𝐈 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘

Nothing's Right Anymore

[triggers warnings for mental health, cutting, dysfunctional families, etc.]

Vic = Dean
Asa = Cas
(explanation in a/n)

"Great, another day in this prisonyard." sighed a boy wearing a faded and worn leather jacket. He was talking about his high school: a sleep-away high school.

His friend, a teen with black horn rimmed glasses and frizzy, messy dark hair, spoke up. "I know, but maybe it'll be a decent day? It's not like they can keep rain clouds and crap weather above us, Vic."

Vic shuffled towards the other, a hand running through his sandy colored hair. "You don't get it, Asa. They can! They have. We only get to see our families twice a year, for one thing! I haven't talked to Sam in months. Hell, you haven't been able to see Gabe's graduation! This is where we were supposed to go for one semester, and now we can't go anywhere else. No one's gonna accept us at any good colleges. This school ruined our chances! Now we're seen as uncontrollable delinquents, Asa."

The shorter boy stopped, letting his friend's words sink in. The pit in his stomach revealed that Vic was right. "Okay, okay. Fine. Let's just get to class before everyone starts to crowd the halls." Vic agreed silently and grabbed his bag, heading out the door. Asa was to his right, steps falling into line with the other.

The walls of the building were an uninviting grey; perhaps they could even be described as haunting and dreary. Your shoes would squeak on the tile, no matter the circumstance. Light bulbs would burn out constantly, electricity would cut out, the water would run cold for days without being fixed. The food was worse than prison rations. Stale and half-molded bread was the best thing to get your hands on. The teachers couldn't care less, their greedy minds thinking the job didn't pay enough. The students were punished and ignored, treated like unwanted pests.

Now it was lunch, the one time Asa and Vic could blend in enough to be unbothered. Grabbing an old and rusted tray, Vic started towards the food. Asa was right behind him, as normal. It must've been somewhat of a good day, because the lunch was actually edible. Yes, there was a chance of getting sick, but slightly undercooked chicken is better than expired hamburgers.

"Ca- Asa, you have to eat something. You haven't gotten sick for the past two months, you'll be fine to stomach one bowl of food," Vic paused, staring at Asa's untouched meal. "please? For me?"

He was hesitant, he really didn't want to. Although, he had to admit, he was losing weight. Weight he couldn't afford to lose. "Uhh- yeah, okay." He picked up a spoon and dipped it into the bowl, thin and murky soup sloshing around. After managing to eat half the bowl, he shoved the plate away. The taste and smell were starting to become horrid, and he couldn't take it.

His best friend took the bowl, along with the two trays, and dumped them in a nearby trash can. "At least you ate a little. Now, let's go back to the dorm. We're lucky, you know. No one but the grade eleven students are done with classes by noon."

Asa wanted to agree, he really did. He just couldn't bring himself to. As they closed the door of their shared dorm, he finally let it go. He was riddled with sobs, his shoulders shaking.

"Asa, bud, hey. Don't cry, please don't cry. What's wrong?" Vic asked, guiding Asa to his bed.

"This damn school is what's wrong! We've been here for two years, and why? Just because someone thought he saw us fighting some kid? We didn't harm the guy, he was the one who decided to beat the pulp out of me! Vic, you were trying to stop him. I was trying to get away long enough to see if I was bleeding out. But, apparently, that means that we have to be shipped off to some health-hazard hellhole! I lost all my friends, they think I'm a sadistic monster. My brothers have forgotten that I exist, my parents ready to do the same. You're the only one I have left, and even you have to be here in this mess. Everything in my life worth loving is gone. Gone! I hate it, okay? I hate the people, the staff, the living conditions, my scars..." he trailed off, lifting his shirt to reveal columns of lines. Lines that never got a chance to heal.

Vic knew about it, but could never get his friend to stop. If he flushed a razor, one was bought. Hide the box cutter? He'd improvise. Demolish the kitchen scissors? A new pair of those would find its way back, too. He just couldn't seem to do enough to save his friend's sliver of hope that was left. All he could do was not break. He would not.

But then again, wasn't that another one of the lies he told himself to get through the day?

"Asa, look at me. Look at me, goddamnit!" He put his hand on Asa's face, harshly pulling his chin up so that he could look him in the eyes. Those bloodshot, once full of life, now dull and dead, eyes. "Look, I hate that your family and friends have slipped out of your control. I really do. It's been the same for me, you know that, too. But, that doesn't mean you can just take it out on yourself! You're forgetting that I'm the reason we're here. I'm going to be the one to get us out of here. Both of us. We've got a year, and then we leave. We'll be free again. This'll all be part of the 'shit we were able to defeat' bucket of memories. Please, Asa. I can't lose the one person that knows I'm not crazy. Please." His voice broke before he could go on, leaving the air thick with silence and unease.

Asa couldn't respond, tears still flowing down his hollowed cheekbones. It was obvious that more than the light from his eyes had been sucked away. He looked like a walking corpse, and Asa was tired of it. "God, I hope you're right." That was all he could muster, his voice cracking much like Vic's had moments before.

It had to have been around three in the morning. Asa was still next to him, limbs holding on to Vic for dear life. Vic couldn't fall asleep, instead watching Asa's peaceful face and trying to mess with his hair. As night became day, he started to understand the truth.

(1095 words)

a/n-

I will take requests for this one. I've had the idea to do more with it for a while, really.

(comment your request here)

I'm aware the names do not match any characters and that this seems like a completely different thing. This was for a prompt between a couple of my friends and I, and I didn't have the idea to make it a Destiel ficlet until afterwards. I thought about editing the names, but decided that maybe this school 'assigns' names? Like, you go by a nickname or assigned named all the time as a sort of punishment? Whether or not you're in class or just on the school grounds? (The 'Ca- Asa,' bit making sense now) I don't know yet, you can comment your thoughts about it.

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