Hydrophobia

Chapter 6

After practice, Coach gave me a polo that had the school's name on it, the swim team logo, and manager on the back. I accepted it willingly. I had a feeling I might like the job after all. I left the Aquatic Center and started to make my way to the front of the school. Where I would meet Gabriel and wait for Raph to pick us up.

"Castiel!" I could hear Jo's voice. I was going to turn to her, but she swung her arm around my shoulders before I could. She giggled and pulled me into an embrace. She smelled like chlorine, and her hair was still damp.

"Hi!" I hugged her back, not too tight. "I'm sorry coach got mad at you..."

"Awh, it's no big deal... It was worth it." She nudged at my arm. I smiled bashfully.  Jo was real sweet. I really liked her. She could be the best friend I  always dreamed of having. Someone who would be there for me, and not complain because of my phobia. We walked together, laughing and talking about random things. Once we reached the main school building, I grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.

"Hey! Wait up, Baby in a Trenchcoat!" Dean's voice appeared. I quickly turned to him. My eyes weren't lying. He was running up to Jo and I, with his shirt put on halfway, basketball shorts, sandals, and his athletics bag bouncing around as he tried to catch up.

"Hello Dean." I spoke softly, as soon as he was in front of us.

"Hey Cap." Jo remarked. Her smile still bright. I smiled too, but kept it small.

"I don't know if you were going home already, but I was hoping we could uh, hang out more." Dean said, shrugging his shoulder. Jo looked at me with a surprised face. I returned the look.

"Uh, my brother picks me up after school... so I was going to the front of the building..." I responded, cautiously.

"Oh.. uhm... right. My bad." Dean's tone already started to sound awkward. The three of us stood there silently for a moment.

"Well... I'm going to go now so--"

"No! Wait!" Dean cut me off. He reached into his bag and pulled out a pen. Then he grabbed my arm. I wanted to pull it back, because no one really touches me; but for some reason, I allowed him. He picked up my coat sleeve and clicked the pen. He wrote on my arm. As soon as he finished, I regained power of myself and pulled my arm away.

"That's my number..." He scoffed. "Call me or something."

"O-Oh... okay..." I replied quickly. He smiled and ran off, shouting out 'Bye Baby in a Trenchcoat'. I came to learn how to just accept that nickname. I stared at him as he left.

Then to my attention, Jo grabbed me and turned me around. Her face was full of excitement and awe. "Nooooo way! Dean Winchester, the team Captain, junior, best swimmer slash most popular guy at school gave you his phone number?!" She said rather quickly, and she squealed out loud.

"So...?" I asked, honestly not caring. She gasped like she what I said truly hurt her.

"Did you not hear what I just said?!" She yelled. "YOU are the first freshman I know to EVER get thee, Dean Winchester's, phone number. EVER. " I picked up my sleeve and stared at the number. "I soooo badly want to enter that into my phone...." She whimpered. I stared at the number.

(956) 881-1970 ....

"I don't even know if I should call him..." I asked, meaning it to be rhetorical. I felt Jo smack my arm. It hurt, but I knew she was messing around.

"Of course you do! You don't want him sad now, right? He's expecting your call!" Jo persisted. I never seen her so interested and hyper before. It was new, and kinda terrifying.