Twist and Shout

CHAPTER 6

Adam shrugged and Dean shook his head. Not a lick of fear in the kid's eyes.  If anything, he was indifferent to it all. Probably poor, Dean figured. A lot of boys enlisted to make money — if they could last that long. He reached around him and grabbed his pack of smokes, fishing another cigarette out of it. He lit it quickly and tossed the used match onto the ground, taking a long draw. Adam watched him, and Dean saw the glimmer of innocence. He bit back the urge to sigh. It was okay for Dean to be over here, just dandy, but he hated seeing kids Adam's age. It felt like they only lasted a night and then they were lying on the ground, begging for their mothers.

"You got anyone back home?"

"My mom." There was a pause as Dean breathed out, smoke clouding in between them and Adam coughed, waving his hand through it. "Do you?"

"My brother," Dean answered quickly, taking another pull from the cigarette. His helmet was on the ground near his boots, and he gently pushed it beneath his cot with his heel; the picture inside was folded and creased many times over but safe from the rain and elements.

"You don't have a girl back home or anything?"

"That's none of your business." Ashes fell onto his boot and he kicked them off, Adam following the movement with his eyes before they returned to his face. He was frowning, and Dean shrugged.

"I bet you do, huh?"

"Drop it, kid."

"Is she pretty? What's her name?"

Dean pulled the cigarette from his lips and held it between his fingers, jabbing them in the direction of Adam. Adam flinched and leaned back.

"You got a girl back home?"

"Well, uh, no."

"I don't either, so shut your mouth, will you?"

He returned the cigarette between his lips and took a pull, and Adam scuffed the toe of his boot against the ground. It was silent between the two of them, the rain beating against the roof of the tent, and he could hear people talking outside. It sounded like Ash and Henrikson, talking about some broadcast that Ash had gotten over the radio.

Adam broke the silence first, and Dean groaned.

"So what's your brother like?"

Dean finished off the cigarette threw it onto the ground with the previous one, giving it the same treatment with the heel of his boot.

"Smart. The kid's a hell of a lot brighter than I am. He's studying to get into Harvard Law. He's at Stanford at the moment." He smiled fondly and ran a hand through his hair. He missed Sam like crazy, and he missed Jess too. He missed seeing them together, all smiles and laughter, Jess' golden hair even brighter in the sunlight, and Sam having to benddown to kiss her cheek.

"California?" Adam marveled, tipping his head forward. Dean laughed.

"NorCal," Dean finished, and Adam dimmed. "What? You wanted me to say Hollywood?"

"I don't know. I've never been out of Kansas. Well, that used to be true."

"Kansas to 'Nam, my God," Dean laughed again, harder. "They pick you boys up like summer corn."

"I enlisted," Adam scoffed, flushing, "My mom's been working alone all her life. I figured this was good way to pull my weight."

Dean didn't say anything and they lapsed into silence again.

"You miss him a lot, huh?"

"You don't even know the half of it, kid."

Adam smiled and scratched at his wrist absently, looking at the ground.