up by his dirty shirt and busted lip. "That kid's dead." Dean said. Sam sighed and said, "Dean." But his older brother wasn't listening. "I'm gonna rip his lungs out!" Dean continued his rant. "It's not a big deal," Sam told him. And he honestly didn't think it was after all he had helped a friend. "Not a big deal? Sammy, look at yourself. If Dad was here –" Dean started but Sam interrupted "He's not." Dean looked at Sam. "Well, I am! And as soon I'm finished with that dick-" Dean once again began to rant. "Shut up, okay?! I don't need your help." Sam once again interrupted. Dean looked at Sam knowing he was right. "That's right, you don't. You could have torn him apart. So why didn't you?" Dean asked.
It was a good question; why would someone get beat up if they didn't have to?
"Because I don't want to be the freak for once, Dean. I want to be normal." Sam tried to explain. Dean didn't understand though. "So taking a beating - that's normal?" Dean asked. Sam was done with the conversation so he asked, "Any word from Dad?" Dean sighed knowing he wasn't getting anything else from Sam. "He called this morning, said he's going to be another week at least. We weren't supposed to be here this long." Dean replied. "At least you've got Amanda. She's cool." Sam told Dean. In return Dean got this weird look on his face. "Dude, she wants me to meet her parents. I don't do parents." Dean said.
Sam finished explaining to me the reason Dean had asked his question. "Dean I get you were pissed, but Sam helped prevent a friend from getting hurt. Not only that, but as tiny as he was back then he would have been called a freak if he had won the fight. So yeah getting beat up is kind of normal." I told him. He looked at me in the mirror for a second then back to the road. "Yeah yeah I get it. Still don't understand how Sam didn't think that school was bad though." Dean replied. I could understand that considering all the bullying and such that went on. However I could tell there was more to what happened back then because we were on our way back to the school. We pulled into the school sometime later. "We came back here so you could talk to a teacher?" Dean asked. I was a little confused myself, but then I remember him telling me a story about a teacher that told him to live life the way he wanted; that he didn't have to go into the family business. "He's a good guy," Sam replied. Dean looked at him funny while I gave a nod knowing exactly why he wanted to talk to him. "Well, whatever. Go have your Robin Williams 'O captain! My captain!' moment. Just make it quick." Dean told him.