Strings Attached

Chapter 72

The author isn't sure what the date is anymore, so let's just say that the Monday two weeks later is February thirteenth. Castiel is still being annoyed nearly constantly by people that are amazed that he killed a serial killer, and people still adore him, god knows why. Dean and Castiel are currently walking/wheeling to their shared first block when Dean brings it up.

"Tomorrow's Valentine's Day," Dean observes.

"It is," Castiel agrees.

"I hope you aren't expecting anything too special," Dean warns him. "Because I can't afford anything awesome for you. But I do know that Sam and Gabriel are going out after school, so do you wanna come over and we can eat chips and watch tv or something?"

"I wasn't expecting anything, so that works," Castiel agrees. "I can bring chocolate, too. Gabriel makes sure we have some all the time."

Dean grins. "I'm liking this more and more. So, tomorrow's good?"

Castiel nods. "Yep. Wait, do you have practice?"

"Oh, right," Dean replies. "After practice, then?"

"Wanna just come to my house when you're ready?" Castiel suggests.

"Sure."

"Just make sure you bring the chips," Castiel adds. "That's the important part."

Dean scoffs. "Great, thanks, Cas."

"You're welcome!" Castiel replies with a big grin.

~~

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means. IT'S THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT! Okay, the author apologizes for that. I was really going to say Valentine's Day but nope, the SPN fangirl in me wouldn't let me. Please enjoy the story now.

"Hey, Castiel!" Donna calls, jogging to catch him as Dean wheels him to class Tuesday morning. Dean stops and waits for Donna to catch up to them. "Hey, Castiel! Dean!"

"Hey," Dean replies in his casual, cool way.

"Hi, Donna," Castiel greets the girl.
She's been hanging out with the ever growing crowd of misfits for the last couple weeks, but not usually in the morning.

"I need your help again," Donna tells him. "Paper sales dipped again and I was hoping you could write something else."

"Like what?" Castiel asks. "I haven't had any really cool experiences lately."

"I don't think it matters," Donna replies. "I'm just hoping having something else by you will get people to buy it."

Castiel scoffs. "Yeah, right. Maybe they cared that I killed a guy, but no one cares about me as a person."

"Well, can you write something anyway?" Donna asks. "Please?"

"I don't have anything to write," Castiel replies.

"Well, if you think of something, could you? Please?"

Castiel sighs and nods. "Fine. I'll see what I can think of, but I'm telling you, it's not going to help you."

Donna grins. "Thanks, Castiel! You're the best!"

~~

Charlie heads to Castiel's after school because neither of them have anything else to do. They're both hanging around his living room when Charlie asks, "I saw you talking to Donna this morning. Any chance you're writing a new article for the paper?"

"Probably not," Castiel replies. "I told her I'd think about it, but I don't really have anything to write about."

"You should write about bullying!" Charlie suggests. "That's a problem at our school. Maybe you can make it less of a problem!"

"No," Castiel says immediately.

"Why not?"

"Because then I'll get bullied for writing about bullying," Castiel replies.

"Well, do it anyway! People like you now. It won't be that bad."

Castiel sighs. If there's one person he can't say 'no' to, it would be Charlie. "Do you have any paper?"

Bullying

By Castiel Novak

I would like to preface this by saying that Charlie is making me write this, and that I'm not begging for sympathy or anything like that. With that being said, bullying is bad and if you bully, then you're bad. (Charlie told me to write that. I'm assuming it's a reference to something.)

All jokes aside, bullying really is bad. I don't really know how to make this into an entire article about it, because that's basically the whole point. Just don't bully people.

Charlie is making me write about my bullying experience, as if there's a single person in the school that doesn't already know. I guess I'm going to do it anyway. Charlie might as well be writing this for me, because the majority of what I write in here Charlie is making me write, but it's all true.

I've been bullied for almost as long as I can remember. I can't say I'm surprised; I don't make it very hard. But it's not as if I didn't have a reason to be as quiet as I am. Everything just went downhill after my mother died, and being picked on was the least of my worries. Besides, I was four. There wasn't much anyone could do to me at the time.

What I hadn't counted on was that it could get worse. My four year old mind couldn't think that far ahead. I'm sure everyone that was at the school the beginning of last year already knows what happened, so I'm not going to explain that whole thing because I honestly don't care anymore. At the time, it seemed like a big deal, but it wasn't as bad as the rest of the my time in high school. I've spent more time in the hospital than I did at school for the last couple months.

"You should tell them about the consequences of bullying!" Charlie suggests.

"What do you mean?" Castiel asks, confused as he so often is.

"You know, like why you shouldn't bully people."

"Because rules? I don't get...?"

"No, idiot." Charlie slides Castiel's hoodie sleeve up slightly. "That."

"No," Castiel says immediately, pulling his sleeve back down.

"Why not?" Charlie whines.

"Because."

"But why?"

"Because I'm not," Castiel replies. "I've written literally everything you told me to with almost no complaining, but I'm not doing that."

"But maybe it'll convince people to stop bullying because they'll see that there are consequences, and that it's not all fun and games."

"Have you even met them? Nothing can convince them to stop! It's who they are!" Castiel replies, probably angrier than he should be.

"But maybe if they knew —"

"That I'm weak, and I couldn't handle it?" Castiel substitutes. "That won't matter to them! They don't care what they've done, to me or anyone, and they sure as hell won't change because of a few scars. If it doesn't affect them directly, they don't give a shit."

"Damn, Castiel. Tell me how you really feel."

"I just... I just did," Castiel replies, confused.

Charlie shakes her head at the boy. "Oh you poor, clueless little boy."