Sam immediately cut him off with a loud gasp.
"What happened?" he demanded. Castiel frowned, taken aback by his reaction.
"What do you mean?"
"Your face, Cas," Sam insisted. "You look terrible. Did something happen?"
Castiel blinked, a little surprised by Sam's sudden concern.
"Oh," he simply said. "I guess I just got out of the hospital today."
Sam paused for a moment.
"Wait a minute," he said, realization dawning on him. "You went to the hospital yesterday? Why?"
"I'm fine," Castiel replied, raising his hands defensively. "Just tired is all."
Sam didn't seem very convinced.
"Did something happen? Was it serious?" he pressed. "Can I come visit you? Can I see your face?"
Castiel sighed.
"It's nothing," he insisted. "Really, Sam. Everything's fine."
Sam didn't seem happy about that answer. He was usually extremely perceptive about stuff like this and he knew that something was definitely wrong, judging by the tone in which Castiel was talking about it.
"Look, Cas," he said hesitantly, "you can tell me anything. Please. I want to help you, man."
Castiel rolled his eyes.
"I know, I know, I'm an angel," he joked. "I can't die. Trust me, I know."
Sam chuckled.
"Okay, so tell me about what happened," he suggested. "Or what's bothering you."
Castiel hesitated for a brief moment, considering how to explain the situation to Sam.
"There was an accident," he decided.
"An accident?" Sam repeated. "Like with cars or something?"
Castiel smiled.
"Not quite," he answered. "But close enough."
"What kind of accident?" Sam pressed further. "What caused the accident?"
"A demon accidentally killed my brother," Castiel explained.
For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then, Sam spoke again.
"And you're upset because…?" he asked, sounding hesitant. "Because…"
"Because he wasn't supposed to die," Castiel finished. "And now he's dead and it's my fault."
Another awkward pause followed, which made Castiel feel incredibly guilty.
"Why were you at the hospital?" Sam asked curiously. "Are you okay?"
Castiel sighed.
"Yes, I'm fine, Sam," he lied. "I fell asleep during one of the tests I'm doing at the hospital so I just went home afterwards."
"Okay…," Sam trailed off. "Do you still want me to come over tonight?"
Castiel hesitated for a brief moment. If he wanted to get rid of Sam, then he'd probably have to deal with him sooner than he thought. But if he wanted to tell him everything, then he'd have to lie and keep Sam away. Eventually, he figured he'd find a way to tell him that he didn't want to see him. Maybe he could say it was because he was feeling sick or something.
"Sure," he replied. "That'll be nice."
"Great," Sam said quickly. "See you in a bit, Cas."
He ended the call. Castiel stared at his phone screen in slight shock before slipping it back into his pocket. He exhaled sharply through his nose as he stepped out of the locker room and onto the school grounds. He glanced around at the surrounding houses. It was almost lunchtime so he could make it to the library if he hurried. Hopefully Lisa and Alex wouldn't ask too many questions about why he suddenly looked so pale or exhausted.
He knew they weren't stupid and it seemed like they were always on alert for the slightest hint that something was going on with him.
Castiel took a deep breath and walked across the yard toward the path leading into the woods. As he approached the edge of the property, he felt his heart begin to race. There were a couple of times that he'd nearly been caught in these woods, but he knew his way through the maze well. Still, he didn'a relish the idea of being trapped behind those trees again. He didn'a relish the idea at all.
Castiel swallowed harshly and took another step forward, his feet moving of their own accord toward the woods. His hands started to sweat slightly as he continued toward the thicket of trees. He reached the first opening in the wall and ducked inside. The darkness closed around him like a blanket, cutting off any possible sound except for the sound of his own breathing.
