Different Roads: First Summer 4/5
May 25th was Sammy's last day of school. He waited impatiently for lunchtime, when school would officially be over.
After he ate, he ran to the waiting Impala. Dean was waiting, and he handed him a slice of pizza.
Dean grinned and ate it as they drove to the high school. "Man, I can't believe how nervous I am," he sighed. "It's not like it's the first time I've met with an academic advisor."
"But it's the first time you've met with one for classes for the next six years," Sammy put in.
"Uhm....seven," Dean said softly. "I've got the last half of my freshman year to make up."
Sammy blinked at him. "Wait....that means that...."
Dean grinned a little. "Yeah, Sammy -- it does. We'll be graduating together."
"Seven years -- at the same town. The same schools? With the same kids -- and then we leave together?"
"Happy belated birthday, Sammy," Dean beamed at him. "Welcome to normal."
"Speaking of normal -- for us," Sammy cleared his throat. "Pastor Jim called Bobby. There's a haunting about a day's drive northeast of here."
Dean smiled. "Well, I can use a week of my vacation days..."
Sammy blinked and grinned. "We really do seriously have a home base here, then?"
"Yup. We're still hunters, but now we're also normal kids." He turned off the car, as they were at the high school. "Just what we've both always wanted."
Sam's blinding smile was just the perfect balm to Dean's nervous soul.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maggie Monroe had been a guidance counselour for 15 years. Very little surprised her.
But seeing five-foot-ten of jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket and pendant strutting in on bowed legs with five feet of calm-eyed little boy right beside him -- that surprised her. Leather jacket gestured and little boy sat. Then leather jacket held out his hand. "Ms. Monroe? I'm Dean Winchester. This is my brother, Sam."
Maggie shook it. "I have to say, you've presented me with a unique challenge," she said as he sat down beside his brother. "I have never had to figure out how to stretch three and a half years of classes into seven years of half-days. Why, again, do you need every morning free?"
Dean considered. "Might be easier to just show you. Sammy, would you mind--?"
"Not at all." Sammy shifted so he could see Dean easier. "Go ahead."
Dean's hands rose, and Sammy translated the efficient gestures. "'I need mornings free because I'm the new American Sign Language teacher beginning in the fall. I need to finish my own education ad Mister Sorenson thought this would be the best way to do it.'"
Dean folded his hands into his lap and Maggie blinked at him. "How....How many pupils do you see in your class, Mister Winchester?"
He smiled and answered her verbally. "I'd prefer small -- no more than ten. ASL is a language best taught to very small groups."
Maggie nodded and made a note of it. "Now -- to your own classes." She turned to her computer and paused, looking back at Dean. "Would you like to actively attend the classes or just do the work and tests?"
His jaw dropped. "I can do that?"
"Well, it would depend on the class and the teacher....but if you want that -- since you, yourself, are a teacher -- I think it might be possible."
Dean was beaming and Sammy laughed. "Perfect for your anti-social tendencies," he quipped.
"Shut it, kid," Dean laughed.
But Maggie was laughing, too. "Okay, so -- let's see what we can do."