Free Supernatural: One Year Gone by Rebecca Dessertine

She’s like fifteen,” Ben said.
    “How do you know?” Lisa asked.
    “I’m twelve, Mom. I know,” Ben retorted. “Besides, she was just being nice. You’re always saying it takes a special person to make a lot of friends. Right?”
    “Kid has a point. I’ve heard you say that,” Dean said, grinning at Lisa as he teased her.
    “Whose side are you on?” Lisa asked, poking Dean light-heartedly in the ribs.
    Dean dug into more of the food and enjoyed the moment. He liked looking out across the water. He and Sam had never spent much time on the coast.
    Ben polished off his food in minutes.
    “I’m still hungry,” he declared. “Can I have five bucks to get some more?”
    “Oh, now you want more clams?” Dean smiled, reaching into his pocket and handing Ben a five. “I can see why. She’s cute.”
    Ben blushed again.
    “Naw, I just want some more fries. What’s the big deal?”
    “Just act casual. Like you haven’t even noticed that she’s good-looking,” Dean confided.
    “Really?” Ben asked.
    “Absolutely. Pretty girls hate when people fawn over them. Just act natural. Like you couldn’t care less about her.”
    Ben nodded earnestly and went up to the counter.
    “Are you teaching my son to be a player?” Lisa asked half smiling, half serious.
    “Kid has to know how to flirt. I’m just teaching him the basics. We haven’t even begun the master class.”
    “Master class, huh?”
    Ben came back with a large smile plastered across his face.
    “We’re going to the movies,” he said proudly.
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear a question in there,” Lisa said.
    “Can I go to the movies?” Ben rephrased, rolling his eyes.
    “Wow, that girl sure moves fast,” Dean said, impressed.
    Ben and Lisa went back and forth about whether it was a good idea for him to go to the movies in a strange town with a strange girl. Ben accused his mother of once again being overprotective.
    Dean decided to sit this discussion out. Instead he watched the girl as she chatted affably with other customers. The teen kept stealing glances at him, like she was appraising something. She gave off a much more sophisticated air than a regular teenager. In that respect Lisa was right, Dean thought. But he figured Perry was a savvy, towny chick who regularly asked boys out in order to get a free movie and some popcorn. No harm in that.
    They left Old Clappy’s Clam Shacky and wandered around the square before following the throngs of people down one of the touristy little street, crammed with gift shops and cafés.
    “Witch museum? We gotta go there.” Ben pointed out a tall, large, stone-faced building towering above them, with a stream of people queuing out the door and around the corner.
    “Looks popular. Yeah, you guys should definitely do that,” Dean said.
    “Dean, I thought we were here to spend time together ?” Lisa said quietly, out of earshot of Ben. “We didn’t come all this way so you could wander off alone.”
    Dean knew she was right, and he didn’t want to upset her. But he had come to Salem to raise Sam, and he had to find a way to do that without Lisa finding out his real motive.
    “Lis, I’m just saying,” Dean said gently, “I might want to go off and do a little exploring myself. Like boring stuff. You know I’m a big history buff. They have some great historical reference libraries in town. I might want to hit those.”
    “You’re a big history buff?” Lisa looked at him skeptically.
    “Yeah, totally. Ask me anything about the Bible—I bet I know it,” Dean countered.
    “I’m not going to a library on my vacation,” Ben chimed in.
    “See, what did I tell you. Kid doesn’t want to go to a library,” Dean said. “Don’t worry about it, we’re totally Brady Bunch Does Honolulu this week, except of course minus like seven people.”
    “Six. Minus six people,” Lisa corrected him with a grin.
    “Who’re you counting? Alice’s boyfriend didn’t go to Hawaii with them,” Dean