Broken

Running Before I Get Caught

Running Before I Get Caught

{A/N: For the purposes of this chapter, if I say "coke" and it isn't capitalized, I just mean soda or pop. I'm from the South, that's what we say down here, sorry, I'll even give you the demographics if you need them.}

"Wanna be open,
But I'm bad with emotion."

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, well, I really like you.”

Keith short circuited.

“I need some air,” he said, the words spilling out of his mouth before he could stop them. He flung the door open and slipped outside, walking quickly away.

His hands went into his hair, pulling the strands tight as his breathing quickened. Why was he acting like this? Wasn't this what he wanted? What he thought about when he was alone and bored?

But thinking about it was nothing compared to it actually happening.

This had to be a joke. The earnest look in Lance's eyes had to be fake. The encouraging glances from around the room were all just part of a prank. A huge, sick, twisted prank.

He kept walking.

It was too cold out to be without a jacket, but Keith didn't care. He just needed to be away from people, away from his friends group, and far, far away from Lance. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking.

He took each turn he felt like taking, no regard for his true direction. It didn't matter after all. The more lost he got, the better. The farther away he was from the group, the longer it would take for them to find him.

And he needed all the time he could get.

"Ooooh, this is not good," Pidge muttered. Keith had been gone for twenty minutes already and Hunk had been pacing the room for the entire time, eyes slightly wide.

"We've gotta go find him!" he cried. "He's gonna get lost, and then freeze, and probably get kidnapped and—"

"Slow down," Allura said, placing a calming hand on Hunk's shoulder. "We're going to figure this one out." She glanced at Shiro, who was still frozen in his spot in the kitchen, and then at Lance, who was sitting on the couch, head in his hands.

"This is all my fault," he mumbled, fingers threading through short hair. "I shouldn't have said anything. I knew I shouldn't have told him anything, I told you guys, but noooo! You insisted and now look where it's gotten us!" Shiro came into the living room, sitting down next to Adam.

"Stay calm guys," he said, though his eyes betrayed his own concern. "We just need to find him. Does anyone know if he has his phone with him?"

"I saw it in his pocket," Pidge said with a smirk. "I can probably track it, give me fifteen minutes and a laptop and I can do it."

"Fifteen minutes?" Hunk turned, seizing them by the collar. "We don't have fifteen minutes! He's probably far away already, he could be in the next town in fifteen minutes! You know how fast Keith can move when he wants to!" Pidge gave a heavy sigh.

"The next town in more than six miles over," they said. "It's going to be okay."

"Damn!" Keith yelled, fists clenching. He was lost.

Very lost.

He didn't recognize anything around him. The street names were all unfamiliar and he was surrounded by stores he'd never seen before.

Originally, he hadn't cared about getting lost. He even liked the idea a bit, being in an unfamiliar place, with anyone that knew him miles away. It sounded freeing.