Three

Agreeing to go to Crowlland Academy is probably one of the worst things Cas has ever done. He's one period in on his first day, and he's already dreading midterms. He never tried in school back at home, but now that he's here, he feels as if he doesn't, he'll just disappoint his parents again. Not like they aren't used to it. Paying most of his attention to Salem didn't help.

How do you even try in school? Study? Studying sounds like a solid answer. It's settled then. Cas will study and pass midterms.

How do you study again? He could Google it.

"Salem!" he calls out as he sees the boy move to his next class. White earbuds protrude through his ears, and Cas wouldn't blame him if he can't hear, but Salem stops and turns around. He gives Cas a blank stare. He's not trying to gouge his eyes out, so Cas takes that as a good sign.

Cas suddenly feels like a lost puppy. He rubs the back of his neck and analyzes his shoes, "I was wondering if you could take me to my next class? They didn't give me a map; I'm not saying they wouldn't if I had asked, but I didn't ask, and now I don't know where to go, and I was wondering if you could help, because you're the only one that I talked to, so-"

Salem has his hand out, expectantly, and Cas fumbles with his schedule before handing it to him.

"Your class is that way, and afterward, don't forget that the lunch is after; it doesn't show that in your schedule. The cafeteria is in the middle of the campus. You can't miss it."

Cas gives him a blank stare because knowing himself, he'll probably miss it.

Reading his face appropriately, Salem groans and hands the schedule back. "Fine, I'll meet you by your door after class; we can go together."

Salem's nice. Demented, but nice.

When Cas enters his next class, he notices something instantly. Sebastian Velenetene sits in a seat by the window to the left. He's surrounded by a small crowd of students all of which seem to be competing for his attention.

"Hey, Sebastian, have you heard-"

"Hey, Sebastian, look at-"

"Sebastian, you're so funny!"

Sebastian this, Sebastian that. The world revolves around Sebastian, and the rest of us are caught up in the collision.

Sebastian has a polite smile on his face and laughs at all the right times in a joke. He does fit in. One touch of his brain and Cas knows what's the truth and what's a facade. He rolls his eyes and takes a seat on the opposite side of the room.

Figures that a prick like him would be the king of the school. Wrong for Cas to assume it would be a kind and generous person, not a feline demon protector. But it's fine. Everything's fine.

He shares a room with a cat and a similar owner. That's fine.

He can feel the anxiety of failing the class before he even knows what the class is, that's fine.

The only thing that's resembling a friend is someone Cas wouldn't be surprised seeing devouring someone whole. Perfectly fine.

He misses his little sister that would always play her music too loud getting ready for school. Fine. Cas is fine.

And yet the knot in his stomach didn't cease.

Cas' teacher in this class looked much younger than Ms. Simmons. He looked no older than twenty, but as Mr. Goryn teaches the class about the Black War dating back at least three centuries, Cas has a feeling Mr. Goryn is speaking from personal experience. He's never met an immortal, but this is what Cas would assume they'd be: young, handsome, and filled with lost information.

Mr. Goryn has a fire in his eyes when he's teaching. He's passionate about knowledge, and the fact that that's something take for granted, it must feel nice when he has a captive audience. That's why Cas doesn't look Ash's way once, though he knows he's looking at him. He can feel Ash's eyes drilling in his skull, hatred seeping through beady cat eyes.

It makes Cas insane, knowing someone is trying to get in his head as he does every day. A pain of guilt shoots at him when he thinks of the violation of privacy he conducted on Salem, not even a full hour before meeting.

How would Cas take it if someone could see what's going on in his brain? They might be confused; Cas himself doesn't know what's going on half the time. He was told that if he used his Ability more often, his thoughts wouldn't be so jumbled and incoherent.

Partial insanity is worth basic human decency. Some might not agree, and that's probably why he doesn't talk about the side effects of not participating. No one will worry if they don't know there's anything to worry about.

It's eleven fifty-two when his second bell rings, and Cas feels less panicky about grades than the last hour. Cas has never been very bad in history, he just never remembered when test day was. He was never really prepared.

"Oh, you survived. Congratulations," Salem says sarcastically when Cas leaves the room. He didn't really believe that Salem would come, and yet, here he is. Though, I don't think anyone should feel comforted when the prior sentence is said sarcastically.

More importantly, why wouldn't he survive? Is there something that he hasn't been told, and everyone's just waiting until that specific thing creates Cas' downfall?

Bold of Cas to assume people would care about his downfall.

"Hey, uh, do you know-"

"Saleeeeeeeeem!" a boy runs from the other side of the corridor to catch up with them. His bright blue curls flop on his head and his freckles are more noticeable when he squints like that. Like he's smiling. Christopher Reese is always smiling. Salem thinks its a side effect of some mental illness that Topher wasn't diagnosed with. Everyone else thinks it's just because he's always happy.

Not everyone is a little ray of darkness like you, Salem.

The boy flings his arm around Salem, "Hey, you! Mom told me to tell you you're invited to our Christmas Party. I was kind enough to accept the invitation on your behalf. Guess who's staying with me during Christmas break? You are!"

Salem shrugs Topher's arm off, and he just sets it back there. Cas has a feeling that this is a normal occurrence.

"Three things, Reese," Salem grinds out, he holds up a hand and ticks the reasons off as he goes. "One, It's not even Halloween, yet. Nobody should be making Christmas plans when I haven't scared some kids yet this year. Two, there's no way I will ever spend time with you outside of this prison, and three, your fly is down."