Chapter Text
Prettyboi01: So how’s moving been going?
Knifekeef: Good but im a bit busy right now, talk to you in a bit
I put my phone down and sighed. I decided to try and do my homework once again, hoping I wouldn’t get too distracted, it was late after all. I wrote my name on my paper and admired my beautiful handwriting and the wonderful name I was given: Lance McClain. Putting aside the thoughts of myself I got my work done, even if I did it incorrectly it was finished. I snuggled under the sheets of my bed and read my conversations between me and knifekeef over the past few days. I soon fell asleep.
The next few days passed in a boring way, I sat at my desk and thanked the cosmos that it was Friday. Just as I thought this, a kid that I had never seen before walks into the room, placing his things on the empty desk in front of me. The bell rings and class commences.
I tuned out my teacher and looked out of the window to the slightly overcast sky. The perfect weather in my mind, enough clouds to cover the harsh glare of the sun, but it isn’t raining yet. I turned my attention to the strange student that walked in earlier that morning.
He had a mullet. A fucking mullet. I couldn’t see his face since I was sitting behind him, but I was sure he couldn’t be *that* good looking if he still willingly had a hairstyle like that. I went back to daydreaming but was pulled out as I heard an unamused sigh coming from in front of me. I turned my attention back to mullet boy to see his profile, looking out the window.
He had his chin idly resting in the palm of his hand, right beneath the sharp angle of his nose. His dark eyes seemed to be assessing the world outside of the window. He was alright looking, nothing to fawn over but definitely not ugly, at least from what I could see.
I continued staring at the unfamiliar face until I heard my name being called, “Lance, can you tell me what page of the textbook we’re supposed to be looking at?” I blanked and looked around the room, attempting to see the textbook of the person next to me.
I heard a rough cough followed by the number 62. “That’s right, thank you Keith, even though I wasn’t asking you. Step it up Lance.” Our teacher stated before turning back to the lesson. I snapped my head up when I realized that the snarky answer came from the boy in front of me. Sorry buddy but I don’t remember asking you, I thought to myself.
“Well aren’t you just the teacher’s pet, mullet.” I said under my breath.
“Hey man it’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention.” He said in a condescending tone. I mocked him in a high-pitched voice. I saw him roll his eyes over his shoulder before he turned back to the front of the classroom. The rest of class passed with me grumbling to myself in an irritated fashion.
After first period was over I gathered my things slowly and walked to my next class, noticing how that Keith guy walked into the same class I was heading into. Just great, a class I’m dreading even more.
I let Pidge ramble on, stuck in my own thoughts until I stepped through the threshold of the class and was taken aback by a man sitting where my old teacher sat before she quit. I mean I was expecting a someone new but not one so young and obviously attractive.
His black t-shirt hugged his body in a way that it showed off the toned muscles underneath. His hair was stylishly shaved on the sides with just a little bit of hair on top, a white patch flowing from the very front.
While I stood staring the new substitute teacher, Hunk walked in behind me. “Hey Lance, who’s that guy over there with the mullet?”
“Oh, I don’t know, his name is Keith and he just kind of showed up today.” Pidge said, Hunk nodded and began to make his way over to Keith. I just kind of followed, hoping that Hunk wouldn’t drag me into his quest to find friends just this once.
“I’m Hunk, is today your first day here?” He said with his usual kind face. Keith nodded. “Did you move from somewhere, or are you just moving schools? Also, that’s Pidge, and that’s Lance.” He pointed in our direction, when we made eye contact I furrowed my brows and frowned at him.
“Hi there.” Pidge said, waving her hand. They looked at me and I turned my head away, stubbornly.
“Lance, aren’t you going to say something?” Hunk asked me.
“Why should I have to say anything to that dick of a teacher’s pet?” I muttered under my breath.
“Sorry, he’s not usually like this, just ignore him for now and he’ll come around sooner or later.” Pidge jumped in, rolling her eyes at me.
