He's Taken

Chapter 6

Ruby's room was the girliest room you could imagine. It matched Ruby's personality. There was cream wallpaper with pink floral arrangements on every wall. She had shelves filled with stuffed animals from early childhood. Horse riding trophies and ribbons scattered across the room. No one could really seem the right now though. There was wedding paraphernalia covering every available surface even her bed.

Ruby had thrown all her energy into planning this wedding. Her every thought consumed with table linens, aisle runners, and her dress. Oh, the dress. That was an ordeal that you never wished to go through ever again.

She saw herself gliding down the aisle in a pearl white gown with puffed sleeves. She had seen in a magazine and would not budge on any detail. It had to be exactly as she had envisioned it. Luci told her that she could have whatever she wanted. You suspected he had said that so he wouldn't have to get involved in the planning whatsoever.

"Do you think Grandpa Fred's going to embarrass me?" she asked you as she looked in the large mirror that stood in the corner of her bedroom.

"I don't know why not, he does to everyone else," you muttered as you turned another page in the bridal magazine. A magazine that you weren't reading. You were flipping through the glossy pages so you had something to do.

"He already asked me if Luci was the oily variety bohunk," Ruby lamented as she crossed the room to sit at her vanity.

"Is he?" you asked her as you looked up at her.

"Don't be cute," she said as she cut her eyes over to you in the mirror. She turned around in the chair to face you. "I really love Luci, and he is totally enamored of me. I mean, I've had men who've loved me before, but not for six months in a row."

"I think I'm in love," you revealed to your big sister.

"So, how long have you been in love?" one of Ruby's delicate eyebrows quirked upward. She brought a half lemon up to her bent elbow and proceeded to rub onto her skin.

"Well it hasn't really happened yet," you replied sheepishly.

"So what's the deal?" Ruby queried as moved to retrieve her lipstick from her dresser."I'm not sure that he knows I exist," you admitted in a small voice.

"Y/N, I really don't have time for this," she chided. Ruby moved the lipstick away from her lips and rolled her eyes. Irritation coursed through you.

"Well, I'm sorry. I always listen to you talk about your boyfriends," you replied with indignation. You sat up on the bed and closed the bridal magazine.

"Darling, is something bothering you?" Ruby walks across the room and sits next to you on the bed. "You're really acting like...an asshole. And I think I know what it is. I think you're jealous that I'm getting married and that I'm getting all the attention." You purse your lips and pull your shoes onto your feet. You couldn't listen to one person dismiss your feelings. Not today.

"You know everyone in this family has just gone totally Outer Limits," you observed. Ruby put an arm around your shoulders.

"No, Y/N, I think you're just being a little selfish and immature," Ruby commented as she shook her raven tresses at you.

"Oh yes, that's it. That's exactly it," you fumed as you stormed out of the bedroom. Ruby watched as you exited.

"Unbelievable," she marveled at your sudden outburst. "You make someone a bridesmaid and they shit all over you."

Everyone still at home had gathered in the dining room for dinner. Castiel was the main focus of everyone's attention. He had been poking at the food on his plate with his fork. He finally put his fork through the quiche and took a hesitant bite.

"Very clever dinner," he observed. He chewed slowly and a smile crept onto his face. "Appetizing food fitting neatly into interesting round pie."

"It's a quiche," Adam corrected.

"How you spell?" Castiel narrowed his eyes at your brother.

"Well, you don't spell it, son, you eat it," Grandpa Fred laughed. Castiel began to laugh as well."Castiel has only been in our country a short time, Fred," Grandma Dorothy said reprimanding him. "I think we can all help him assimilate".

"Oh...," Grandpa Fred laughed at your paternal grandmother's comment. Grandma Dorothy turned her attention across the dinner table to you.

"Castiel is about your age, Y/N. You two should have a lot to chat about." You looked over to Castiel as your lips thinned.

"I love visiting with Grandma and Grandpa. And writing letters to parents," Castiel told everyone at the table. "And pushing lawn mowing machine so Grandpa's hyena don't get disturbed," he added.

"Hernia," Adam laughed as he corrected Castiel once again.

"Oh, yes indeedy," Grandpa Howard interjected. "He does the dishes and helps with the laundry, you betcha." You felt a little sorry for the foreigner. It sounded as if your grandparents had an easy way to get free labor and poor Castiel had no idea he was being used. It made you uncomfortable. You decided now was the time to make your exit.

"May I be excused?" you inquired to the group of retirees sitting at the other end of the table.

"Where are you going?" Grandma Helen questioned as the rest of the grandparents stared at you.

"I have a dance to go to, at school." you stammered. You knew you would really have to push to get out of the house. "It's a very important dance. We're being graded on it, for Gym," you explained while you crossed your fingers underneath the table.

"Wait a minute, I have a wonderful idea," Grandma Dorothy's face lit up. She turned to Castiel, "Would you like to go to the dance with Y/N?"

You could not keep the shock and horror off your face at her suggestion. You cast a bewildered look over to Castiel. He looked utterly delighted at the prospect of spending an evening with American teenagers. As soon as you saw it, you knew you were doomed.