Chapter 3

After one verbal lashing from Keith's coach and a blushing fit on Pidge's face, Kinkade called practice to an end, 3 minutes before class.

Lance told her that he would meet her outside at her locker once he was done changing. So she and Keith walked back up the steps and into the school halls where teens of all ages were bustling around with excitement. A lot of squealing was heard from girls who hadn't seen each other all summer and Pidge silently wished she charged her phone for music. Watching Keith walk off to his locker, which had always been 2 rows down from hers, PIdge stepped up to hers. The brunette put in her combination and shoved her back pack in. She only needed a notebook and pencil anyways. It was the first day. She would be coming back home with more papers than she brought with her. She never understood the whole syllabus thing.

"Pidge!" a familiar voice echoed from down the hall. Hunk Garret bulldozed through a group of what was probably freshmen, just to reach her and scoop her up into a spine cracking hug, making her wheez for air.

"Hunk, buddy, you've got to put me down."

"Oops, sorry." He said bashfully. Placing her back down, the junior scratched the back of his neck, "Sometimes I forget you're so small."

"How could you, she stands at like 5'1." Said Lance as he placed an arm atop her head and leaned on it. His wet hair from practice was slowly starting to dry and return to its straight and shiny place on his head.

"Lance, do you want to keep that arm?" She asked

"Well yeah, Pidgeon. It's My throwing arm after all and I'm very fond of it," he smirked at her.

"Then I would suggest moving it off my head before you lose it," Pidge said playfully.

Lance raised his hands up in mock surrender "Sheesh, I thought we were friends." The tall teen said as he went to stand by Hunk. They were both facing her with amused looks on their faces. Having them both stand side by side made her realize they both had on their football hoodies. A representation of them both being on the team. Hunk had his in a respective yellow with his number 54 on the back in bold black lettering.

Lance was in a similar style with his own number but in a dark blue.

The thing about Garrison highschool, they didn't really have two or three set colors for the school. They were a rainbow of sorts. Red, blue, green, and yellow all blended together into the word Lions. Which was their mascot. Black was always the outline color. Whether it be a jersey or cheer squad uniform, it was always black with multi colored words or numbers. Or for example, separated into one color like the boys jackets.

"We are friends."

"I don't know pidge," he smirked. "You didn't even text me last night or this morning…and now you are threatening me."

"Wow Pidge, no text this morning or last night.." Hunk goaded. Obviously enjoying himself.

"I know Hunk," the cuban said, offended as he leaned against his friend. "It's almost as if she doesn't care." He placed a look of mock hurt on his face, a hand laying against his chest.

"Oh she cares," said Keith as he joined back up with Pidge. She figured he had seen them ganging up on her from his locker and was coming to her rescue.

"She pouted when you weren't there this morning."

Or he was an evil demon that could burn in hell.

Pidge ignored the laugh from the cuban and, for whatever reason, the 'aww' that released itself from Hunk. A heated glare was placed on the asian boy next to her. "I was not pouting and I told you my phone died"

"It's ok pidgey, it's hard not to miss my beautiful face."

Lance gloated.

Rolling her eyes and huffing a sigh, the brunette pushed her way through the boys. "Don't we all have class to get to," she said as she walked down the hall towards her first period. Knowing none of them shared a class with her, she expected them all to retreat to their respective classes. Which they did. Except Lance. His long Legs caught up to her and they were now walking side by side. "What are you doing?" She asked, stopping to look up at him.

He came to a stop a little bit ahead of her, not expecting her to stop. "Um, going to class?" he had said it like a question.

"But I have Mr. Rax for chemistry. You don't."

"Oh yeah, I kinda had it changed," he said, bluntly.

"What do you mean?"

Why on earth would he have his first period changed even before the first day. Normally people waited until after a week at least.

"I don't know if you noticed pidge but we didn't have any classes together," he smirked. "I couldn't let that happen now could I?"

Why was her heart beating so fast….?

"You…changed it for me?

But you had theater with Principle Coran. You love theater."

Lance let out a small laugh, placing a hand on his neck. He averted his eyes slightly towards the ground. "Yeah but I couldn't have a class without my best girl, now could I?" He looked up at her with what she assumed was a blush but why would Lance be blushing?

"Besides," he continued. "I got it pushed back to 7th period with you. No better way to end the day, right?" He laughed, turning to start walking again.

Pidge was pretty sure she was having heart palpitations.

