❤ Chapter Seven┆ Friendship

                 Hesitantly, Raziel made his way back into the building. When the door was firmly shut, he heard Castiel speaking to the child behind him. It was muffled through the glass, but he picked up bit and pieces of it. It was enough to confirm that his mother had, indeed, spoken to Castiel about Daniel and Dimitri. A sense of relief and dread passed over him. While he was glad the situation was being taken care of, he also feared that the twosome would come for revenge. He could hardly bear their baseless torment.  Now that they would have motive, Raziel couldn’t imagine what they would do to him.

                 Minutes passed. Five, ten, fifteen; it all passed so slowly. The world outside seemed as if it hadn’t moved at all. Eventually, though, Castiel rose, and with him, Daniel and Dimitri. Raziel stepped aside as they made their way back inside the building. The boys glared at him, but under the watchful gaze of Castiel, they did nothing more. Raziel’s view drifted to Castiel’s face. He wore a tense, almost hurt expression. When their eyes met, his features softened. “You can go back outside now, Raziel,” Castiel said softly as he guided the two boys to his office.

                 With Daniel and Dimitri out of sight, Raziel stepped back into the humid, summer air. Lilac and the two girls were waiting for him, it seemed. Quietly, he took his seat beside Lilac once more. “So, what happened?”

                 Lilac turned to him and smiled. “Our problems got solved, that’s what happened. Those two won’t be bothering us for a long time,” she said as she leaned back against the table.  A sigh escaped her upturned lips. It lifted Raziel’s spirits to see her so content; it wasn’t often that Lilac seemed truly at peace.

                 “What did Castiel do to them?” Raziel inquired.

                 Slowly, Lilac opened her closed eyes and straightened herself. “Aside from publicly humiliating them, he suspended them for two months. Isn’t that great, Razi? Two whole months without them even breathing the same air as us.”

                 While he didn’t exactly think they would be that far away from them, he smiled anyway. It was quite relief, to say the least.

                 Before he could reply, one of the two girls sitting before them began speaking. “It wasn’t two months, Lilac. They’ll only be gone for two weeks at most,” she said.

                 “Are you sure? I’m almost positive Castiel said two months,” Lilac replied as she rubbed her chin.

                 “It’s two weeks. Trust me, I know these things,” she said as she leaned back, pushing her bangs out of her fiery red hair.

                 Raziel looked at her somewhat suspiciously. While he had always thought of her as mostly harmless, she did seem like the type who liked to get in fights. Hopefully she won’t be taking Daniel or Dimitri’s place while they’re gone, he thought as he examined her.

                 Beside him, Lilac frowned, “I don’t think you’re right. Castiel seemed pretty angry at them; two weeks isn’t long enough.”

                 The girl frowned and sat up. “I’m positive!  I’ve been in trouble enough to know how long punishments are,” she barked, her voice rising.

                 Before the two could go on any farther, the darker haired of the two turned to him and smiled, interrupting the other in the process. “I don’t think we’ve ever introduced ourselves. I’m Silhe; she’s Addison. You’re Raziel, right?”

                 Slowly, he nodded, unsure of what else to say.

                  

                 “Sorry I never did this personally. I don’t want to admit it, but I was always a bit hesitant to talk to you. Now that everything’s cleared up, though, I was wondering if you would like to play with us later. You seem like you would be a fun person to hang out with,” Silhe said quietly. She seemed shy, but kind. He doubted that her words were a farce. Addison, on the other hand, didn’t seem as keen to the idea of them playing together. As if waiting for confirmation, Raziel gazed her.

                 “Don’t worry about her. She’s just hard to warm up to,” Silhe giggled.

                 Addison sat up and crossed her arms, “Am not!"

                 Raziel watched the two with a light smile. “I would love to,” he finally replied. Beside him, Lilac smiled brightly. “It seems we’re getting our wish,” she whispered. Raziel turned to her and smiled. It finally seemed as though a part of his life was coming together. His torment was over and slowly but surely, a beautiful friendship was blossoming between an unlikely foursome. A sense of excitement bubbled up inside him.

                 “So, when should we meet up?” he inquired.

                 The four of them agreed to meet at the local park after school. While Raziel wasn’t sure if Nalia would be alright with the plan, he agreed anyway. Certainly she would let him go. There was nothing to be afraid of. He would be surrounded by people, and it wasn’t very far from home. She’ll be alright with it, yeah, he assured himself as he packed his bag.

