Sam stood in front of the bathroom mirror with his mouth open, trying to look at his tonsils. He woke up this morning and his voice sounded scratchy.

"Um kid?" Bobby asked walking by the bathroom and seeing him. "Whatcha doing?"

"I think I'm getting sick," Sam said, embarrassed. It was nearing December and half the school had been out with a flu. Sam hoped he wasn't next.

"What's wrong?"

"My voice sounds weird."

"Does your throat hurt?"

"No."

"Keep an eye on it. Come on, you're gonna be late."

"Do I have to go today?" Sam whined.

"Those boys aint picking on you are they?"

"Not yet."

"Then yes you have to go. Once you start ditching, you can't stop."

"Dean ditched for like a whole month!"

"Exactly my point. I got no more control over him. You I might still be able to save."

That annoyed Sam. He hated being compared to Dean, especially when Dean's problems seemed to trump his.

Sam shoved past Bobby and made his way downstairs. Dean was already sitting in the car waiting.

"What the hell's up with you?" Dean asked when Sam slammed the door. Sam ignored him. Dean rolled his eyes and drove the two of them to school.

After driving in silence yet again, he dropped Sam off and made his way to the high school. Mr. Matthews had called Bobby last night 'expressing his concern' in the sudden change in Dean's positive attitude. Bobby said Dean had to go.

"You wanted to see me?" Dean asked, walking into his office.

"Dean. Long time, no chit chat. Have a seat."

Dean sat in the chair farthest away from his desk.

"So what's new with you?"

"You're joking right?" Dean scoffed.

"Alright, I may have heard some stories."

"Then I'll save us both some time. They're true. Are we done?"

"You know Dean, an unplanned pregnancy can shake anyone up. The important thing is to help yourself stay on the right path."

"Why?"

"You were doing really well for a few weeks there," Matthews said, trying to make a breakthrough. "Thought you might had changed your mind about college."

"Well I changed it back."

"It's not too late Dean. If you go back to working harder, you might be able to get into community-"

"WOULD YOU STOP?" Dean suddenly snapped. "Nothing changed! Okay? Nothing is different! I wasn't going to college then and I'm not going to college now! Stop trying to fix me."

Mr. Matthews stayed silent. There was nothing he could say. Dean stormed out of the room, slamming the office door on the way out.


Sam sat in class and stared at the door. He decided today he was going to confront Brooke and figure out what was going on.

The bell rang. This would be Brooke's fifth absence.

The teacher handed back essays from a couple weeks ago.

"Mr. Fitz," Sam said, walking up to his teacher after class. "I was wondering if I could take Brooke's essay for her.

"That's nice of you to offer Sam but I already gave it to her before she left."

"Before she left?"

"Yeah. Her dad emailed me asking me for her final grades so he could transfer her to a school in Washington."

It was like a ton of bricks hit Sam and all the air suddenly disappeared from his lungs.

"Sam? You alright?" Mr. Fitz asked. Sam ran out of the room. He caught up with one of Brooke's friends.

"Hey Sam."

"Brooke left the school?"

"Yeah she moved remember?"

"To Washington?"

"I think they're staying with an aunt. Brooke had a going away party over the weekend. I was surprised when you weren't there."

"She never said anything. I didn't even get a goodbye," Sam thought, not realizing he had also said it out loud. Brooke's friend smiled sweetly at Sam before leaving for class.

The bell rang again.

Sam went to his next class without thinking. He sat at his desk and put his head down for the whole period.

Sam stood outside of the junior high waiting for Dean. He had been standing there for 10 minutes. Everyone was gone by now, even the teachers.

Sam shivered and zipped his jacket up more. He really had to go to the bathroom so he turned around and ducked back inside campus.

He washed his hands and went back outside the school. Dean still wasn't there.

Sam started to make his way towards the high school. The Impala wasn't in the parking lot.

Sam went inside the office at the high school and called Bobby.


Dean stumbled in late. He may or may not have taken off, convinced a 20 something year old to buy him beer, and spent the day drinking.

"Where the hell have you been?" Bobby asked as calmly as possible.

"Out."

"Where?"

"Just out."

"That's not an acceptable answer and you know it," Bobby said, grabbing Dean's arm.

"What the hell's your problem Bobby? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Bobby smelled the alcohol on his breath.

"Are you drunk?" he asked. Dean stayed quiet. "I was trying to leave you alone and let you have your space but it has gone too far."

Dean pulled his arm away and walked into the kitchen. There he saw Sam sitting at the table working on homework.

"Sammy," Dean sighed, feeling like the worst person on the planet. He had gotten so caught up in all his shit that he completely forgot to pick him up from school.

Sam saw Dean walk in and immediately noticed his demeanor. He immediately picked up his books and ran out of the room.

"Sam wait!" Dean said, running after him.

"Leave me alone."

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine."

"No it's not! God, I really am a jerk. Those bullies didn't do anything did they?"

"Why do you care?" Sam snapped. He was standing at the top of the stairs and Dean was on the bottom.

"Sam-"

"No, those bullies didn't do anything but that doesn't mean something else didn't happen!"

"What else happened?" Dean asked, starting to walk up the stairs.

"Doesn't matter. I needed you and you were too busy drinking. You're no better than Dad."

Dean wished Sam had just pushed him down the stairs. That would have been better than what Sam had just said.

Sam turned around and went to the bedroom. Dean followed him but Sam slammed the door in his face. Dean leaned against the door. He heard Sam quietly crying on the other side.

"That's how I know it's gone too far."

Dean turned around and saw Bobby standing behind him.

"What do we need to do to fix this?"

"I have to get out of here Bobby," Dean confessed. "I'm going insane in this town."

"I know. How about we sleep on it and come up with a plan tomorrow?"

Dean bit his lip and nodded.

"I really fucked up," he whispered.

Bobby pulled Dean into a hug.

"It's okay. I'm here."


someones-big-sister