Diary of a Hunter

"How were football tryouts?" I asked, as Dean got home the next day. I was curled up on the living room couch reading a book for my English class.

"I think they went well. I played well and I got to play a lot so I'm just, uh, crossing my fingers, you know?" he said back.

I looked up at Dean from the book. He was still a little sweaty and he looked good. Damn it. I licked my lips, as i noticed my mouth was dry. Speak, Meredith! "Good. Well I hope you get on it. I mean, for you at least. I personally think that most of the football players at our school are boneheaded jerks.

Dean chuckled, "I won't become a boneheaded jerk, Mer."

"Who says you're not one already?" I teased.

"Touché," he replied.

I giggled, "Go shower. You look sweaty." Correction: You look damn good.

"Hey, you can't tell me what to do, woman," Dean teased.

"Who says? Maybe I can. You seem to listen to me every time I do tell you to do something," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Do not!" he protested.

"Wacha! Whipped," I joked.

"Alright, you're asking for it now," he said.

"And what're you going to do, Winchester?" I asked, raising a challenge to him.

"This," he said, diving for me. I had no idea what he was going to do until he began to tickle me. I squirmed and broke out into a fit of giggles as he endlessly tickled me.

"Dean! Quit it!" I squealed.

"You asked for it, Summers," he said.

"Bobby put me in charge! You have to stop," I squealed through the laughter.

"Stop!" I shrieked. "Look! You're crinkling the pages of my book. Ugh, you suck!"

"Fine," Dean said, taking my book away and throwing it on the coffee table. He pinned my down by my shoulders, holding me down on the couch.

"You just threw my book!" I exclaimed, looking over at the book that had slid across the coffee table and onto the floor.

"So? You don't need that for English or anything anyways," he said.

"Dean!" I squealed as he continued to tickle me. I squirmed beneath him and tried to grab hold of his hands so that he'd stop tickling. "Dean, quit it! Whatever you want! I'll say you're the king of the world or something. Just stop!"

"Fine, say it! Dean Winchester is amazing, super hot, and king of the world!" Dean announced.

"You're- so... modest," I managed to get out in between laughter. We were literally about to fall of off the couch if he didn't stop.

"Fine! Fine, I give up! You're amazing super hot and king of the world. Just let me go!" I shouted through a fit of giggles.

"Hey, can you guys keep it down?" a voice asked, coming into the room. Dean and I both turned and there was adorable little Sammy Winchester standing in the doorway with an irritated look on his face.

"Sorry, Sam," I said, blushing in embarrassment.

"It's fine, I'm just trying to study. I have a test tomorrow," Sam said, holding up his text book.

"Oh, sorry," I whispered. Hah, why was I whispering?

"Alright, alright Sammy, we'll be quiet," Dean said.

I lay there on my back, propped up on my elbows awkwardly. I turned my neck to look at Sam.

"Thanks," Sam said, disappearing into the next room. Dean and I exchanged glances and shared a secretive and intimate laugh.

"Are you done now? Do you want to, I don't know, maybe get off of me?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Hm, maybe." Dean got off of me and let me sit up.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "No really go take a shower." I pushed him away from me and he laughed.

