Chapter Text
So, the great thing about vodka? Pour it into Coke or Pepsi, even water, and it can pretty much go unnoticed. Jensen lit a cigarette and flinched as it pressed on his split-lip. He switched it to the other side of his mouth and took a drag. As he exhaled he pulled the twenty four ounce bottle of Gator Aid out of his pocket. He took a gulp and didn't even feel the burn of alcohol down his throat.
He pulled in another drag and blew out blue gray smoke rings as the track team ran around the track near the bleachers under which he was lurking. Well, not so much 'lurking' as hiding. Not that he would admit that, not even to himself. It was his first day of senior year.
Well, actually, it was his second first day of senior year. He'd missed so many classes last year that they'd held him back. And given him a damned tutor.
Like he fuckin' needed one. He rolled his eyes and tossed the half smoked cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out under his toe. He drank some more spiked Gator Aid and then twisted the cap back on and pushed it into his pocket.
He slowly made his way to the guidance office. Some kid was studying at the table and he rolled his eyes. He turned to the receptionist. "Ackles, Jensen. I'm here for my tutor?"
"Okay, Jared?" The kid looked up, "Yes, ma'am?"
"This is Jensen, the student you'll be tutoring." Jensen sighed, closed his eyes for a moment and then walked over.
"Hi!" The kid said cheerfully and held out his hand, "I'm Jared."
"I heard." Jensen sat down and the kid frowned, pulling his hand back. "How old are you anyway?"
"Fifteen."
"So you're what, a freshman, sophomore?" Jensen scoffed. He might be a second year senior, but come on, people.
Jared shook his head, "I skipped a grade, I'm a junior."
Jensen looked at him, "Oh, you're the kid."
"Excuse me?"
"You transferred last year, right? Decided not to skip up another grade."
"Oh... Yeah, that's me."
"Why didn't you want to jump a grade?" Jensen asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Jared smiled, "Thought one was enough."
Jensen looked at him for a moment, and then had to smile back. "Shit," he muttered quietly as he did, and pulled his split lip back into his mouth. He felt the tang of blood on his tongue and sucked until he couldn't anymore. He looked up and caught the kid staring at him, and growled, "What?"
"What happened to your face?"
Jensen would have laughed if it hadn't been so damned depressing. "Don't tell me you haven't heard the stories about me, kid; I'm the first thing they warn you kids about."
The kid nodded, "I heard you get in fights all the time. Got expelled last year?"
Jensen shook his head, "Nope. Never expelled. Not stupid enough to fight somebody on school property."
"So you aren't gonna deny the fighting?" the kid looked appalled.
Jensen waved at his face, "Why bother?"
The kid nodded thoughtfully, "I suppose so."
Jensen took a drink of Gator Aid, and smirked when the kid looked surprised. "What?"
"Nothing... I just... Gator Aid? Really?"
Jensen grinned, and then licked his split lip, "Does a body good, kid."
-----
Jensen was under the bleachers again, smoking again... Drinking again. It was lunch time, so no one really cared, hell... No one cared anyway.
"Hey," he heard a voice quietly from behind him. And Jensen was proud of himself, he hadn't shown surprise. He turned and raised a brow, "What're you doing down here, kid?"
The kid shrugged, "Heard that this is where you go."
"And?"
"And? And nothing."
"What made you think I'd want you here?"
The kid shrugged, and then smiled, "Can't imagine why you wouldn't."
Jensen felt his brow quirk higher, "Oh, really?"
And all of a sudden, the kid was unsure. "I... Well... Uhhh..."
"Want a drink?" Jensen tossed his bottle of spiked Gator Aid at the kid.
"Thanks," he sounded a little confused and then he took a drink. "Ugh!" he spat it out, "I didn't know Gator Aid could go bad."
Jensen smiled and sighed at his once again bleeding lip, "I don't know that it can. That has just a splash of something extra."
The kid looked at it like it was poison and handed it back. Jensen took a gulp.
"Something extra?"
"Mmhmm, call it a splash of Skyy." Jensen winked.
"Um, okay then." Jared sat down on the ground and pulled out a text book.
"Are you kidding me?"
"What?"