"Come on, Pidgeon," he yelled back at her as the bell rang. Squeaking, the brunette sped up to his side and into the class.

Pidge was sure she fell asleep on her paper in 3rd period. She apparently fell asleep so hard that the girl beside her had to shake her awake. Drool had dotted her paper in the middle. Honestly 3rd period math was so easy to her at this point, she could do the work in her sleep and still pass with flying colors.

3rd period had ended at 11, which meant she now had lunch until 12. Planning to make the best of it, she walked down the hall leading out towards the field steps, and stopped at the vending machine.

"You don't honestly plan to eat something out of there do you?" Allura asked as she caught sight of Pidge, most likely on her way in from the field.

Allura was about Pidge's only female friend. She of course had other girls she talked to but not to go as far as hang out with or say they had a friendship. Allura though, even with her high status, had snuck inside of Pidge's little friend group of miscreant boys.

"You couldn't possibly want that junk," she smiled her friendly smile. "Let me buy you something from the food court. It'll surely taste much better."

"You really don't know how much I like junk food."

"Oh please, I can afford it."

She most certainly could. Allura white was not only the captain of the cheer squad, leader of the decorating committee, and dating the football team's captain. She also had the status of Mayor Alfor's daughter.

Allura was the princess of the high school and people called her such.

"Sorry princess, you know how I am with my sugar." Pidge said as she hit a combination into the machine and watched as her powdered donuts came falling down.

"Honestly I don't know how you stay so small." She laughed, white hair falling from her perfectly pulled back bun.

Laughing along with her, Pidge added a bag of chips to her "lunch" and walked along allura to the cafeteria.

"So how are cheerleading tryouts coming along?" She asked aloud, striking up a conversation.

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed, slapping her hands together in joy. A few looks from other students in the hall were directed towards them in slight interest. "So many new freshmen and even last year freshmen are signing up."

"That's great, Allura. I can't wait to see how well the new recruits do this year." Pidge smiled. They had just entered the cafeteria and the noise of all the junior and seniors hit hard. Looking for a certain number 25 jacket, the brunette completely tuned out the cheer captain.

"Pidge did you hear me?" Allura asked sweetly.

Widening her eyes at realizing she hadn't heard the princess, Pidge offered up an apology.

"I was just wondering if maybe you had reconsidered joining this year."

Ah. Pidge figured this was coming.

Sometime last year allura had goaded Pidge into going to a couple practices with her, to spend time together. But once the practice had ended she had Pidge try a couple of moves. Normally the brunette didn't dance but she had wanted to show she was being a good friend and paid attention.

Allura practically died from happiness when she realized that pidge actually could do a cheer.

Pidge had immediately sworn her to secrecy and every tryout they had since, Allura pestered her about it.

"You know I don't cheer, allura."

"Oh but you do! Very well actually." Allura grinned.

Pidge huffed, "Sorry, let me rephrase. I don't want to cheer. Cheering isn't my thing." She smirked. "Sleeping. Sleeping is my thing."

Allura rolled her eyes fondly, and that's when she spotted the group of boys at the long table littered with football players.

Of course all her friends, besides Allura, had to be on the football team.

"I think I'm going to pass on that and go find my girls." The princess laughed. "Could you send lotor my love."

Pidge nodded and waved goodbye to the cheer captain. Walking up to the table, she noticed Lance had saved a seat between himself and keith. Just how she liked it.

Sitting down, hunk waved at her from across the table. Lotor and Rolo flanking his sides. "Is there a reason why there are so many males at one table?" She asked.

"Take a guess, Pidgeon," said Lance.

"Roid fest."

Rolo's milk shot from his nose and Lotor fist bumped her.

It wasn't everyday someone got Rolo to breathe out his milk.

"No. It's basically a team reunion. We all get to see each other from last year before all the baby freshmen muck it up," said hunk.

"You do realize all of you were a baby freshmen at one point, right?" she asked Hunk with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes and we were all very annoying," Lance laughed, snatching one of her chips.

Pidge glared at him for only a second but let it pass. Keith then tossed an arm over her shoulder.

"Well everyone except me, right Pidge?" the asian boy smirked, figuring she would agree.

"You want an honest answer?" She asked, earning a frown from him and chuckles from the others. Turning her gaze off of Keith, the brunette watched as the tall cuban reached for one of her donuts and smacked his hand away.

Nobody touched her donuts.