"Alright, alright," he said before going upstairs. Dean left me with that all too familiar happy feeling. Ugh, I hated it when he did this to me.

~~~

"Today's the big day," I said.

"I know. We find out after school. Coach is putting up a list by his office by the end of the day and I'll find out," Dean said, anxiously. He seemed to be feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.

I smiled, "You'll make it. I know you will." I rubbed his back a little, hoping it'd pass off as friendly. I wasn't quite sure why I did it, it was just an impulse. Dean smiled back at me.

"You have to say that, Meredith. You're my friend," Dean said.

"I guess I do but I know you will. From what you said you had a good try out and played well. Have faith, take deep breaths, and just go to your next class and stop thinking about it!" I encouraged, trying to get him to stop freaking out about it.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled.

"Oh this is me," I said, stopping at the open class room.

"I'll see you after school, Mer," Dean said.

"You too, Dean," I replied. He then went in the opposite direction to his English class. I smiled to myself, trying to contain the smile, but it wasn't working. Dean had just walked me to class. We were friends right? So why did this feel like more than friends?

All through Spanish, I couldn't stop thinking about Dean. I'd realize half way through the class that I had zoned out and had no idea what the teacher had said. The minute the bell rang to end school, I was excited for Dean. I knew he'd make the team. I got up and hurried to my English class because I had forgotten my notebook. I reached into the desk and pulled it out, setting my bag down so that I could put my stuff in it.

"Meredith," I heard a voice say. I turned around only to see Stephen Albright standing behind me. He was leaning up against his desk as the kids in the class were hurrying out of their last class of the day. I was already in a hurry to get to the elementary school across the street from here but I honestly didn't want to talk to Stephen at the moment.

"Yeah?" I asked, attempting to be nice and polite. I packed up my books quickly and closed my messenger back. I strung it over my shoulder and stood up straight. I was pretty sure he was going to say something stupid or ask me about Dean but the next thing he said, I never would've expected.

"What're you doing this weekend?" he asked. Well that one caught me off guard. What was he getting at here?

"I don't know, working probably," I replied. This was going to take a while wasn't it? It wasn't the Neanderthal-ness about him that bothered me. It was the fact that he was a huge man whore and I couldn't care about anything worth caring about. He was the stereotypical high school jock with no depth and I knew it sounded like I was judging him, but I had gone to school with Stephen since elementary school and knew him too well.

"We should go out some time," he started, moving closer to me. I had to stop myself from laughing.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, holding in my laughter.

"You and me, we should go out. I'll buy you dinner and then we could uh, go back to my place. My parents are out of town this weekend," he started. Wow, I saw where this was going. I just couldn't figure out why me.

"Uh, I'm probably working Saturday night," I said, crossing my arms over my chest defensively, hoping that he'd take the hint.

"Then Friday night," Stephen offered.

"Don't you guys have that whole football recognition and welcoming of the new players thing?" I asked, desperately trying to inch away from him without it being obvious.

"We could do it afterwards," Stephen said.

"Do what?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together.

"Oh come on, you slept with Winchester," Stephen said.

"I WHAT!" I exclaimed. Well that really caught me off guard. It almost stung a little. Was that going around? Where the hell had that come from? I hadn't at all slept with Dean…

"He told me the other day in the library. You guys did it over the summer. He said you were really great in bed so I thought I'd see for myself," Stephen said, smirking at me.

It stung more because I thought Dean was different. Why was he going around and telling people that we had slept together? Why would Dean do that? This was very unlike the Dean I knew and loved but I guess this was new Dean. This was popular Dean. This was football player/Neanderthal Dean. Dean was going to become one of those guys that I completely despised. He was going to be just like Stephen. He was going to go to all of those football parties and get drunk and screw cheerleaders and walk around like he owned this place. I was really regretting him ever coming to this school in the first place.

"Um, yeah Stephen, I'm sorry but I'm really not interested," I stammered, trying to force some coherent sentence out of my mouth after the shock that I had just be given.

"Alright baby, but you're missing out," he smirked.

"Yeah, okay. I'm just going to go," I said, inching out of the classroom awkwardly. That was probably one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life. I bee lined for my car but was stopped in the parking lot by Dean. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat and immediately pulled me into his arms.

"Hi," I said, distantly.

"Hey, I made the team!" Dean announced, excitedly.

"Congrats," I said coldly, pushing him away and continuing to walk towards my car at a fast, hurried pace.

"Mer, what's wrong?" he asked, chasing after me.

I shook my head and avoided his gaze, "Like you don't know." He gave me a funny look and I just shook my head. "Nothing. Look, I've got to go to the Falcon. I'll see you later."

"Mer-," he started, but I had already taken off. I was out of his arms, a place where I knew that I'd forgive him, and got into my car. I took a deep breath to calm myself down before finally putting the keys into the ignition and starting the car up. I drove to the Falcon as fast as I could because I needed to get this off of my mind.

I stormed into the café and set my stuff down. There were only four or six people in the café at the moment seeing as school had just ended and not many people were off work yet. Ethan was already at the café and was sitting at the counter. I slammed my bag down in the seat next to me and sat next to Ethan.

"Ugh, I hate men!" I cried out, folding my arms down on the table and banging my head against my arms.

"What happened now?" Ethan asked.

""I mean, his not even a man! Stupid boy! Stupid teenage boy. Man child!" I ranted, as I charged towards the open counter stool right next to the one Ethan was sitting on.

"Dean?" Ethan asked.

"Uh huh," I groaned, collapsing my head in my arms that were folded on the counter. I then popped up looking up at Ethan. "God, I really hate him sometimes. He's just… I knew he'd fall into this trap. Of course he would. I mean, he looks like one of the jocks that'd date a pretty, popular girl and that would just be a dick!" I felt bad that I was ranting like a crazy person but I had to tell someone and decompress about this.

"Okay slow down, Mer. What'd he do?" Ethan asked.

I sighed, "Forget it, it's stupid."

"No, tell me," Ethan said.

"He, uh, he told his friend Stephen that we slept together this summer and so then his friend Stephen just asked me out today. And it was not subtle. He suggested it! He even told me that Dean told him that we had had sex and that it was great and ugh, God, why is he such an idiot? Why am I such an idiot to believe that he'd actually be different? That he'd actually be a decent guy that can be popular and play sports but a good guy like you?" I ranted. Ethan chuckled. "It's not funny!"

"Well first, thank you for calling me a good guy. Second, why would Dean lie about that?" Ethan asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know. And anyways if he wanted to impress Stephen with his long list of sexual conquests, why would he pick me? If he chose me to be the pretty, popular, impressive screw, sorry, but I am not that girl!"

"I don't know, but maybe you should talk to him about it," Ethan said.

"Talk to him about it?" I asked. Ethan shot me a look like I was being crazy for not wanting to talk to him about it. "How would I even bring that up? Oh hi Dean. So your friend just asked me out. Was I gentle lover because I seem to not recall anything like that happening between us. Refresh my memory, please."

"No," Ethan chuckled.

"Will someone help me out with the groceries?" we heard a voice say. Both Ethan and I saw Andrea holding many grocery bags in her hands.

"Sure," I said.

"Yes, mom," Ethan added. "I don't know. If I were you, I'd want to find out why he did it in the first place."

"I guess," I sighed. I was going to have to talk to Dean but I was also going to have to wait until I cooled down or I'd probably implode.

