~:~ Barely Human ~:~

~:~ Chapter 6 - Painted skin ~:~

~ Keith slows to a stop as his new school comes into view. The music in his ears drowns out the sounds of students returning to their familiar hell hole after the summer break. His fingers tighten around the strap of his bag and he looks down again at the unanswered texts on his phone. He bites his gum.

Today

To Lance

Keith 7:23am - Hey

Keith 8:42am - Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I don't mean to come across like I know what's best for you but

Keith 8:43am - I know what it's like to feel empty or lost. You're my friend, you're the first real friend I've had in a long time. I want to help you all I can.

For as long as I can

Keith sighs to himself, a student bumps into his arm and quickly apologizes as he scrambles up the steps of school. The new kids brow twitches, his fingers tap away at the screen of his phone when he takes a breath and calms himself down.

Keith 8:44am - I'll move away again soon and that'll be it. I don't want to leave on bad terms

Keith 8:44am - I'll see you at school

As he shuts his phone off and slips it into his pocket a hand slaps down on his shoulder and makes him jump. It turns out to just be his older brother. Shiro grins at him.

"Well would you look at that, I'm having déjà vu for the fiftieth time." He laughs and Keith can feel a groan wanting to drag from the pit of his chest. He holds it back, readjusts his bag with a shrug of his shoulders and ascends the school steps. The hallways are bustling with countless bodies when the door swings shut behind them. Keith takes a few seconds to look around. It was just another generic high school by first glance. Nothing special. Easy.

Shiro quickly finds his place beside his little brother again. "We should go to the office first and get our locker codes."

Keith hums automatically as he looks around for a certain someone. It's hard to see over and through the masses. Shiro drags him off down a hallway towards administration. Keith lets him do the talking to the lady behind the counter while his eyes continue to scan the halls. Lance is nowhere to be seen. That deflates his mood a little. He tells himself that he'd only been here two minutes, he'd show up somewhere at some point. He felt grossly clingy.

A few minutes later and Shiro is jutting a slip of paper with a four digit code in front of his face. Keith blinks and takes it from him. Shiro continues to talk to the lady, asking an assortment of questions whilst his brother completely zones out. His eyes wander around the office, nervous looking kids and their parents sitting in the waiting chairs, stupid posters litter the pin board and walls, spouting shit about happiness and positive attitudes and teachers and staff buzz about caffeinated and focused. Keith rolls his eyes and then his attention catches something.

The student counsel office.

Keith cocks his head and moves over, he peeks through the window of the office to find that nobody's home. Sticking out a bottom lip in thought he steps away. Just as he begins to turn he comes face to face with the greying hair and pale skin of rather tall, older lady. She pushes her glasses up her nose and stares Keith down. The boy freezes up awkwardly. Her gaze is piercing but curious all the same. She looks Keith over, a blank and unimpressed expression. "Well?"

Keith starts and jumps aside as quickly as possible. Something about the air around the lady made him feel like he shouldn't mess around when it comes to her. "Uh, s-sorry."