Author's Note:

Special Cas POV! :D

"Holy- this is bullshit!" Cas shouted in the middle of the hallway and caught more than his fair share of attention. Of course, he didn't give a shit - he was a little preoccupied.

"Tell me about it," Charlie sighed in the most sarcastically sympathetic way he'd ever heard in his life.

"That test was pretty unfair, did you guys get bad grades too?" Their friend Garth asked as he approached them, a slightly wrinkled paper in his hands.

"What? Oh, that… nah, I failed that," Cas looked up from his phone for a second then went right back to it.

"Then what…?" Garth raised an eyebrow and leaned a little closer to see that Cas was doing that made his face screw up the way it had. "Angry Birds? You serious?"

"He says he'll beat my record," Charlie smirked and Cas snarled at her in return.

"I will, I'm a god at this game."

"So is Charlie." Garth laughed and shoved his stuff into his bag, "Anyway, Miss Milton was looking for you Cas, she said to go see her when you got a sec."

Cas looked up at the mention of the name, "Really? Probably about the next assembly performance." The school's choir was set to perform in the intermission of the information dump, he of course had one of the lead roles so it didn't seem odd at all that their music instructor would be looking for him. He stuffed his phone into his pocket without looking at it again and pointed toward Charlie, "I'll show you a higher score next time."

"Whatever you say," She grinned and waved him off, "Can't perform while someone's watching?"

"Hush up!" He laughed as he ran off down the hall, briefly hearing a 'no running' call from another teacher but he didn't bother to acknowledge it. Cas slipped into the music room and trotted up the short set of stairs to the main area, "Hey," he called to the red haired woman packing up her things across the room, "You wanted to see me?"

Anna looked up with a smile, she was one of the more youthful teachers, and after the many semesters of choir and band classes Cas had come to know her well. He was something of a favourite though he didn't like to think of it that way. Sure, he liked his singing ability and felt he was pretty decent but she seemed to think he had a future in it. Humility on his part slowed his response whenever that topic came up; he'd seen enough American Idol to know he wasn't prepared for that kind of thing just yet.

"Castiel, there you are," she hopped up from her desk and strolled over to meet him in the middle, "We've got some new additions to the assembly next week and they asked me if one of our students would be interested in a solo?"

Cas' eyes lit up, "Did you say yes?"

"Depends, would you like to-"

"Of course!" He smiled and threw his hands up dramatically, "Like you even had to ask,"

"True, I already said yes for you so it's good you agree." Anna grinned and handed over the one set of papers she'd brought with her, "This is it, think you can handle it?"

Cas scanned it quickly, one of those PG, easy to swallow songs for something as mundane as a school gathering. He nodded and looked up from the piece with a smirk, "Oh yeah, it's in the bag Miss Milton."

"Good, stop by for practice during lunch or after school tomorrow, just to make sure we're on the same page with the tone." She gave him a knowing look as she turned to go back to her desk, "Not that you'll need much help, I'm sure."

"Right," Cas shrugged off the self-conscious thoughts; he knew he was good enough for an assembly, that wasn't even a question. He tapped his fingers on the coarse paper a few times, "So is that all?"

"I don't think so," Anna sat down and looked thoughtfully into the distance, "I mean, unless you had filled out the application I gave you-"

"I haven't," He cut her off again, his nerves suddenly feeling like they were on fire, "I've been busy." His nose always felt itchy when he lied, but he couldn't tell her he wasn't sure about the choice. Cas had a talent for singing, he acknowledged that much, but he wasn't sure he could spend his time and his future in chasing that idea. He'd be graduating in a few months and somehow he'd have to have his entire life planned out. Picking a career, a school, a lifestyle. It was too much for him to think about, he just wanted things to be simple.

Not that school was ever simple; he looked forward to escaping high school entirely. It was like a prison sometimes, he was told what to wear, where to be at what time, what he could and couldn't say, and so on. It felt suffocating, he just wanted to be him, whatever that might mean.

"Well you still have time, think it over." Anna's expression was kind, like she knew what he was thinking and didn't want to pressure him too much. Cas appreciated it, though he wished he could make a choice without a crap-load of anxiety to go with it.

With a wave he left the room and headed back to his locker, the day was over; most people had gone home, it was time for him to do the same. Charlie and Garth had waited up for him, both smiling as they talked. He was envious of both of them, Charlie was incredibly smart with computers and as the world was shaping it became increasingly obvious her skills would be useful almost anywhere. Garth was optimistic all the time, maybe his job future wouldn't pay as much but he was almost guaranteed to be content in whatever he got.

