Fame Crazy (Sequel to Strings Attached)

Chapter 136

When the front door opens, Castiel just assumes it's Charlie, which makes it even more surprising when he sees Crowley enter the room. Castiel instantly ducks his head and looks down at his phone, acting like he didn't see him, as if it will buy him more than a minute before Crowley notices him. He doesn't care that he's acting like he would have in high school, hiding from Crowley like he's just a bully and Castiel is just a scrawny little nobody. Anything to avoid talking to him.

"Sorry we're late," the familiar voice of Cain says. "My mom's a witch."

"It's fine," Anna replies. Castiel hears faint shuffling that he assumes is her getting up and giving him a kiss. "I think that's everybody, so, introductions."

As she introduces everyone by name — except Ash and Eileen, of course, so Claire introduces them — Castiel continues scrolling through Instagram, trying to zone them out. He can't really focus on what he's reading, as much as he tries to, and ends up repeatedly reading the same caption over and over without really processing it. God, when will this day be over?

Castiel risks a subtle glance up after Anna finishes making her rounds, and he's not surprised to see a few of Anna's friends still looking at him. He carefully avoids Crowley's gaze and looks down at his phone again.

Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work, because the first thing he hears Crowley say is, "Hey, Castiel. Been a while."

Castiel reluctantly looks up, looking in Crowley's general direction but not quite meeting his gaze. "Mm," he agrees with a small, very fake smile.

"Mind if I sit?"

"Not at all," Castiel deadpans.

Crowley doesn't seem to register his lack of enthusiasm, and takes a seat next to him. Castiel subtly takes Dean hand on his other side, needing the constant reminder that Dean is there, too, and that if things get to he too much, Dean has no problem telling people to get lost.

"How are you two doing?" Crowley asks them.

"Fine," Castiel replies shortly. He thinks back to the high school reunion last year, during his most recent encounter with Crowley. Wow, that is so much easier when he was tired and his mind wasn't functioning right.

Dean seems to get that he doesn't want the attention, because he spends a bit longer on his answer. "Enjoying the last few weeks of calmness before things start picking up. It's almost time for training to start up again, and if all goes well, I'll be pretty busy for the next six months, 'til the Super Bowl. Hoping for a third win in a row this year."

"Knowing you, that's not unlikely," Crowley replies, then directs his next question towards Castiel. "What are you gonna be doing while he's gone?"

Castiel shrugs. "Same thing I always do. Write. Record. Tweet."

"Are you going to Mass with Dean?"

Had this been anyone else, Castiel would have made some remark about how he doesn't need a man in his life, and that he went five years as a single Pringle, so he can certainly go another six months without constantly talking to Dean. Because it's Crowley, all he says is, "No, LA."

"But you live in New York, right?" Crowley asks.

Right, because of course his high school bully has been following headlines about him. Why wouldn't he?

Castiel gives him a short response of, "But I work in LA."

"Does this mean we have an album to look forward to soon?" Crowley asks.

"I'm not allowed to talk about it," Castiel replies.

"He won't even tell me," Dean adds. "It's nothing personal."

"Wow, that's really saying something," Crowley says with a slight chuckle. "I was a bit disappointed the album's so late this year. You're a really good singer, and an even better writer. How come you never told us in high school?"

Castiel shrugs. "Never came up."

That's not exactly true. All those times he got made fun of for never speaking and never having the words to express anything, he definitely could have brought it up. All those talent shows or band auditions or chorus sign ups would have been perfect opportunities to show off. He just knew no one would take it seriously, and it would just become more fodder for the bullies' cannons.

"Well, I wish it had," Crowley tells him. "It would've been cool to know the songs from before you were famous."

"I never really showed them to anybody," Castiel replies, this time not lying.

"Oh, still. Would've been cool. Oh, hey, have you heard of Bela Talbot?"

Castiel has to refrain from rolling his eyes. "Yes."

"Have you checked out her Twitter lately?" Crowley asks.

"Yes."

"What do you think of that?" he asks. "Are you going to tell her to stop?"

Castiel shrugs. "Maybe."

"'Maybe'?"

"Doesn't really bother me," Castiel clarifies. She's far from the first person to single him out like this. Hell, he's talking to one of them right now.

"Well, that's good," Crowley replies. "I still don't get why people pick on you so much."

Castiel just looks at him for a few moments. Did he seriously just say that? Did Crowley just ask why people pick on him? He's seriously going to pretend high school never happened, isn't he?

Finally, Castiel just says, "No clue."

"They're probably just jealous," Crowley tells him.

"Maybe," Castiel allows.

"You're a lot quieter than you act on tv," Crowley observes.

Castiel shrugs. "Don't have anyone to impress." If he did have to worry about his fans seeing this, he would definitely be acting more friendly, because he knows that's what they want, and he really just wants to make them happy. He wouldn't be happy about having to talk to Crowley like they're best friends, but he'd do it for them.

"So that's just an act, then?"

"It's complicated." It really is. Sometimes it is an act, when he's in a bad mood and just wants to go home and sleep forever, but instead he's stuck on some talk show or at some awards show. But on good days, when he really wants to talk to people and get out of the house and just do something, it's not an act at all.

"Huh," Crowley replies, clearly trying to think of something else to say because Castiel definitely isn't helping.

Castiel sighs softly. If this is how it's going to be the entire time they're here, he might have to just walk out.