Lance was sitting in the library, attempting to focus on the essay in front of him, despite the great weather teasing him outside. He sighed. The beach was so close he could smell it. The air smelled of the sea all over the uni. Pidge always complained, saying it chapped her lips. Lance disagreed. The salty air was great, and the water was never too cold.
Keith plopped down across the table.
"What's up, Mullet?"
"Seriously? Leave my mullet alone."
"Only if you cut it off."
Keith huffed, then turned his attention to his laptop. "I have to finish this essay for Menzen. I don't have time to argue over my hairstyle with you."
"I'm doing Menzen's essay too." Lance said. "Which topic did you choose?"
"Why blades should be allowed in school."
Lance snorted, "Shoulda known. I'm doing the one about surf lessons."
"Really? You know how?"
"To surf? Yeah, why else would I have a board in our dorm?"
"I thought it was for the ladies?"
"Keith, you're insufferable."
"Thanks."
Lance turned back to his essay. Just one more paragraph. Then he would have the ten-page requirement. One more. It's just a conclusion, he could do this.
He stared blankly at the screen. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but he couldn't get his fingers to move across the keyboard. Suck it up, Lance. He told himself and forced himself to type out one sentence. Then another. Finally, finally, he had finished. He emailed it in and sat back, stretching his arms up. He looked at Keith, who was still engrossed in his papers and screen.
A thought suddenly stuck Lance. "You want to learn how to surf?"
"Why do you ask?" He didn't look up.
"You sounded interested earlier." Lance shrugged. "Plus, you need to get outside more. Your so pale you look like a vampire."
"At least I don't always smell like salt and seaweed." Keith retorted.
"At least I'm not an emo kid from 2001."
"At least I'm not stupid."
"At least I got all my homework done."
"At least I-"
"Stop it you two." Lance hadn't even noticed Shiro had arrived until he said something. He jumped and turned to Shiro.
"Sorry, Shiro."
Shiro went back to his book, preparing for his next lesson.
"Don't you have a class to teach right now?" Keith asked, checking the time.
Shiro glanced down at his watch. "Shit, you're right! See you guys later!" He shouted back, then ran out of the library.
"Okay, but why doesn't Mr. Punce yell at Shiro?" Lance asked, looking at the librarian.
"I don't know. I think he owes Shiro for something. Didn't Shiro make up some story when he couldn't come in because he was drunk as fuck?"
"Maybe. I thought Shiro had like, giving him the Heimlich or something."
"Maybe. Why do you care?"
"What can I say? I'm a curious person." Lance's phone buzzed.
Group Chat: Cat Shit
Pidgeotto: Are you in the lib?
Knife: yes
Lancelot: yeah
Hunk Muffin: can we join you? We have to work on mezens
Knife: yes
Lance put down is phone. He looked at the To-Do List Hunk had made for everyone. He only had to do Shiro's assignment for Human Intreaction. Lance didn't know why he had taken the class. It had seemed like an easy pass, but now, three fourths through the year, it was more than that. The small class seemed almost like family now. There were only five in it, including the teacher. If you counted Coran and Allura, other teachers who were usually there, there were seven. It was nice. The class itself was so boring that no one took it. It was about learning how to talk to people in casual and professional situations. Who needed to learn that? Yet that wasn't it. It was more socializing, being better at stating what you have in mind, and being assertive. And since it was only the seven of them, it was more like a Study Hall you had to talk in. It was more like a family than a class. Lance liked that, a lot, but he would never say that, especially not to Keith. Never to Keith. It didn't help that Keith and Lance were roommates, and that they hated each other in the beginning of the year. Now it was half-hearted. Nothing could change the fact the Lance secretly loved Keith's mullet, or that he was jealous of his ability to keep a cool-head in the face of exams.
Lance blinked. What? How did he end up at Keith? That was weird. Whatever. He turned his attention to the door as Hunk and Pidge came in. He waved them over.
"Hey, Lance. Did you get Menzen's essay done?"
"Just did. I probably failed though." He shrugged and opened his Human Interactions folder.
"Oh, that reminds me, Pidge, did you get the fan for that motor?"
"Yes, Hunk, I gave it to you this morning."
"Oh, right. Thanks."
"So, what are you going to work on, Pidge?"
"I don't know. Maybe that thing Shiro assigned. What was it?"
Lance looked and snorted. "It's a single question: If you could replace any part of yourself with a robotic prosthetic, which would it be? Please explain why and what extra things it would have. Don't use my arm as an answer."
"That's actually an interesting question." Pidge said, her eyes lighting up. "Imagine replacing your eyes! You could modify them to have x-ray vision, infrared, ultraviolet, you could see the entire electromagnetic spectrum! And like, laser vision, even if it isn't practical, it'd be pretty cool."
"That sounds lit. Too bad I didn't understand a word you just said." Lance said.
"Basically, you could see more than what the human eye can. You can see every layer of this reality."
"Okay, that sounds super lit." Lance turned to his response box. The breeze wafted through the open window, filling the air with the smell of the sea. He sighed. "Too bad I can't say Shiro's arm. That'd be cool. Imagine having the ultimate bitch slap."
