Chapter 8 – Blood on the Dance Floor
It took a while for all of them to completely warm up to Naomi, but as January moved into February, she slowly began to be one of the group. One day, they were all just sitting down at their usual lunch table when Balthazar turned to them.
"Oh no, you've got that look," said Cas.
"What look?" Balthazar asked.
"The 'listen here, you little shit, I've got a plan and you're gonna like it' look," Cas replied.
Balthazar stared at him for a moment.
"Well, yeah, I suppose that's right," he said finally.
"So what's your grand plan, then?" Naomi asked.
"This Friday is the last football game of the season and I think we should all go. Sam's invited too, of course," Balthazar added, nodding to Dean.
"Really? Four years at Lawrence High and now you decide you want to go to a game?" said Cas.
"It's senior year, we're never gonna have another chance after this. Might as well go, cheer on the Angels, eat way too much junk food," said Balthazar.
"I'm down," said Dean with a shrug. "Cas?"
"I suppose. Naomi?"
"Why not? It could be fun," she said.
"Great!" said Balthazar excitedly.
Friday night came and the five of them drove to the stadium in the Impala. After buying an armful of snacks each, they filed into the bleachers and sat down just as the game was starting.
"You know," said Balthazar as the players made a pass and the crowd cheered wildly. "I actually have absolutely no idea what's going on."
Cas laughed, nearly choking on his soda.
"Don't worry, you're not alone," said Naomi.
"Oh great, am I gonna have to explain it to all of you?" said Sam in exasperation.
All of them burst out laughing. If they had any chance of figuring out the play, they had lost it.
The timer ticked on and they watched the game, trying to keep up with what was going on, Sam explaining what had happened whenever someone got fouled. All of them were cold, but they sat tightly packed on the bleachers, blankets over their laps. During a particularly intense part of the game, Cas glanced over at Dean and noticed that he had frozen with a stick of licorice halfway to his mouth, watching intently. Grinning mischievously, he leaned over, grabbed it with his teeth, and pulled it out of Dean's hand. Dean turned to him with a betrayed look on his face and Cas just grinned at him, the licorice still dangling from between his teeth, and Dean cracked up.
"Oh my god, if you two do the 'Lady and the Tramp' spaghetti thing with that, I swear I'm gonna puke," Sam groaned.
"What, you mean like this?" Dean teased.
He grabbed the other end of the licorice in his mouth and he and Cas ate their way through it until their lips met and Cas turned away in mock embarrassment. Sam faked retching into his bucket of popcorn.
"That's much easier with spaghetti," said Cas, struggling to swallow the mouthful of licorice.
"You two are so sappy it's disgusting," said Balthazar. "I swear you both jumped in an ocean of lollipops and rainbows."
"Swan-dived," Cas corrected.
"With a double backflip twist," Dean added.
Cas lifted an invisible score-card above his head.
"Perfect ten!" he announced, then he and Dean collapsed into giggles.
The Lawrence Angels ended up losing the game, but all of them had too much fun to care. They were all glad Balthazar had dragged them along.
The next few months flew by and senior prom was rapidly approaching. Even though neither Cas nor Dean was much of a dancer, they agreed they'd go together. One night, about a week before prom, Cas and Balthazar were doing homework in Cas' room. Balthazar suddenly slammed the book he was reading shut. Cas jumped and looked up at him.
"Cas, I have a problem," he announced.
"What kind of problem?" Cas asked.
"A prom date problem."
"Since when has talking to girls ever been a problem for you?" said Cas, eyebrows raised.
"Since... well... since I decided I want to ask Naomi to go with me," Balthazar said, unusually bashful.
Cas stared at him.
"Wait a second... are you... do you... you actually like her. Like, not just hook-up with her kind of like, you..." His mouth fell open as Balthazar got more embarrassed with each word. "Whoa, you've fallen hard, haven't you?"
Balthazar nodded and Cas let out a low whistle.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day when Balthazar Montpierre actually fell in love with a girl."
