3 Simple Steps

EIGHT: I Might as Well Be Considered a Psychic

Eight:  I might as well be considered a psychic

Of course I got suspended. Of course Genesus got away with nothing. Of course my mom was smiling at me once we got in the car—wait what? I couldn't help but grin despite of my swollen lip and eye.

"I'm not mad that you finally learned to put her in her place. I'm mad that they dragged me out of work for this," She said at last.

I started to laugh and then I stopped myself, wincing as the cut on my lip reopened. My mom shook her head and squeezed my knee. 

"Just take the rest of the week to calm down, okay? And try not to get into any more fights. If she's bothering you, just tell me."

Yeah, right. Like I would tell my mom anything Genesus did to me. She'd only talk to her parents and they'd probably just pretend to care. 

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for um, bothering to come pick me up," I said as I closed the door and waved.

She was going back to work, of course. There was no way she was going to stay home and lecture me about not beating up the psychotic Queen Bee who tried to humiliate me in front of half of the school. Even if she tried to hide it, I knew she was kind of proud.

***

I let out a huge laugh as I flipped the page of my favourite book: City of Bones. Yet again, I winced as my wounds struggled to reopen and quickly shut my mouth. Bored, I shut the book and placed it on my nightstand. My brother was out working right now: he had odd shifts that he randomly had to take. So I was left alone in my house, feeling accomplished. I had stood up to Genesus and shown everyone I wasn't always going to take her crap.

"How're you feeling?" Asked a deep, jugular voice from the bedroom door.

"I feel like I'm on top of the world," I said, then did a double-take. "Wait, how'd you get inside?"

"Your family is a little too cliché for your own safety. The whole putting-the-key-under-the-mat thing? Yeah, that's not going to keep out any weirdos."

I threw my pillow at the He-Devil as he tried to sit down.

"You're basically just telling me that you're one of the weirdos, Cas."

He shrugged and handed me the keys to the front door. I made a mental note to tell my mom about that.

"If you don't want me here I could leave. Just say the words and 'poof' I'm outta here."

I scoffed and picked up my tattered book. "Aren't you supposed to be in school still? Go get your education, pretty boy."

Once again, he shrugged and stretched his arms out.

"I really don't have to worry about my parents. Or getting into college. I'm rich. I might as well be living in a mansion and not worrying about school," He said.

"Huh. Well, that's nice," I mumbled at last.

After a long silence, Cas finally spoke again: "That was really brave of you. Standing up to Genesus, I mean. People would have believed that silly rumor otherwise."

I felt my face heat up, and I averted my gaze from him. That wouldn't have been good. I fingered the loose fabric of my knit sweater and shrugged. When I finally looked up, Cas was grinning at me, his blue eyes crinkling in that adorable way of his.

"Uh, Cas, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't really mean it. Before you showed up I felt like no one hung out with me by will. You seem to..." I trailed off and didn't know how to continue.

Maybe he was being forced to be with me. After all, he told me so himself. He had to live with me or else...I shivered at the thought and hugged myself.