When he checked again, it was Friday. The week had slipped by in a blur of chalk and ruled paper and the dark haired image of Castiel. Dean felt more and more irritable at being confronted with this combination in four out of his six classes. He wanted to skip them all, coax Sam into covering for him, and go back to the Impala, but the parking lot was too risky and as much as he wanted to be around Jo, he told himself he shouldn't.
Jo Harvelle was dead and gone. Dust and bones. Another life. But somehow, neither of them had moved on. He had read somewhere that spirits were bound to the earth by objects, sometimes the people that loved them. He wondered if maybe he was keeping her here, because he was too selfish or too scared to be alone. He glanced across the classroom at Sam, who was busy scribbling down every word that came out of the teacher's mouth. Alone? Not really, he thought to himself, tracing the comforting outline of his brother's face. Little bitch was always up in his business, but he meant well.
When class was dismissed, Dean followed Castiel at a safe distance, more out of habit than anything. He made sure to stay out of his way. He made himself an invisible presence, staring daggers into the soul of anyone who looked at the newbie in a funny way. Dean felt almost ridiculous doing it, but it earned him brownie points with the principal and Mary Winchester hadn't had to sit him down in a week. Maybe things were looking up, in this strange arrangement.
Castiel paused at his locker and Dean glided past. There was no use in being too attached. It was bad for his image.
As he was tossing away his books for the weekend, he felt a delicate tap on his shoulder. It was Jess.
"Hey, Jess." He said as civilly as possible. She was a nice girl, pretty as flower, and he might have even liked her if she wasn't so plain.
"Sam said you were stalling on my party tonight."
Damn. It's her birthday. He offered her an embarrassed smile, "Happy Birthday, Jess."
She punched him playfully on the arm, "Are you coming or not?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," he said quickly. "Right after I find you a suitable birthday present."
Jess smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Don't worry about it. You showing up is present enough."
Sam materialized by her side the next moment, grinning ear to ear, "Hey, man. Tell mom I won't be home till after the party. I'm going with Jessica to help her prepare and stuff."
"I'll see you two there," Dean said automatically. This seemed to placate them an they wandered off, packs on their shoulders, into the crowd heading out the front doors.
Dean hung around his locker a little while. He hated being caught in the foot traffic of the hallways when school was out. He'd much rather stare at the inside of his locker than jostle the freshmen and bump elbows with the basketball team. So he hung around a while, and so, he happened to overhear one of Big Ricky's cronies:
"Ricky, Ricky, look! There goes that weird kid."
He groaned inwardly as he felt them racing past him and into the front yard.
Dean slammed his locker shut and pushed through the crowd, taking the same route through the front yard.
He could see Castiel's immaculate figure marching down the sidewalk in the direction of the old shoe factory. Trailing right behind him was Ricky and his two boys, Chace and Rob.
"You've gotta be freakin' kidding me."
He was beginning to tire of the incessant running around and Ricky's gang wasn't making it any easier for him. The things he had to do for high school credit. By the time he was within a few yards of them, they had caught up to Castiel, jeering at him and calling him all sorts of things.
"Anybody ever tell you you should be a flight attendant?"
"No."
"Get paid to serve."
"Get out of my way."
"Guy looks like a single-use motel DVD, check it out-"
"That's my penholder, let go."
"I bet they pay tarts like you downtown pretty good to go downtown."
"Ricky!" Dean bellowed.
The party stopped in their tracks turning around to face him.
Within the school walls, nobody dared take on Dean Winchester. But out on the street, the rules of the game were a lot different. There was no principal or hall monitor to stop a brawl short of a bloody nose and he was outnumbered three to one. Big Ricky and his boys may have been slow on their feet, but they were big boned and merciless.
"Why don't we all just walk away from this, right here, right now, huh?" Dean negotiated. "Nobody gets hurt."
Ricky snorted, "Look boys. Mother hen's come to collect."
"Dean, please, I'm perfectly capable of dealing with this," Castiel piped up, looking miserably small in front of Chace and Rob.
Dean was losing his patience with this mantra and he snapped, "You shut up. You wouldn't know good sense if it crawled up your ass and celebrated Christmas through June."
"What's this, what's this?" Ricky sneered, "Trouble in paradise?"
"You always need your boyfriend around to save your hide, huh, son?" Chace breathed down Castiel's neck.
"No," he growled in response, and then looked pointedly at Dean, "I don't."
"Who are you kidding," Dean retaliated. "You're practically shark bait."
Ricky was not deterred by the little quarrel that had broke out between them.
"Please, you're merely insulting the intelligence of these young men," Castiel said sagely.
Ricky, Chace and Rob blinked at him.
Castiel continued, "I prefer negotiating before throwing punches, so if you don't mind-"
Dean chuckled grimly, "Be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"I'm afraid I don't understand your problem with me," Castiel addressed Ricky.
"My problem?" Ricky grinned nastily, "My problem is I don't like your face."
By this time Dean had been admitted into the tense but loose circle that had formed with Castiel as it's nucleus.
The new student was appalled, "What sort of reason is that?"
"It's whatever I want it to be, man."
"That's just stupid-" Castiel turned to Dean for a moment.
"You calling me stupid, fag boy?"
"You really must be if I have to repeat myself."
That really set Ricky off. He was already mid-swing when Castiel realized he was about to get hit in the face. Luckily, the newbie wasn't as slow as he looked. He ducked immediately, but Ricky's knuckles were sent straight into Dean's jaw.
A sickening crack filled the air and pain shot along Dean's skull. A dull buzz overcame him as he turned around. Rob and Chace were suspended in a dense silence. Dean glowered at Ricky for what seemed like a long moment before his face contorted in anger and he lunged out. The sheer force sent Ricky backwards onto his butt.
"What the hell!" Dean wheeled around on Castiel.
"What?"
"You ducked!"
"Obviously!"
Chace snarled wildly and set himself on the pair. Dean couldn't even be sure about what happened then but he was pretty sure he saw Castiel sock Chace in the face and sent him pirouetting into a chain link fence.
"Jesus Christ," Dean remarked as he watched him wring his hand. "Right in the mug."
"I told you I could handle myself."
They didn't have time to chat.
Rob and Ricky had sprung into action, grabbing Dean by the arms and forcing him to his knees. Castiel didn't wait before flinging his leg straight into Ricky's crotch. Dean elbowed Rob in the ribs and he doubled over.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle," Dean stared at Castiel. "You learned to fight like that at Pontiac Christian?"
"Don't be ridiculous," he returned. "You learn to fight on the street."
Dean found himself laughing aloud.
Ricky was retching over his knee, but he soon regained himself and roared with anger. He caught Dean unawares, flying a punch at him.
"Two times, Ricky." Dean growled, flexing his jaw. "You're gonna pay for that, you son of a bitch."
And he did. Before Ricky even knew what was happening, Dean had him in a headlock, choking for air.
Chace hesitated before making a move on Castiel.
"I wouldn't if I were you," Castiel offered him a pleasant smile.
"Screw this shit," Rob screeched, peeling away his jersey to reveal the hilt of a blade.
Dean's eyes widened in horror.
"Cas," he said quickly. "You run as hard as you hit?"
"Why?"
"Now would be a good time."