"Shut up," said Balthazar, blushing.
"You've got to ask her to prom," Cas insisted.
"I know."
"If you don't, someone else will beat you to her," he warned.
"I know... how do you ask someone to prom?" Balthazar asked.
"Do I look like I know? It was just a given with Dean and I, it was more of a mutual agreement," said Cas.
Balthazar groaned and flopped backwards onto the floor.
"Just... say it. Get to the point. That's the best advice I can give you," Cas said.
"What if she turns me down?" said Balthazar.
"You could always take Sam," suggested Cas jokingly.
Balthazar sat up and threw a pen at him. Cas dodged and it flew into the wall.
"Look, it's a week until prom and, to my knowledge, Naomi doesn't have a date. No one wants to stag to their senior prom. I'm sure it'll be fine," Cas assured him.
"Really?" said Balthazar.
Cas smiled.
"Really."
The next day, Balthazar was late meeting them after school and Cas, Dean, and Sam were waiting outside the Impala when he ran up to them.
"YES!" he shouted triumphantly, punching the air.
"You did it?!" said Cas.
"Did what?" Dean asked.
"I did!" said Balthazar.
"What'd she say?!" Cas insisted.
"She said yes!" cried Balthazar.
"I told you!" said Cas, grinning.
"What are you talking about? Who said yes? What did you do?" Dean demanded.
"I asked Naomi to prom!" answered Balthazar, practically skipping with joy.
"Awesome!" said Dean, then paused. "Wait, you wouldn't be that excited about this if you're just getting a prom date, that shit comes easy to you. There's something else going on here."
Balthazar nodded excitedly.
"Did you ask her out?" Sam asked.
"Well no," Balthazar admitted. "But this is just the first step!"
Cas chuckled and opened the back door of the Impala.
"Alright, lover boy, get in. We're going suit shopping," he said.
"Can I come?" Sam asked.
"Of course," said Dean. "I'm gonna need a second opinion, I don't trust those two bozos."
"Hey, I have good taste!" Cas protested.
"Ha, you'd be happiest if he was going naked," Balthazar teased, climbing into the backseat.
"Naw, getting him that way is the fun part. It's like unwrapping a Christmas present," said Cas.
"OH MY GOD, will there ever be a time I hang out with you when you DON'T discuss your sex lives?!" Sam exclaimed.
"You're just still mentally scarred from walking in on us, aren't you?" said Dean, walking around the car to the driver's side.
"Yes, and conversations like this are only making it worse," said Sam.
"I feel for you, mate," said Balthazar.
"Sure you do," Sam said sarcastically, getting into the car.
Dean started the ignition and they drove off.
It was the night of prom. Cas and Dean were in Cas' room, getting ready. Balthazar had already gone to pick up Naomi and would be meeting them at the dance. Cas stood in front of the mirror, trying and failing to do his tie. After the tenth try, he threw his hands in the air in resignation.
"Well, that's about as good as it's gonna get," he sighed.
Dean looked at him and chuckled. Cas' tie was knotted completely backward and crooked.
"Here, I'll fix it for you," Dean offered.
He walked over to him and began straightening Cas' tie so it laid flat in the right direction.
"Thanks," Cas said as he finished.
"No problem," said Dean.
Cas gave him a quick kiss, then turned back to the mirror to comb his hair. When he was satisfied, he turned to Dean.
"Ready?" he asked.
"You bet I am," Dean grinned, offering his arm.
Cas took it and they walked downstairs to the living room where his aunt and uncle were waiting.
"You boys look fantastic," his uncle announced. "You heading off now?"
"Yeah, we are," said Cas.
"Just let me take a quick picture before you go," said his aunt, picking up a camera from the arm of the sofa.
Cas and Dean exchanged a look but complied, standing together next to the window while she took their picture.
"Alright, now you can go. Have fun!" she said.
"We will!" Cas and Dean said in unison as they walked out the door.
