Chapter Ten: Haunted (Part 1)

A/N: I'll be honest, I've been slacking, but that's partly because marching band season is in full swing with a parade we're marching in about a week and two more songs to learn drill for. Also, AP tests are hard.

For my original message: Oh my Jesus. These reviews I'm getting are making me so happy. Thank you for making me feel like I did something right, especially on a chapter I was unsure about! So, that was some Ambrollins fluff-ishness bonding kind of stuff… I guess, along with some of Dean's backstory. Now, we're back to school stuff, which is what's making me take so long to crank out chapters. Chapter title inspired by the Kelly Clarkson song off her My December album. Enjoy!

AP classes. What was there to say about them? You were in a college level class where you have to lug a huge book around school all day, even when you weren't going to use it in class, where you don't understand half the things you're learning, and where you wish the bell would ring to send you to your next class. Roman hated AP classes. With football and wrestling on his schedule, what time did that leave for homework? Absolutely none. He'd be up until one in the morning trying answer chapter questions he couldn't find. He wouldn't let that show though. Now that the first few months of school were behind them, things kicked into gear and the workload increased. With exams in a few weeks, even more so. Seth, being his usual nerd self, didn't really complain. He loved learning, knew the costs of wanting to learn. Dean couldn't care less, though he did do his work. Most of the time. The only thing the three could agree on regarding AP classes was that having tests on Fridays absolutely sucked, no question about it.

It had been almost two weeks since that phone call and everything seemed to be back to normal.

Everything except Dean, of course.

The brunette was always out of it these days. He couldn't stop hearing his dad's voice in his head. He couldn't stop hearing his mother's angry shouts. He couldn't stop remembering the night that everything had gone wrong. It haunted him everywhere he went: school, the shop circle in town, at his house, Seth's, Roman's, it didn't matter. Seth knew why Dean was acting so off, providing comfort when he knew he needed it most. Roman, however, was like an oblivious mother hen, not knowing about the phone call. "Dude, are you sure you're alright?" Roman asked for the thirtieth time that day. Dean scowled and waved him off as they searched for a table in the cafeteria.

"I'm fine, Joe. What is with you today?" Roman folded his arms and frowned.

"What's with me? What about you? For the last two weeks, you've done nothing but sulk and zone out every time I see you. What happened over the last few weeks? Was it the day Seth went over to your house?" Dean pointedly ignored him, sitting down at the end of the table next to Seth, who beckoned them over.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, really. If you're so worried, I'll tell you later at practice, alright?" the brunette told him. Dean looked to Seth and stared. "Dude, seriously?" The two toned teen had a huge book in his lap, scribbling furiously across the page in his notebook while biting into his sandwich. "You've been nonstop taking notes for the past three days. You lost to me, like, five times in a row in video games because you were highlighting and color coding your English notes."

"AP English. I gotta get these notes. The test is in two days."

"So just cram the night before."

"Because that's such a good idea."

"I think it's an awesome idea. Always works for me, and I'm, like, the only guy who can compete with your grades, you know what I'm sayin'?" Seth finished his last paragraph of notes and took a swig from his water bottle.

"Well, you do that, and I'll be studying." He began quietly rereading his notes and making adjustments to them. Dean groaned and turned to Roman.

"Joe, help me out here, man." Roman put his hands up.

"I started studying last class. I know I'm not remembering all of this, so why take my chances? Colby has a point. It's an AP class. Doesn't hurt to be prepared." Dean sighed and finished what was left on his tray. By then, Roman had gone over to Galina, leaving him and Seth alone at the table. Seth looked up at Dean and saw the broken look in his eyes as he stared at his other friend.

"Hey, you alright, Jon? And don't give me that "I'm fine" bullshit either. Clearly, you're not. You can't convince me otherwise." Dean turned and gave him a weak smile. He pushed his tray away and let his head fall into his hands. How did Seth do that?

In an unsteady voice, he replied, "You always could see right through me. *sigh* It's… It's been… a long two weeks. It… it doesn't get easier… knowing that, that he could be out of prison… right now, and not be able to see me… He loved me… and I still love him. It's just hard to deal with the fact that… my mom won't let us see each other, but I'm dealin'. I'll be okay. 'Jus'… need a minute."

"It's been two weeks, Jon. What do you wanna do?" Dean looked him in the eyes.

"To see him… after you help me study for this AP test after practice today." Seth smiled and gave him a brief hug.

"Now we're gettin' somewhere." The bell rang, signaling for a class change. The two picked up their stuff and joined Roman on the way to science.

