New "Friends"

1. Pizza and Coffee

"Cas. Cas," Charlie attempted. She knew he couldn't hear her but maybe if he noticed her lips moving he'd pay attention. "Ca-."

"Ms. Bradbury. Would you like to explain to us why you are having a conversation during class?" Everyone's eyes were on Charlie. After Charlie didn't answer Mr. Bin continued, "Would you please wait to finish your conversation until after class?" Charlie's head nodded quickly. "Thank you. Now class as I was saying, Newton's 3rd  law didn't just count as..."

Charlie tuned him out once again and looked over at Cas. He was looking at her.

"Sorry," he signed to her while mouthing the word.

"After class, I need to talk to you," Charlie mouthed, making sure he could see her lips. Cas nodded. They both turned back to Mr. Bin, ready for another boring lecture.

Cas tried paying attention, but after a few minutes he found his eyes had been staring at his fingers for a while. The skin around his nails was severely picked at. He tended to mess with it since he didn't have much else to do. Charlie told him maybe he should paint his nails with a clear top coat and pick at it instead.

He tried it for a few weeks but got so mad at some of it coming off and the rest being stubborn that he went back to picking at his nails just recently. He knew he'd never do it again once some kid in P.E saw it and made fun of him.

   While he had done it though, most of his time at work was spent picking steadily at the clear polish. A girl named Bethany had noticed and leaned over the counter of the animal clinic he once worked at.

   "You know, if you keep picking at your nails that ferociously they'll get brittle and fall off," she whispered to him. Castiel's eyes never left his own nails and the girls furrowed her eyebrows. She leaned further over the counter and tapped his shoulder. Castiel's eyes raised to meet with the deep brown chocolate colored ones in front of him and saw the look of confusion.

   Hurriedly Castiel reached under the counter for the note pad he had his simple hand writing scribbled on. He laid it on the counter and turned it towards the girl, smiling to her when she looked from the note to himself quickly.

   The note had read: Hello. The main receptionist is currently busy. If you don't mind your requests taking a little longer I can assist you, but keep in mind it may not be the easiest seeing as I'm deaf.

   The girl Castiel would soon know as Bethany looked up from the note, her look of confusion gone, replaced by a look of pity.

   "I'm so sorry," the girl said, quickly stopping her self from continuing.

   "No," Castiel mouthed to her. He grabbed the pencil from under the counter and turned to the next page of his note pad and wrote, "It's fine. I can read lips."

   After she had read the note she smiled at Castiel, warmth flooding her eyes. "Oh. Well. I noticed you were picking at your nails." Castiel's eyes dropped to his fingers and he immediately felt ashamed. Bethany seemed to notice and waved her hands in front of his face.

   "No, no. I wasn't meaning to taunt you about it. My cousin does it to prevent him from picking at his skin. He has sores all up and down his arms. I don't know why I am telling you this. I'm sorry. Is Dan Haufmen in?"

   Castiel smiled at the blush coloring the girl's cheeks. "You just missed him. He left on personal leave a few minutes ago." Castiel wrote on the paper. He wondered if it was possible he could help her rather than what he assumed to be her doctor Mr. Haufmen, but it was a long shot seeing as he was a very educated man.