The kid that Castiel saved from the jocks finds him later that day, as he searches for his ride home. Ordinarily, Castiel wouldn't stop to chat, but now, he does. He isn't sure why. Maybe it's because he likes this kid on a subconscious level.

"Hey," the boy greets him. "I never got the chance to thank you for earlier today."

"Don't mention it," Castiel replies, meaning it literally but coming off as a normal response in place of "You're welcome."

"I'm Garth, by the way," he introduces himself.

"Castiel."

"'Castiel'?" Garth echoes. "That's a cool name."

Castiel just shrugs. It's unique, he'll give it that, but it only serves as another thing setting him apart from everyone else.

"I'm new here," Garth adds, "and I don't really have any friends. Can we be friends?"

Castiel doesn't bother telling him how grade-school it is to ask if you can be friends. Instead, he replies, "You don't want to be my friend. Trust me."

"Why not?"

"Because if people associate you with me, I guarantee it will not be the last time you're shoved into a locker."

"There's no stopping that now," Garth replies. "I know I'm going to get picked on. I just want some friends to sort of balance it out, you know? An upside to having to go to school."

Castiel can't help but notice his completely different view on this. Where Castiel pushes people away, Garth holds them closer. Is that why he's so much more optimistic than Castiel, or is it a result of his optimism? Either way, it interests Castiel more than it should.

"Then I guess I'll be your friend," Castiel says uncertainly. "But you may regret this."

"No way," Garth replies, his confidence the opposite of what Castiel is feeling. "Can I have your number? In the least gay way possible?"

Castiel chuckles. "My phone broke, actually, but once I get a new phone, sure."

"What happened to your phone?" Garth asks curiously. "How'd it break?"

"The same way my bones broke," Castiel replies. "The football team thinking they own everyone."

"That was them?" Garth repeats, looking scared now.

"Yeah, but you'll be fine if you just don't tell anyone that they mess with you."

"Oh," Garth replies, his face paling.

"What?"

"I sorta already told people," Garth admits.

"Who?" Castiel asks. Depending on who he told, word may not get around to them.

"Uh... These two guys. I don't know their names. One of 'em is super tall and the other one is way shorter, and they've got long hair and —"

"Sam and Gabriel," Castiel fills in. "The two that came and found me?"

Garth nods. "I think so. I mean, the tall guy stayed with me for a little bit while the other guy went in that general direction."

"Yeah, Sam and Gabriel," Castiel confirms. "They've done their part, so you're fine for now if you don't tell them again. It was Gabriel finding out that pissed them off, though, so keep that in mind."

"Good to know," Garth replies. "So, what, I just let them bully me?"

Castiel nods. "Yep, basically. Because if they get in trouble for it, they'll be pissed, especially if they get kicked off the football team, and they will take it out on you."

"But I don't want to let them beat me up," Garth protests.

Castiel can see the fear of that situation in his expression, and he doesn't want that to continue to haunt the boy for the next however many years until he graduates. Though he barely knows the kid, he decides to make an offer he knows he'll probably regret.

"If I ever see anyone try to pick on you, I'll stop them," Castiel assures him. "And if you need help, just yell. If I can hear it, I'll find you."

"You don't have to do that," Garth protests.

"No, but I want to," Castiel replies, and he means it. If he can help this kid, he will, in any way possible.

"Thanks," Garth says, and it's clear that he really is grateful. "I better go before I miss my bus, but talk to you later?"

Castiel nods once. "Yep. What bus number? I can tell you where it is." He used to walk by all the busses every day, and he's memorized where they all are in the loop.

"Um... 214."

Castiel frowns. That was his bus number for those couple days he had to take it. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't take the bus," he says. "Come on. I'll see if my brother will drive you home."

"Oh, thanks," Garth replies.

Castiel leads him to the car, which Lucifer is driving. Castiel had assumed it would be Michael like it was the previous afternoon, but apparently not. He's is facing away from the window, probably talking to Gabriel in shotgun. Castiel knocks on the window next to Lucifer's head, seemingly scaring the crap out of him.

He rolls down the window. "Hey, Castiel."

"You're taking Garth home," Castiel tells him. "You have no choice."

Lucifer shrugs. "Yeah, sure. Hop in, kid."

Gabriel gets out to take Castiel's wheelchair and put it in the trunk, but, as always, Castiel does everything else himself. Garth sits down in the seat next to him, not seeming wary at all about getting in some stranger's car. He's too trusting; the exact opposite of Castiel, who barely trusts Lucifer to drive him and he knows the boy. Actually, those two facts may be related.

"Where do you live?" Lucifer asks Garth as he starts driving.

Garth lists off his address, trying to remember it as he says it.

"Hey, that's on our street!" Lucifer observes. "How come I've never seen you around before?"

"I just moved in last night," Garth replies.

"And you're already going to school? That's a level of commitment to your education I could never reach."

Garth laughs. "It wasn't my idea; it was my parents'," he admits.

"Well, hey, that works."

Lucifer stops in front of Garth's house to stop him off, which only takes a few minutes to reach.

"Thanks!" Garth says as he hops out. "Bye!" He waves, a big smile on his face, as Lucifer drives off.

As soon as they've left Garth, Lucifer says, "That better not be your boyfriend because you already have a soulmate and that is not him."

Castiel gives him a puzzled look, but only responds with, "No, he's just a new friend. We're not dating, and we will never be dating, period."

"Good," Lucifer replies. "In that case, congratulations on making a friend! So are you and Dean friends again because you seem to be a friendly person again? I mean, this is, like, two friends I've seen you with in one day."

It takes Castiel a moment to realize he's talking about Charlie that morning. Was that really only a few hours ago? It feels like a lifetime.

"No, Dean and I are not friends," Castiel answers.

"What? Why not?"

"Yeah, seriously!" Gabriel complains. "You used to be all anti-friendship, so I can kinda see it, but now, what's the problem?"

"I'm not anti-friendship," Castiel tells them. "I'm just only befriending people of or around my social level."

Lucifer facepalms, and Castiel is momentarily terrified he will smash into the garage as he pulls in. "Stop being so official! Unless you're officially befriending Dean. Then you should totally be official."

Castiel isn't sure if he says "befriending" or "boyfriending," but he's going to assume it's the former.

"Guys, enough with all this Dean crap!" Castiel says, annoyed. "We are not friends, and we never will be friends. The end."

"Why not?" Gabriel asks.

"Because I don't need another Crowley in my life."

"That kid you dated a year ago?" Lucifer repeats. "What does Dean have to do with him? Unless you're dating, too, in which case, hell yeah!"

"Dean isn't Crowley," Gabriel says, ignoring Lucifer as they so often do.

"They're all the same," Castiel replies. "Everyone on that team but Sam is a complete dick, not just to me but to everyone. I don't want to be the center of their joke again."

And though Gabriel tries to convince him that he's not, Castiel knows better than to believe him. Because he finally remembered the last important memory he's been missing. He remembered that day in the band room, before he got jumped by the three biggest dicks of the team. Castiel remembers him telling Castiel he had a crush, and Castiel has been through that before. He won't make the same mistake again.