Dean’s POV
It was already dark by the time I left detention and walked to the Impala. I was thinking about what Mr. Novak said. Does he really believe that I can be better?
I thought about my conversation with Mr. Novak the entire ride home. I was so engrossed in my thoughts, I didn’t even think to call Sam and tell him that I was on my way home, or to put in my Metallica tape to listen to.
It was 7:15 when I arrived at the house. Bobby and Sam were sitting in the living room, watching the news when I walked in. Sam looked up and smiled at me when I walked by him and ruffled his hair.
“How’d you get detention this time?” Sam asked.
“Playing around in Mr. Novak’s class again,” I answered, walking towards the kitchen.
"Food’s on the stove, boy!” Bobby shouted at me.
There was spaghetti in a pot and meatballs on a plate beside it when I walked into the kitchen. I picked up the plate on the counter and dished out some spaghetti and meatballs onto my plate, adding spaghetti sauce from the other pot. I sat down at the table with my plate and started eating.
Sam joined me in the kitchen when I was halfway done with my dinner. He sat in the seat across from me and stared, and stared, and stared some more until I sat my fork down and looked at him. “What do you want, bitch?” I asked in an exasperated voice.
“Nothin’, jerk.” Sam shrugged his shoulders. For a freshman, he’s a giant kid at a towering 5’10 with shaggy hair that went a little past his ears and his bangs covered his forehead. I may be a senior, but Sam is literally almost taller than me. He likes to rub it in, but I still remind him that I’m still taller even though it’s just by a couple inches. I predict that when Sam’s a senior, he’ll be like 7’5. Well, not that tall, but something around there.
“So how was school?” Sam asked after a moment of silence while I continued eating.
I looked at him wearily, but answered, “It was fine.” I paused. “Why?” I narrowed my eyes at him, but he just shrugged again.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I heard from Ruby that you were planning on breaking up with Lisa.” Sam tilted his head to the side in that way puppies do when they’re confused. “Is that true?”
I went back to eating and nodded. “Yeah,” I said around a mouthful of spaghetti, “it is.”
“Why are you breaking up with her?” Sam questioned. “I thought you liked her; the way I saw you guys in school.”
I scrunched my nose up in disgust. “Uh, no,” I said quickly. “She’s eye-candy, Sammy. Nothing more than just sex and stuff like that. Besides, she’s clingy and forceful. Would you see me with a girl like that?”
Sam shook his head slowly. “No,” he muttered, “I guess not. Honestly, I always thought you’d end up with with Benny.”
I almost choked on my spaghetti. “What?” I sputtered through the food in my mouth. I swallowed quickly and stared at Sam for a few seconds with wide eyes. “What?!”
Sam shrugged again, looking innocent. But I knew he knew that I knew he wasn’t innocent. “What?” He ‘asked.' “You guys would be a cute couple. Also, he just came out as bisexual.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, holding my hands up for emphasis. “What are you even talking about? Benny and I are just acquaintances. Nothing else. We would not be ‘cute.' I don’t do cute, Sam! You know that! Where the hell did you even get that shit idea?!”
“Don’t you be cussin’ in this damn house, boy!” Bobby yelled from the living room. I glared at the back of Bobby’s head. “Stop glaring at me.”
I looked away from him and back at Sam. I glared at him instead. “Did you hear all this from that Ruby chick?” Sam didn’t say anything and I knew that meant yes. I sighed. “Sam, I don’t want you hanging out with her. Her sister’s a bitch and so is she. She’s a bad influence. She’s always smoking outside of school and shit. So is Meg. Don’t talk to her, don’t look at her, don’t think about her.” Sam glared at me. “I’m serious, Sammy, she’s a bad influence. She’ll get you hyped on drugs or some shit.”
Sam crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, his brown eyes looking awfully like black. “You can’t tell me what to do, Dean,” he said coldly.
“And you can’t tell me I should date Benny,” I said back, “so we’re even.”
"Whatever.” Sam stood up from his chair and walked away.
“Bitch!” I yelled after him.
“Jerk!” He yelled back.
I sighed and looked down at my plate of food. I suddenly lost my appetite.
But for some reason, my thoughts drifted to Mr. Novak and our conversation during detention.
