Strings Attached

Chapter 89

By Friday, everyone seems to have heard of Castiel's new side job. He can't go anywhere at school anymore without people coming up to him to chat. It's not even because it's a good song. There are people that don't even know the name of it. They just heard that Castiel Novak may be going places, and they want to ride with him to fame.

Just as Castiel is about to sneak off to lunch, a boy comes running through the hall. He looks around, then hurries up to Castiel, seeming panicked.

"You're — you're Castiel, right?"

"Yes..." Castiel replies, as he does every time. He still hasn't come to grips with the fact that the name may be used in a positive way.

"I need help. Crowley is beating up my friend and I don't know what to do."

"Why'd you come to me?" Castiel asks, puzzled.

"Well, you help people, right? Like Garth? Can you help Harry, too?"

"Uh, sure?" Castiel replies uncertainly. "I mean, I don't know what I can do, but..."

"Come on." The boy gestures for Castiel to follow him, then hides behind a wall.
Castiel doesn't needs him to say where Crowley and this Harry kid are. He can hear the sobs from here. He marches out into their sight, attempting to look confident. Surprisingly, it's not too fake. It's not as hard as it was when he "saved" Garth. He isn't completely afraid to stand up for Harry right now.

"Hey!" Castiel yells.

Crowley groans, dropping the smaller boy, who he had pinned against the wall. Immediately, the kid that is likely named Harry runs away from them.

"What do you want?" Crowley asks, sounding bored.

"Nothing," Castiel replies. "See ya later. Unfortunately."

He turns to leave, seeing as Harry is free and there's no need for some sort of speech now. Crowley walks up to him and grabs his wrist, turning him around so they're facing each other.

"Not yet, angel," Crowley says. "You took away my punching bag. I need a new one, and you're the only one here, so..."

He shoves Castiel into the wall, and Castiel bites back any sort of response. He's lucky these beatings come less often, because his back is really getting time to heal between them.

"Let's talk," Crowley proposes. "See, you come over here all cool-like, like you actually mean something, but you don't. You need to check your place, kid. You may have that record deal, and that one song, but that doesn't mean you're somebody, because you're not. You're still a nobody. So enjoy your fifteen minutes of fame, but pretty soon, you're going to be back on the bottom where you belong. Don't forget, angel. I'm the top of the social ladder, now and forever."

Refusing to be (okay, attempting to pretend he's not) intimidated, Castiel replies with a smirk, "Oh, really? I don't see everyone coming up to talk to you all day."

Crowley jams his hands into Castiel's shoulders, slamming him into the locker harder than he's already been pinned up into it.

"They just want to piggyback on your fame. But you're not famous. You don't have a future in the show business, and pretty soon, everyone will realize that. You are no one, even if they can't see it now."

"Then can you tell them?" Castiel asks. "Because I'm getting really sick of stealing your spotlight. I mean, I can't help that I'm better than you. It's not my fault they all flock to me. But I've already got a boyfriend, and I don't need any more friends. You, being the lonely, single person you are, could probably use the confidence boost more than me." He gives Crowley an innocent smile.

"Oh, you little..." Crowley mutters, then rams Castiel into the wall again, likely because he doesn't know what else to say. "You really think you're going places, don't you? You're not. You're just an awkward kid that throws words together and adds guitar. That's it. You don't have a future with that."

"So?" Castiel replies carelessly. "I'm not that worried about my future right now. I've still got two more years of high school, and I'm gonna enjoy that, especially because you're not going to be here to ruin it next year. And hey, who knows? If, for some reason, people still love me next year, maybe I'll take your place at the 'top of the social ladder.'" He makes finger quotes around the words Crowley had used. "And that would be a much better school than this one."

"That will never happen," Crowley hisses.

"I don't know," Castiel replies. "I mean, you're not the one that got shot three times to save someone's life. That got me some brownie points, I'm sure. And, of course, the singer-songwriter gig seems to impress some people, god know why. And I'm in all AP and honors classes and acing them all, so I'm definitely smarter than you."

"Do you honestly think you have a chance at ruling the school in my place next year?"

"No," Castiel admits. "And really, I wouldn't want to, anyway."

"Then what's the point of this?" Crowley asks.

"I'm just buying time, honestly," Castiel admits.

"Until what?"

A figure down the hallway catches his eye, and he can't help but smile as he says, "That."

"Crowley!" Dean yells.

Crowley rolls his eyes and drops Castiel, turning to face his teammate as he approaches. "I was going to leave him alone," Crowley says. "He came to me, not the other way around."

"I don't care," Dean replies. "Leave him alone." He looks down at Castiel, taking his hand. "Come on."

Castiel allows Dean to lead him away from Crowley, and once they're out of earshot, Castiel explains what happened. He tells Dean about Harry and the other kid, and how he just went over to help the kid, confirming Crowley's story.

For some reason that he can't explain, he finds himself defending Crowley in that way. Maybe it's because that's what he's always done. He's always felt the need to protect his bullies out of fear of what would happen to him if he didn't. As much as he'd like to think those days are over thanks to Dean, he knows they aren't. Until Crowley leaves this school, he will never leave Castiel alone. It's how Castiel's life works, and he's just used to it.