“Do you mind if we sit by you?” Hunk asked with his usual kind demeanor.
“Knock yourselves out.” Came Keith’s reply.
We all took seats near him. Even if I didn’t like the guy I still wanted to be around my friends. Pidge sat in front of him, Hunk behind, insisting he didn’t want to be in anyone’s way while they tried to look at the front. This forced me to sit beside him on his right, he had already taken my favorite window seat.
“Alright, now that everyone’s taken their seats how about I introduce myself?” The substitute spoke up. “I’ll be your new teacher. My name is Shirogane Takashi, but you can just call me Shiro, don’t tell the front office though from what I can tell they don’t like students being informal. Does anyone have any questions for me?”
A few people asked the generic things like where he was from how old he was and the like. We learned that he was moving from about a day’s drive away, though he wouldn’t tell us specifically, and he was 25.
I raised my hand and waited for him to call on me like the good student I was, or at least trying to pretend to be.
“Yes, what’s your name and question?” He said pointing at me.
I smiled and spoke in an almost flirty tone, “Hi my name’s Lance.” Before I could ask my question, I heard Pidge and Hunk mutter some oh no’s and not again’s under their breath as they covered their faces with their hands.
“Anyways I couldn’t help but notice how built you are. Do you work out?” I batted my eyelashes playfully. I'm not really into guys, but flirting with people is fun so it doesn't really matter.
“Really Lance? Do you have to try and flirt with every single person who’s even mildly attractive?” Pidge burst out and I just shrugged my shoulders with a smirk on my face. Pidge sometimes gets bothered by all my flirting, maybe she’s jealous. Just kidding.
“I don’t know what you’re referring to my dear, sweet Pigeon. I’m just simply making friendly conversation.” I feigned innocence and she glared at me for calling her Pigeon, something I only do when I’m teasing her.
“Friendly conversation my ass.” I heard Keith say next to me and my amused smile turned into an irritated frown.
“The hell did you just say to me, you don’t even know me. Don’t tell me,” I gasped exaggeratedly, “you’re jealous that I didn’t flirt with you earlier?” I put my hand in front of my mouth and faked pompous laughter.
“Huh? Why would I want someone as unattractive as you flirting with me?” He yelled, I glared at him and saw his face was red, probably from anger. Right?
“That’s enough you two.” Shiro said in a stern voice. “I don’t understand why you’re arguing over something so trivial.” He crossed his arms.
“He’s just angry cause I’m his type but I’m not paying any attention to him.” I said with a straight face, more like his face is my type but I’m bitter that he’s got a bad personality, too bad he's not a girl..
“My type?! Who said anything about you being my type?” His voice rose in pitch and his face got red, kinda cute to be honest. Huh? Who said that?
“You really don’t know when to quit do you?” Shiro stood in front of our desks looking down at the two of us. “Both of you go outside for a little while. I want class to start eventually, I may be new but I’m not a pushover.” He said exasperatedly. Just great not only did I wake up late and was humiliated last class, now I’m being sent into the hallway like a damn elementary schooler.
We both stood up, hanging our heads we walked out of the classroom door and into the hall. Welp so much for making an okay first impression, even if I did flirt with him. I glanced at Keith from the corner of my eye. Being angry isn’t going to get me anywhere, maybe he’s just having a bad day like me?
I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and softened my expression. “Hey, I’m sorry for what’s happened, I’ve been kind of a dick.” I said, I looked down at my shoes.
“Yeah, you have been.” He said and I whipped my head up to glare at him, he was staring at the other side of the hall. Before I could retaliate and make things worse he said, “But I have been too I guess. Sorry.” I kept looking at the side of his face, he was pretty good looking after all. But his hair is a tragedy that’s hard to overlook. Suddenly he turned his face towards me and I looked at the other side of the hall.
“Anyway, I’m Lance McClain. Sorry about not really introducing myself properly.” I extended my hand towards him.
