Chapter 5: Castiel

For Castiel his morning had started like it did every morning. Either good or bad and in this case his morning started bad. His dog barking and barking until he had no choice but to get up from his bed and go to the kitchen to find that the Demon's bowl was either full of food or without food. His head was pounding because of the hangover that required his attention. Damn Alexy and his parties.

This morning it was full and Bianca was standing by the stove stirring something that smelled like porridge. She didn't look up at him when he entered the room, something that had surprised him when he had first met her. In fact she hadn't even bothered to flirt with him when he first met her. She hadn't even talked to him. She had just looked at him impassively for a moment before walking past him.

Castiel would never admit it but he fell for her at first sight. Since then all he had ever done was to chase her and it was interesting but that was another long, long, story.

"Plotting my death?" asked Castiel sarcastically and Bianca looked up from her porridge.

"I can still cook better than you and the boys together." And it was true, Bianca could make a better four course dinner than Castiel, Nathaniel and Lysander put together but she hadn't always cook well. When they had first moved to live together, more than once, Bianca had either burned or made something explode. In fact when she had made her first attempt at porridge she had asked Castiel to try and when he did he had almost choked.

"But I still make a better cheese sandwich than you." Bianca scowled at him remembering a certain incident than included ankles twisted, flour thrown and a very passionate kiss. Then she frowned and looked down, blush coloring her cheeks.

"You do." Castiel closed the distance between them two strides and wrapped his arms around Bianca, smiling into her hair. She was cute when she was embarrassed. He just wanted to kiss her right now, maybe even…

"Cas, I need to make breakfast." Castiel sighed and pulled away. He didn't really feel in the mood of controlling himself but then again he never felt like controlling himself. Bianca leaned in to give him the lightest of the kisses on his lips and a shiver ran down him like it always did when she kissed him like this. As if he were something precious and delicate and not necessarily the other way around.

He really loved her and he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

A thought that that wasn't far from the truth.

When he arrived to the gates of Amoris college he wasn't surprised to see Nath standing outside the gate, his nose buried in a novel. With his neatly cut blond hair and tidy formal clothing he looked older than he was, 18. He looked like some sort of erudite professor. He just needed the glasses and he'd be done. He also looked like a guy who a girl's parents would approve of. A polite, well mannered, well spoken guy. It was common for Bianca to tease him saying that he was going to be the first of them to get married.

Castiel liked to think that that wasn't going to be the case. He thought that Lysander was going to get married first. If he gave himself the chance to fall in love. He sighed, it had been at least 3 years but it seemed to him that Lysander hadn't gotten over a certain accident that anyone who knew him liked to mention. He walked across the parking lot and Nathaniel saw him, he smiled and hugged him like men did, slapping each other on the shoulders hard and withdrawing away quickly.

"It's good to see you again Castiel." said Nathaniel sarcastically. The last time all of them had seen each other had been 2 weeks ago but still, it felt like an eternity. He hadn't seen Bianca which was saying a lot because they lived in the same house. They barely had time to canoodle putting it in a mild way and yesterday they had finally…well, exploded.

And that's why kiddies we don't go for longer than one week without kissing or having couple time. thought Castiel shaking his head a little when he pulled away from Nathaniel.

"There are a new pair of students." Castiel snorted.

"There are new students every year."

"Yeah but these are scholarship students." Nath said half-expecting Castiel to be impressed but the truth is he was never really interested in stuff like that. Not really.

"So? I bet ya that one of them has glasses, yellow teeth and huge hairy mole." Nath rolled his eyes.

"Not all intelligent people are as you envision them." said a voice behind him. It was Rosalya her glowing topaz eyes and white hair was hanging in a lush mane.

"True. Intelligent people can also have white hair and heterochromia." said Castiel in a mock serious voice.

"I have also heard that they are blond with yellow eyes." said another voice beside him. He didn't need to look to recognize it as Bianca's.

