Diary of a Hunter

"Hey, sorry, I know I'm late! I was helping Dean with school and stuff and I lost track of time!" I exclaimed, practically sprinting into the café.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with Dean lately," Andrea pointed out, suspiciously. I came around the counter and washed my hands in the sink.

"He's my best friend! Well, besides Ethan, of course. I'm just showing him the reigns, you know?" I asked, innocently.

"For two weeks?" Andrea asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I shrugged, "So maybe I've missed him a little. That's all." Andrea nodded in acceptance of my answer.

"If that's your story, kid," she said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked crossly.

"I'm just sayin'... we all know you two are going to get married someday. Hell, I think John even knows it," Andrea chuckled.

"That's not true," I said, trying to surpress any kind of satisfaction that I got from her previous statement. I picked up my pen and paper pad that I used to take orders.

"If that's what you say," she said giving up the subject while tossing me a damp towel. "You're just in time for the dinner time rush and several tables could use a wipe down."

I chuckled, "Will do."

"You're finally here. You getting cozy with Dean in the library?" Ethan teased, coming from the narrow fireman's spiral staircase that led right down to the cafe.

I rolled my eyes, "Why do you guys keep asking me that? No, I literally helped him with his paper and then left so that I could be here!"

"We'll talk about this later. Hey, table four could use some help. Go take their orders?" Ethan suggested.

"But your mom just-, nevermind, yeah," I replied, wiping my hands on the cloth hand towel and then going back to the open dining area to take people's orders.

Andrea and Ethan Walsh were my home away from home. Andrea was a retired hunter. She came from a long line of hunters, just like me, and then finally settled here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota near her old friend Bobby Singer because she and her husband, who was also a hunter, were expecting a child -- that child being Ethan. They had made quite a life for themselves and Andrea had opened up her own café which she called The Falcon. I never gott o meet Thomas, Andrea's husband. Thomas, had died before I had met either of them, when Ethan was five, from brain cancer, surprisingly not hunting.

Once my mother had died, my dad started taking me hunting with him. I was never allowed to come but he had taught me basic protection methods. There was one night where a strihga had shown up at my motel room and I had had to fend for myself. That was the night that my father decided that it was too much for me and brought me to Bobby's. Dad had brought me along on some hunts since that night but once I hit middle school the hunts were more frequent because he knew I needed to protect myself. I could throw a great punch, ready on my feet, and knew my way around a gun, but I wasn't an active hunter like the Winchester boys. When I first came to Bobby's, Bobby had no idea what to do with a seven year old girl, so he had introduced me to Andrea. Ethan and I, being the same age, had become best friends and we've been best friends ever since.

Ethan and I were always running around the café and ever since we were old enough to start helping out, we had begun working at the café and helping out Andrea. I pulled my hair up into a low ponytail and then blinked my brown eyes a couple of times to re-moisten my contacts.

Once the dinner rush had died down, Ethan and I had ordered some food and were tidying up the cafe before it was ready.

"Hey, did you get the pre-calc problems in the homework?" Ethan asked me.

"No, I have no idea what is going on in that class," I admitted, chuckling a little.

"What? But you're Asian!" he teased.

"Racial stereotyping again, are we?" I teased back.

"I said nothin' about that," he joked.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh no, don't go back on your word now. Besides, you already know that I'm half-."

"Chinese, half German. Yeah, yeah. What, do you want me to write a novel about it?" Ethan completed.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?" I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I'm gifted that way," he shrugged.

"You're stupid," I said.

"You're stupider," he shot back, before the two of us burst into a fit of laughter.

"Man, I've got to finish up homework," Ethan sighed, changing the subject.

"Sure once the dinner rush is over. Tonight is hectic," I sighed, exasperated. I wiped off a now empty table and went over to let the couple sitting on the bench outside know that we had a table empty.

The café was a fully fledged business and it wasn't just a café that served coffee and baked goods. It of course had started that way but then it began to expand. Andrea began to make breakfast which then turned into a lunch and dinner combination. I was happy to see her business grow. It was actually very popular in town – one of the biggest in town. A lot of people from school would come here, along with business men and women, and families.

The café was in an old firehouse that Andrea and Thomas had purchased at first as their house. As soon as they had realized it was too much room, they had used the upstairs for their living purposes, and the downstairs for the café. I loved the fireman spiral staircase in the house. I chuckled, remembering all of the fun times that Ethan and I would race up and down those stairs as kids.

