Long Live BRUCAS- Of course Dean has to pick on Sam! It's an older sibling thing. I'm sure there will be more...
On with the show!
Sam tiptoed as quietly as he could to sneak a peek behind the curtain. The school had a small auditorium and boy, was it filling up fast. Friends, families, teachers... Sioux Falls was not a small town and yet, it felt like everyone who lived there was sitting on one of the plastic chairs in the audience.
"Sam!" Audrey, the stage manager, whisper-yelled. "You're not supposed to be back here."
Sam slowly back away from the curtain. "...That's a lot of people."
Audrey came up behind him and looked over his shoulder, gazing around the auditorium. "Yeah, I suppose. Are you excited?"
Sam took a deep breath. He suddenly felt dizzy and leaned against the set.
"Hey," Audrey said, holding his hand. Sam noticed and looked down at their hands immediately. "You'll do great!"
Sam took a deep breath and nodded. Audrey continued holding his hand a little longer and then took a close step toward him. Way too close.
"So, Sam, a bunch of us are going to a wrap party after the show. One of the girls in the cast has an uncle who owns an ice cream shop and he's letting us in after closing. Wanna come?"
That's when Sam noticed something in the audience. Or someone. Named Dani. What was she doing here?
"Sam?" Audrey asked again.
"Y-yeah. Sounds like fun," Sam answered, not knowing what he was agreeing to.
"Amazing!" Audrey said, smiling wide. "I'll tell her you're coming so she can add you to the list!"
She ran off giddily as Sam continued looking out to the audience. That's when he noticed Dani sit down in a seat on the end with Dean and Bobby. It looked like Dean had introduced the two, followed by Dani saying something that made Bobby laugh and Dean look embarrassed. He tried to shrug it off, throw his arm around Dani and say something back, making Dani playfully slap his chest. Bobby said something, followed by nudging Dean's head. Sam got caught up in the scene and didn't notice his teacher practically dragging him back to where he was supposed to be.
Sam rocked back and forth on his feet, hiding around the corner from the auto shop. He was trying to work up the nerve to go inside and give Dani her birthday gift. Sam looked through the window and caught Dani gathering her things and clocking out.
Now or never... Just keep cool... casually walking down the street...
"Sam?" Dani called.
Keep cool...
"Oh! Hey Dani. Didn't know you were working today."
Nice.
"What are you doing here?"
Sam crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Oh you know, stuff."
Really? Stuff?
Sam immediately cringed at how hard he was trying. Dani didn't seem to notice. She smiled sweetly. "Whatcha got there?"
Sam looked down at the pink gift bag in his hand and his mind went blank. "Oh, um...it's nothing."
"Awww are you about to meet your girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?" Sam asked, surprised.
Dani blushed. "Sorry, Dean mentioned you might have one from the show. But I could be wrong..."
Well, this definitely didn't go as planned.
Before he knew it, he said: "Yeah, it's for my girlfriend."
"Well, I hope she likes it!" Dani said, walking past him to a car parked just a little ways away. "See you later!"
Sam watched her drive off. He walked over to a garbage can on the street and threw the pink gift bag away.
That was all Sam could think about right now. Sitting on the stage, with the scene playing out in front of him, in front of everyone, and that was all that was on Sam's mind. He looked out of the corner of his eye back to the audience. Dean leaned over and whispered something in Dani's ear, causing her to flip open the program. She pointed to something and whispered something back at Dean, causing him to nod in understanding and they both looked back onstage. Dean noticed Sam watching them and gave a thumbs up. That caused Sam to snap back into it, just in time for his next line.
There was a moment during one of Sam's monologues when he caught Dean leaning over to Bobby, probably to brag to him about how much he helped Sam with that particular monologue. And for a moment, Sam realized he was truly lucky to have Dean to help him with things.
Sam slouched down on the couch and crossed his arms. "What do you mean you have to leave?"
Dean awkwardly leaned on Bobby's desk in the den. He had just gotten off the phone with John, telling him the plan for the week. "I mean, Dad's being his usual self and dragging me on a hunt with him."
Sam pouted. "...but my show..."
Dean moved from the desk and sat on the couch next to Sam. "Hey, I'll be there. I'll come see the show with Bobby and leave to meet Dad right after."
"Promise?"
"Promise. Dad will have to drag me through hell and high water before I miss any of that." Sam smiled slightly. Dean ruffled his hair and threw his arm around Sam. "Need anything else for the show? Makeup? Hair spray? Zit cream?"
"Zit cream?" Sam asked confused. Dean pointed at the middle of Sam's forehead. Sam immediately crossed his eyes and looked up, as if he was going to be able to see it. "NO!" he screamed, shooting up off the couch and running into the downstairs bathroom. "No, no, no, no, NO!" Sam got in close to the mirror and pulled his bangs back, revealing a small red bump just above his left eyebrow. "THAT'S what that is?"
Dean came up behind him and leaned against the doorway. "Fraid so little bro."
Sam bent down and smacked his forehead on the edge of the sink, only to lift it back up right away to prevent another from making an appearance.
"Don't worry," Dean chuckled. "I got just the thing for it."
Until it came to girls. Then it felt like Dean was absolutely no help. And as he finished the monologue, he caught Dani resting her head on Dean's shoulder. Sam began to feel this ache in his stomach. He couldn't quite put a name to the feeling but it was like all his senses were telling him to scream at them in the audience from the stage.
Sam finished his monologue and exited the stage.
The rest of the evening dragged on and Sam thought this play was never going to come to an end. When it inevitably did, Sam had never felt more relieved in his life. Everyone did their bows as everyone gave standing ovations and the curtain came down. Students cheered and celebrated the end of their hard work. Some ran out to the hallway to meet with their friends and family. Others started helping clean up the remains of the show. Sam went back to the classroom staged as a green room by himself. He changed out of the costume given to him and went into the bathroom to try to scrub off the remains of what little makeup he did have on so he wasn't washed out under the lights.
A couple of boys came into the restroom. "Are you Sam?" one of them asked. "Dude, your family has been waiting for you to come out."
"They have?" Sam asked. The boys ignored him, continuing to talk about the show. Sam exited the restroom and went out to the lobby.
"There he is!" Bobby said as Sam snuck into the room. "That was a good show kid."
"It was?"
"Of course it was!" Dean said, wrapping his arms around Sam in a hug. "I'm so proud of you."
Sam hugged him back. "Thanks Dean."
"You know, you could be an actor!" Oh. Dani. Sam had forgotten she was still here.
Sam forced himself out of the hug and straightened up. "Thanks Dani," he mumbled.
"I should get going but thanks for inviting me tonight!"
"Anytime Dani," Bobby said. "You should come around more often."
Please don't.
"I'll call you once I'm with Dad, alright?" Dean said.
Again. Please don't.
Dean snuck in one more quick hug and kissed the top of Sam's head. He turned around and walked out with Dani, the two laughing and talking the whole way.
"Sorry he can't stay to celebrate," Bobby said. "But we can still do something if ya want."
Sam didn't take his eyes off the door. "Can we just go home?"
Bobby looked confused at the boy, wondering what was going on. "Sure, if that's whatcha want."
someones-big-sister