"Bianca!" said a high voice. They all turned to see Violette, Kim and Iris. Violette was running towards Bianca and Castiel hastily moved away, he knew better than get in the way of Violette and Bianca's hugs. For one because he ended in the middle of a love sandwich and for two because Violette could be creepy when she was angry. He leaned against the door and started talking with Nathaniel. He seemed excited about the start of classes and Castiel would never admit it but he too was excited to finally be in college and choose his career, sound engineering.

Nath bumped his shoulder and he raised his eyebrow whiel his blond friend jerked his chin forward. Castiel turned and saw Lysander striding calmly forward towards them, his notebook clutched in his hand and a weird expression in his normally expressionless and calm face. Castiel's eyes went round when he realized what it was and almost as if to confirm it Rosalya spoke beside him.

"It is as you think Castiel. Lysander has finally fallen in love." She said cheerily, his face turned towards her and he realized that she was talking in a low voice. When he saw her face he realized that she was grinning that mad grin of hers.

The same one she wore when she was plotting to get a couple together.

The rest of the day for Castiel was pretty much the way he had pictured it in his mind. Long, tiring but also exciting. And he was doing pretty well until lunch. That is until he went to the usual meeting spot between him and his group of friends, beside the big tree near the entrance of the college buildings. He saw Melody and Rosalya around a short, dark haired girl in French braid. He saw Nath was sitting at the shade of the tree his nose buried in the novel he had been holding earlier this morning. The guy, whenever he found something he was determined to solve it. When he didn't see Bianca he went to Rosalya and asked.

"Have you seen Bianca?" to his surprise the girl in the French braid answered.

"Miss Bianca said she was going to get coffee." Castiel raised an eyebrow at the girl's speech and her odd deep voice but said nothing.

"Is that so? Who are you?" he said airily.

"Rosaline." She extended her hand to him. "Rosaline Walker." He was so surprised by her reaching out her hand that he took it a shook it. Her hand was surprisingly soft, unlike her serious face and poise. "And who are you?"

"He is Castiel Bloodriver." said Melody.

"pleased to meet you Mr. Bloodriver." Castiel was baffled by this point. Mr.? what? Were they in the 20's or something? He didn't say anything because something was working it's way through his mind, the gears in his head were starting to spin. He looked at Rosalya and she nodded almost imperceptibly and then her gaze swept behind him and her lips curled into a devilish smile, her eyes became tinged with an expression that he knew well.

Castiel liked to call it the psyco grin. It was the grin when she had an idea. A particularly bad idea.

"Lys-baby! Perfect timing, too! Look, here is the new transfer student." The girl turned around.

"Pleased to…" she began saying but when she saw him her eyes narrowed. "You."

"Do you know lysander?" asked Melody. The girl didn't turn around. Her eyes were on Lysander and Castiel was afraid for a moment for the life of his friend. He had seen that look on his mom when she found out he had eaten the last chocolate chip cookie when she was on her PMS.

"We've met." She said shortly.

"Is that so?" said Rosalya cheerily, obviously an act to pretend she couldn't see the tension between them.

"Yes." said the girl still not turning around. "I happened to run into this young man, this morning and I dropped my notebook and my ring." Young man? Though Castiel. "Do you have it, by any chance?" Lysander didn't say anything, in fact he stayed completely still but Castiel could see that his friend was nervous, anxious, there was pulse in his throat and Castiel could feel a smile tugging his lips.

"Do you? Mr…."

"Lysander. Lysander Ainsworth." chimed in Rosalya.

"Mr. Ainsworth do you have my notebook?"

"Yes, I have with me." Castiel was surprised that Lysander's voice didn't waver or he didn't lose his calm. The guy had steel nerves, Castiel had to give him that. Lysander stretched his amr presenting her the notebook and she reached her arm and flexed her fingers for a second but then paused and frowned pressing her lips together before ducking her head, her hand went into a black, leather, messenger bag. She took out a spiraled black notbook just like the one Lysander had.

