Closer to the Ground (Kidge One Shots)

Chapter 3: High School AU

     Keith kept walking and he turned the corner. He remembered her now. Katie, Matt's sister. Matt and Shiro were best friends, before Matt, Shiro, and Katie's Dad went missing. Shiro was found half dead in an ally, but never talked about the Holt family ever since.

    Keith opened the door, and saw Shiro sitting in the kitchen. He had a empty glass in front of him and he looked super stressed.

    "You good Shiro?" Keith said walking into the kitchen. 

     "I don't know." Shiro sighed.

     "You want to talk about it?"

     "I thought you weren't open to things like this."

      "I'm not. It's your life not mine." Keith smirked.

     "I saw Katie Holt."

      "Funny, me too. I ran into her on accident. The memories came back."

      "No. That is not what phazed me. She was working. She said she was surviving. That is not the worst of it though. I looked the family up. Matt and Samuel are presumed dead, which Katie doesn't believe, and her mother is so depressed she is in a care home. Katie is living as if she was 20." Shiro explained. There was a long pause, and the news soaked into Keith. She was 14 and doing taxes, paying bills, working. Keith was 16 and doing none of those things.

    "Oh." Keith finally said. Shiro looked at Keith and noticed that during the entire time they had been talking about Katie, Keith had a small blush across his face. Shiro smiled.

   "I have her number if you want it, Keith."

   "SHIRO! You don't just say things like that! Why would I even want it!" Keith said flustered.

    "Aha. You like her. Definitely." Shiro declared, sitting up a little.  Keith looked down sheepishly. "Yep. When did this happen?"

   "It is a long story...I don't know why I am pulled towards her...."

    "I bet it's her eyes. Matt and her had the same eyes, but her were open. Like an owls. Her doll eyes got me everytime, she got whatever she wanted from me when she was little." Shiro said. (Time skip).

    Pidge walked warily to school the next morning. She got through her first 3 classes without seeing Lance, Hunk, or Shiro. When the bell rang for lunch, she knew she was going face them whether wanted to or not. She walked in and sure enough, there was Shiro, Lance, Hunk ushering her over. Keith was there too for some reason.

    "Pidge..." Hunk said as she sat down at the silent table.

    "Look. I know what you are going to say. That I should go to a family member, an orphanage, told you, or asked for your help. But I have been living like this for a year, I need to learn to grow up." She looked down at her lap, and Keith who was next to her, put his hand on her shoulder.

    She looked up at Keith with those beautiful eyes, and Keith held his breath. Shiro nudged Lance and Hunk and they caught on quickly. Keith's face was super red, but Pidge didn't care. She scooted over and hugged him. 

   That is how Pidge found hope. A reason to survive and find her family. Because sometimes, all a girl really wants is comfort and safety, not pity.