And sometimes planes they smash up in the sky...
I'm pretty sure I really like this challenge, guys.
For spn_30snapshots
they just get lonelier
PG-ish, Gen (sort of), Supernatural
Exactly 1,000 words (!)
Prompt 29, Table 10, this picture
The one thing Dean could hope for was money. Rather, their lack of it.
Sam had sent in his application to Stanford without telling their Dad--Dean had driven him to the post office in the middle of the night and everything. It was top secret, and Sam didn't talk about it much. Dean didn't ask about it much. Sammy had bought a P.O. Box in South Dakota, right near Bobby's place--Bobby had said he'd mail Sam whatever came in. In the meantime, Sam waited.
Dean waited too.
He ran the arguments through in his head, the list that had two sides. Things that will make Sam stay, and things that will make Sam leave.
‘Rejection’ is the easiest card to play, although too much of an unknown. There is a 50/50 outcome, and Dean doesn't like his chances. He had to assume the worst, had to assume that Sammy would get in and want to go. So that was useless. Next was 'Dad'. Dad would never let Sammy go willingly, and Dean knew that in every bone in his body. He half-feared the tremendous fight he felt brewing in the wings, and half-desired it, hoped it would knock some sense into Sammy and make him realize that they couldn't be without him. Dean couldn't be without him.
The only thing on the other side of the list, however, was simply 'Sam'.
Sam would do whatever it took to go to college. Dean knew this, too, as clear as the day was long. He's wanted it for years, he's worked on his grades and his schoolwork, and he's even tried for some extracurriculars throughout high school, as impossible as it sounds. Dean was always astonished by just how much effort Sam put into this.
Sam wasn't going to let anyone take it away from him.
Except--and Dean clings to this thought every day--maybe, money.
Bottom line is--they don't have it. Credit card fraud works great for short-term plans--but college? Dean doesn't know much about anything (just a little about a lot) but he's pretty sure you can't just charge college tuition. Which means they would need money, and a lot of it. Sam doesn't have it, Dean knows that. Their Dad would never provide it.
So, no matter what, Sam stays home. They don't have the money. Stanford is expensive.
When he awakes with a jolt in the middle of the night, like he has for a straight week, it is this thought that eases him back to sleep.
*
It's snowing when Sam gets the letter.
Bobby had called Dean three days ago to ask where to forward it. Dean hadn't told mentioned it was coming, and was planning on claiming it was a ‘surprise’ if confronted about this choice of action. Ultimately, once he'd told Bobby the address, he wanted to forget all about the stupid letter.
It doesn't work though, because Sam sees the mail truck pull up at the same time Dean does. When Sam looks at Dean, Dean doesn't say a word, and Sam knows without asking. He hardly stops to throw on sneakers before he races out the door in the snow, without a coat, without an ounce of hesitation.
Dean stops and stands in the doorway, watching as the streetlight illuminates the profile of Sammy's face as the snow falls gently on his hair. It's midday but dark from the snow, clouds sticking to the sun. He all but shreds the envelope to pieces, throwing it aside before he unfolds the letter and starts to read.
Dean's heart falls through his chest when he sees Sam smile.
Sam is yelling something, but Dean can't hear him through the gusts of wind and the dull ringing in his ears. "What?" He asks, trying to be enthusiastic.
Sam comes running to the door of the house. "I got a full ride! They gave me a full scholarship!" He all but shrieks in Dean's face, "I'm in! I'm in!"
Dean smiles, tries to breathe for a few minutes, for Sammy's sake. He can hardly move, but it's all he can do to try and smile.
"That's great, Sam," he attempts to be genuine. A little more forced than he's proud of, he clamps a hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezes. Sam is beaming, not at all noticing Dean's stiffness.
"Thanks," he says, smile all teeth and warmth. He puts his hand on top of Dean's where it stays on his shoulder.
"I can't believe it," he says with a laugh. "Do you know what this means, Dean? I got a full ride. I never thought I'd get in, and I never thought I'd be able to go if I got in, but now..."
He trails off and looks at Dean with an expression of awe. "I just can't believe it," Sam finishes lamely.
It is at this point that Dean extricates his hand from Sam's grip. "It's really great, Sam," he tries again. "Really, really great."
Sam just sends a half smile his way. "Let's get inside, yeah? It's freezing," he says, and all but runs in the house.
"Just a minute," Dean calls out after him, shutting the door soundly before Sam has a chance to question him or protest. He leans against the door and closes his eyes. Just need a minute, he tells himself. Just a second.
Shakily, he puts his hands on his face. They're numb from the snow but Dean can't feel anything, anyway. He exhales forcefully, trying to take deep breaths and urge some sense of thought back into his brain. I might be panicking, he thinks abstractly, when he realizes he's incapable of breathing slowly.
Sam is leaving, he tells himself. Sam is leaving.
It'll all be okay, some valiant part of his brain tries, but it's a pitiful attempt and he doesn't believe it for a second.
"Shit," he breathes the word into his palms, and it's lost among the dark, snowy air.
In other news, I move back into school today. Last year I could hardly eat or talk because I was such a bundle of nerves, but last night I slept fine and woke up fine and feel great :) I'm a bit nervous to get there because I don't actually know how we're going to get in front of the street we need to get to (damn construction)... but we'll figure it out? Heh? I'm just excited to go. Also I found out last night that I have a hot gay RA, and he has already friended me on Facebook <3 Yes. Hope everyone's doing great! Did you know that in ONE WEEK FROM TODAY we will all be watching the Supernatural Season 5 premiere? HOW EXCITED ARE YOU?!