"I believe this belongs to you."

"It must have gotten mixed when we crashed."

"Indeed. Um, I might have written on your notebook. I didn't know it was not mine so I'm sorry, I would have taken away the page but it had something written on the back. I read the back of the page but I didn't read anything else. I'm sorry if I saw something private."

"That is okay. I…er…read your notebook." She looked at him with eyebrows raised. "to see of you had scribbled information somewhere so that I could give it back to you." That's it. I should get them both drunk and take them to Las Vegas to get hitched. Castiel thought.

"Really?" I'm surprised you can, most of what is written there is way too disorganized. It looks like gibberish. Not even I can read it."

"Not at all. It was quite interesting." She looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"I see." She said quietly. "Thank you for taking care of it." She took the notebook from him lightly while he took his from her anxiously. He had been working on the lyrics for a new song but his head was too full of the story. He wasn't going to be able to finish it now because he had to give her the notebook back but surely he could ask to keep it for a little while, no? He bit his lip flipping open his own notebook careful of not looking, well, staring at the girl in front of him. It wasn't correct to do such a thing.

"Oh, and I have your ring." He said taking out a small, copper colored slim band in his palm. Castiel thought that it was a piece of trash but when he saw the relief flooding the eyes of the dark haired girl. She whispered something and held the ring between two fingers. He saw Lysander opening his mouth to say something. And Castiel was sure it was going to be something stupid. One wasn't friends for a long time with someone without being able to read the body language, the messages in their gestures or even predict the stupid things the other was going to do. God knew how many times Lysander had stopped Castiel from doing something stupid.

"Ro-o-se!" a loud and high voice called the girl, she turned around and surprisingly a gentlesmile softened her face. Alexy was walking towards her, his same blue hair, confident walk and surprisingly a black haired boy walking with him who had a hand on his arm.

"Leo, Alexy. So good to see you." the girl said sarcastically but without any venom.

"Ah…well, sorry about that." Said the black haired boy rubbing his neck. She looked at Alexy and frowned.

"Alexy your neck." Alexy raised his eyebrows.

"You want to kiss my neck?" the blue haired boy said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Rosaline tilted her head a little and gestured her neck. He saw Lysander, doing what Castiel like d to call "looking" at someone, which basically involved burning holes into whatever area of the other person you were staring at. Castiel knew this because he had done it many times.

"You have red mark on your neck." She said calmly. "Did you get bitten by an insect?" At that everyone snorted

"What kind of insect would leave such a big mark?" asked Castiel sarcastically. She turned to look at him curiously.

"You'd be surprised." was all she said and turned to Alexy.

"It's okay." He said hastily. "Oh, and I just remembered that I forgot something at class, Leo come and help me!" he said dragging Leo along with him, who was looking amused. There was an uncomfortable silence that Rosaline didn't seem to notice, she looked at the two boys for moment before turning to the girls.

"Um…thanks for showing me around my classes."

"No problem." Said Melody while Rosalya said. "Anytime." And she winked at her. "But…you know we didn't show you around the whole school."

"That's okay, I'll find a way around the campus on my own."

"Alone? But it's so big." asked Roslaya disappointed.

"I don't want to bother any of you. It's the first day of class you must have a lot to do." Castiel looked at Rosalya, and he knew by the look on her face that all she probably wanted to do with the dark haired girl was probably lock her in a cage until she figured her completely, so that she could figure exactly how to get her and Lysander together. Castiel felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl, he had gone through that without knowing of course, that Rosalya was the one who ultimately brought him and Bianca together. A fact that he liked to deny most adamantly.

"Then how about, Lys-baby showing you around?" said Rosalya suddenly, her eyes wide as if she had just realized the simplest course of her plan.

"Well…" Lysander hesitated and castile couldn't frankly blame him because, come on, this was Rosalya for god's sake. Not some random, crazy, serial killer though she was quite close. "I have a free period after lunch. I can show you around." he said addressing Rosaline. The girl mentioned eyes blazed like a fire. A harsh, angry fire for a moment before going back into a state of force calm.

