"Mr. Novak, if you would be so kind as to rejoin the class." Castiel looked up from his book to meet his teacher's eyes. This was his last chance and he knew it. Either put down the book and 'pay attention' or detention. Again.
"My apologies Ms. Hendricks." Castiel said politely, putting the book onto the desk. "It's just a very good book," He smirked.
"It always is, detention Mr. Novak. Thursday after school, my room." Castiel sighed as Ms. Hendricks continued her lesson on physics. His brother was going to kill him.
The day went by rather fast. Castiel got another detention, no one bothered him in drama, and lunch was filled with new historical novels. By the time his archaeology class came up, Castiel had finished the book from Ms. Hendricks' and was hoping for a new one next period so he could ignore the rest of the classes tomorrow. Castiel was sure his archaeology teacher wouldn't mind giving him another book.
Castiel was very much the black sheep of the family. He wasn't as skilled in literature or athletics like his older brothers. He wasn't small or anything, he could handle himself in a fight, but sports seemed too competitive for him. His younger sisters were enrolled in dance or art classes and he often excelled in them, but his father had said it wasn't right for a man to enjoy music or drawing.
He got detentions often, but he never really did anything wrong. It wasn't his fault the teachers were so damn boring and it's not like Mike or Luci never got detention. Hell, Gabriel's got a world record but no. Castiel's the troublemaker.
This class was one of the few places Castiel let him be himself. The teacher, Mrs. Morgan, was a very nice old woman. She often let Castiel stay after hours in her class just researching. They once had a full conversation about nothing but the old city of Babylon. This was definitely Castiel's favorite class.
He walked into the familiar setting and sat in his usual seat. If nothing, he could always count on Mrs. Morgan to cheer him up. She had the best stories and without a doubt the most knowledge. Castiel was convinced she was an ancient being who had actually seen all the major historical events herself.
Castiel almost cursed when he saw a young woman walk into the classroom and sit in Mrs. Morgan's chair. Of course she was absent today.
Castiel took out another one of his books from his bag and began to seat himself comfortably for reading. If she wasn't here that meant a movie and since they were always instructed to leave one light on (an arrangement Mrs. Morgan had made solely for Castiel's sake) he would read. Except, she didn't put a movie on. In fact, she pulled out her own set of papers and began to read them for the class.
Her own rules, Castiel thought as she continued to read. He wasn't planning on listening since he doubted he'd be able to break any. Really, what were they? Don't talk, don't ask to use the restroom, and don't make her mad. Like everyone else, right?
It was only when his cousin, Hannah, looked towards him with a great concern that Castiel knew he had missed something.
He raised his eyebrows as if to ask 'what' and Hannah only shook her head. Castiel didn't like it when she refused to answer him, it always meant he had to find out for himself. Or pay attention.
He raised his hand. She sadly called on him and he jumped right in. "I'm afraid I was spacing out a bit, what did you say?"
"The department's closing. This is the last day of the archaeology program. You'll all be moved into a different elective starting tomorrow."
"And what about Mrs. Morgan?" Castiel asked, worried.
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that." She grabbed several documents from inside a manila folder and began handing out the papers. "Mrs. Morgan passed away on Saturday. She was the only one paying for the continuation of the program. These papers I'm passing out are invitations to her funeral, she requested all her students be invited."
Castiel couldn't believe his eyes nor his ears. It's one thing to hear your favorite teacher has died, it's another to have an invitation to their funeral in your hands.
Mrs. Lee, Castiel later learned, was the supervisor over the programs in Kansas High and their sub for today. She was just as sad as the students to learn it was being demolished. She gave the class the rest of the period to discuss what their new pathways would be and reminisce about the class. Castiel had been in this class for two years and now he had to pick a new career. God really did hate him.
The bell rang and Castiel began to walk out with Hannah to their car when Mrs. Lee asked for him.
"Castiel, right?" She asked. He nodded. "Well, Mrs. Morgan seems to have left you something." He almost stopped breathing. Mrs. Morgan left him something.
