Fame Crazy (Sequel to Strings Attached)

Chapter 16

So that whole leaving thing doesn't work out. Just as Castiel is about to go, Crowley intercepts him at the door.

"Hey, Castiel. Leaving already?"

"Yeah," Castiel replies, not adding any more to his answer in hopes that Crowley will let him out easy. He doesn't.

"You should stick around," Crowley tells him. "I haven't even really gotten to talk to you yet."

"Rain check?" Castiel asks, with no intention to make good on seeing him again. Talking to Crowley physical pains him as he remembers the hell he put him through.

"Or we could chat now," Crowley suggests. "There's still two more hours left. Why waste 'em?"

"I'm kinda tired," Castiel tells him. It's not a lie; he's always tired. It's not really a big deal to him anymore.

"Just a few minutes?" Crowley asks hopefully.

Castiel suppresses a sigh, instead responding politely, "I guess I can spare a few minutes."

"Great," Crowley replies. "So, how're things in your life?"

"Pretty good," he replies simply, hoping Crowley will stop talking when he realizes Castiel is just going to give short answers.

"Congratulations on your People's Choice Award a few weeks ago," Crowley adds.

"Thanks."

"I'm not surprised you won, honestly," Crowley continues. "You're an amazing singer. I can't believe you write all those songs yourself."

Castiel shrugs. "Well, it's a nice stress reliever."

"I don't get how you do it," Crowley tells him. "I could never write music to save my life."

"It just takes practice," Castiel replies. "Write what you know, but make it pretty and make it rhyme. Boom, you've got yourself a song."

"You make it sound so easy," Crowley observes with a laugh. "But doesn't it ever feel awkward, you know, having your private thoughts out on the radio like that?"

"Not really," Castiel lies. The first couple times he released a single, it did, but the thrill of having a single play on the radio like that was stronger.

"I'm sure all the positive feedback helps," Crowley adds. "Everyone knows you look at that."

"Yeah, it's great," Castiel lies. His default answer to a lot of questions is just a lie, if you haven't noticed. "I love talking to people that listen to my music. I feel like it's the least I can do. I mean, they're the reason I got out of taking six more years of classes."

Crowley chuckles. "I wish we were all that lucky. I'm telling ya, student loans are a bitch."

"I'm sure they are," he agrees. "Where'd you go to college, anyway?"

"Over in Vermont," he replies. "I got out of here for a little while, but I can't afford a place to stay anymore, so I'm stuck with my mom."

"Is that a bad thing?" Castiel asks. His family's great, so he wouldn't know. And, of course, his mom was murdered almost seventeen years ago, but minor details, right?

"With my mom? It sucks," Crowley tells him. "I figured it was the same for you. Rumor is you up and left first chance you got, never looked back. Just what I've heard; I wouldn't really know."

Castiel does his classic squinty head tilt. "That's how people think it happened?"

Crowley shrugs. "From what little I've heard, yeah. Why? What really happened?"

"I moved for business," Castiel tells him. It's technically true; he moved to get away from Jim and Kripke, who had pretty much been breathing down his neck for the year prior. So, he moved to get away from business, but that's still moving for business, right? "I chat with my brother so much, though, it's like I never moved at all," he adds, thinking fondly of Lucifer.

"Oh, makes sense," Crowley replies. "But I'm surprised you still talk to anyone back here. I mean, you're in the big leagues now; your friends should be, too."

Castiel shakes his head. "Nah. Celebrities are no different than everyone else. Some are cool, some are dicks, some you wanna smash their face into a brick wall repeatedly."

Crowley laughs. "Anyone specific for the brick wall?"

"Sorry, I don't name drop," Castiel replies.

"Just with me?" Crowley pleads.

"Nope," Castiel replies.

"I'm surprised," Crowley tells him. "Seems most celebrities are dying to get into fights."

"Yeah, part of it's popularity, and part of it's stupidity."

"So you just pass up free popularity?" Crowley asks.

"I just think the whole idea is stupid," Castiel tells him. "I've had shade thrown at me by celebrities before. Trust me, it's not fun. I figure there's no reason to put others through that. Besides, I would much rather get attention for doing fun stuff, not for being a bitch."

"Like the ropes course?"

Castiel nods. "Exactly."

"How'd you do that, anyway?" Crowley asks.

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't see a harness," Crowley clarifies.

"Cuz there was none."

"Was there something on the ground for if you fell, then?" Crowley asks.

"No. That would be cheating."

"So that was legit?" Crowley surmises. "You actually did a ropes course with no protection?"

Castiel nods. "Yep."

"Are you insane?" Crowley asks.

"Jim Michaels said the same thing," Castiel tells him with a laugh.

"That's, like, your agent, right?"

Castiel nods. "Pretty much, yeah."

"You didn't even check with him?"

"He would've said no," Castiel replies with a shrug.

"Can't say I blame him," Crowley replies, doing that annoying 'everything you do is stupid' thing Castiel despises. Then he adds, "But hey, if you had fun, you be you. Besides, you had a deal to hold up."

Castiel finds himself wondering how much Crowley knows about his recent activity. Does he follow things that Castiel does like a fangirl? He wouldn't judge, but damn, that's unexpected.

"One I'm never making again," Castiel adds. "That could've gone wrong in so many ways."

"Yeah, probably," Crowley agrees. "But hey, it was a cool way to celebrate for the first time."

"Cas, everything okay over here?" Dean's voice cuts into the conversation.

Castiel rolls his eyes at the mild worry in his voice. "I'm not a scrawny little sophomore anymore, Dean," he reminds the older boy. "I can take care of myself."

"We were just chatting, Squirrel," Crowley adds.

"Seriously, Crowley? You're still gonna call me that?"

"I think it suits you," Castiel tells him.

"Great, thanks," Dean says sarcastically "What are you doing over here, anyway?"

"I was heading out before Crowley caught me," Castiel replies.

"Without saying 'goodbye'?"

Castiel rolls his eyes. "We're both here for another week. It's not like this is the last time I'll ever see you."

"Yeah, but you could've at least told us."

"Fine, sorry," he replies, not sorry at all and not even trying to sound it. "Anyways, now I'm actually going to leave," Castiel announces, then gives Dean a pointed "bye" because he seems to think it's incredibly important. He walks out the door, finally able to leave this high school behind again.