Deep In // Klance AU

Chapter 11: Keith

It was a foul Friday morning in that I ended up being at school early. The halls seemed more quiet and eerie than usual, probably from the lack of students that populated them. It was as if the lights in the ceiling had gone out or if they never existed at all. If it wasn't for my naturally unattached demeanor I have in regards to the public education system, I would have been put on edge.

I wandered down the halls, investigating my lonely surroundings. The slight heels of my shoes clanked on the floor with each step I took. My head bobbed to the music I had in my ears in time with my feet. I made my way through the labyrinth of deserted classrooms and unused lockers. It inspired me to pay a visit to my own.

I took each earbud out carefully before placing them in the pocket of my school bag. I closed my eyes in absent thought thinking that it may spark my memory for my locker combination. It was uncool for a senior to even have a locker let alone having to ask a librarian to open it.

I banged on my locker a few times in hopes that it would open automatically with all my homework done and maybe a hundred dollar bill in my hand. Not only were my assignments still in their rough draft, but I was hopeless in my efforts to get my locker to expel its items.

After brushing off my defeat, the buzzing of gossip made its way into my eardrums. Two junior girls, who's names I could not recall, spoke of Nyma and her supposed ex-boyfriend.

From where I was positioned, I could only see the appearance of one of the girls. She was blonde and she wore a tight cashmere sweater with ripped jeans. She stood awkwardly, pointing her brown, heeled boots in towards each other. The blonde girl twisted a long tendril of her curly hair, "I can't believe that's where it ends. I would have thought they'd be caught up in a long argument till graduation over separating?"

"They were just too different. She didn't want to settle down and he did. They honestly should have never gotten involved in a relationship in the first place," the other girl's voice was more muffled and hard to pick up.

"Why do you think they did?"

"I don't know. I think it takes people some time figuring out who or what they like in a person. Lance seems to always fall for skinny girls with the personality of a Barbie doll."

The roar of my heart stopped and then got louder. His name was mentioned. That damn name. Lance. He was no longer with his part-time girlfriend. The dating world of Lance McClain had its gates wide open. He'd only consider dating if you had a pretty face and hair that at least went down to your shoulders. I hoped I could compensate with the black, long mess on my head. And then I remembered: Lance McClain was straight.

*  *  *  *  *

"How do you feel about taking me to a football game?" Pidge proposed as we went through our daily routine in physical education. Her glasses fogged up and slight puffs of air intervened with the formation of her words.

It was only our third lap, but it felt as if it was number thirty. I suffered greatly from the daily running that was to supposably keep us in shape, but it was ineffective in the sense that a large portion of the class wasn't fit to begin with.

The numbness in my legs disrupted my cognitive thought. It took a hot second for my mind to process her request. As I begun to understand her intentions, my face revealed my answer before any lucid words, "Absolutely not."

"Oh boo," Pidge poked at me, "Can't you help out a freshie? It's the first game of the year! You don't even have to take me to the homecoming-"

"I said no," interrupting what else she verbally planned out.

She gave me a curious look like a once caged animal out in the world, "I know you went to Shiro's games," she argued, trying to look serious with her round glasses and her large eyes. All I could see was a vest-pocket Matt. She deemed that that was a good enough reason to comply to her wish.