prequel / chapter 1 to my new fic :D kinda sad, mentions of suicide, self harm, and underage drinking and drugs, but hey, thats a high school AU for ya.

Dean Winchester sat on the school bus, swearing back and forth it was the last time he and his father would ever get into a fight. Of course he was eighteen and he could drive, but he refused to drive anything but the Impala - the car his dad had promised to give him when he turned eighteen. But he was an asshole, Dean thought to himself, crossing his arms, and only gave it to his oldest son when he felt like it. Which was when he actually noticed him, he was sober, or him and his wife (Dean's loving mother) were getting along. And they seemed to be fighting more than usual. Which was really taking a toll on Dean and his little brother, Sam.

The oldest Winchester didnt even notice when the bus stopped. There was a dark haired boy standing at the door, fidgeting impatiently for the door to open. The second it did, he jumped down the stairs, running across the street, pulling his messenger bag over his shoulder as he did. He had a slightly panicked expression on his face, but everyone else was just laughing, saying how fucking weird that Novak kid is, right?! After a minute, Dean laughed too. He didnt know why he laughed, maybe because he just needed to, or because the faces the boy beside him made as he immitated the 'Novak kid', as someone had called him.

Dean had seen him around before - at school or at a party, he didnt know. He didnt look the party type, and by the way the kids were teasing him, he doubted hed ever even been invited to one before. They probably had a class together; he looked about Dean's age.

When the bus finally stopped at Deans' house, he huffed a sigh of relief, waving to the driver and a few friends as he hopped off and crossed the street to his house. Sam was already there when he arrived, having gotten a ride from his friend Jessica. Dean smirked to himself, mentally adding sarcastic quotations around the word friend. He knew his brother had a thing for Jessica, he had ever since they first met in middle school.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean said, sliding onto the stool beside Sam and knocking his shoulder with his brothers', leaning forward and grabbing an apple off the counter. He didnt particularly like apples, but his mother insisted he stay healthy and made him eat the recommended one day.

"Hey, Dean," his brother responded, nodding in his direction as he turned back to his homework. Dean rolled his eyes and hopped off the stool, going upstairs to his room and flopping down on his bed. He flipped onto his back, pulling his bunched up duvet out from under him, and stared at his ceiling. There was nothing interesting about it, besides the glow-in-the-dark stars that didnt quite glow-in-the-dark anymore - not since he was little. They were still there, though, and Dean doubted he would ever take them down. They were attached to too many good childhood memories.

When he woke up, it was already time for school and Sam was banging on his door. He groaned and quickly changed his clothes, throwing his bag over his shoulder and grabbing an apple on the way down the stairs. "Dad took the car," Sam said as they stepped outside. Dean stopped in his tracks, mouth falling open.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he asked, rolling his eyes and trailing after Sam to catch the bus. His brother winced at his harsh tone, shrugging a shoulder and hopping on the bus. Dean slid onto the seat beside him, pulling his bag into his lap and shoving his headphones into his ears, truth be told, a little painfully. He put it on shuffle and turned it up as loud as it could go without further hurting his ears. The song was, thankfully, one he loved, and he nodded his head along to the beat.

He looked around the bus and noticed the kid from before, the Novak kid, sitting on the seat across the aisle. He had his bag on the other side of the seat, effectively preventing anyone else from sitting there, and one earbud in his ear. His forehead was pressed against the winter chilled glass and his eyes were closed. Dean shook his head and looked away - whatever his problem was, it wasnt Dean's to deal with. He had his own problems.

x

The day passed in a blur, Dean sitting through all his classes, not paying attention and thinking about when he would finally be able to move out. He was going to do it when he had his own money and a job so he could buy a place and support Sam. He didnt want him to have to be alone when he left and god forbid he have to stay home alone while their parents fought. He had promised when he was younger than Sam was that he would always protect him, and Dean never broke a promise to someone he loved, not when it mattered.

"Winchester! You comin' to Lisa Braden's party tomorrow night?" Dean looked up.

Tomorrow night. Saturday. His father would no doubt be drunkenly stumbling through the front door at god knows what time to fight with Mary. He needed to be there for Sam. "Nahh, Adam. Cant tonight. Family stuff," he rolled his eyes as if to say, Its not important. "Next time, though. For sure." Fake a smile, nod.

"Great! I know Meg wanted to meet you," Adam smirked. Meg was sort of.. dare he say, the school slut. She had long dark hair and dark eyes. A lot of people called her a demon, but they still slept with her.

Dean rolled his eyes and laughed, hopping off the art stool and heading out to find Sam. It was three-ten on the dot, they usually met at Sam's locker at three-fifteen, but Dean really didnt feel like waiting, so he pulled Sam after him as he stepped out of his class. He pulled him to the parking lot before he let him go, walking in the way of their bus.

"Dean, what the heck? Im going home with Jess," he said, a light blush covering his cheeks. Dean rolled his eyes in a whatever motion and climbed on the bus.

Not five minutes later, the Novak kid climbed on, sitting in the same seat he had that morning and putting his headphones in delicately. He was tapping his foot impatiently, looking at his watch every few minutes. Dean shook his head and turned to look out the window, shoving his headphones in and closing his eyes.

It happened the way it had the day before, the bus stopping at Novak's - Dean finally learned his name to be Castiel- stopped, he would wait impatiently, then dart across the street as if his life depended on it. People would laugh at him, and Dean would occasionally join in with them.

It went like that for the next few weeks, and Dean would watch the curious behavior of the other boy. Then one day, he was gone, and he didnt come back for a week.

But that was later.