XxX

Louder, louder, the voices in my head

Whispers, taunting, all the things you said

Faster the days go by and I'm still

Stuck in this moment of wanting you here

"Good! Good, I'm talkin' to you! Where's your head today?" Thatcher shouted as Dean botched yet another attempt at a hammerlock on Roman. A hammerlock. He got through the standing side headlock, waist lock, takedown, chinlock, and everything else in between, but a hammerlock was giving him trouble. Dean stopped and pulled at his hair, apologizing again to Roman for twisting his arm in twenty wrong ways. "Good, do you hear me?!" Dean looked up at his coach.

"I told you, my name is Moxley. Ask Tyler and Leakee. They'll tell you, right big dog?" Dean asked his Samoan sparring partner. Roman nodded.

In a lowered voice, he asked yet again, "You sure you're okay, Mox? You aren't yourself." Dean glared at him.

"Just peachy. I just need a-" Dean didn't finish his sentence as he stared at the figure looking into the gym door. Thatcher made some announcement that Dean didn't catch, too busy staring into a pair of intense green eyes. "A minute," the brunette finished quietly. Seth snapped in front of his face, catching his attention. "Huh?" he asked his friend.

"Coach said to take five. Seriously, are you okay, or not? And *follows his gaze* who are you…" he trailed off as he observed the man who looked strikingly familiar. "That's not… him, is it?" Dean paid him no mind, pulling on a semi-dry shirt and heading for the door. "Hey, wait up!" Seth shouted after him, catching Roman's attention, who also tried to follow his friend. Dean trucked through the door and ran after the man, who was walking towards a sleek black and blue motorcycle, helmet tucked under his left arm. Those too curly chestnut locks of hair and the jagged cut along his neck gave him away immediately.

"Wait!" the teen yelled, stopping the man in his tracks. He stopped a few feet behind the older man. "Wait. Don't leave, not without sayin' anything to me." The man lowered his head, pulling a set of keys from his pocket, but otherwise was standing stark still. "… Will you at least look at me?" The man turned his head slightly to look back before turning around completely with his head held high. He had a stubble now and his hair had grown a bit too long. The fact that he'd aged a little was somewhat noticeable. A worn leather jacket clung to his ripped frame and his jade colored eyes looked tired yet as bright as ever. Ripped jeans, a muscle T-shirt, and dusty boots finished the look. Dean took a step forward and stopped, observing the familiar yet completely alien being standing before him. Seth and Roman stopped a few paces behind Dean, drawing the man's attention to him. He smiled.

"I see you've made two good friends. I'm Bradley, boys. Bradley Good… *looks to his son* … It's good to see you again, Mox. It's been, heh, what? Eight years, right? You've- Ah!" His dad stops mid sentence as his son crushes him in a hug, burying his face in his dad's shoulder and trying to keep his feelings in check. "Grown," he finishes, slightly winded and wincing, rubbing his ribs as his son releases him.

"So this is your dad." Seth walks up and extends a hand to him. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. Your son speaks fondly about you." Bradley eyes the two toned teen curiously.

"You must be the infamous Colby Lopez my son's always writing to me about. He speaks fondly of you too. *shakes his hand* A pleasure to meet you as well." He looks behind Seth. "And you must be Mr. Anoa'i. I've heard good things about you." Roman nods and walks up to shake his hand as well. "Brothers, huh, champ?" Dean then noticed Seth holding one hand and Roman holding the other by his sides. It made him grin, squeezing their hands in silent thanks.

"The best I could ask for… Are you stickin' around?" Bradley ran his right hand through his wild curls, smile fading a bit.

"Maybe. I found a job and I got a house about twenty minutes from yours." Dean raised his eyebrows at that. His dad knew where he lived. The green eyed man chuckled softly. "I know I haven't been around, but I still have my eyes and ears on the streets… I'm going up to see your aunt later, actually."

"Let me go with-" He didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Don't even think about it. How would you explain to Angie how you got to Cleveland and back or where you went for that matter? Sorry, Mox. Maybe next time. If it makes you feel any better, I can give you my address and you can come see us whenever you want." Roman rubbed his knuckles comfortingly before releasing his hand and heading back towards the gym, leaning beside it and waiting for for his baby brother. Seth tried to do the same, but Dean pulled him back, not letting go of his hand and shaking his head.

"Stay," he told him. Seth looked skeptical, but nodded and returned to his side. Bradley took a piece of paper out of his back pocket, wrote down the address, and handed it to his son, who took it. He ruffled his son's hair affectionately, the brunette leaning into his touch.

"He's a keeper. I can feel it. You always liked guys better, right?" The older teen blushed, bowing his head and scratching the back of his neck while Seth's eyes went wide. Seth squeezes Dean's hand in reassurance, though he didn't know who for.

"What? Nah nah nah nah nah. We, we're not. We, no. It- We're just friends, sir," Seth stuttered. "Wait. Whaddaya mean…" All those times he… and all along, he was…? Bradley winked at him.