"I know you must be surprised." Mrs. Lee smiled softly and led him to the desk where she opened a drawer with a set of keys. "Here you go," She handed him a package wrapped in paper binding. "I wouldn't open it until I was home if I were you."
Castiel twirled the package in his hands. He gave Mrs. Lee a small nod and walked back towards Hannah.
She had really thought of him? She was dying and she thought of him? Castiel wrapped his arms around the gift, pulling it closer to his body.
They had reached the car and Castiel still couldn't believe it. So much had happened. He reached out for the door handle as a group of kids came skating by. One of them knocked into Castiel with a laugh. He stumbled and fell to the ground, his trench coat sprawled out beneath him.
"What's this?" The kid teased, shaking the package in his face. It was torn at the bottom and dirty from touching the floor.
"Hand it back," Castiel growled. He was still on the ground but there was no way these punks were taking that from him.
"Aw, is it a love letter from your girlfriend?" He teased again.
"It's mine, give it back or else." Castiel rose from his spot. He knew his brothers were watching him from inside the car. They were waiting for him to fail and when he came home, bloody and bruised, they'd just tell father he was being reckless again. He had to do this on his own.
"How cute, the puppy thinks it's scary." The boy tossed the package behind him and it was caught by one of his gang members. "Looks like we'll have to teach the poor dog a lesson." He raised his fist high into the air and Castiel was ready for it. It usually ended like this.
"Ok, that's enough." A voice from behind him started. "Henry, hand that here." The boy, presumably Henry, looked startled and quickly handed the package to the mystery man behind Castiel.
"There now, that wasn't so hard. Get going Henry. I see you bothering this 'puppy' again and I'll have to kill ya." Castiel felt an arm wrap around his shoulder as the boys gathered their bikes and skateboards. He was thankful, of course, but the embrace was a little much. He looked up to see who his saviour was and stopped breathing.
"You ok?" Castiel couldn't answer. He was still in too much shock by this guy. He was so close, he could see the small flecks of gold in his bright green eyes and the crow's feet in their corners. "What's wrong? I got something in my teeth?" He flashed a grin and Castiel's heart stopped. God was trying to kill him.
"Hello, Earth to the Cutie in the Trench." The mystery man removed his arm and waved a hand in Castiel's face. Say something, Castiel begged himself, you look like an idiot.
"Well then, I'll just take this," he shook the package, "as leeway. When you find that voice of yours, look me up." He bumped past Castiel with a wink and before he knew it, he was gone. Him and the package.
"Hey Cassie! Get in the car, will ya!" Gabriel shouted from the passenger window. Hannah had to drag him in herself.
{This break is brought to you by Crowley's Brothel. You got the dough, we got the ho}
What. Just. Happened.
One minute Castiel was having a crappy Monday, his teacher was dead, his class over and now? Now, he was completely smitten over the stranger that had stolen his package. How does stuff like that just happen?
Hannah was much more worried about the schedule change than anything else. In fact, she was so worried that Castiel decided she should worry about it for him too. To be honest, he couldn't care what elective he got next. He just wanted to be left alone with his books.
His books. Shit, they were all given to him by Mrs. Morgan. He came in and she had a new one waiting. Castiel had never actually been to the school library. He didn't even know where it was. He never needed to. He'd have to actually talk to someone now.
Hannah brought him back to 'real' problems by waking him up an hour earlier the next day. She has this thing about schedules and routines. So since she no longer knows her own, he has to get up.
"It's not that bad, Hannah." Castiel wrapped his trench coat tighter around his body. It was much too cold to be out so early.
"No, it's terrible! Look at this." She pressed her newly laminated schedule into his freezing hands. "I have Art, History, and Science all in a row."
"Uh-huh..and?" He tilted his head to one side.
"You're an idiot." Hannah turned away from him, once again walking through her new routine.
"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Castiel shouted after her, but he knew it was a lost attempt. He sat at the abandoned lunch benches only to immediately stand back up.
His rear was soaked. Sprinklers, he thought, as he peeled the warm trench coat from his frozen body. He flapped the coat in the air attempting to dry it out, his numb fingers daring to lose their hold in the wind that stung his cheeks until they were a bright shade of pink and his used-to-be combed hair was evidently tossed.
