Author's Note: I'll be doing NaNoWriMo in November, so updates will be very slow until December.

chapter one (i'm going to regret this, aren't i?)

Dean's walk to the school was a short one. Autumn had come early that year; browning leaves crunched under his footsteps. He had been going to Blackridge High for two years, and today was his first day of being a junior. Sam was ninth grade at the same school, but had opted to drive.

The ugly brick building came into view around the corner. Dean would've given almost anything not to have to go inside. It was the same thing,over and over: walk to school. Go to this class. Go to this class, go to this class, go to this class. Lunch. Some more classes. Walk home. Ignore homework. Sleep. Repeat.

Few friends, and a dysfunctional family. No one wanted to talk to that Winchester freak. Dean was a loner and it suited him just fine. Usually. Sam was another matter. Sam wanted friends, wanted connection, wanted relationships. Wanted to be normal. Something so mundane,something so unattainable. Their father was always away, on business trips for his company. He used to take the brothers with them-they'd do online school-but ever since Dean turned 15, he'd started leaving them with Uncle Bobby.

The school yard was full of people waiting for that 7'o clock bell. Dean walked over to his usual spot under the big maple tree. Its leaves were a rich, bright red colour, branches spanning out over wet green grass. It would've been perfect- had he not been at school, about to hand himself over to some nutjobs called teachers for nine months.

He found that there was already someone there. Whatever. He'd sit somewhere else today. Dean was about to turn back, but the boy looked up. A very strange boy, it was apparent. The first thing Dean noticed were his eyes. They were blue, a deep blue that looked much too old for his young face. The dark colour seemed bright,somehow. A mop of messy black hair shot up from his scalp. Then his clothes. They were...unusual, to put it nicely. A tan trench coat and blue tie that,for some reason, was on backwards.

His head was tilted slightly toward the side, as if questioning something, or even confused. He was staring. At Dean.

Dean blinked. "Uh, hi." he awkwardly fumbled over his words.

The boy's expression did not change. Dean got the feeling it hardly ever changed. "Hello." His voice was a serious deadpan, but calming somehow.

"Are you, um, new here?" Dean felt clumsy, making lame grasps at conversation with this odd but elegant, composed stranger. How stupid he must seem.

"Yes. Castiel." Still that same tone.

"I'm Dean Winchester." Dean stuck out his hand. Castiel stared at it for a long moment, then held up his own to shake it. Dean felt a funny jolt. He shook it away, scolding himself for being so moronic.

Dean was saved from further humiliation by the bell. Cas got up, and Dean noticed that the sleeves of his coat were too long, and the bottom brushed the ground slightly.

Castiel followed Dean into the school, expertly maneuvering the crowd around him. Dean silently cursed; he realised he would be stuck showing Cas around for the day.

He stopped to check the homeroom listings. Of course, he was with the Cas kid. Just his luck. "So, Cas- Castiel, sorry- we have the same homeroom and I guess that you could just, um, follow me and I'll show you where it is."

Castiel nodded and they made their way there silently. The trench coat and tie attracted stares from everyone else in the classroom. Castiel looked straight back, head tilted. That made them all hurriedly busy themselves with pencils or books.

Schedules were handed out. Dean's heart sank. He had been too busy thinking about Cas to dwell on school starting. He glared at the thick white square, wanting nothing more than for it to disappear.

"Castiel, I can show you around for part of the time, but I doubt we have many classes together." Castiel wordlessly handed Dean his list. Dean scanned it, then his own. Against all odds, they would be together the whole day.

Great.

"OK then, Cas, off too.." he glanced down at the paper "Algebra II". He was surprised Cas would be taking on level math with him; Dean had the kid pegged off as an advance math kid, with his classy dress and all.

Castiel twitched at the nickname Dean had created for him but said nothing. Dean was all too aware of Castiel's easy grace next to his shabby leather jacket. And how his own arms swinging stupidly by his sides. Dean shoved his hands into his pockets.

Every class displayed similar reactions to Castiel's fashion sense; sniggers, whispers stolen behind cupped hands, unfriendly stares. Castiel, however, didn't seem to be too bothered by them.

Lucifer, a senior, tried to trip Cas as he walked through the aisle during physics class. Castiel casually stepped over the outstretched boot, meeting Lucifer's dark eyes; Dean could've sworn that he saw a flash of recognition in the gaze.


Sam cornered Dean in the cafeteria, while Cas was up purchasing food. "Who's trench coat kid?"

"New student. Got stuck with him for the day."

"Name?"

"Cas. Tiel." Dean quickly corrected his use of the nickname.

"Anything else?"

Dean tried to move to the side. Sam blocked his way.

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

Dean would've retaliated if not for the voice right behind him. "Hello, Dean." He flinched visibly.

"Ah, hi, Cas. This is Sam." a silence. "My brother."

Sam held out a hand but Castiel just stared at it. Dean remembered that Cas hadn't refused his handshake- what was different about Sam?

Sam slowly lowered his arm, confused. "So, uh, Cas, do you want to sit with us? We could introduce you to some people or..." Sam didn't finish his offer.

Castiel nodded. "I suppose." Sam gaped at the boy, and turned to Dean. Dean shook his head, grinning. He really didn't have any explanation for Cas.

The three of them took their seats with the usual crowd- Gabriel, Jo, and Charlie. Charlie was a recent addition- Jo had just befriended the ginger geek. The two girls stared at Cas, but Gabe just smiled. "Hey, little bro."

"Hello, Gabriel."

Jo punched Gabe in the arm. "You have a brother? Why didn't I know this before?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Five brothers, a sister, and a crapton of cousins."

Jo punched him again. "You Novaks breed like rats."

"You should meet my extended family." Another punch.

"What are your siblings' names?" Sam asked. "Also religious?"

Gabriel ticked them off on his fingers. "Raphael, Michael, Uriel, Anna, and Lucy. Lucifer, I mean."

"Lucifer? As in, Satan the dickwad senior?"

"The one and only."

Charlie turned to Gabe. "Anna's a pretty normal name."

It was Cas who answered. "It's short for Anael."

Charlie snorted. "Of course it is".

"Lucifer goes here." Cas pointed to a tall, dark-haired dark-eyed boy at the end of the room, sitting next to four equally evil-looking seniors; Meg, Crowley, Alistair, and Ruby.

"He's your brother? Isn't that the kid who tried to trip you in physics?" Dean said, aghast.

"Lucifer and I... aren't on the best of terms." Dean could've sworn he saw something change in Castiel's expression, for once.

"He's a giant douchebag. His friends too."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Someone's getting a little protective."

"Screw off." Charlie winked aggravatingly.

Cas, of course, tilted his head. "Do all of the students look upon Lucifer negatively?"

The other five looked at each other, uncomfortable. There was... bad history with Lucifer and his gang. It was Sam who finally responded. "It's...complicated. A lot of people are afraid of... what he can do." Dean reddened beside his brother. "He's a...well, he's a bully." Sam looked over at Dean nervously. "And, well, we-"

Dean cleared his throat, cutting off Sam. "I think he gets it." For once, no one said anything snarky back to him.

And that's it for chapter one. Thanks for reading! I'll bake you a cake if you review. Ok, maybe not, but I'll love you forever.