Fame Crazy (Sequel to Strings Attached)

Chapter 114

"Praise the lord Jesus Christ hallelujah!" Samandriel exclaims, throwing his arms up and looking at the ceiling as if he'll see straight into heaven.

"You good over there?" Dean asks, amused.

"Michael and I finally agreed on something political," Samandriel explains.

"Wait, but isn't he a conservative and you're leaning as far over to the left as possible?" Dean asks. "What could you possibly agree on?"

Castiel's brows furrow in confusion. Wasn't Michael supposed to be a liberal, too? He certainly sounded like one when Castiel got his first glance at the notebook of opinions last year. He didn't even really notice how he's basically been contradicting everything he wrote.

"Don't try to label him," Samandriel advises. "He gets mad, even though he pretty much fits the definition exactly." Before Michael can protest, he continues swiftly, "But anyways, we're both pro choicers!"

"Didn't you guys already talk about feminism, though?" Castiel asks, recalling the first and only time he ever participated in these arguments.

"Yeah, but abortion never came up," Samandriel replies.

"Okay, I'm all for agreements," Dean says, "but isn't abortion the most controversial topic of any of these within the..." He gestures vaguely as he searches for the right word.

"Parties?" Lucifer suggests

Dean points to him and nods. "Yeah, that." He looks at Michael when he asks, "Why would that be the one you flip on?"

"I'm 99 percent sure you don't actually care," Michael replies.

"And I'm 100 percent sure that I don't," Anna adds. "Come on, school time."

Dean comes with them, sitting in the back seat with Claire while Castiel drives and Anna sits shotgun, explaining how this is going to go.

"So people need to see you," she tells him. "And just sitting in the car is not gonna work. So park for a minute and get out to give me a hug."

"I thought high schoolers don't like hugs, though," Castiel says.

"Trust me, when it comes to Castiel Novak, everyone likes hugs. Anyways, give me a hug, and don't let go until I say so, because there's a fine line between too long and too short, and we have to balance on that line like its a tightrope.  Try not to do anything embarrassing. You're only gonna be there for, like, a minute, but I wouldn't put it past you. That's it. Hug and go. I just need to remind people that I know you. 'Kay? Good."

Castiel rolls his eyes. Wow, such faith. He agrees anyway, not that his opinion matters at all. The rest of the ride is silent, except for Castiel muttering under his breath about how these idiots don't know how to drive and are going to cause an accident.

As they pull up to the school, Anna says, "Quick, pretend we were talking this whole ride."

Castiel rolls his eyes. "Sure. Talk. Talk talk. Talk talk talk talk," he deadpans

Anna scoffs. "Wow, great, thanks. I can really see how empathetic you are. You really my social life is on the line here, right?"

"You realize your high school social life is irrelevant, right?" Castiel counters. "Hell, I didn't have any friends at all until my sophomore year."

"Yeah, and look how you turned out."

Castiel bites back a sarcastic remark as he parks the car. "Yeah, okay, well, we're here. Hug and then I can go, right?"

"Hug and then you better go," Anna replies.

As she slides out of the car, Castiel looks over at the school and all the kids in front of it. He can't believe it's been six years since he left this place. It certainly doesn't feel like it. He can remember every inch of this place clearly; where he was safer and where to avoid at all costs if he wanted to go home without a limp. He still feels that familiar dread, even though he knows he's just driving by, and there's nothing to fear. Old habits die hard, apparently.