A/N: No what are you talking about of course it hasn't been two months I don't know what you mean have you heard that writer's block is a medical condition i want a lawyer

Chapter Three

Walking into school with Dean the next morning is a lot like walking into Buckingham Palace with the Queen, in Cas's opinion. The stares, the whispers, the quiet appreciation. Dean glares, ignoring it, annoyed by it. Cas stares around him in awe. Never in his life have this many people been looking at him.

"Keep your head down," Dean mutters, turning into the boys' bathroom and motioning for Cas to follow. There's no one else in there, thank God. He leans against the sinks, and Dean does the same.

"Is that usual for you?" Cas asks, raising his eyebrows and nodding towards the door.

"Nah. Everyone hates the new kid, though, don't they?"

"Dean, I don't think they hate you."

Dean frowns. "Huh?"

"Sounds like everyone is thinking, 'hey, who's the hot new guy?'"

Dean smirks, his mouth turning up at the side. He leans a little closer to Cas. "You think I'm hot?"

"Get out of here," Cas mutters, pushing Dean away, who laughs.

"Relax, man." Dean looks around him, turning a tap on and off. "Nice joint."

Cas snorts.

"Got something against it?"

"Don't get me started."

"Don't tell me what to do," Dean teases, poking Cas in the side. "Spill."

Cas sighs and points to a cubicle. "Freshman year, my head. Need I say more?"

Dean doesn't laugh, which Cas appreciates more than he can say. He just lets out a low whistle and says, "That's rough."

"I caught the flu."

"Jesus."

"Yeah."

Dean starts to say something else, but the bell for first period rings and he stops, standing up. "I got English."

"Me too."

"Hey! Look at that." He punches Cas lightly on the arm. Dean's stronger than he looks, though, but Cas doesn't complain. "I have no idea where the room is."

"I do."

"Of course you do. That's what I was getting at."

"Oh. Okay."

Dean rolls his eyes and holds the door open for Cas. "You coming?"

They have single desks in English, and the one next to Cas is empty, so that's where Dean is assigned, after being announced in front of the class, which he'd obviously hated. He'd nodded and said "hey" and slid into his desk with a wink to Cas that was meant to be sarcastic but still made Cas's stomach tight.

He gives his folder to Dean for him to flick through, seeing if he's done any of this before. He nods at Henry V and The Great Gatsby, but frowns at the sight of Othello. "This Shakespeare too?" he whispers as the lesson starts.

"Yes," Cas whispers back, looking around himself nervously for anyone watching him. "It's a tragedy."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Dean says, grinning, and Cas holds back a laugh, turning away.

He concentrates on the lesson for about ten minutes, listening and making notes as Jo and Gordon read the parts of Othello and Desdemona. They're talking about how much they love each other, and Jo is obviously uncomfortable at the way Gordon leers at her across the room, putting a little too much passion into his voice.

A piece of paper lands in front of Cas, and he jumps. Dean isn't facing him, but he's got his eyebrows raised in that way he has, practically screaming that he's done something bad.

Cas opens the note in front of him: entertain me

He smirks and scribbles a reply, noting how neat his handwriting is compared to Dean's: What would you have me do?

Dean's reply comes illogically fast. Idk do something funny

Cas writes, At the end of the play, both Othello and Desdemona die. I could do this now.

Dean laughs out loud, and Cas smiles proudly. Spoilers man. But yes please this is terrible do we really have to do this every day

Cas doesn't think that English is so bad, anymore. Yep. It's even worse when Charlie reads, she's so nervous it takes her a minute to get out a sentence.

Whos charlie, she hot?

Front row, red hair. Lesbian.

Dang why are all the best ones gay

Cas wonders whether Dean knows that he himself is gay. But he can't, they only just met. He dismisses it and changes the subject, writing, She's nice to me. Likes Lord of the Rings.

Dean grins at this. My kind of girl. Oh yeah I see her middle earth leggings thats so awesome

I know where she got them, you want some?

Shut up or i'll throw something besides this paper at you

Is that a threat?

Very very very obviously

"Mr Novak?"

Cas's head whips up at the sound of Mr Roman saying his name. "Yes, sir?"

"Care to share with us all what you're laughing at?"

His palms start to sweat on instinct, but he's quick on his feet. "Actually, I was just thinking about the dramatic irony."

"Oh?"

"We, the audience, know the Iago is planning to ruin Othello's marriage, but Othello is none the wiser. I thought it was amusing."

Mr Roman nods once. "Right, well, there's a time and place for your amusement."

No fun allowed, Dean throws him once the class resumes, and Cas bites the collar of his shirt to keep from laughing again.

After that Cas has a free period which he'd previously used to do homework, but he offers it to Dean's company with a smile and a newfound carelessness.

"Sorry, man," Dean answers as they file out of the classroom. "Got Economics."

"Oh, that's okay. I have some homework to do anyway." He nods to himself.

Once they get out into the hallway, Dean stops him. "Hey, what are you doing after school?"

"Nothing," Cas answers immediately; partly because it's always true, but mostly due to overwhelming excitement.

"Cos I was telling my brother about you last night, and he really wants to meet you."

"You were talking about me?" he blurts, and blushes.

Dean chuckles, slapping Cas on the shoulder. "Well, jeez. He asked about my first day. I said I made a friend. Sue me."

Cas's smile turns to a grin at the word 'friend'. "I'd like to meet your brother. That would be nice."

"Alright, uh. You got a cell phone?"

"Yes."

They look at each other for a few moments. Dean has his eyebrows raised. "Do you really not see where I'm going with this?"

"Do you want to borrow it?"

"No, idiot, I want your number." Dean pulls his own out of his back pocket and Cas doesn't comment on its – to put it ineloquently – crappiness. Dean presses a few buttons and says, "Hit me." Cas recites his number, trying not to read too far into things.

"Alright, my car's in the parking lot, if I'm not there just wait by it."

"Okay."

"See you later."

Cas puts out a hand to stop him. Dean looks at him expectantly. "What?"

"I just. Thank you."

"For what?" When Cas doesn't reply, Dean snorts. "For being your friend? You don't have to thank me. Friendship is kind of a mutually beneficial thing, if you hadn't noticed."

"It's just -"

"Yeah, I get it. I get the whole, no one's ever been my friend before I'm an introvert I'm misunderstood and shunned by the community thing. And it's bullshit. I don't care about your family, or whether you can order food. You're a good guy, Cas. Don't forget that."

Cas resists the urge to say 'thank you' again. "Okay. See you later."

Dean just pats him and walks off as if he didn't just give Cas the greatest compliment he's ever received.