Moving On (Destiel)

25: Rumors

"Sorry, I have to quit," Cas said after Charlie announced her idea of meeting up after school one Monday lunch break mid November. 

Gilda gave him the acknowledgement of rolling her eyes, Charlie looked disappointed, so did Kevin, and Garth simply raised his eyebrows.

"But... whyyyyy," Charlie whined. "You never come with us! At least come with us today! I've been preparing it for weeks – and last week you said that maybe you'd come around."

"'Maybe' is meant relatively," Cas informed her. "That was last week – how could I have known what time I'd be free?"

"Yeah, but, that's the point. I told you so early on, so you'd make your time free. So that you wouldn't plan anything else."

"I bet he's gonna be with the Winchester boy," Garth scoffed. "He always is, has been for the last months. What'd you expect, Charles?"

"Actually," Cas interjected, ignoring the boy to his left as good as usual, "I'm at the club this afternoon. And I already cancelled last week, I can't do it again."

"Club?," Kevin asked. "We're not allowed to drink yet...?"

Cas stared at him for a moment, wondering how his friend could have mistaken his words that hard. "What? – No! I don't drink. And I certainly don't go into bars or clubs in that sense. It's just... CAER-club. You know, the environmental-oriented group of friends of mine that I hang around with every week."

"He means the weird psychos he identifies with," Garth said to no one in particular.

"So, with those you hang around every week, but not with us?", Charlie whined again.

"They're neither... okay, maybe they are a little weird, but they are not psychotic. They're good influence."

"Like the Winchester boy, or what?" Garth again. Man, what an attitude that kid had.

"What's up with him today?", Castiel asked. He usually had a high patience with idiotic crap, but not with Garth anymore. And not if it concerned Dean.

"I don't know – seriously dude, why'd you keep bringing Dean up? He didn't do anything," Kevin said. 

Cas really liked that kid. He was so kind and seemingly always on his side.

"Um, I don't know, maybe because they're boyfriends now? Haven't you noticed? It's likely that he'd drop us – the friends he only calls so when he needs someone in break because otherwise he'd be alone, when precious Dean skips classes again – for that dick."

Cas had endured enough Gabriel to sense the double meaning in these words.

"They're not even boyfriends, what the fuck man," Charlie mixed in after being incredibly quiet for too long to be in a normal Charlie-mood.

Cas looked at her in surprise. Charlie wanted them to be together. She at least always hinted at it. Why the mood change?

"Haven't you seen them together? They're so together, like, together together" Garth insisted.

"We're really not. We're just friends-" Cas had to clarify. He could see Garth wasn't changing his mind, but at least the boy gave in.

"Sure, fine, besties then, whatever. But my point was, he cares about that Winchester boy more than any of us. Including you, Charlie."

Cas looked at his friend, expecting her to raise her voice in protest, but she stayed awfully quit. Cas got sick to his stomach. 

"Dean is my friend. Why do you care? And why do you have a problem with that? It's none of your business," Cas barked.