Castiel was forced into believing he was meant to be an outcast. His interests were different than the rest of his fellow students, and they scorned his existence simply because of them. He was "one of those anime freaks" as everyone would tell him. He always had a comic book (specifically "manga") held tightly in his hand, and they always consisted of homosexual relationships. No one could even flash him a smile unless it was hiding ill intentions, and the popular kids in school reminded him every day that his only place was solitude.

Today was no different.

He entered the campus, ventured to his first class, and sat by the door with his comics, trying to stay away from the students who never gave him a chance to show who he was on the inside. They made fun of him for reading all the time; mostly because of what his stories consisted of. It drove him further into his fantasy world, forcing him to gather every bit of hope it could give him. The people walking by him right at that moment were evil; the people in his comics were nice. Where else was he supposed to escape?

His first class was an easy one. The teacher gave them a short assignment to do, and they were free to do what they pleased for the remainder of the period. Cas, the smart student he was, finished within ten minutes, and used the remainder of class to reside in his fantasy land. People gave him disapproving glances, and then proceeded with their day as if he didn't even exist. Castiel paid no attention to this, though. This was very minor compared to what he normally went through.

The class was released, and he tried to keep his head down as he hurried to his next class. Out of nowhere, a foot emerged in his path, and his stride was interrupted, bringing him crashing down to the ground.

"Too gay to pay attention!" the antagonist said.

"What the hell was that for?" another male voice said. "He wasn't doing anything."

Castiel was only focused on gathering his books before he could acquire yet another person to tell him how terrible he was for his interests. As he scrounged to pick up his prized possession, another hand was already on it. Cas looked up at whom the hand belonged to, and his heart dropped.

Dean Winchester, quarterback of the varsity football team, one of the most popular kids in school, and quite possibly the most beautiful guy on campus, was kneeling right in front of him. Cas couldn't breathe properly because of the sight of him. However, his only concern was attempting to get the book from him before he could become one of the evil students that hated him for irrational reasons.

"Sorry about him," said Dean. "No one's taught him how to be a decent human being."

"It's fine," said Cas, now lost in Dean's eyes.

"I think I've seen one of these books before. Is it okay if I take a look?"

Cas just nodded sheepishly. As they stood up, Dean started to look through the book. Who was he to tell the king of campus that he couldn't look through what goes on in his mind? It didn't stop his heart from racing at dangerous speeds, but it wasn't every day that Dean Winchester approached him.

"Oh, these are those ones about gay guys, eh?" he asked, still leafing through the pages.

"Yes," said Cas, through a tight throat.

"Damn, they're hot."

Castiel's eyes widened, surprised that the most masculine guy in school just complimented a man in his book. For a split second, he considered the possibility of being lured into a trap. He contemplated running as fast as he could. Dean had already looked through the book; there was nothing left to lose. No dignity would have been lost.

"Good stuff…uhm…" he said, looking up at Cas. "I don't believe we've met. Your name is?"

"Castiel," said Cas. "But you can call me Cas."

"Nice to meet you, Cas. I'm Dean."

He extended his hand out in front of him, Cas grabbed it, and shook it lightly.

"Wait a sec," said Dean. "I've seen you around. You're usually sitting alone at lunch. Why's that?"

Castiel now did everything to avoid his glance. What explanation was he supposed to give? "No one wants to be friends with me because all I do is read manga"?

"I don't know," said Cas. "I'm just usually reading."

"Well why don't you sit with me today?"

Cas looked back up at Dean's eyes, and in his own gaze resided a twinkle that died the minute he walked onto the campus for the first time.

"D-Dean," he said. "Everyone will make fun of me."

"And then I'll punch them," he said. "I'm not letting you sit alone anymore."

The warning bell sounded, and the two of them looked up, as if it came from the heavens.

"I'll see you there, right?" Dean asked.

"Y-Yeah," said Cas.

"I'll come looking for you if you don't show up!"

Dean winked, and waved goodbye to his new friend as he ran down the hall to his next class. Cas smiled, walking slowly to his destination, giddy because of the interaction he just had. He didn't get the same vibe from Dean that everyone else gave. His was warmer; more inviting. He felt as if this was a new beginning, as cliché as the phrase went. He had a chance to turn his fantasies into reality.