                 For once, Raziel was grateful for Castiel’s erratic driving. He was home before he knew it. Quickly, he waved goodbye to his savior and ran inside. Luckily, Nalia was already in the living room. Upon seeing him, she stood from the couch and greeted him. “Welcome home, sweet pea,” she said. “You seem excited. Did something happen at school?”

                 It was a question he could hardly wait to answer. As soon as the words left her lips, his began pouring out. He told her about Castiel, what happened to the boys, and about Silhe and Addison. Finally, without stopping, he asked that had lingered on his tongue all afternoon. “. . . and I was wondering if I could meet them at the park this afternoon. It’s going to be crowded, and I promise I’ll get home before dark. Please Mom, please?” he begged.

                 It was strange to see him so cheerful. It was even stranger that he was so eager to talk to her. Many times, she had opened her mouth to tell him to slow down, but the words never seemed to come out. Eventually, she just let him talk and tried her best to keep up. It wasn’t until he called her “Mom” did she feel as joyous as he. Raziel had always addressed her so formally. Hearing him call her something more relaxed moved her. When his question filled the air, though, her spirits became somewhat muddled. Looking down at his glowing face swept away those feelings before they could manifest into something greater. 

                 “Promise me you’ll be safe?” Nalia asked.

                 Raziel’s eyes shined. “I swear!” he said firmly.

                 “Alright then, go on. Be home before dark,” she said as she ruffled his air. Quickly, he hugged her tightly and then bolted out the door. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen him that happy,” she murmured to herself as she leaned against the dining room table. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this happy, she thought as she looked at the telephone. Before she could think twice, Nalia grabbed the keys to the house and left.

                 It was strange walking outside so confidently. Not once did she look over her shoulder to check for shadows that weren’t there. Not once did she break her stride to consider turning around and going back home. No, she walked with her head held high until she reached her destination.

                 The school looked deserted, and she wondered for a moment if anyone was there. I should have called first, Nalia thought as she approached the front door. When she pulled, it opened. A wave of hesitation passed over her. What if Castiel was busy? What if they had simply forgotten to lock the door?

                 Just go in, Nalia, you’ll be fine, the little voice whispered. It had been so long since she had last heard it. Always whispering needed words of encouragement, it was. Once more, she confidently strolled into the building. Upon entering the secretary’s office, she saw that the secretary was gone and Castiel’s door was open. Quietly, she entered his office. “Castiel?”

                 Upon hearing her voice, he lifted his gaze from his work and to her. “Hello, Miss Thorne. I thought you would drop by,” he said as he set the file aside. “Please, come in.”

                 Slowly, she made her way to one of the two chair set before him. Unlike before, Nalia felt at ease.  She wasn’t afraid, nor was she was nervous. If anything, she was jubilant. It had been so long since she had seen Raziel so ecstatic, and it was all thanks to one man. “So, I take it things went well?” he inquired.

                 Nalia wasted no time in telling him of her afternoon. There wasn’t much to say, but her little words held so much meaning. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen him so happy,” she said as she looked down at her hands. A gentle smile hung on her lips. Slowly, she gazed back up at him. “I was just wondering if there was any way I could repay you.”

                 Castiel leaned back in his chair. He grinned and shook his head. “Miss Thorne, that won’t be necessary. I was simply doing my job. Your gesture is kind, though. I appreciate it,” he replied calmly.

                 For a moment, Nalia wasn’t sure of what to do. It didn’t feel right to simply leave it at that. He was, as he said, simply doing his job, but to her, his job had done so much in so little time. She rubbed her chin. “I insist. I know it didn’t seem like much, but it meant a lot to us. I would feel bad if I left it at this,” she pushed.

                 It seemed as though he had anticipated her comeback. He weaved his fingers and thought for a moment. “Well, there is something I would like to do. I’m not sure how well it would sit with you though,” he replied, somewhat uneasily. His smile betrayed him.

                 “It can’t be that bad,” she assured. While she had no idea what she was getting into, Nalia didn’t take Castiel for the type to ask for something brash or inappropriate.

                 Nalia’s eyes watched him closely as he rose and took a place in front of her. He leaned against his desk and looked away somewhat bashfully, as if he had suddenly became embarrassed to approach the topic. After taking a moment to muster up his courage, he turned back to her and smiled uncertainly. His cheeks were a little pink, but he said the words regardless.

                 “I was wondering if you would mind accompanying me to dinner.”