Chapter 1: Hand In The Cookie Jar
"On this episode of teens in the wild, two teen boys set their stances, ready to battle for the last chocolate chip cookie," Pidge announced in a horribly fake Australian accent while they and Hunk watched Lance stare down his self proclaimed arch nemesis, Keith Kogane.
Lance sent his glare Pidge's way before returning his stare upon the raven haired mullet teen before him. Lance's brows were furrowed and his lips set in a hard line. Lance had his hopes on getting a cookie today as it was one of the only edible pieces of food in this whole cafeteria and it was his no matter what, he was determined. No mullet haired stoic asshole was going to take it from him. It irked Lance even more how Keith's features appeared completely bored and unfazed. Lance squinted and glared even harder. All Keith did was quirk a brow and effortlessly grab the last chocolate chip cookie before turning around and making the rest of his way through the lunch line. Lance's thin lips puffed out and turned down in a pout as Pidge and Hunk settled next to him and the three of them moved down the line.
"Man. I really wanted that cookie," Lance whined. Pidge rolled their eyes while Hunk laughed at Lance's shenanigans.
"But alas, the weaker minded teen who whales in distress over a cookie did not win the battle, while the composed, cool teen walked away with the win." Pidge concluded with the same horribly fake Australian accent.
Hunk chortled while Lance rolled his eyes at Pidge. Pidge simply smirked and shrugged their shoulders as the three of them paid for their lunches and made their way to their usual lunch table.
As they ate and made mindless chatter, thoughts of the irritating teen wouldn't dissipate from Lance's mind. Lance allowed his gaze to wander around in search of the mullet teen. Lance grumbled and stated his observation,"Of course. He's not in the lunch room. He's to cool for the rest of us that he can barely brace us common teens with his godly presence".
Pidge brought their hands to their face, inhaled, brought their arms down, exhaled and said, "Boy. This happens every day. You and he have never gotten along. Which is strange enough, as if someone describes someone as godly it sounds more like you worship them rather than loathe."
Hunk snorted and reasoned, "It was just a cookie bro."
Lance harrumphed and crossed his arms. "That's beside the point. He always shows no emotion like a robot or something and when he does it's to mock others. It's not fair how cool he is. It's like he's got this indestructible bubble around him and no one can touch him. Also, Pidge its called sarcasm and I definitely do not worship him or loathe him… I simply hate him. And that isn't any new news."
Pidge sighed and fixed their glasses. "I don't think you know what the word loathe means."
Hunk busted out laughing as Lance glared daggers at Pidge. Once he calmed down he said, "Dude he is like super cool but he's just a teenager. I think you see him too highly."
At that same moment, before Lance could interject with more nonsense, the beautiful girl who Lance has recently had his eyes on decided to walk by their table. Lance couldn't help but stare and once she was out of sight in the crowd of students, Lance returned to the sight of his friends with a whole new demeanor. Lance's usual goofy smile and bright eyes braced his friends' sights.
"I'm definitely asking Kelsey out later," Lance declared.
Hunk only smiled and Pidge raised a brow.
"What? Today a girl will finally say yes. I have no doubt in my mind that she could possibly say no," Lance explained with a wide grin. Well, that's not completely true he thought. Lance's grin faltered a twitch as he mostly thought of being rejected once again.
"Good luck man," Hunk wished his friend.
Pidge gave Lance a knowing look before saying, "You sure you're not just going to add to your numbers?"
Lance only shrugged and joked his insecurities off like usual, "Of course not. What girl could resist all this?" He questioned his friends while gesturing boisterously to himself. They all just laughed and continued to eat their meals.
Keith starred at the chocolate chip cookie he held in his palm. He really wanted this didn't he? He thought to himself. Keith had meant to ask the other teen if he did but he had started to feel anxious with all the stares upon him. So instead, he grabbed the cookie and scrambled out of the lunch room. Keith has never been one to properly share his feelings with others. Keith's never been good with people in general, unlike Lance. Keith has always noticed how gregarious, rambunctious and expressive the other teen has always been, as it was rather hard to miss such a scene. Keith put the cookie to the side and finished eating his sandwich while contemplating his actions.
The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and so the pale teen gathered his belongings and threw his trash out before leaving the library. As soon as Keith entered the classroom, the same boisterous voice greeted his ears. Keith quietly took his spot and kept his gaze fixed upon the group of his three classmates. Lance as usual held the same irritatingly goofy grin and wide bright eyes. Keith watched as the Latino teen loudly and enthusiastically discussed some sort of topic with his friends. That was until Lance's wide eyed expression dissolved into squinting eyes and furrowed brows as he spotted Keith. Keith couldn't help but stare blankly in return. Lance who always seemed so friendly and care free seems to have a face full of distaste solemnly for the raven haired teen. For whatever reasoning possessing him, at that irritating moment, Keith wordlessly decided to take the cookie out of his bag and began to eat it. Lance's expression dissolved into shock as his eyes widened and his mouth was now slightly agape. Lance then stuck his tongue out as the other teens before facing the board as the teacher walked in.