"I have a free period too." She said slowly. "but are you sure you have nothing to do? I don't mean to interrupt anything you have planned."

"Not at all." He was lying and Castiel knew it. The boys had planned on working on the new song Lysander had just written but he only just wanted some cuddle time with his girlfriend. His eyes involuntarily went to the mouth of the hall, just to see if Bianca was there she wasn't. He heard Lysander saying something but it sounded kind of faded to Lysander, like words whispered in the middle of a strong windstorm. "In fact, I think we should get started now, because the campus is very big." From that point he didn't really hear much until a hand shook his shoulder and he glared at a pair topaz colored eyes. She gave him that creepy smile again.

"Castiel, remember you owe me a favor?" Castiel scowled and usually that was enough to scare anyone but Rosalya was unmoved. "If you won't do it for me do it for Lysander." she said in a more serious voice. He peered over his shoulder looking at Melody and Nathaniel. Melody's head was on Nath's shoulder. Her eyes were closed and Nath was still reading the book he had earlier except that he was holding the book with one hand while holding Melody's hand in his other hand.

"Ask them not me." Rosalya put her hands on her hips.

"They won't help and you know it." He wasn't moved. "Castiel, he is already in love, surely you can see that right?"

"It's not the same thing to think someone is hot than to say someone is in love with someone at first sight."

"How so?"

"Because usually it would be both ways."

"and how do you know it's not both ways?"

"she's hiding something." Said Castiel gently. "and she doesn't want anyone to know, I think the last thing she wants is love."

"That's where I would like to disagree with." Said a female voice. Castiel turned around as Rosalya's lips parted slightly. Bianca.

"You know when people fall in love it's not necessarily obvious. And let me tell you that girl is in love alright."

"She would have chewed his head off if she found him alone in an alley."

"I doubt that would be the only thing she would do." said Bianca wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ugh, please." Said Castiel raising a hand to cover his eyes. "No unnecessary information."

"Okay, okay darling." His hand snapped back immediately. Bianca rarely called him a sweet name. usually the sweetest names she gave him was emo boy and few other that weren't really appropriate especially when…

"You're serious about this." She smiled a smile that most people would find lovely but Castiel knew it was more of Rosalya-ish smile. Yup, the creepy smile.

"As a heart attack." Castiel took a deep breath. He knew he was going to end up with broken bones.

"Fine, what do I need to do." there was whoops and much to his surprise Bianca jumped at him and kissed him shortly but passionately.

Maybe this isn't so bad at all. Thought Castiel giddily. Someone cleared their throat behind them. The couple pulled away but not hastily.

"As much as it's good to see you two snogging in broad daylight we have plenty of things to do." Bianca tore her gaze away from his and rubbed her hands.

"so, what's the plan?" she asked Rosalya.

"Well…"

It wasn't very hard to find them. Castiel just had to go near the South wing and he was able to see two figures walking through the shaded and cool corridors of the French garden by the South wing. It was a strange sight. The boy with silver almost white hair wearing elegant black pants, polished brown shoes, long sleeved shirt and a vest. He was quite tall almost 6 feet. He usually walked calmly, without any hurry and usually with his head in the clouds. The girl on the other hand was short, she couldn't possibly be taller than 5 feet 2 but unlike the boy she stood straight with her shoulders set and confident walk. The overall effect was that she looked taller than she really was. She was wearing a long black skirt and loose button up shirt and boots.

And though their postures were very different there was something about them both that…fit together. When he saw them like this Castiel could almost understand Rosalya and why she wanted those two together but a part of him also knew that you couldn't really hatch a plan to make people fall in love because falling in love meant to fall willingly by yourself.

He saw closely and realized that Lysander's body language was shy just like the girl's. They were both facing but not quite facing each other.