"He didn't tell ya? *sigh* Well, he does have an image to maintain, doesn't he?" The sound of footsteps made Dean's head snap up, seeing his dad climbing onto his motorcycle. He scrambled over, unintentionally dragging Seth along with him.

"Wait! … You'll tell Sylvia I love her, right?" Bradley drew his son in close, embracing him and placing a kiss on top of his head.

"Why wouldn't I? … I love you, Jon. *looks to Seth* You be good to him, alright?"

"I love you too, dad…"

With that, he puts on the helmet, turns the keys, and speeds off, waving back as he disappeared. A single tear slid down Dean's cheek. Seth gently wiped it away, steering them towards Roman.

Time, in the blink of an eye

You held my hand, you held me tight

Now you're gone and I'm still cryin'

Shocked, broken, I'm dying inside

"Who's Sylvia?" Seth asked carefully. Dean hesitated, knowing he'd already lied about the subject. "Jon."

"My baby sister," he answered quietly, looking away and quickly walking back into the gym, dropping Seth's hand. Roman goes after him, wrapping his arms around his friend. The gym had cleared since practice had ended during that conversation outside. "Two weeks ago," he began, "when Colby was hangin' with me, I got a call. It was my dad, calling from prison, saying he was getting released soon. My mom overheard the conversation and she got pissed, said things… I didn't think I'd hear from him again. Then, he shows up today and he has to leave… I don't know what to do, Joe." He finally returned the embrace, tightly, before letting go again. Roman didn't know what to say. He felt like he wasn't meant to hear this, that he was intruding on the moment. Seth was the one he confided in, not him. Seth was who he was close to, not him. "My mom took me while my dad sent my sister to live with my aunt in Cleveland, the night he got arrested. When he got out, he would get custody of her apparently, so that's why he's going to see my aunt. I haven't seen Sylvia since that night. I don't want… I just want my family back, all of it." The older teen wished he knew what to do or say to comfort him. "I should've told you. That's why I've been all unfocused lately. I'm…" he mumbled the last few words, but Roman understood what he meant.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's none o' my business."

"But it is," Dean interjected. "You're my brother. You have a right to know things too, not just Colby." Roman just brushed the comment aside, rubbing comforting circles into his back. His insides melted a bit when he heard Dean call him a brother.

"If you want, the two of us can go with you when you go see your dad," Roman told him, letting go and giving the brunette room to breathe. He looked at Roman and gave a half smile.

"I'd like that… Yeah…" he replied. The Samoan gave him a small smile in exchange as Seth walked up to them. He immediately went over to Dean and hugged him. He reacted a little quicker this time, wrapping his arms around the smaller teen and burying his head in his shoulder. After a moment, they let go of each other. Grabbing their stuff, they walked back out of the gym side by side, trying to deal with what just happened.

XxX

There were ten minutes left in class and he hadn't answered a single question. There were 45 multiple choice questions and two short answers that he hadn't even attempted. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He'd looked at the short answers… kinda. He'd looked at the first page of questions too. No matter how many times he read them, however, all he could think about was two days ago after wrestling practice. Whelp, he was failing this test. His bubble sheet lay exactly where the substitute had left it and his packet of questions were turned to the last page, where the short answer questions were. He tapped his pencil insistently against his thigh, other hand holding his head up on his desk.

Where are you?!

I need you!

Don't leave me here on my own!

Speak to me!

Be near me!

I can't survive unless I know you're with me!

'Where are you?' he thought to himself. 'Is she with you? Are you both okay? How are you?' He just couldn't focus right now. Seth, who'd just finished the last question, looked back at his friend in concern. He saw the look on Dean's face and immediately felt down. He pulled a piece of paper out of his bag and began lightly writing something down. A minute later, with precision aim, he tossed the paper at an angle. It landed right between Dean's feet. Dean heard the sound of crinkling paper as he moved his boot and looked down.

Just this once. I know you're still shaken up. Paraphrase the short answers.

Below that was an answer key and a few paragraphs. Thank you, he mouthed to him. Seth nodded and gave him an almost smile before turning back around. Dean chanced a glance at Roman, who was just finishing up the last question. Dean looked at the clock hanging above the chalkboard. Seven minutes. Okay. Quickly, he began bubbling in answers and rephrasing Seth's short answer paragraphs. "Is why… authors use themes to develop stories around," he mumbled to himself, writing the last sentence and finishing just as the bell rang. Phew. He slammed his pencil down and snatched up his paper. He put on top of the stack on his teacher's desk, went back to his seat to grab his stuff (including Seth's cheat sheet), and followed his friends out of the classroom.