This is exactly why Keith couldn't stand him. Lance is always so expressive and friendly to everyone, besides him. Lance, who has always, wore his emotions on his sleeves. Lance somehow always manages to get a rouse from Keith while no one else has managed to. Lance was everything Keith wasn't. Keith still didn't understand why on earth he just ate the cookie. He meant for the other to have it all along. The cookie left a bitter taste in Keith's mouth and so he put it away to only be thrown out later.
Lance was waiting for Kelsey near her locker before the next class started. He was tapping his foot away in anticipation. Then he spotted her familiar head of short blonde locks as she made her way over to her locker. She began to unlock it and that's when Lance walked up to her, "He-," he began to greet her but before he could, she opened her locker right onto Lance's face.
"Ow," Lance yelped in pain as he held his nose, but kept a smile on his face.
Kelsey starred at him with shock and wide eyes, "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there," she explained.
"It's okay, I'm fine everything's cool, cool, cool, cool, I'm cool," Lance justified while removing his hand from his nose.
Kelsey quirked a confused brow at the awkward teen. "Okay. Well that was pretty lame. Well then, was there something you wanted," she questioned.
Great job Lance! Way to freak her out and be completely and utterly lame! Lance thought to himself. It's as if he always ruins each encounter he ever has with a girl. Like he's cursed or something. "I was just wondering if you'd like to go out sometime," he asked. While leaning against the locker next to her at an attempt to seem smooth.
Kelsey only stared blankly at his face. Was there something on my face? Lance questioned himself and brought his hand to his nose only to feel a warm liquid drip out. He moved his hand away and saw the rusty red color of blood on his fingertips. Shit. So not cool, he criticized himself.
"Um sorry Lawrence but I have a boyfriend. Also you should seriously go to the nurse and I need to get to class," Kelsey rejected while switching books and then closing her locker. She then proceeded to walk to class
"It's Lance," The short haired brunette called out after her in distress. He sighed and pinched his nose while tilting his head a bit forward. It wasn't his first time dealing with bloody noses, and began walking towards the nurse's office. Now that Lance wasn't stock full of nerves, he could feel the throbbing pain coming from his nose. Lance didn't really feel hurt or pain from the girl's reaction; he felt more defeated and was too focused on the pain and blood flowing through his nose.
Once Lance made it to the nurse's office he was quickly led to a seat and the nurse fussed over Lance's condition. Lance wordlessly let the nurse work her magic and gave her his signature goofy grin in return as he listened to her wishes and pinched his nose with one hand while icing it with the other. The nurse had also helped to plug tissue into his nostrils to hold the flow.
As he sat in the nurse's office, his thought process only held a negative atmosphere directed towards him. Lance thought of himself as the lamest of the lame in that moment. In that moment, Lance stopped acting as if his life was perfect and nothing was wrong with him. In that moment, Lance stopped being the friendly, charismatic guy he's known to be. In that moment, Lance let all the insecurities he hid within surface. In that moment, the person Lance wanted to see least in the whole wide universe appeared.
The mullet teen entered the office in what seemed to be in search of the nurse as his eyes wandered the room. As soon as his eyes landed on Lance, every single thought and insecurity vanished as if the lid to a box was closed, enclosing its contents. In replacement of these thoughts was an idea. An idea Lance thought to be the most brilliant, the most self deprecating, and impulsive thought to have ever been created within his own mind. Even though he wasn't suppose to yet, Lance shot up out of his seat and walked right in front of the other teen.
As he stood before the raven haired teen, Lance still kept holding his nose and ice pack and so when he spoke his voice sounded as enthusiastic as per usual, but muffled and nasally, "Teach me how to be cool."
Lance gave Keith a determined grin as he awaited his response. Keith only starred at the slightly taller teen completely baffled and taken aback he replied,"…..No?"
Keith was extremely confused and did not contain the patience at the moment to deal with this and so he quickly told the other no to his ridiculous request. He brushed past the now pouting teen to ask the nurse for some Advil for his killer headache. Once Keith was taken care of, he made his way towards the door only to have the tan teen blocking the exit. Lance stood in a defiant stance with his lanky limbs branching out and blocking the exit.
"What are you doing?" Keith questioned.
