The bell signaling the end of class woke Castiel from his daydream. Or rather from his watching. From his spot beside the window Castiel could see the field where the gym classes were filing off the fields, and more importantly, he could see Dean Winchester. The Winchester boys were sort of new to the school, having come halfway through the previous year, but Dean had already made a name for himself around the school, and the neighbourhood.

Dean Winchester: tough guy, bad boy, the guy who'd been with close to half the girls who were graduating this year, and the guy who everyone wanted at their parties. But of all the things the elder Winchester brother was, the only one that Castiel cared about was the fact that Dean was one of his only friends at the school, despite his family being in the neighbourhood since the sixth grade.

Cas waited until he saw Dean leave the field before getting up and leaving to go to meet him and Sam for lunch. He could eat with Balthazar and Gabriel, but they were locked in a pranking war with Crowley and Meg, and their idiots. And the shy Castiel didn't feel like discussing war strategies today. Besides, the Winchesters treated him better. Normal. Not like it was weird if he just sat there and never spoke. They didn't look at him like he was an outsider looking in on their world. Castiel Novak was a part of their little world. And truthfully, Castiel liked it better in there anyways.

A smile cracked his lips as he remembered the first time he'd met the brothers. It was about halfway through last year.

Castiel was bringing down the attendance sheet for his social studies class. The boys were in the office with their dad, John, getting final papers and things sorted out. John was big, Castiel noticed, and the quiet boy felt even smaller than he was as he walked passed him…and straight in to Dean.

"Oh damn! Watch out for traffic man." Dean had said, more out of surprise than any sort of agitation or annoyance.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see you" was all he could say, looking sheepishly to the floor as John looked back to see what Dean was talking about.

Miss Mills, though everyone just called her Miss Jody, saw Castiel and called him over to her desk, and beside John.

Castiel, you have class with Mr. Turner now yes?" he nodded. "Good, then could you do me a favour as escort young Sam here, he'll be in your class now? And could you please show him where his locker is. If Mr. Turner asks what took you so long just tell him I sent you to help out Sam, alright?" Castiel nodded simply at her request, a quiet "yeah it's no trouble" escaping from his lips.

Castiel handed her the paper he had brought and waited for Sam to grab his bag and then they could be off. The youngest Winchester was about to follow Castiel out the door before he turned back to John, moving to give the large man a hug goodbye before returning to Castiel's side at the door. Just as they were leaving he heard Dean call out,

"See you at lunch, okay Sammy!"

"Yeah Dean, see ya"

Sam did not look like he was 15 was Castiel's first thought, looking at the smaller boy with his floppy brown hair. As it turned out he was only a year younger than Castiel's body was. Their shared class that year was open for all grades so there was that question solved.

Sam invited Castiel to sit with the brothers at lunch that day, and he'd eaten with them almost every day after that. His brothers were convinced that he had a secret girlfriend at first, but changed their minds when Gabriel confirmed he was with the Winchesters, much to Cas's relief. Now he wouldn't have Michael or Raphael on his case all the time about this mysterious girl he was ditching his brothers for. Isn't that was humans did anyways though?