"You are not allowed to study in my presence."
"I'm not."
"Oh, really."
The kid shook his head, "I'm quizzing you."
Jensen snorted, "Fuck that."
"I'm your tutor. Why did you sign up if you didn't want one?"
"I didn't sign up," Jensen said.
"What?"
"They forced one on me, thought I needed one as a second year senior."
"Well, do you?" Jare- The kid asked, closing the book.
"Not so much. I just missed too many days last year."
"What?"
"Miss thirty days you're fine, miss thirty one you have to take the year over."
"Oh... If you weren't expelled... How the hell did you miss so many days?"
Jensen clenched his jaw and licked the the cut in his lip, "You really have to ask?"
"No, I guess not."
"Yeah," Jensen said quietly, "No one ever does." He shook his head and stubbed his cigarette out and walked away, leaving the kid confused on the ground under the bleachers.
-----
Jensen walked up the drive way to his house right after school, hiding his cigarettes under the stairs. His sister was already locked in her room and fed by the time their father got home. He pulled the plate from the micro wave and set it on the dining room table as he came in.
"Meat loaf, Jensen? Again?"
Jensen clenched his jaw, "Sorry, sir. I didn't go to the store so I had to make due with what we had."
"I didn't ask for excuses, Jensen." Jensen swallowed thickly. "Where's my beer, Jensen?"
Jensen clenched his jaw again, knowing what was coming. "We don't have any left, sir."
And there was the fist.
Jensen fell against the counter as his father's hand connected with his cheek. As the tears pricked the back of his eye lids, he thanked god that he hadn't sworn this time. Daddy dearest really didn't like when he swore.
"Get out of my sight."
Jensen nodded before his father changed his mind. He walked as quickly as he could up the stairs, and headed straight for the bathroom. His eye was already swelling. "Fuck," he swore quietly.
"Jensen...? Is that you?" Mackenzie poked her head out.
"Yeah," he whispered back to his sister. She quietly opened her door and listened for a moment before sneaking into the bath room and locking them both in. "Oh, my god... Jensen."
Jensen sighed and sat down on the closed toilet lid.
She ran the water as cold as she could and held a towel under it, soaking up the cool liquid and then pressing it to his freshly blacken eye.
"Hold that on there," she murmured, sitting down on the lip of the tub.
"Thanks, 'kenzie," he muttered, wishing he could do something to make her feel less weak, make him feel less weak.
"Jensen... You need to get out of here, Josh did-"
"Yeah, Kenz, and I'll never forgive him for it. He knew what would happen and he left."
"Can you really blame him?"
Jensen thought for a moment, "I guess not... But I'm not going to leave you alone with him."
"Jensen... Dad loves me."
"Yeah, he loved me, too." Mackenzie frowned, took the towel away, re-wet it and then handed it back. He looked at his twelve year old sister and wished she'd never had to deal with any of this. "All I know is, until I know you'll be safe, I'm not leaving you." Mackenzie's eyes started to water, and Jensen patted his leg, "Com'ere, midget." Mackenzie sniffed and slid onto his lap.
"Look, Kenz, you know that he's been messed up since mom died, we all have been, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let him hurt you. I can handle anything he can dish out. You can't. And even if you think you can... I'm not willing to find out."
Mackenzie sniffed and hugged him, "I love you, Jensen."
Jensen clenched his jaw, and hugged her back as best he could with one hand occupied with his eye. "Love you too, Kenz." They hugged for a moment longer and then Jensen pulled back, "Don't you think it's time to go to bed? Wait, did you do your home work?"
Mackenzie rolled her eyes, "I'm almost done, and then I'll go to bed, okay?"
Jensen nodded, "Don't stay up too late. And tuck a blanket along the bottom so he can't see the light, okay?"
She nodded, knowing the drill. "I'll lock the door, too," she said quietly. And Jensen nodded. He'd made Josh buy them all door locks when their dad had started hitting them after hitting the bottle. Jensen waited until Mackenzie locked her door and tucked the blanket along the bottom before putting the towel back on the rack to dry.
The cold water had helped... a little. The swelling had gone down a little, but he definitely had a black eye. "Fuck."