Good Times at Lincoln High
by atrum infractus

These are a collection of one-shots that stand alone, all occuring when Dean is eighteen and Sam is fourteen- obviously, Dean is a senior, and Sam is a lowly freshmen. Just to explain the conditions of these stories...


The tone wasn't accusatory, but it wasn't exactly friendly and inviting either. His name sounded like a burden the weary principle at Lincoln High had been forced to shoulder and utter at this exact moment. Sam knew a lot better than to say anything at that very moment, so he sat back, studying the ugly carpet of the principle's office until his full attention was needed, which at this rate, could very well be awhile.

"Sam, I have been blown away by your academic performance here," Principle Judd continued, studying the papers before him- Sam felt sure that the first time this man had ever even seen his grades was five minutes ago, but he remained silent. "Straight A's. For a student that is constantly uprooted as you are, that's quite the achievement, young man!"

Judd leaned forward, studying Sam as if he'd never seen him before- then again, he hadn't. Sam always steered clear of trouble, so what reason would the principle ever have to see him? "I was very surprised to hear that you had suspicious items in your locker at the time of your routine locker check- not so surprised about your brother, though..." He sighed, rubbing his eyes, apparently remembering all the trouble this fine man's apparently evil older brother had caused. Yes, Judd was very familiar with Dean Winchester...

"I need you to tell me if those items were yours," said Judd finally. "As you are an excellent student, I would trust your word if you were to say they did not belong to you."

There it was. The ultimate choice. Lie and blame it on some other innocent jerk or confess. "What did you find?" asked Sam, not looking up.

"Matches, lighters, suggestive reading into supernatural things, newspaper articles about murders, the abnormal presence of salt..."

Sam was thinking furiously. There was no way he was getting Dean into trouble over a locker check (because Lord knew that Dean was already in enough trouble if they'd searched his locker as well), and there was no way that he could look Principle Judd in the eye and tell him that he was a fine student for sure, but he was practically a male version of Buffy the rest of the time- minus the vampires.

"They were mine," he blurted out, not aware that he had even made a decision to speak- the principle's eyes widened, apparently expecting to have to wheedle a confession or a lie out of his student. "My friends and I- we wanted to write a ghost story, and they wanted me to do some research into some old murders, you know, see how it went back then."

Judd nodded, raking his hand through his dark hair, speckled with grey. "And the lighters?"

Sam forced a laugh. "Er- well, sir, we're going for a camping trip this weekend, and my Dad was worried that he'd forget to bring the matches for the fire, so I thought I'd bring them with me- we're leaving right after school, you know. Honestly, sir, I didn't know it was against the rules."

The principle arched his eyebrow. "And the salt?"

"Just happened to spill some salt I brought for my fries," Sam explained with an innocent shrug.

The two stared at eachother, as if each was silently daring the other to speak first. After a few moments of this stifling quiet, Judd sighed, rubbing the temples of his head- Sam felt a pang of guilt for lying so easily and flawlessly to a man that really only wanted to keep his students safe, but what could he do? He absent-mindedly wondered how Dean managed to this on a day-to-day basis while their father had made it a career.

At that very moment, the secretary knocked on the heavy wooden door before popping her head inside. "Excuse me, sir," she said in what was supposed to be an apologetic whisper. "But there's a young man- they caught him in the gym-"

Judd groaned. "Winchester? What's he done now?"

"Well, it seems like he was going to set off a stink bomb..."

Sam was shocked to hear what sounded suspiciously like a string of profanities issue from the principle's mouth. "Bring him in when I'm done with this one."

The secretay nodded, looking like she was about to collapse, and dissapeared again, this time leaving the door cracked open.

"No punishment this time, Sam," said the principle finally. "But I will warn you- I never want to hear about anymore items in your locker again, or I will be forced to suspend you. Are we understood?"

"Yes, sir," said Sam quickly.

"Alright to class with you," said the principle, nodding him towards the door, which Sam hurried through.

While he was walking towards the exit, he saw his brother slumped in one of the hard plastic chairs, clicking his tongue with annoying frequency. The secretary's assistant was alternating between wincing and shooting him a murderous look almost every time he did it. "Out of trouble then?" asked Dean brightly when he saw Sam- when Sam nodded, Dean grinned his approval with a quite appropriate "Attaboy."

"Alright, that's enough," said the harrassed-looking secretary,

"I don't know what all the stink's about," quipped Dean as he followed the secretary into the office.