He took it in his and smiled slightly, “Keith Kogane.” His hands were a bit cold and calloused, but they felt nice to hold in my own. Wait what?
“So um, why’d you move here, and where from? If you don’t mind me asking, I mean.” I tried to get my previous thought out of my head, it wasn’t bad but it made me feel uncomfortable. You’re getting nervous Lance calm down, you’ll make it weird.
“Oh, just you know, just a change of scenery I guess you could call it. I moved from Texas with my older brother.” He said, the change of scenery part sounded like a lie but I didn’t want to pry so I let it go.
But now that I think about it that’s where knifekeef is from. It really bothers me not having a proper name to call him other than knifekeef but damn is it funny. I didn’t mention him, I didn’t want Keith to be weirded out at the fact I had online friends. I just nodded my head and smiled at him.
“Why don’t you eat lunch with Hunk, Pidge, and I?” I asked excitedly, I always loved making new friends. Even if we started off badly, Keith seems like someone I would enjoy being friends with.
“I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to just show up uninvited.” He said.
“But you were invited. Plus, you don’t have any other friends, right? The more the merrier!” I said to him, trying to convince him.
He regarded me with a suspicious face for a moment before saying, “Fine I’ll sit with you, since you seem to be so eager to be around me.” He smirked and I could tell he was trying to tease me so I just smiled at him, his attempt at getting a reaction failing.
After that Shiro came out to the hallway, “If you guys are getting along now you can come back in, just please no more interrupting.”
“Yes sir!” I said saluting to him in a joking manner, Shiro scoffed and Keith rolled his eyes. We went back to our seats and Shiro took his place at the front of the room.
I spend the last two classes before lunch like usual. Paying attention to what I deemed necessary and writing down useful information. Soon lunch arrived and I found Keith looking lost in the cafeteria, I brought him over to where my friends and I usually sat. Lunch passed uneventfully with everyone trying to make Keith feel welcome and us picking fights over stupid stuff. Before I knew it, the school day was over and I was walking back to my small apartment I shared with my oldest brother.
I arrived outside and looked up at the building. There were only two stories and it was a little run down but it had a cozy feel to it, not like those giant buildings that were about thirty minutes in Phoenix.
I went inside and was approached by the landlady. “Lance, dear, there are new residents that moved in next to you in room 203 yesterday while you were at school. I haven’t had the chance to come tell you so I’m glad I caught you.” The old woman smiled sweetly at me and I thanked her before heading up to my apartment, number 205.
The apartment I was in was the last in the hallway so it was a corner room with a nice view of the large desert willow that was behind the building. It had two small rooms and a single bathroom. The kitchen was small but navigable as long as there was only one person cooking at a time.
Since my brother and I came from such a large family we weren’t that great on funds, we paid for the majority of the furniture that was in the apartment. So of course my room had the least amount of things. My brother had a full-time job so he could afford more things, while I only had a part time job at a sort of mom and pop cafe down the road. By all means I wasn’t complaining though, I enjoyed living here, and it also gave my family the chance to have a bit more room in the small house.
I decided to make peanut butter kiss and chocolate chip cookies, a batch of each, for my new neighbors. I set my focus on mixing and baking the homemade cookies, happily singing and dancing in the small kitchen.
Just as I was about to put all the cookies on a platter and bring them over I heard voices coming down the hall. They weren’t the voices of any of my other neighbors, most of them were either young adults trying to make their way in the world or kind old people who live alone.
“Face it dude he was totally your type and you’re only pissed at me because he didn’t flirt with you.”
“Shut up, I am not angry because of him. And I never said he was my type.” The voices belonged to two men but I couldn’t tell any other characteristics.
After I heard the door next door close I knew it was the new neighbors so I finished putting the cookies on the platter and walked over. I softly knocked on the door and heard someone walk towards it.
Someone opened the door and I couldn’t help but stray from the rehearsed introduction in my head when I saw who it was.
“Shiro?” I said in confusion.