Cas could be upbeat, he usually was, but that was only because he preferred to be that way than show all of his insecurities. He didn't know what he wanted out of life, so many things were decided for him so far that he couldn't imagine having free reign over any of his decisions. As a child his parents were the ultimate decision makers, Michael directed him in the right direction, and of course there was school. But after that? Hell if he knew.

The world was his oyster, he could be anything, do anything, so people said anyway. He knew that wasn't true, there wasn't enough time to do everything and to be able to do things in the future he'd need a solid foundation. What the hell did he want his foundation to be? Could he be a singer? Would he be a starving artist trying to make it as an individual or maybe he'd be lost in the crowd of a large group?

"Cas?" Charlie looked up at him; her voice shook his thoughts back to reality. "You okay? You look a little freaked out."

He smiled and shook his head, "Nah I'm good, just thinking too much."

"Sounds like a common problem these days," Garth nodded in a sagely way though Cas thought it looked a little silly on someone so young, only old people could do that.

"We've got a few months before graduation," Charlie pat Cas' shoulder firmly, "Take it easy, we've got time."

"I guess so," he said with a deep sigh and dropped his arm over her shoulders playfully, "The world just feels so heavy, you know?"

"I can feel it," she grabbed his wrist and put her other arm around his middle to try and lift him up, "The world is weighing mostly on you it seems."

"I thought that too," Cas draped himself on her like the deadweight he was, nearly dragging them both to the floor. However Garth got in between them and helped hold Cas' weight.

"Not too bad with a little help, eh?"

All three laughed and continued to get ready to go home. Cas knew a lot of people at school, some of them were amazing, some were fair weather, but he could always count on Charlie and Garth to be there for him. Charlie was his best friend and Garth was a super nice dude that tended to be there for everyone.

They walked together out of the building, fresh air felt like a drug to him and he took it in like the hipster sap he was.

"You gonna apply to a musical college or something?" Charlie asked and Cas shrugged.

"No idea, what're you gonna do?"

"Same answer. Garth?"

He didn't skip a beat; "Figure I might take time off from school, maybe travel or something."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out," Cas smiled and looked ahead, "You make it seem so trivial."

"Well it is, you've always got room to change your mind." Garth turned his sunny disposition Cas' direction and it almost felt blinding. "The average person changes careers more than once in a lifetime, so you're bound to find something else to do. Just pick what you like for now and run with it."

Charlie shook her head, "Sometimes it's not that easy, money is a pretty big barricade for stuff like that."

"Yeah," Garth paused and looked down, "You've got a good point."

"So do you," Cas nudged his scrawny friend, a growing smile on his face as he walked. He liked that answer; he could change his mind, his life wouldn't be written in stone with this single choice. "I mean, aiming within your budget is what you'd probably do anyway when it comes to life decisions, right? We're low to middle class people here, none of us are gonna be sitting in a fancy chair in charge of a huge company."

"I guess not," Charlie shrugged, she still sounded pretty down, "But it'd be nice to be able to do anything, you know?"

"Life is what you make of it," Garth pointed out rather generically but Cas could get behind the philosophy; he wanted nothing more than to keep his head up and look forward at what was happening and not spend all of his time worrying about what might.

"Whatever comes up, I'll help you," Cas smiled and touched her arm, "That's what friends are for, right?"

"You can't help everything, Cas." Charlie raised an eyebrow at him though she couldn't help but smile, herself, "But thanks, I appreciate it."

"You gotta help me too, though." He wiggled his eyebrows cheekily, something that always made her laugh.

"Never, you're on your own!" She dramatically raised her voice, an over-actor in their conversation about life.

Cas placed the back of his wrist to his forehead and looked away, "So cruel!"

"You're both dorks," Garth snorted and hurried ahead of them, "Gotta go! Mom's making lasagna tonight,"

"G'night man," Cas waved him off and turned to Charlie, "Wanna come over? Michael says we can order pizza tonight."

She shrugged; he could tell her energy was pretty low already. "I dunno, I'm gonna go visit mom today so… we'll see."

"Gotcha," Cas never could figure out what to say about Charlie's situation, her mom in a coma and her dad working non-stop to pay the bills. They were making it but it wasn't exactly a glamorous home life. He knew that Charlie had diagnosed depression and anxiety disorders; he knew she was on medication and that her dad was a bit of a dick about it. She worked part-time to cover the costs on her own, more or less. He tried to chip in but she didn't particularly like handouts.

"Did you want company? I can come with."

"No, I want to see her on my own if that's okay." She offered a reassuring smile; it was anything but. Cas didn't call her on it though; instead he returned the smile and let her go her own way. He stood on the sidewalk on his own for a while, his mind was racing and blank all at the same time. Like white noise.

Regardless of his overactive head, he managed to make it home just fine. Michael was sitting at the kitchen table, his head down and muttering to himself.