Keith snorted. "He hates it so much. He says it's weird to sleep with. Apparently, it gets really cold at night, and he turns over and suddenly he just has a bar of cold metal beneath him." Keith considered for a second. "Also, it might be weird if one day your fleshy arm was more buff than your robotic arm."
Lance grunted to show he had heard. He was already engrossed in his paragraph.
I would choose to have a robotic arm, from the shoulder down on the right. Since I am left handed, I figured it would be an easier transition if it was my right. It would have a variety features, like a flashlight, USB ports, a speaker, and a lighter. These are all useful in their own way. I would be a walking party waiting to happen. The flashlight and lighter are practical features and can come in handy in survival situations. Also, having a metal arm would be cool. It would be strong, and you could always add more onto it.
Lance submitted it, knowing it wasn't good quality, but the smell of the sea kept wafting in through the window, making him want to run down to the shore right now. "Hey, I'm done with my work. If you need me I'll be at the beach."
"Alright. Be careful, Lance. People have been reporting sightings of sharks."
"Relax, Hunk, sharks hardly attack people. You should be more worried about sea urchins. Now those suckers hurt." Lance grinned and zipped up his backpack. "See you losers later."
"Later, Lance."
Lance turned and walked to his dorm, getting into his swim shorts and grabbing his towel and surf board. The boardwalk was crowded with families, but the beach was relatively clear of people. The waves were good today. Not huge, but big enough that he wouldn't look stupid out there. He wadded out and sat there waiting for a large enough wave. One of his surfer friends, Danielle, paddled over.
"Lovely today, isn't it?" She had a thick Scottish accent, and sometimes when she was really heated up she would talk really fast in Scottish, so Lance would have to ask her to slow down. Then again, he did the same thing with Spanish, so he couldn't complain.
"Yeah, it's pretty great. You catch any waves yet?"
"Only two. It's great, but the shark thing is making me more cautious."
"Sharks rarely attack humans. You should be more concerned for urchins." Lance poked her in the ribs.
She shuddered, "Don't remind me. I still have the scars."
"Hey! I was the one who actually stepped on it!"
"Yeah, and I was the one who had to tote you and your board to the beach!"
"You didn't have to go through hours of pain!" Lance cried indignantly.
"You didn't have to worry about your friend's life slipping away!"
"My life was the one draining away!"
"Whatever, McClain."
Lance whooped triumphantly. "McClain four, Watson three!"
"Better watch your back. I bet I can ride more waves than you." She said.
"You're fucking on. Get ready to be creamed."
They paddled out further, waiting. One crested. "Mine!" they both cried, then raced to it. Lance managed to crest it, and rode it for a few short moments before wiping out. Danielle didn't ride it.
"Better pick up the pace, Watson!"
"Don't say something that'll bite you in the ass, McClain!"
The competitive banter continued throughout the evening. At around six, the competition ended.
"No way. You must have cheated." Lance said. Danielle had ridden fifteen while he rode nine.
"Nope, no cheating, just pure skill." Danielle gloated. Lance pouted.
They wadded to shore and found their stuff. Lance had three missed calls and about a hundred text messages.
Group Chat: Cat Shit
Daddy: wheres lance
Hunk Muffin: surfing
Hunk Muffin: y
Pidgeotto: is everything oak
Mother: Keith got really sick and we don't know what to do
Mustache: We've tried everything
Mustache: he wont let us call the hospital
Pidgeotto: shit he isn't answering he must be out on the water
Knife: im ginw guts
Knife: Im fine guys*
Daddy: Keith get off your phone right now
Mother: I'm going to get Lance.
Hunk Muffin: He should be done soon, he never surfs past six.
Mustache: hurry allura
Mother: cant text and drive at the same time asshat
Hunk Muffin: I called him and he didn't answer
Hunk Muffin: he might be having a competition with Danielle
Daddy: Danielle?
Pidgeotto: yeah she's his surfing buddy
Pidgeotto: nothing romantic don't get your thong in a twist
Mother: LANGUAGE!
Mustache: DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE
Mother: IM AT A RED LIGHT
Daddy: hurry keith is getting annoyed
Daddy: hes fuckin delusional and I don't know what to do
Daddy: isn't lance becoming a medical major?
Hunk Muffin: yeah he wants to be a certified life guard or an ER doctor
Pidgeotto: hes pretty good last fall he gave me stitches
Daddy: well we need him now because I think Keith's dying
Mother: I am at the beach
Mother: hes swimming in now k brb
Lance looked up and saw Allura coming his way. "Danielle, I gotta go."
"What happened?"
"My one friend is sick and I'm the only one how knows anything about medical science appearently." Lance felt like he should be panicking but this was his element. "See you tomorrow!" He called back, already running towards Allura, toting his board towards her minivan.
"Get in, Keith is-"
"Sick, I know, I just read the messages." Lance shoved his board onto the top and strapped it down, then got into the car, going over possible illnesses in his head.