~~~

"Are you going to tell me what I did or are you just going to give me the cold shoulder all night?" Dean asked, coming into my room. He closed the door behind him and walked slowly towards my bed, where I was sitting.

"I'm still not talking to you," I said, coldly, avoiding Dean's gaze. I didn't want to look at him because I knew I'd probably forgive him in an instant and that's exactly what I wanted to avoid.d

"You just did," Dean smirked.

"Well, I'm not. Starting now," I declared. It was so hard to be mad at him.

"Mer, what's wrong? What'd I do this time?" Dean asked, sitting down on my bed next to me. He was going to make this impossibly hard.

I had two options. I could tell him what was on my mind and what was really going on or I could avoid him and just brush him off. But Dean was my friend and I wanted to believe that he had more to him than what met the eye. I wanted to believe that he wasn't going to become the next Stephen Albright so I chose option two. I chose to tell him.

"Why did you tell Stephen Albright that we slept together?" I finally asked, looking up at him. I saw his face fall and him searching for answers.

"How do you know about that?" Dean asked back. Was that all?

"He uh, he actually hit on me today. He asked me out and was almost offended when I told him no. He said, his words not mine, 'but you slept with Winchester'. Explain, please," I asked in disbelief. I was nearing some kind of emotional high point and I knew that this was going to take us near that.

"He did what?" Dean exclaimed, standing up, his whole body tense.

"Sit down," I ordered. Dean sat down. It gave me false hope that he was defensive about that. "It's fine, Dean. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. I just, it really bothered me that you would say something like that about us. I don't understand. Why?"

"Why is this such a bad thing?" Dean asked. Oh Jesus Christ.