"Hey Mike, what's up?" Cas walked in and dropped down in a chair next to his brother.

Michael looked up, a tired expression and a deep sigh were the best responses Cas got for a few seconds. "I hate my job." Michael finally said and rubbed his face in exhaustion.

"Shitty customers?"

"Shitty everything, the manager doesn't know what the hell he's doing, the cashiers don't give a shit and god save that kitchen because it's going down in flames." He raised clenched fists and dropped them onto the table, even his outbursts were tired.

"It'll get better," Cas pat him on the back and got up, "We're ordering pizza tonight, right?"

Michael sighed and looked up at Cas with a half smile, "I remember, and yes we are, I am not cooking."

"You're a waiter, not a cook, you can't be tired of the kitchen." Cas prodded but Michael shooed him away.

"Watch me."

Castiel spent some time in his room that night; he looked over the different possibilities for musical colleges and university programs available to him. Applying to a few was probably his best option; it wasn't like he was committing forever to any one of them. He could travel to other states if he needed though he wasn't sure he wanted to just yet.

He couldn't stop thinking about Charlie, like he should be with her or something. Not that he'd be a whole lot of help with much, but she shouldn't be alone, right? He looked up at the window, his mind going over the idea of just going to her house as he stood up.

Moments later Cas found himself heading down the hall toward the front door, "I gotta go see Charlie," he called to Michael who was in the living room watching TV.

Michael looked up, he was on the phone with someone but by the conversation Cas was sure it wasn't the pizza place. He waved Cas off, enough permission for the teen to run out the door.

It was late; he knew Charlie would be home already. The least he could do was keep her company, or so he told himself. It wasn't much but it was something he was capable of, Charlie wasn't the type to ask for help very often, especially not in regards to her family life.

Cas stood on the front step of Charlie's home, it was very small, one story and just enough space for two people. He was breathing heavily and considered what might happen if he knocked, her dad would tell him to go home if he was there. It was late, of course he would. Charlie might even tell him to leave if he just asked to come in.

Instead of doing things like a normal person he snuck around to the side of the house he knew Charlie's room was on. Her window was slightly open to let air flow in, like always. The curtains were closed but he could tell the light was on. Cas smiled and pushed on the window to open it the rest of the way, "Hey Charlie," he whisper-yelled and heard a container drop.

"Cas?" Charlie's voice was a little shaky, she approached the window and opened the curtains to see him hopping up to drop in.

"Hey," he smiled and tumbled inside, not entirely graceful but nothing broke so in his books he was good. "What's up?"

"What're you doing here?" she was a little irritated but not enough for him to be bothered by it. He just smiled at her, a gentle expression that seemed to soften hers too.

"Well," he glanced at the floor, the container that had fallen was one of her medications but it wasn't the only one there. Cas paid pretty close attention to what he'd seen Charlie take; one of those he was sure wasn't hers.

"I was just organizing them for the rest of the week," she said nonchalantly, if he were anyone else he probably would've believed her.

Cas nodded, "I guess you could forget if you didn't huh?"

"Yeah,"

He knew better. He knew what she was going to do, judging by the look on her face she hadn't yet. He thanked his anxious feeling for pushing him out the door so fast.

"So I was talking to Michael," Cas got up, keeping it to himself as he walked over to her bed and dropped himself onto it like he always did, "He said it was okay with him if you wanted to stay with us."

Charlie was quiet for a bit so he kept talking.

"I don't want you staying here by yourself, or with someone who neglects you which is just as shitty." He looked up at her casually, "I feel like shit every time I let you come back here, you're my best friend."

She smiled a little and sat down on the edge of the bed, "My dad's not so bad, he's just stressed out. I couldn't leave him like that."

"I don't know if you know this, but you don't have to take care of him, that's not your job."

"Then what is my job?" She asked without looking at him.

"To take care of Charlie."

"You're cheesy,"

"I'm also right." Cas sat up and moved to sit next to her, "I get you want to help, or make things easier or whatever, but you gotta live a little."

She smirked, it was sarcastic but she looked at him earnestly enough, "Okay, what would you have in mind?"

First thing that came to mind is what came out of his mouth. "We hang upside down on your bed and play Mario Kart."

Charlie's expression was neutral as she processed his suggestion with such a serious look on his face. Her sarcastic smirk had fallen flat while she stared at him but it quickly pulled into a smile. She couldn't help it, a laugh escaped her and she got up to turn on the console.

"You're gonna get your butt kicked like always."

"Maybe I'm better than you when I'm upside down," he said as he rolled over and dropped his head to look at her TV set. It'd be a challenge but he was up for it, pretty sure she was right and he'd lose horribly.

With all said and done they didn't sleep until it was incredibly late, Cas lost most of the matches but he didn't mind.