"So, how do you think you did?" Roman asked them. "I'm pretty sure I missed the whole section on point of view. I always get the third persons mixed up." Dean gave him a distracted thumbs up while Seth went on explaining the difference, even though it was obvious. Roman pulled Seth aside as soon as he started trying to explain. "I know he didn't do fine because every time I looked up at him he was staring into space. What was on that paper you gave him?"

"You saw-"

"You, of all people? I thought that you, being Mr. 5 point oh and all, would be against cheating-"

"It's not cheating if he's putting down different answers-"

"But you don't know that." Seth grumbled at that.

"Yes," he said, "I do. Have a little faith." Roman let out an overly dramatic exasperated sigh, making both of them smile. They rejoined Dean, who was still off in his own little world. He looked up and gravitated towards them. They walked side by side to the exit. They both put their arms around Dean's shoulders, making his dimples strain with the effort to not smile. When they got outside, Roman headed for his mom's car while the other two headed home on foot. Maybe a Friday dinner at Seth's would clear his head. Only one way to find out, right? When they got to the neighborhood, Dean said he'd only be a few minutes as he ran into his house for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Seth watched his friend, (Should he refer to him as a brother? He didn't know yet) with a concerned expression on his face.

Seth unlocked his front door with his key and dumped his backpack by the stairs. He quickly washed his hands and pulled out several bowls, silverware, pots, pans, etc. He didn't know what to cook though. All he did know was that he was definitely making brownies. He got those prepared, not putting them in the oven just yet, while trying to think of what to cook. He settled on meatloaf, because it'd been too long since he'd had any, and some form of chicken pot pie. By the time Seth had put everything in the oven, Dean had returned in a different pair of jeans and a T-shirt too faded to read. He pulled at Seth's apron (Yes, he wears an apron) to alert him to his presence. The two toned teen turned to him and smiled.

"Hey," he said. "Food just started cooking, so it might be a little while before we can eat."

"That's fine by me. Gives me more time to spend with you." Seth really hoped the burning of his cheeks was not him blushing. Dean snickered and clapped him on the back. "By the way, um, thanks, ya know… For helping me with that, uh, test. I didn't copy everything, I swear!" It was Seth's turn to laugh.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Actually, it was Joe that freaked when he saw us in class earlier. He thought it'd be me chastising you."

"Heh, so did I, pretty boy." Seth flicked his forehead when he used that nickname, making Dean laugh softly. They joked around for a few more minutes, pulling things out of the oven, when they heard a car pull up in the driveway. Dean went to open the door, seeing his mom and Seth's dad walk towards the house. Seth went and got out plates and silverware to set the table. The four talked amongst themselves for a bit before the rest of the food was ready to eat. The conversation at the table was light, yet not completely comfortable. The atmosphere was weird and it eventually became silent. When they all finished eating, the two teens fought over who would wash the dishes next. Again. Seth took steel wool sort of sponges and stuck them in Dean's hair. Did he mention they had bits of food and soap still on them?

"Dude, gross." He said it with more amusement than disgust. When they finished drying the dishes, they all collapsed in the living room, making small conversations. Shane noticed the worried look on his son's face and Dean's melancholy expression that never seemed to go away.

"What's up with Jonathan these days? He just seems a bit… off lately." Seth sighed.

"His dad… His sentence was up a few weeks ago and now he's out of jail. Thing is, his mom isn't ready to work things out yet because there's so much going on and it's just… It's really complicated. Basically, Jon wants to see his dad, but his mom doesn't think it's such a good idea. Then there's even more family stuff goin' on, but…" He nodded, thinking about when Angie had first told him about their situation of sorts.

"I'm glad you're trying to be there for him. I'm proud of you for that." Shane hugged his son gently. Seth looked over at Dean, curled up beside his mom, holding her hand and rubbing her knuckles comfortingly. The two made eye contact and exchanged understanding looks. Just then, their doorbell rang. Odd. Shane went to go answer it and froze when the door opened. Dark brown shoulder length hair, a golden skin color, striking light brown eyes, and sharp facial features. Dean raised an eyebrow at her and looked over to his close friend. He became confused when he saw Seth's unbelieving expression. The woman at the door looks past Shane and straight at Seth. Her face went from serious to full of love. No one knew what to say, not really. By no one, that didn't include Seth.

"Mom?"

Closing A/N: Gah. I'm not happy w/ how this turned out, but I'm WAY overdue on posting a chapter. I'm splitting this into parts because each character is going to go through some trauma. Just a forewarning to all the readers. Also, who's hyped up for this Seth face turn and his rivalry with Triple H? I KNOW I AM! Even though I'm Team Smackdown, I've been a fan of the Game way longer than I have of Dean. Next chapter, as you can see, will contain some Seth back story. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Roman. I'll get to his story, eventually. Anyway, what'd ya think?