Finally, the crazy dinner rush was over and things became mellower. Ethan and I sat up at the counter and did our homework while eating our dinner.

"Okay, no more math. We are done. What about… US History? What are you doing your paper on?" I asked Ethan.

"Woodstock," Ethan replied, ecstatic.

"You dirty hippie, you," I teased.

"Yeah, the next thing you know, I'll grow out my hair and start smoking pot," Ethan joked. I laughed. "What about you? What're you writing yours on?"

"The Crucible. I'm writing about how although it was set in Puritan Salem, Massachusetts and that it was about witch trials that it was more about McCarthyism and that the playwright intended it to be about HUAC," I replied.

"Damn, you're smart. See! You're being a good Asian!" he encouraged, patting me on the head. I glared at Ethan and swatted his hand away.

I rolled my eyes, "Okay. ANYWAYS, oh hey, I made you a "The Clash" mix. Here." I pulled the CD out of my book bag and gave it to Ethan.

"Awesome. I'll listen to it. What's Dean doing his paper on?" Ethan asked.

"Gatsby," I replied.

"Of course he's doing the minimum requirement," Ethan said.

I shrugged, "I know. It bothers me too. But hey, you and I both know he was never the student of the year. Oh, I've got a favor to ask of you. Dean's trying out for the football team tomorrow so will you keep an eye out for him?"

"You do know I play soccer right?" Ethan asked, teasingly.

I chuckled, "Of course I do! But you guys' fields are right next to each other and so you know, you'll be able to watch out for him for me."

"Ooh, for you?" Ethan teased.

"Hey! I just, he's a good friend of mine, okay? We're not talking about this Ethan," I said.

"You still like him don't you?" Ethan asked.

"No, it was just a silly crush when I was young, okay?" I replied, almost being too quick to answer.

"And in middle school, freshmen year, sophomore year-," Ethan teased.

"Okay! So it's not just a little crush but this summer he made it clear that he only sees me as a friend," I replied, trying to be comfortable with the fact.

"Mhm, sure," he said unconvinced. "And I'm the queen of Spain. I'm just waiting for the both of you to give up this charade. You two are going to end up together someday and I'm going to be there to rub it in your face with a big, fat 'I told you so'."

"I don't care," I replied.

"Yeah, right," Ethan scoffed. "Look, it seems like he's here to stay this year. You never know until you try, Mer."

"I know that's what kind of sucks," I replied.

"Aw, poor wittle, Mewediff. Now you have to deaw wiff your feewings," Ethan teased in a fake-pity baby voice, causing me to laugh.

"Don't ever do that again. You sound ridiculous," I laughed.

"Meredith, just don't worry about him. It's junior year. Promise me you won't waste your year away being afraid. Dean or no Dean," Ethan exclaimed.

I sighed, "Alright, fine. I promise."

~~~

I had finished my homework at the café and finally went home around eight thirty and the men were all having dinner. I had already eaten but I joined them anyways. I chuckled as I realized that I was living in a house with all men.

"Hey guys," I said, sitting down.

"Hungry?" Bobby asked.

"No, I ate at Andrea's," I replied. "Isn't it a little late to be having dinner?"

"Dean just got back," Bobby answered.

Great. Just. Fucking. Great. Out with another girl?

"Yes. Dean was just telling us about how he's going to try out for the football team tomorrow," John started, sounding proud of his son. I could see that secret satisfaction that his father's approval elicited in Dean.

"I was playing ball with some of the guys tonight. You know, just to get some practice in," Dean said, correcting my assumption.

"Oh yeah, good luck," I smiled.

"Thanks," Dean mumbled.

"How was everybody's day?" I asked.

There were mumbles of 'good' and 'fine' from Bobby, John, Dean, and Sam. It was funny that I was living in a house of men.

"So boys… and Meredith, Bobby and I are going out on a hunt this weekend. Are we okay to leave you alone this weekend?" John asked.

"It's okay by me," Dean said.

"Fine by me too," I added.

"Sure," Sam replied.

"Great. Behave. We'll call and check in periodically. We'll be leaving Thursday," John said.

I nodded, "We'll be fine."

"Keep these two under control," Bobby ordered.

I chuckled, "I will."