Strings Attached

Chapter 29

"I'm gonna go buy lunch," Charlie tells Castiel when they get to the cafeteria. "You coming?"

Castiel shakes his head. "No, I'm fine. Thanks."

Surprisingly, Charlie is back with her lunch before the first person enters the cafeteria. She sits down next to Castiel, who's awkwardly taking up part of the aisle on the end of the table.

"And let the people watching commence!" Charlie announces as people begin to enter the room, going from a slight trickle to a mob. Suddenly, Charlie starts waving her arms around, and soon after, an amused-looking Asian boy sits across from her at the table.

"I know where you're sitting," he tells her with a laugh. "We sit here everyday."

"I know, but hey, look who I found!" Charlie says excitedly, looking at Castiel.

"That's very descriptive," Kevin says sarcastically before turning to Castiel. "I'm Kevin Tran," he introduces himself.

"Castiel," he says softly.

"Castiel?" Kevin repeats, and Castiel nods. "Novak?" Castiel nods again. "Huh. Nice to meet you." He eyes the wheelchair and casts combination. "Mind if I asked what happened to you?"

"I don't know," Castiel replies.

"Is that your way of saying you don't want to talk about it?" Kevin asks.

"No, I mean I honestly don't know what happened to me."

"Oh," Kevin replies, surprised. "Wow. You just woke up, and... that?"

"I think so?" Castiel says uncertainly. "I've also got a concussion, so anything that's happened lately is pretty fuzzy."

"Concussion and amnesia?" Kevin repeats as if it's so strange, and not possibly caused at the same moment.

"What's that like?" Charlie asks.

"Not fun," Castiel replies.

"No, I mean... What's it like? Like, is everything all weird to you now?"

Castiel debates just saying "No" and leaving it at that, but she seems genuinely interested in this, so he gives her a real answer.

"Not really. I mean, everything is all loud and bright, which is annoying, but it's pretty much the same as usual."

"That's it?" Charlie says, surprised.

Castiel nods. "Yeah. Well, I think it is. I can't remember exactly what things used to be like, but it seems the same."

Charlie opens her mouth to say something, but Kevin interrupts her.
"I think we've had enough of 'Interrogate Castiel' for now."

"But I wanna keep talking to him!" Charlie whines.

"Why?" Castiel asks. "I barely know myself, but I know I'm far from the most popular kid at school."

"Neither are we," Charlie replies. "So it all works out great!"

"But I-"

"Oh, look," a nasally voice sneers, interrupting the boy mid sentence. "Little Cassie's back."

"Nice wheels," another boy adds.
Castiel cranes his neck to see who's talking. There are three boys standing behind him, and though Castiel recognizes them, they aren't immediately identifiable.

"Do — do I know you?" Castiel asks, confused.

One of the boys shoves his wheelchair into the table, jabbing him in the gut and hitting his already bruised ribs.