After school got out for the summer, John backed up his boys and followed the monsters. Without Sam nagging to stay in one place long enough to do well in school, John would stay on the road all the time, half the time he did anyway, Dean was old enough now to take care of Sam by himself. The first week of July, the boys were staying at a campsite in Georgia for a few days while John took care of something that he told them was "too dangerous for little boys." They'd been there for almost a week, and it wasn't like they had cabin fever, they barely had a tent, but Sam was starting to get on every last nerve Dean had. Dean remembered being eleven, it wasn't as horrible for him as it seemed to be with Sam. Maybe because Dean had long since accepted that their life wasn't going to change no matter how much he complained or dragged his feet. Sam though, there was only one other person in the world as stubborn and pigheaded as he was; and that man was the one that dropped them off in this middle of no where campsite to start with. Sam was going to fight until he got his way, which for the Winchesters, meant Sam was never going to stop fighting.
Dean sat against a tree whittling down a stick to a sharp point while Sam wandered around the campsite complaining.
"It's too hot," Sam whined.
"It's July," Dean replied rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, well, Dad didn't have to bring us to the south where it's hot," Sam complained. "I'm sure there are monsters in Minnesota or Maine or something."
"It's hot there too," Dean sighed.
Sam slid down the side of the tree next to Dean. "What are you doing?"
"I'm making a spear to stab you with," Dean answered seriously.
"You don't have to be a jerk about everything," Sam said hitting his head against the tree.
"Why don't you go swimming in the lake if you're hot," Dean suggested. "Go be annoying somewhere else."
"Fine" Sam huffed pushing himself off the ground. "I will."
"Be back at six," Dean called after him. "Dad'll be back by six thirty. He wants us packed and ready to go when he pulls up."
"Yeah, whatever," Sam sighed, rolling his eyes as he followed the path down to the lake.
Dean enjoyed the peacefulness of being alone for the first time since they'd been at the campsite. His brother complained about not being given enough freedom, but the moment the kid got any, he was up Dean's ass like it was his job. He sharpened his spear for a few more minutes before he got a wonderful idea.
Dean packed up the tent and duffle bags and brought them to the road, which couldn't be seen from where they would camped out. He cleaned up everything as if they had left, then sat next to a tree where he could watch Sam freak when he got back.
Sam floated in the cool lake for quite a while, trying to relax. He wanted a normal life so badly. He wanted to have a house and go to the same school for a whole year and have friends and get a dog and be normal. He didn't think it was too much to ask. He didn't want to be a part of this life. He just wanted everything that everyone else had. He floated around until he'd calmed down and cooled off enough to know he wouldn't yell at his dad when he decided to show up. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he knew he wasn't even close to six. He had plenty of time to help Dean pack up and get ready for their dad to show up.
He climbed up the hill from the lake and saw nothing.
"Dean!" Sam yelled, looking around. "Not funny!"
Sam wandered around where the thought the campsite was, he found clues that he was in the right place - a candy wrapper, a soda can, boot prints- but no sign of Dean.
"You can't just leave me here!" Sam yelled into the emptiness. "Dean!"
Sam looked around, suddenly terrified that he'd been left behind. Being forgotten was his biggest fear. He'd always been afraid that when his dad packed up and moved out, he'd forget Sam; leave him sleeping in a bed or in the backyard. And here he was, left in the woods of Georgia, completely forgotten.
"Dean!" Sam screamed again, hoping that this brother and father weren't too far away. As the panic really started to set in, he hear giggling. His stupid older brother giggling.
"Oh man," Dean laughed as he climbed over the slight rise he'd been hiding behind. "You should have seen your face."
"You suck," Sam yelled. "You're a dick."
"Calm down," Dean smirked.
"No Dean," Sam yelled. "It's not funny. I thought you guys left without me!"
"We're not going to freakin' forget you," Dean said rolling his eyes. "And even if we did, we'd notice really quick when there wasn't someone whining in the backseat."
"You're not funny," Sam huffed walking off in the direction Dean had emerged from.
"I'm hilarious," Dean corrected. "You're too much of a baby to get it."
A car horn honked at the road.
"Looks like Dad is early for once," Dean smiled. "Good thing I packed up our crap huh?"
"You're still an asshole," Sam replied. "That wasn't funny."
"Calm down, Princess," Dean sighed rolling his eyes. "Help me get the stuff in the car."
"Let's go boys," John yelled from the car as they approached. "We gotta get out of town."
"Coming!" Dean called as he hooked his arm around Sam's neck to try to get him to move faster. "Learn to take a joke Sammy, or it's gonna be a long life for you."
"It wasn't funny, Dean!" Sam yelled.
"Stop fighting or ten seconds and load the car," John said quickly. "I'm not messing round we gotta blow."
The boys shut up and finished loading the car before jumping inside, Dean riding shotgun, Sammy in the back seat. They rode in silence for several miles, until they crossed the county line and John visibly relaxed.
"So what are you two fighting about now?" John asked looking at Sam in the rear view.
"Nothing," Dean said shaking his head. "Sam can't take a joke."
"It's wasn't a joke Dean!" Sam said punching the back of Dean's seat. "He packed up all the stuff while I was swimming and made me think that you came and got him and left me there."
Dean start to chuckle, clearly proud of himself.
"That iwas/i sort of mean, Deano," John sighed.
"More funny," Dean replied.
"One of these days, Sam's going to get you back good," John said seriously. "And you're going to be pissed, and I'm going to laugh at you, just like you're laughing at him."
"Sam doesn't have the balls," Dean said placing his foot up on the dashboard.
John smacked Dean's leg. "Respect the car, Dean."
"Sorry, sir." Dean mumbled. "But he's just a kid i and/i he's, like, super serious and boring all the time."
"You forget you're related," John shrugged. "Everything you got, Sammy's got to. Don't forget it. I'm sure he can be just as sadistic and obnoxious as you can be."
"I'd like to see him try," Dean smiled.
"Just wait," Sam piped up from the back seat. "I'm gonna do something ten times worse to you."
"Sure, Sammy," Dean said rolling his eyes. "Keep dreaming, bitch."