For spn_30snapshots
they just get lonelier
PG-ish, Gen (sort of), Supernatural
Exactly 1,000 words (!)
Prompt 29, Table 10, this picture
The one thing Dean could hope for was money. Rather, their lack of it.
Sam had sent in his application to Stanford without telling their Dad--Dean had driven him to the post office in the middle of the night and everything. It was top secret, and Sam didn't talk about it much. Dean didn't ask about it much. Sammy had bought a P.O. Box in South Dakota, right near Bobby's place--Bobby had said he'd mail Sam whatever came in. In the meantime, Sam waited.
Dean waited too.
He ran the arguments through in his head, the list that had two sides. Things that will make Sam stay, and things that will make Sam leave.
‘Rejection’ is the easiest card to play, although too much of an unknown. There is a 50/50 outcome, and Dean doesn't like his chances. He had to assume the worst, had to assume that Sammy would get in and want to go. So that was useless. Next was 'Dad'. Dad would never let Sammy go willingly, and Dean knew that in every bone in his body. He half-feared the tremendous fight he felt brewing in the wings, and half-desired it, hoped it would knock some sense into Sammy and make him realize that they couldn't be without him. Dean couldn't be without him.
The only thing on the other side of the list, however, was simply 'Sam'.
Sam would do whatever it took to go to college. Dean knew this, too, as clear as the day was long. He's wanted it for years, he's worked on his grades and his schoolwork, and he's even tried for some extracurriculars throughout high school, as impossible as it sounds. Dean was always astonished by just how much effort Sam put into this.
Sam wasn't going to let anyone take it away from him.
Except--and Dean clings to this thought every day--maybe, money.
Bottom line is--they don't have it. Credit card fraud works great for short-term plans--but college? Dean doesn't know much about anything (just a little about a lot) but he's pretty sure you can't just charge college tuition. Which means they would need money, and a lot of it. Sam doesn't have it, Dean knows that. Their Dad would never provide it.
So, no matter what, Sam stays home. They don't have the money. Stanford is expensive.
When he awakes with a jolt in the middle of the night, like he has for a straight week, it is this thought that eases him back to sleep.
*
It's snowing when Sam gets the letter.
Bobby had called Dean three days ago to ask where to forward it. Dean hadn't told mentioned it was coming, and was planning on claiming it was a ‘surprise’ if confronted about this choice of action. Ultimately, once he'd told Bobby the address, he wanted to forget all about the stupid letter.
It doesn't work though, because Sam sees the mail truck pull up at the same time Dean does. When Sam looks at Dean, Dean doesn't say a word, and Sam knows without asking. He hardly stops to throw on sneakers before he races out the door in the snow, without a coat, without an ounce of hesitation.
Dean stops and stands in the doorway, watching as the streetlight illuminates the profile of Sammy's face as the snow falls gently on his hair. It's midday but dark from the snow, clouds sticking to the sun. He all but shreds the envelope to pieces, throwing it aside before he unfolds the letter and starts to read.
Dean's heart falls through his chest when he sees Sam smile.
Sam is yelling something, but Dean can't hear him through the gusts of wind and the dull ringing in his ears. "What?" He asks, trying to be enthusiastic.
Sam comes running to the door of the house. "I got a full ride! They gave me a full scholarship!" He all but shrieks in Dean's face, "I'm in! I'm in!"
Dean smiles, tries to breathe for a few minutes, for Sammy's sake. He can hardly move, but it's all he can do to try and smile.
"That's great, Sam," he attempts to be genuine. A little more forced than he's proud of, he clamps a hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezes. Sam is beaming, not at all noticing Dean's stiffness.
"Thanks," he says, smile all teeth and warmth. He puts his hand on top of Dean's where it stays on his shoulder.
"I can't believe it," he says with a laugh. "Do you know what this means, Dean? I got a full ride. I never thought I'd get in, and I never thought I'd be able to go if I got in, but now..."
He trails off and looks at Dean with an expression of awe. "I just can't believe it," Sam finishes lamely.
It is at this point that Dean extricates his hand from Sam's grip. "It's really great, Sam," he tries again. "Really, really great."
Sam just sends a half smile his way. "Let's get inside, yeah? It's freezing," he says, and all but runs in the house.
"Just a minute," Dean calls out after him, shutting the door soundly before Sam has a chance to question him or protest. He leans against the door and closes his eyes. Just need a minute, he tells himself. Just a second.
Shakily, he puts his hands on his face. They're numb from the snow but Dean can't feel anything, anyway. He exhales forcefully, trying to take deep breaths and urge some sense of thought back into his brain. I might be panicking, he thinks abstractly, when he realizes he's incapable of breathing slowly.
Sam is leaving, he tells himself. Sam is leaving.
It'll all be okay, some valiant part of his brain tries, but it's a pitiful attempt and he doesn't believe it for a second.
"Shit," he breathes the word into his palms, and it's lost among the dark, snowy air.
In other news, I move back into school today. Last year I could hardly eat or talk because I was such a bundle of nerves, but last night I slept fine and woke up fine and feel great :) I'm a bit nervous to get there because I don't actually know how we're going to get in front of the street we need to get to (damn construction)... but we'll figure it out? Heh? I'm just excited to go. Also I found out last night that I have a hot gay RA, and he has already friended me on Facebook <3 Yes. Hope everyone's doing great! Did you know that in ONE WEEK FROM TODAY we will all be watching the Supernatural Season 5 premiere? HOW EXCITED ARE YOU?!