Chapter Text
Most kids have their first day of school when they’re five, but not Castiel his was when he was sixteen. Being homeschooled for most of his life in another country was not an unenjoyably experience. In fact Castiel had enjoyed it very much, he hadn’t seen any reason to leave, but he had traveled with his parents back to the states. He had even agreed it was a good idea to go to the local public school.
“Yes mom, I know be polite and sociable. I know dad, money’s in the bag” Cas said. He held up and shook the paper bag that contained his lunch. He smiled and rolled his eyes as his mother worried over him, straightening his clothes and trying-in vain-to fix his ever present bed head. He looked over to his father who was trying to figure out how to work their new digital camera and ended up making the flash go off right in face. Cas suppressed his laugh.
Now you might think homeschooled, what a freak! Yes Castiel’s a bit odd, but who isn’t? Even without much socialization Cas knew he was gay, he could just tell. He found men more attractive then woman. It wasn’t to say he didn’t find women attractive, he just prepared the D.
“Now here’s your phone and your number is on the back” Castiel’s mother said shoving his phone into his hand. She licked her thumb and reached up to smooth down yet another rebelling cowlick. Cas caught her wrist and kissed her knuckles.
“Mom, I’ll be fine, stop worrying!” He said. The flash of the caught both of their attentions, because this time it was aimed the right way. The smiled and posed for a few more pictures before Cas detangled himself from his mother.
“I think it’s time I leave before I’m late!” He said with a grin. His mother nodded whipping at her tears. His father cleared his throat and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
~
“Hello, you might of heard about me. I’m the new student Castiel”
“Talk to me again and I’ll gut you” The dark haired girl snarled glaring at Cas. She turned and took a seat in the front row. Cas went to take the seat next to her and a blonde girl leaned forward from the third row.
“No. You don’t wanna seat there, Ruby’s boyfriend is gonna seat there” she said. As she said it a lanky, dark haired boy slid into the seat. Ruby barely muttered ‘hey’ before she laced her fingers through his hair and started kissing him. Castiel reeled back and moved over to another seat in the second row. The same blonde girl smirked and shook her head.
“Nope, he reeks, like rotten eggs” Cas gaped. She seemed so rude, but he looked at the boy sitting in the front row and he simply shrugged. Casiel turned on his heel looking for an open seat.
“Good Morn-” The teachers greeting got cut off as Cas slammed into her. Coffee and donuts going everywhere, Cas slamming to his ass on the floor. The class filled with laughed and groans, laughter at the new classmate embarrassing himself and groans as perfectly good donuts tragically lost their lives to the school floor.
“I’m so sorry!” Both Cas and the teacher shouted out. The teacher chuckled as she bent and helped Cas up. Her fiery red hair braid tightly to her head, thick green glasses resting on her nose and a ‘STAR WARS’ sweater covered in coffee. If Castiel hadn’t already mistaken a student for a teacher he’d have guessed this woman standing before him was also just another student.
“I’m sorry” Cas said again. The teacher waved him off.
“Don’t worry about it bro” Cas jumped a little at the casual use of slang. He looked over into the see of strange faces and met the dark eyes of the blonde girl. She smirked and shrugged. The teacher tugged her sweater off and underneath lay a Hermione-themed T-shirt.
“Ms. Bradbury?” A gruff, older man stepped into the room, head swinging from one side then eyes falling on Ms. Bradbury. Castiel glanced around for a seat, not finding one where he wasn’t stuck behind a kind that smelled like sulfur he stepped over to the teachers desk.
“Bob-Mr. Singer!” She corrected herself and started to fidget. Mr. Singer laughed and patted her on the shoulder.
“How was your summer?”
“Good, I mean someone, you?”
“Uneventful, had those fool nephews of mine hanging around doing work cause my back starting acting up” They both chuckled as Mr. Singer glanced over to a rather tall boy sitting behind the blonde girl that had been talking to Cas.
“I think we tied” Ms. Bradbury chirped happily. “But you didn’t just come in here to chat, or am I just that special?” Ms. Bradbury teased. Mr. Singer chuckled and shook his head slightly.
“No, no. I Just came to inform every that we have a new student. Moved all the way here from Africa” Mr. Singer said. He glanced around the room. He didn’t seem to recognize any new faces.
“I don’t think I’ve gotten any new students” Ms. Bradbury said looking over her class. Mr. Singer shrugged and pulled out a piece of paper.
“His name is…Cast…Case…Cas-”
“Um, that’s me! It’s pronounced cast-Eel, but you can call me Cas, every does”
“Hmm, you got hippie parents Cas?”
“Mr. Singer!” Ms. Bradbury nearly shouted smacking his arm. She looked over at Cas cringing. He shrugged with a slight smirk.
“Yeah, why else would we live in Africa and I be named Castiel and dressed liked this?” He asked. He pressed his arms out. In truth his parents had been researchers for a college over in Africa and Castiel was an old family name and his not all of his stuff had arrived from Africa yet. Which was why he had borrowed a pair of his father’s old khakis, wore one of his mother’s least favorite and most stained shirts, with a blue, black and hazard orange zig-zag pattern zip up sweater and his favorite pair of flip-flops. Mr. Singer chuckled and smiled.
“Well Welcome Cas” He said. He turned to leave, but Ms. Bradbury stopped him and whispered something about coffee in the lounge later. Cas glanced over the rows of seats one last time, eyes landing briefly on the blonde girl and tall, long haired boy.
~
The first day of school was like a blur. Castiel had never been in a place where people, epescially adults didn’t trust him,
“Where are you going?” the teacher asked.
“Bathroom” Cas replied leaning against the door. The teacher laughed.
“You have to have the bathroom pass”
“Well, can I have the bathroom pass then?” Cas asked rather confused. The teacher snorted and pointed to where Cas had been sitting.
“Nice try, back to your seat”
He also got in trouble for the strangest things,
“No blue pens!”
“No reading ahead!”
“No eating in class!”
By lunch Castiel was exhausted. He bought water with the money his parents had given him and looked for a decent place to sit. The first table was over flowing with people, one kid even standing up eating, the second only had three guys taking up spots and he almost sat down, but they were taking very crudely about woman so he moved to the next table in line. A girl moved her lunch bag into the open seat and raised an eyebrow. Cas approach one last table.
“Hello” He smiled. They all truned and glared at him, one girl even got off her phone and snapped ‘what is he?’ to her friend. Cas slunk away toward to exist to go eat on the bleachers.
Castiel hadn’t had many friends in Africa, but he’d had friends. So far he didn’t have a single one in Lawrence.
~
Castiel ran up the porch steps. He glanced over his parents sitting together on the porch swing getting together the last of their research materials to send back to the college.
“Your stuff came today” His mother said without looking up.
“How was your first day?” His father asked. He looked up and smiled at Cas. Castiel sighed and rushed into the house. So far school was not fun. Castiel fell into his bed with a grunt, hopeing his second would be better.