They got into the Impala and drove to the high school. They could see multicolored lights flashing through the high windows of the gym and hear the muffled sound of music as they got out of the car. Cas straightened his suit jacket and smiled at Dean, then they went inside. The gym was packed with people dancing to the loud music. Off to one side were a bunch of little rounds tables and a long buffet with drinks and snacks. Cas and Dean craned their necks, searching for Balthazar and Naomi.
"Found them!" Dean announced. "This way."
He grabbed Cas' hand and led him around the edge of the dance floor toward the far end of the gym to where Balthazar and Naomi danced. They greeted each other excitedly, Dean teased Balthazar for his tie that matched Naomi's pale pink dress, then they started dancing.
A few hours, three glasses of punch, and half a slow-dance later, Cas and Dean were swaying to the music, arms around each others' necks. It was some sappy Michael Bublé song, and, glancing over Dean's shoulder, Cas could tell that Balthazar and Naomi were having a moment.
"What d'you say we get out of here?" he suggested quietly in Dean's ear. "We can go out to the Impala and... I dunno... have a little party of our own..."
"I'd love that," Dean replied.
They stopped dancing and took each others' hands, weaving their way through the crowd. After the heat inside the gym, the night air in the parking lot felt cold. They had barely reached the Impala when Cas and Dean started kissing fiercely. Dean backed Cas into the side of the car and Cas fumbled behind him for the door handle. He swung the door open and, grabbing Dean's tie, pulled him roughly into the back seat.
The dance was still going when Cas and Dean drove back to Cas' house, the windows of the Impala still steamy. They parked on the curb and got out, walking with their arms around each other toward the house. Suddenly, Cas stopped in his tracks.
"Cas? What is it?" Dean asked.
"That can't be good," muttered Cas.
The front door of the house stood open and looked as though it had been kicked in. Cas hurried forward, Dean close behind him. When they reached the porch, Dean grabbed Cas' arm.
"Wait," he said. "Are you sure we should go in?"
Cas just gave him a look and went inside. The living room lights were still on, illuminating a scene that made his heart stop. His aunt and uncle lay on the floor, their hands outstretched for each other, blood still trickling from the wounds in their chests. And on the wall above them was carved a message:
"YOU'RE NEXT LITTLE BLUEBIRD. –M."
Cas was vaguely aware of Dean coming to a stop next to him.
"Oh my god," he gasped in horror.
Cas was trembling, whether from grief, fear, or rage he wasn't sure.
"It was Michael," he said.
"What? How? He was arrested, wasn't he?" said Dean, eyes wide.
"He escaped. Right now, they'll be realizing he's gone and they'll be searching for him..." said Cas quietly.
"But 'M' could be anyone, how do you know it's him?" Dean asked.
"The message... 'Little bluebird', that's what he called me... he got out, and now he's coming for me, Dean..." Cas said.
He was visibly shaking now. His eyes were filled with tears and he was breathing very quickly. Dean grabbed him by the shoulders and steered him back outside, forcing him to sit on the edge of the porch.
"I'm calling the police," he said.
He pulled out his phone and dialed 911, keeping one arm around Cas.
A little while later, the driveway was full of police cars and cops were all over the house, investigating. Dean told the detective what had happened, including what Cas said about Michael. Then he sat back down next to Cas, holding him close. A car pulled up to the house and Balthazar and Naomi got out, hurrying over to where Cas and Dean sat.
"What the hell is going on? What happened?" Balthazar asked.
"My aunt and uncle are dead," said Cas, speaking for the first time since the police arrived.
"What?" said Balthazar in shock.
"Michael escaped. He left a message for me on the wall. 'You're next, little bluebird'..." Cas said.
Balthazar seemed to have frozen from fear.
"Michael?" he repeated.
Naomi took his hand in both of hers and squeezed it comfortingly, leading him over to sit next to Cas and Dean on the porch. The four of them sat in silence as the police swarmed around them, holding onto each other as though they would drift away if they let go.