It had taken longer than Sarah had thought to get the art supplies. She had got the impression that there would be just a few things to pick up but once they had walked in the store, they had received two boxes full of something heavy, a big paper bag and two rolls of carton. Arthur had taken the boxes and Sarah was holding the bag in one hand and balancing the carton rolls under her other arm. The items were difficult to carry, and they had to stop for breaks regularly. Sarah was embarrassed over how weak she was. Arthur didn’t seem to have any problems with his boxes, but she had to switch hands for carrying the bag constantly and it made holding the carton more difficult as well.

“Are we there yet?” Sarah groaned when they turned from another street corner. She felt like they had been walking for hours.

“Two more blocks,” Arthur said. He could hardly wait for the chance to put the boxes down. His arms were screaming but if he put the boxes down, he might not get them up again.

“Uugggh, so far away.”

Sarah was tired. She wanted to go home. But first, she’d go to see Castiel. The argument had left a sour taste in her mouth and she wanted to make sure there wasn’t any kind of misunderstanding. She also wanted to see Ares, and she had promised she’d come for a walk and she was intending to keep the promise. Or at least offer to keep it.

“Do you have any plans after this?” Arthur asked. “I think we deserve some cake.”

“Thanks, but I think I’m gonna go see Castiel and ask if he wants to go for the walk,” Sarah said. Arthur looked at her surprised.

“But he said he doesn’t want to see you.”

“I’m gonna try anyway. He might’ve just been angry and not mean it. And I’d like to make sure things are alright. I don’t like arguments.”

“Are you and Castiel a couple?”

Sarah nearly dropped the carton rolls. “Wh…what? No. We’re just friends. I think. I think we’re friends.” She considered Castiel as a friend, but she didn’t know if Castiel liked her enough to think the same of her. She hoped he did.

“I thought so but just wanted to ask.”

“Why would you even think about it?”

“Well you spend time together. And he seems kinda defensive about you when I’m around. Kind of angry most of the time. So, I thought he might be jealous.”

“Whaat? Not at all. He’s just like that, temperamental.” Sarah said that but she didn’t remember an occasion where Castiel would’ve been angry at her. He was quick to snide and make fun of her, but he had never been angry. But when Arthur was around, he was always grumpy… But then again, in those situations something else had also happened. First, the discussion about avoiding Castiel’s parents, then Mercedes being there and now delaying the walk. All the situations had been annoying, so it didn’t mean it was related to Arthur. Castiel was just annoyed in general and it projected itself in his behaviour towards Arthur, that had to be it.

“Maybe. And to be honest, you probably really aren’t his type anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t know him of course but didn’t he date that Rachel? And she was more…how do you say it…bolder and uhh, more feminine. Kinda like Mercedes is.”

“What do you mean more feminine? I’m feminine too, aren’t I? I wear dresses sometimes.”

Arthur’s cheeks flushed. He shouldn’t have said anything.

“Yeah you are but you know, more feminine in, uhh, the chest section…”

“Oh.”

“N-not that there’s anything wrong with yours. Some guys like flat chests and, no, that didn’t sound right... I mean that it doesn’t matter what size you are… And you aren’t that flat anyway. I think you look good. I mean…”

Arthur’s face resembled a beetroot and even his ears were red. He listened to the words that dropped from his mouth in horror. He wanted to shut up, but his mouth just kept going, digging his grave deeper.

“Sorry,” he mumbled then, managing to stop the flow of words.

“It’s alright.”

Sarah’s cheeks were burning when she glanced down. Her coat covered her shapes so she couldn’t even confirm Arthur’s words. She hadn’t really paid attention to her appearance on that regard but was she really that flat? Was it bad? She had never been bothered by it herself but now that she thought about it, quite a few girls in her class were more… feminine than her.

“So, you think he’d like Mercedes because of boobs?” Sarah asked. Arthur’s face reddened even more.

“I…I don’t know. I was just saying that she looks more to his old girlfriend than you do. And guys usually have types… Like some like blonde girls and some like sporty girls, you know. But I don’t know really. I don’t know what I’m talking about really. Just spewing some nonsense. Don’t think about it.”

“Mhhh.”

“Sorry, I just sound awful don’t I? I didn’t mean to hurt you. Just forget I said anything.”

“Mmmmh.”

Arthur closed his eyes for a second. He had messed up. Why had he even started talking about this? Luckily, they reached the school and they were closer to a relief of this painful experience.

The school was empty from students when they walked in the art room. Sarah didn’t even bother to turn on the lights and just dropped everything to the table with a relieved groan. Her arms ached so much she was sure they would just drop on the floor. Arthur set down the boxes on another table and stretched himself. His shoulders popped.

“Oh, ew. That sounded awful,” Sarah said. It couldn’t have been healthy.

“Oh, it’s nothing. This happens all the time.”

“I don’t think that makes it any better.”

“Probably not,” Arthur laughed. “But it feels nice so I’m fine with it.”

“If you say so…”

Sarah took a few steps towards the door and adjusted her bag’s strap.

“I think I’ll be going now. Thanks for the help. See you later,” she said and hurried out.

She walked down the hallway and stopped in front of a mirror. She didn’t see any better from this angle. Sarah bit her lip. Why did this bother her so much now? She sighed. It shouldn’t matter. Castiel didn’t look at her like that anyways. She was just someone he was forced to work with for school.