Castiel was glad that there was no one around to see this unfortunate turn of events. He must have looked ridiculous waving what resembled a large tan blanket at six in the morning in the quad.
"Fine. Fine, just fine." Castiel ditched the coat on the table and huffed away to the nearest warm area. This happened to be the exact place he was looking for, the library.
There were large numbers of desks and rows upon rows of shelves stretching further than Castiel could see. The walls were lined with scrolls and encyclopedias and Castiel could just barely make out a staircase leading up to the second floor.
He wandered about a bit, taking in the homey feeling the reds of the walls combined with the deep brown of the shelves and desks made.
Books upon books jumped out at him as he made his way through the library. There were old ones with their spines bent and the covers worn. Their pages dog-eared and ripped. And there were new ones standing tall and unshaken, waiting to be read and shared.
Castiel normally liked a new book, with that smell that is only describable to those who have smelt it and their covers always stuck closed and neat. However, he was also not a fool and he knew that if a book was torn and weary it was because it had been enjoyed and shared. If treated rather carelessly.
"Can I help you?" A heavy Scottish accent broke through the still library. Castiel turned from the book he held to be met by a short red-haired woman. Judging by what Castiel assumed her age to be and the fact that it's six in the morning, this was the Librarian, Guardian of the Books, at Kansas High.
"Oh, uh, no. No, I'm good. Thank you. Just looking." He stammered through the sentence fairly quickly, eager to return to the book he was skimming through.
"Ah see. If ya need anything Ah'll be upfront at my desk." She gave him a smile that didn't really reach her eyes before heading back to the front of the library.
"Creepy," Castiel mumbled under his breath as he returned the book to its proper shelf.
"You get used to her." A voice from behind made Castiel jump, almost knocking a few shelves over like the scene from The Mummy.
"Didn't mean to scare you," it said as it came closer to help Castiel pick up the few books he had dropped. "My name's Sam."
Castiel watched as Sam helped him with the books. He was extremely short for someone in high-school, giving Castiel the impression he must be here with an older sibling. He looked barely thirteen with longer hair that almost reached his shoulders and an over-sized jacket.
"Castiel." He finally said, realizing he had just been staring at the young boy.
"That's a weird name," Sam chuckled.
"I suppose it is."
They both laughed lightly and Castiel was certain this meant that he had made an actual friend for once. They continued talking about different genre types as they re-shelved the tossed books.
"Sammy, you done nerding out?" A deep voice boomed across the library and the red-haired woman 'shh'ed it loudly. "School's 'bout to start and I'm sure as hell not gonna be late 'cause you wanted a book." Again the librarian hushed him.
"Sorry man, brothers ya know. I gotta go. See ya round maybe." Sam rushed off to join his—Castiel was certain—older brother, and he let his mind wander back to the history section.
Castiel was questioning whether or not he had heard that booming voice before while attempting to read the summary of "Greek Architect: A History" when the bell rang.
Castiel sighed heavily, checked the book out from the witchy librarian, and reached for his schedule. His schedule. In his trench coat pocket. The same trench coat he left outside. And it had just started raining. God dammit.
Castiel ran through the rain to the lunch bench he had sat at earlier, the book he had just borrowed under his sweater to shield it from the rain, but the bench no longer donned the tan coat; instead an open umbrella rested on its side in its place. Under the umbrella was a surprisingly dry piece of folded paper.
Confused, Castiel grabbed the paper. It was his schedule and on it, written in messy cursive, was a note.
"Saw your trench just laying in the rain and thought instead of getting it all soaked, you could grab it when you come for that package of yours and hand me my umbrella back. We have a class together, can't miss me.
P.S. What kind of a name is 'Castiel' ? From now on you're Cas. Thank me later.
-DW"
Castiel mumbled as he grabbed the umbrella from the table. It was a black, old thing. Some of the tips were bent and a few holes were present towards the outer rim, but an umbrella was an umbrella, tattered or not.
"Well, it could've been worse."
The bell rang.