i'm a pixel here, myself

So this is *really* the last part I'm doing before Remix, I swear.

highschoolery, part 4
Jensen/Jared high school AU
[all parts]

Jared finishes the rest of his laps and endures an unintelligible *something* about "literature and the human condition" from his English teacher, then heads for his locker. He'd been a little unhappy to find that while Jensen would walk the length of the pool and time him, he hadn't made good on his promise from earlier, not even when Jared spent an extra five minutes in the showers waiting for him. After he stuffs his bag with the usual suspects ("know the capital of Cameroon tomorrow!" -- like he's ever going to go there, much less anywhere outside Texas), he hefts it to his shoulder and makes his way to loserville, also known as the bus lot.

This early in the school year, the mix of freshmen and sophomores is pretty even, but the only juniors and seniors who ride the bus are those who can't afford cars and don't have any friends to carpool with. Hence, loserville. Jared reaches the lot and boards the bus, slinging himself into a seat and opening the window. The ride is boring, stretches of the suburban edges of the city fly by, broken only by the occasional 8-story office building. When you live in Texas, there's no need to go *up* -- now when there's space to build *out* -- so short of some skyscrapers in the city proper not much goes up very high, especially not in his neighborhood.

He's dropped off at the bottom of his street, a cul-de-sac just inside the city border, and he walks the quarter-mile to the house, wrinkling his brow at the gorgeous black car in his driveway. It's clearly an American model, from the late '60s or early '70s, probably a Chevy. When he gets closer, he can see it's an Impala in fantastic condition, but he still doesn't know who it belongs to.

The garage is open, so his momma, at least, is home. He passes by her station wagon and steps into the kitchen, dropping his backpack on the bench by the door. "Momma!"

"In here, Jared," she calls from the other end of the house. "You got company."

Now even more curious, he kicks off his shoes and fairly bounds through the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the living room. And stops dead. Sitting on the couch, across the coffee table from his momma, is Jensen, in jeans and a varsity jacket from his old school, "Ackles" embroidered in silver across the green fabric. "Hi."

"Didn't realize you were making housecalls."

"Jared!" His momma sounds shocked, but not as shocked as she'd be if she knew what he really meant.

"Sorry, momma."

"No, it's okay -- we only met the other day. And I guess he's been underestimating how excited Coach Harris is about him." His smile was more wholesome here, in Jared's living room, but in Jared's head it was still the smirk he'd worn telling Jared to swim the backstroke, or just before Jensen's face met his dick the first time. Jared shifted uneasily.

"Well, Jared? Come on, sit down and we'll all talk a little. Jensen tells me he transferred from just outside of Dallas and doesn't know anybody; I'm sure you wouldn't mind making a new friend." Her voice has just a hint of the steel she uses to get her way; she's trying to guilt him into befriending poor, defenseless Jensen. Inside, Jared rolls his eyes.

"Of course, momma." Since she's in the armchair, he snags the other end of the couch and turns toward Jensen. "Where'd you get that car?"

Jensen beams. "You like it? She's a '67 Impala; my dad and I tinker with her on weekends." He talks some more about the car, about having to repeat sophomore year because of school district misalignment (which Jared thinks completely blows, but Jensen shrugs it off with a look in his direction that just might have something to do with word choice), about swimming. Jared talks about the car, swimming, and the uselessness of knowing the capital of Cameroon. His momma has long since left the two of them alone, but she's still in the house, so Jared can't ask what he wants.

"Could I get a look at her up close?" Jared's not sure how Jensen will react to that, since he means it in about four different ways, but he does mean them all, so even if he only gets one or two, that'll do.

Jensen stands with an easy "sure" and heads back to the front door.

"Momma! Jensen's gonna let me look at his car; we'll just be outside!"

She appears at the top of the stairs. "Alright. It was nice to meet you, Jensen."

"And you too, ma'am."

Jared opens the door and they head outside. When he closes it behind them, he looks at Jensen and says "What was *that* about?"

"What was what about?"

"You at my *house*."

"Scared you, huh?" The smirk is back. "I'm serious, though -- coach thinks you'll go far, and we want to have your parents on board as well."

"You're not going to visit the other parents." It's not a question since Jared already knows the answer.

Jensen snorts. "Course not. But man, you should've seen your *face* when you walked in. I'm talking comedy gold, there." He sticks his hands out, his thumb and forefinger at right angles like he's envisioning a TV screen, and chuckles. He slaps Jared on the back. "Let's go take a look at my baby, huh?" She's everything Jared thought she'd be -- sleek, dangerous, and --

"Her back seat is *huge*."

"You saying my woman has a fat ass, Padalecki? Cause I will smack you so hard..."

"You know what I meant!" Jared grits out.

"It's more fun to mess with you, though." Jensen opens the rear door and Jared sticks his head in.

"The leather can't be original; it'd be way faded by now." He's just talking to himself now, admiring the car, so it's that much more of a surprise when Jensen shoves him onto the seat. "What the hell?"

Jensen's suddenly in the car too, arms on the seat on either side of Jared, hovering over him. His voice is low. "Yeah, you like my big back seat? Bet you can't imagine what I use it for." He's right next to Jared, his eyes piercing. Jared looks back just as fiercely.

"Bet you I can."

"Guess." His breath is hot on Jared's cheeks, even in the stifling heat of midafternoon and the back seat of a black car. Which is why, partially to prove a point and partially because he just wants to, Jared leans up and kisses him. As first kisses go, it kind of sucks.

Jensen breaks it and looks down at him. "You got no idea, pond scum. None."

"Stop *calling* me that."

"I'll show you." He leans forward until his mouth is right next to Jared's ear. "Some other time," he whispers, and then he's out of the car and pulling Jared out with him. Jared bumps his head on the frame.

"Ow! Hey, let go!" Jensen does and Jared's hand goes to his forehead, massaging it and trying to stop a bruise from forming. "Idiot. Jeeze."

"If you weren't so freakin' tall!"

"If you hadn't tried to..." he trails off. "Yeah, whatever."

"Alright pond scum, get back in and do your homework."

"Yeah, you're not the boss of me!"

Jensen rolls his eyes. "No, but your momma's gonna make you, so you might as well do it anyway. I gotta go."

"Sure you do."

"No, I do. I'm blocking your daddy." And sure enough, Jared's father's pickup is in the end of the driveway.