The dark blue eyed teen quirked a brow at Keith in bafflement. "I'm blocking the doorway obviously," he stated.
Keith sighed and crossed his arms. "Obviously, so move along," Keith demanded of the irritating teen.
Lance only shook his head in disagreement. "Not until you agree to my request."
Keith studied the other boy. He had placed his ice pack down and now little puffs of bloody tissue were sticking out of his nose. He looked utterly ridiculous. "Before you go making threats, you should seriously take care of your tissues there," Keith quipped.
Keith's remark made the other teen move his hands to his nose as if he had just realized he had tissue sticking out of his nostrils. With the others moment of confusion, Keith stealthily moved out of the doorframe and made his way back towards class.
As he sat in class he couldn't help but think what on earth did the other teen mean teach him how to be cool? Since when was I ever considered cool by anyone? If anything I'm just a quiet loner. So why would he ask of some sort of ridiculous request such as that? Besides, the other teen has always had plenty of friends and interactions with others, why does he want to add another adjective to his already colorful personality? Keith thought to himself.
Lance only stood in bafflement as he watched the other teen retract back to class and down the hall. Nice going Lance, he thought to himself. How could I let him just go like that? No matter, I will not give up. Whether he likes it or not, he will teach me how to be cool.
From that point onward, Lance would follow around the raven haired teen whenever he spotted him in order to badger him with the same question. No matter his antics, the other always managed to scatter away before giving Lance a proper reply. For the rest of that week, Lance would wait outside of classrooms, follow him in the halls, wait for him outside of the school building, wait for him to leave school, and even follow Keith to the bathroom. Lance could tell the other was slowly easing up and believed it to be only a matter of time before he'd come around before Lance's stalking and persistence would make him crack.
It was Friday morning when Pidge quipped," Dude you got to stop this it's getting creepy. I always thought you'd turn into a stalker."
Lance rolled his eyes and replied," Ha, ha, look it's only a matter of time before he comes around I've been annoying the hell out of him, he'll either crack, or hit me. I can accept either one.
Hunk gave his friend a look of concern and asked," Why do you want him to do this again?"
Lance sighed and answered," I'm tired of being king of the lame and goofy. Girls don't find that attractive at all and that's why I can't get a date whatsoever. I need to be cool and so why not learn form the best."
To Pidge it sounded as if their close friend was losing his mind. He should never need to change himself to get girls to like him. The whole idea was ludicrous to Pidge," Lance, you just need to stop asking out every single self absorbed girl out there. You don't need to change yourself."
Lance wrapped his arms around his two friends shoulders despite the height differences and told them," I know I know, I shouldn't change for others but I just… I want to do it for myself. Even if Keith is my arch nemesis, he is also the coolest guy out there which I have grudgingly admitted."
Pidge quirked a brow as they came to a conclusion, "Maybe if you offer him something in return he'll accept your offer, you know a deal for a deal."
Lance's eyes widened. "That's perfect! Why hadn't I thought of that earlier?" But what? He thought to himself. What does the all mighty untouchable Keith Kogane could possibly want? He seems to have everything… but friends. That's when the idea struck.
Lance let go of his friends and quickly started moving in the opposite direction," I got it thanks guys! I'll see ya later," he told them while running away in search of the mullet teen.
He spotted the stoic teen at his locker and this time, Lance made sure to be on the opposite side of the locker. Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice, shame on me he thought to himself with a chuckle even though he'll most likely repeat the same action sometime in the near future knowing him.
"Keith! You mullet brain do not run away from me this time!" Lance called out as he reached the teen's locker.
Keith stood there in shock. Did he seriously just call me mullet brain? What the fuck Keith thought to himself.
"Look if you teach me how to be cool… I'll teach you how to be friendly and to talk to people and all that jazz. So what do you say, a deal?" Lance proposed his proposition to the teen and left his hand out there for the other to shake on the deal.
Keith was taken aback by this change. He had been stalked all week by this extremely irritating teen that has some sort of incredulous request. But this proposition is certainly… interesting it know will benefits Keith as well. Keith could learn how to properly communicate with others.
Keith stared at the others outreached hand. Keith shook his hand before he could change his mind. Keith saw that the dark blue eyed teens face held an extremely wide grin almost reaching ear to ear.
"Alright no going back now, but you're still my nemesis who cold heartedly steals cookies form others, but as long as you teach me the act of being cool, and I teach you the act of being friendly, we should have no problems." The enthusiastic teen proclaimed.
Nemesis? Cold hearted cookie stealer? Okay Keith could understand that one. All that is besides the point thought as in all actuality what have I gotten myself into?