Disclaimer: I do not own Dean, Castiel or any other copyrighted characters or material. I own my thoughts and the mostly fictitious events which transpire along the course of this work.
Chapter the First
In Which We Begin
As with most stories, we shall start from the beginning and move forward until the end. You, the reader are warned now that this story is in no way remarkable. It is merely a reminder that not every story has a happy ending, but they all end just the same. This is not some story about lifelong love working out after tragedy tries to tear the star crossed apart. No, this is a less than wonderful story about an unrequited crush, and how awful it is to have one. You have been warned.
The first day of his senior year at Samuel Colt Memorial High, and Castiel wasn't really nervous; he had no reason to be. Every year started almost exactly the same; a packed classroom (too early in the morning to be legal), filled to the brim with a mix of douche bags, jocks, stoners, psycho preppy girls, and then a handful of the outlying kids who can fit into almost an faction based solely on then need of self-preservation. First period this year was an English class, and of course, it did not stray from Castiel's expectations in the slightest. So Castiel sat and bore the class with as much mental effort as he could manage this early in the morning while the uncharacteristically upbeat teacher went through the normal schpeal that comes free with the first week of every school year.
Not even twenty minutes into the day, and Castiel was already praying for lunch when he would get to see Becky and Jo.
Becky was kind of a spazzy girl, who spent much too much time partnering up and "shipping" a various assortment of fictitious characters from TV shows and creepy moving online comics. Despite Becky's quirkiness and her complete lack of a filter when it came to speaking her mind, she was an honest and caring person.
Jo was similar to Becky, but it was not as apparent; she had her ships and OTP's but to the random viewer she was just a girl who didn't give two fucks what was thought about her, and who you always wanted on your side in a fight. No matter what.
They were Castiel's closest confidents and best of friends since years long gone, (despite their insistent habit of calling him Cazzie), and they did well to balance out Castiel's sharp wit and sarcastic barbs to the point where with them, he was almost bearable to be around.
The high pitched whine of the simulated dismissal bell snapped Castiel out of his fond recollections and ushered him forward into the rest of his already bleak day.
Period 2 is an accounting class that was, as odd as it sounds, sparse. There were twelve students all scattered throughout the large room, with the teacher sitting at the front of the room, clearly not ready to begin the school year either. Small conversations where going on around the room; people comparing class schedules to see if they had any others together, discussing what the first lunch would be like, even though it was always cold chicken nuggets and French fries so greasy they could power a car. Castiel was talking to a girl he'd had a few classes with over the years about each other's summer and basically making small talk to pass the time… until he walked in; Dean Winchester.
Castiel had English and PE with Dean last year, but the Dean that walked in, looked like a completely different person! A LOT changed over the summer. He had cut his shaggy hair down and styled it into spikes. He was more toned now, so that it showed through the blue button down he was wearing, and he had definitely spent a little time in the sun, he had a slight sun-kissed tint to his face and arms. He looked GOOD.
Dean peered around the room, seemingly trying to find someone to ally with so that the course would be bearable for the next few months. When he spotted Castiel he began to walk over, clearly remembering him from their classes last year.
"Hey, Cas!" he said smiling slightly.
"Hello Dean." Castiel said grimacing slightly, he didn't particularly like when people gave him nicknames, Becky and Jo included, but they were forces of nature and could not be controlled by any means from heaven nor hell.
If Dean had seen Castiel grimace he didn't comment, or pause on it. He just smiled a little wider and too the seat next to Castiel.
"So, how was your vacation Cas?"
"It was… well enough I suppose… and yours Dean?"
"Friggin awesome…"
And so they talked about their respective summers, they exchanged class lists, (they had second and fourth period together), and talked about how they were glad it was senior year and what they thought they might want to do after they graduate in the spring, and other basic topics of light conversation until before too long the bell was ringing yet again, causing Dean and Castiel to move forward into their next respective classes.