"Uh, because it's not true and I don't want the whole school knowing that we slept together when we didn't," I replied.

"So sleeping with me would be a bad thing?" Dean asked.

"No! That's not what I meant. Look, Dean, if you think having people think that you get around as much as Stephen does is going to help you here than great. Just don't drag me into it. Leave me out of your social climbing, okay?" I snapped.

"You really think that's what I want?" Dean asked back in disbelief.

"Well what else am I supposed to think seeing as you won't give me any answers?" I exclaimed.

"That's not what this is about," Dean started.

"Right because if you wanted to climb the social ladder you'd use someone else," I said.

"That's not- Meredith, look you- I'd love to have sex with you, Mer," Dean stammered. I shot him a look of "what? So not the right time." "I mean, not that I would! That we should! We shouldn't, but I would... gladly use you- if those were my intentions. Which they're not! You're, I mean, I think that you're-, that we-, that-, fuck..."

"Dean, would you just tell me why you felt you needed to lie about sex?" I asked, saving him from any embarrassment he had from not being able to get the right words out.

Dean just sat there, "I…." But there was nothing after that.

And that's when I got it. I completely understood.

"Oh. My. God. You're a virgin, aren't you?" I asked, looking at him. How had I not known? I guess I had just assumed but... wow... he was a virgin. I didn't even need an answer. His silence and the way he was looking at me told me yes. I had to fight the laughter that was about to come out. We had spent the last five minutes screaming at each other when this could've been solved in an easier way.

"Yeah…" Dean trailed off. I could see him blushing a little.

"I'm sorry," I said, not meaning to laugh.

"Mer, it's not funny," he said.

"No! I mean, no it's not that. It's just, we could've solved this better if I had known. If you had told me… Dean why do you think you need to lie about that?" I asked.

"I have a reputation," he shrugged. "And we were in the library and Stephen asked me if we had slept together and it just kind of… slipped out."

"Dean..." I groaned, unable to fight the smile that was forming on my face. His boyish embarrassment was so damn endearing.

Dean chuckled, "It's dumb, I know. I'm just looking to get rid of soon and then I won't have to lie about it anymore."

"Dean, you're sixteen. There's no rush. Stephen is a man whore. No one wants to sleep with him anymore," I said.

Dean shrugged, "Whatever. He said he was going to hook us up after the new player induction tomorrow."

"Oh," I said, a stinging feeling spreading through my body. So he was just going to lose it like that? He didn't want to wait for anyone that was important to him? I just shook it off. It didn't matter anymore. I wasn't going to think of Dean Winchester as a boyfriend anymore because it would just be a bad idea. "Well good luck, I guess. Wow, that's just an awkward phrase."

"You don't care?" Dean asked, almost surprised.

"No, why would I?" I asked back.

"Nothing," Dean replied, shrugged. "No reason."

"Okay. Hey, do you want to go for a walk?" I asked, smiling weakly.

"Sure," he replied.

I put on my oversized, old sweatshirt and stood up. "Ready?

"Yeah, let's go," dean said. "Hey Mer, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, shoot," I replied.

"You did say 'no' to Stephen right?" he asked.

I laughed, "Of course I did. I wouldn't sleep with Stephen even if he paid me to."

"Good to know you're not a cheap whore," Dean joked.

I rolled my eyes and laughed a little, "Good to know that we apparently had to clear that up."

"I'm just teasing you, Smalls," Dean replied.

"I know," I said back. "And will you quit calling me?"

"Never," Dean smiled.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "You're a doof." Dean sighed. "What?"

"No, I'm just relieved that you said no," Dean answered, nodding.

"Why?" I asked, suspiciously. He always got defensive and tense when Stephen talked to me. This of course was usually because Stephen never said anything to me that wasn't sexual. Then again, an older brother would feel over protective towards his little sister. Maybe I was just his little sister to him.

"Nothing. Stephen's not a nice guy. I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all," Dean replied. I nodded.

I pushed the thoughts from my head and looked back at Dean. I smiled up at him and he held the door open for me as we walked out of my room, down the stairs and outside so that we could go for a walk.