Maybe Rosalya was right, maybe she wasn't but Castiel decided maybe he had to find out.

"Still on tour?" asked a sarcastic, familiar voice. Lysander snapped his head from Rosaline to glare at the source of the voice and saw Castiel his best friend, leaning casually on the side of the great oak, library doors. He was smirking too at Lysander as if he knew how he was feeling which, incidentally, he did. Castiel recognized the symptoms of falling in love.

"I think we are almost done." said Rosaline in her deep voice.

"Such a pity, I think Lysander wouldn't mind showing you the whole town." said the red haired boy in what Lysander recognized as a mock-sincere voice. Rosaline was about to open her mouth to say something but what she was going to say was drowned when suddenly a bell rang, indicating the end of the period. She closed her mouth and frowned.

"that was the end of the period, right?" she said not quite looking at Lysander.

"yeah." Said Castiel. Rosaline finally looked at Lysander and her eyes were cool and devoid of emotion something that surprised Lysander.

"Thank you for showing me around." She turned and started leaving, Lysander looked at Castiel and he raised an eyebrow to him, sensing that something that the silver haired boy didn't and talked in this real casual voice.

"You do know where is your next class, right?" she stopped but her back was to both boys.

"Yes." She said after a moment.

"you don't know." Said Castiel flatly. He is a human lie detector. Thought Lysander.

"No, I don't." she turned her head and her eyes were still cool and cold. "but I'm going to find out." and she started walking again, disappearing into the distance never pausing once to turn or cast a glance over her shoulder in their direction. Castile turned to Lysander his arms crossed over his chest.

"You like her." He said as if it were a statement not a question.

"I…" but Castiel just smirked at his friend.

"it's time for you to get a girl, Lys. Even I'm starting to think that you're gay."

"Being gay isn't a bad thing."

"Of course it's not, but the idea of discovering that my best mate is gay and that there might be a possibility he likes me is quite a scary prospective."

"She is different." said Lysander.

"That much is obvious. I mean, the way she talks is like yours."

"Mine?" asked Lysander surprised.

"Yeah, so formal and so stiff. I'm pretty sure you two will be a good couple."

"we've just met." Pointed out the silver haired boy.

"but you met her before didn't you?"

"this morning…"

"yeah I recall her saying that, but what happened anyway?" Lysander explained to him what had happened and Castiel raised an eyebrow to him.

"I get the feeling that you're hiding something mate."

"Yes, well, I read her notebook."

"Oh, good lord finally Lysander Ainsworth has succumbed to curiosity! Praise the lord! Someone give the new girl a prize!" said Castiel rising his hands dramatically into the air.

"I was just searching for contact information to return her, the notebook." Winced Lysander.

"Chill, Lys. I understand but you also read stuff of hers that must have been personal. I think I understand why she's so…stiff around you. I for one would personally beat shit out of anyone who sees my personal stuff." Lysander couldn't argue with that. "I mean, she does call us by our last names, which is very odd but dude, when she first saw you she was all tensed." And you were looking as if you had finally seen the sun coming up. Castiel wanted to add but he knew it wasn't a good idea to bug Lysander, he had never so much as looked at a girl but the way he had looked at that girl as if she were something precious was overwhelming to Castiel. Sure, he had seen many guys looking at girls like that but Lysander, his best mate that hadn't had a girlfriend since…but that was another story.

"I think it was because I had her notebook and her ring." Best not to press him. Thought Castiel, there will be a lot of time for that, no matter what Rosalya said. Besides he thought grimly. I have to make sure that girl isn't going to screw with my best mate.

"Well, as much as I like to hear you two talk about girls, I think we still need to talk right?" said Nathaniel emerging from nowhere. Castiel grinned and bumped Nath on the shoulder.

"'Course we have to and now that Lysander has his notebook back, thanks to Juliet, we have a lot of planning to do." Nathaniel snickered and Lysander blushed at the thought of Rosaline wearing a costume of Juliet.