Strings Attached

Chapter 28

"Mrs. Tran?" Castiel says softly.

Mrs. Tran looks up. Her eyes widen in shock when she sees him, but she hides it quickly. "Hi, Castiel. What happened to you?"

"I don't know," he replies. "I choose to think I fought off a werewolf."

Mrs. Tran laughs. "Well, it sounds like you had an eventful couple weeks."

Castiel doesn't bother telling her how wrong she is. He hasn't done anything. He only said the werewolf comment so she remembered that and not that he doesn't know what happened.

"What have I missed?" Castiel asks.

"Um... A lot... Hold on." She digs through a pile on her desk and pulls out a giant stack of papers. "You don't have to do them all at once, of course, but as you finish them, you can hand them in. I'm sure you still have a lot to make up from the week before, too."

"I finished that," Castiel replies, then digs through his backpack and takes out all the papers he finished over the last two weeks.

"Oh, wow," she says as she takes them. "We have a test today, but you can take that later. You wouldn't know the material yet anyway. And we have an essay due on Friday, but no rush for that, either."

"I finished that," Castiel says. "It's somewhere in there."

"Wow, Castiel!" Mrs. Tran says, impressed. "You really are a go getter."

"I had a lot of free time," he replies, meaning he had literally nothing but time. It took him a while to relearn the material, but he managed to finish all his homework eventually.

"It looks like it," she agrees. "Now, do you want to leave class a few minutes early so you can get to second block before rush hour?"

Castiel nods. "Yes, thanks."

"Do you have someone to help you get around, or do you want me to get someone for you?"

"No, I have help," he replies. He doesn't want to, but he does. "Thanks."

He wheels himself over to his desk to start working on what he's missed, but he realizes he has a problem. His right hand is in a cast and sling, and he can't hold a pencil like that. He puts his pencil in the other hand. It's not very neat, but it's legible, and that's what matters. He finishes a lot of his work, glad he's such a fast worker, by the time Charlie shows up.

"Hey," Charlie whispers loudly, as if only Castiel will hear it.

Castiel puts his stuff in his backpack as Charlie goes up to Mrs. Tran, explaining that she'll be kidnapping Castiel. Her words, not his. She wheels him out of the classroom, and as soon as the door closes, she starts talking.

"Hey, Castiel! How was class?"

Castiel shrugs. "Fine."

"Where's your next class?"

Castiel tells her the room number again.

"Hey, mine is somewhat, sorta, in a way, close to yours!" Charlie says with a grin. "So I can drop by your room and bring you to lunch!"

"No, I don't go to lunch," Castiel tells her.

"What? Then what do you do during lunchtime?"

"Um... I don't — I don't know," he admits. "I can't remember... I think I go somewhere else for lunch. Somewhere alone. Uh... The... The band room, I think." But he's not in band. So why does he go there?

"Then I can bring you there!" Charlie suggests.

"No, it's fine, thanks."

"But you shouldn't have to be alone," Charlie protests. "Really. I'll bring you there, and we can chat and hang out and stuff."

"No, I think I'm just gonna go to my third black class," Castiel tells her. "Get there early."

"Great! I'll bring you to third block!"

Castiel looks up at her curiously. "Why do you want to help me so much?"

"I don't know," Charlie replies. "You seem cool."

Castiel scoffs. "I'm not cool. Trust me. Even with amnesia, I can tell you that much."

"You have amnesia?" Charlie repeats.

"Yeah, but it's fine. I'm getting my memories back, slowly but surely."

"Is that why you didn't know where you go for lunch?"

Castiel nods. "Yep."

"Do you know why you go there?"

Castiel thinks for a moment. "Um... No, actually. I have no idea. It's not like I play an instrument or something. It's weird."

"Then you should come sit with me and my friend Kevin!"

Castiel hesitates. He's sure there's a reason he doesn't want to, but he can't think of it. "I guess?"

"Great! I'll pick you up five minutes before class ends. See ya then!"