Chapter 5

Pidge couldn't sleep all night. She had tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. But to no avail, her mind kept racing and she couldn't blame it.

Not 7 hours ago, Keith dropped the mother of all realizations on her.That she had and was still falling for her best friend.

No wonder sleep avoided her.

Lance, not knowing what was transpiring through the brunette's head, had texted her until late morning. That was 4 hours ago and it was now 5am. She was surely going to suffer through school.

Huffing, Pidge climbed out the bed and headed to her bathroom for a shower. She might as well get up and start getting ready for the day.

She turned the water on scolding and stepped under the liquid fire that dripped down her back. Hopefully it would release some of the tension she had set into her shoulders from stress and would relax her mind from her thoughts about the boy that had constantly ran laps through her head.

How on earth was she even supposed to act around him?

She guessed she could just act as everything was fine, try to even push the feelings that bubbled to the surface, back down into the black abyss that was now her heart. God why did she even let Keith talk her into entertaining the thought.

Crushing and loving on someone in a romantic sense, was new to her. The brunette didn't love anyone besides on a friend or family level.

Don't get it wrong though, she's had her crushes. You don't befriend a group of football players and not blush at the occasional shirtless male that passed by you during a practice.

Maybe that's what she actually had for Lance? Just a short and meaningless crush that would eventually fade away with time.

Lance seemed like he was in love with Allura during sophomore year and now look at him, completely over her. Perhaps Keith had just confused her affection for love when it was really just a small crush. It would explain why it sorta snuck up on her.

She didn't think love was the type of thing to just happen without the knowledge of her really knowing. Crushes though, did. A lot of people have had crushes on others and not been aware of it until later.

Falling in love with someone without knowing it though, was as rare and unseen, as a blue moon.

She was not in love with Lance McClain.

Finishing up her shower, Pidge went ahead and got dressed in a pair of green shorts that rolled up at the ends and a white oversized knitted shirt, tucking the bottom front end into her waist band.

The shorts weren't too short and stopped about mid thigh. With it still being late in September, the temperature had yet to dive below 65. Plus, the sweater equaled it out by keeping her upper body warm.

Besides, If the cheerleaders could handle skirts up to their ass, then she would be just fine.

Pulling on her green converse, Pidge noticed Keith's light flickering on from his open window.

He always made an effort to be up early.

It sickened her.

But for today, she figured it worked in her favor. She needed to tell him how he invaded her sleep schedule and then beat him with an inch of his life for ruining her friendship.

She looked over at Cosmo who had taken residency on her bed and scratched him by the ear. "I'll be back boy, gotta go beat up an idiot."

Climbing out onto the sill, she reached for the branch above her to pull herself out and walked across the second large branch under her, all the way over to Keith's open window. He was nowhere to be seen as she peeked her head in through the slightly parted red curtains and she guessed he was downstairs grabbing breakfast. So she also stumbled down the stairs after him.

She slowed her pace as she spotted Dr. Kolvian, who was seated in his favorite kitchen chair by the window, drinking his morning coffee. The older, black haired man smiled at her with a look of surprise. "Goodmorning, Katherine. Odd occurrence to see you up this early in the morning," he said, greeting her by her full first name like he always did. He was their family doctor, after all, and guessed it was hard for him to call her by anything else other than her real name.

Keith lifted his head from the fridge as his father addressed her. A look of confusion settled over his features. Most likely wondering why she was up before 7 on a school day.

Pidge gave a kind smile back to the doctor and then promptly stomped over to the asian boy, hitting him hard in the shoulder.

"OW!!!" he proclaimed loudly. "What the hell was that for?"

"Language," Kolvian called from the table, going back to his morning paper and trying his best to ignore the two teens.

Keith rubbed at his bare shoulder. He was still dressed in pajamas which consisted of a grey tank top and red sweats. His long black hair was pulled into a tiny and pitiful ball atop his head.

She would sometimes play with it and place it into a similar pony when they hung out in her room or even at school during class. It was always a good way to keep it out of his face while he slept. Because God forbid he cut it. She thought, with a roll of her eyes.

"You know what that was for you stupid jock!"

"I'm sorry, am I supposed to know why a midget stormed into my kitchen to abuse me?!" He asked, bewildered.

Pidge noticed the doctor in the corner trying to hide a smile into his mug. He was already so used to them yelling at each other that it barely phased him, a lot like her mother had grown comfortable hearing them scream from upstairs.

"You made me think about my feelings and completely destroyed me from getting any sleep," she said, hitting him again but this time it was his opposite shoulder.

Now he stood there, crossing both arms in front of his chest, covering both shoulders. "Would you stop hitting me?!"

"No! You emotionally broke me, so now I'm going to physically break you!"

A chuckle caused both of them to glance at the doctor. He had stood up, grabbing his mug from the table and started towards the island that separated him from the two.

"I don't care what you two do, just don't let him bleed on my floor. Ok, Katherine?"

Pidge grinned at the doctor at the same time Keith yelled, "Dad!" in an offended tone. The older man only laughed as he exited the kitchen, heading to the front door.

Once the door had clicked shut, the brunette wailed onto the boy with her tiny fist. "What are you still hitting me for?!" He screamed at her.

"Because you're still an idiot," she glared. "And this," she hit him again, "Is for calling me a midget."

"Are you done yet?" He had himself blocked behind his arms as if they were a shield.

Pidge huffed to herself, catching her breath. "Yes, I feel much better now." She said, turning around to head back up the stairs and into his room.

"I'm so happy that you feel better," he commented sarcastically as he also started up the stairs.

"So I have a question?"

"Yes, Keith?"

The asian boy closed his bedroom door behind him and promptly took off his shirt, throwing it into the hamper.

Pidge didn't even flinch.

Between practice and practically sharing a window with him, the brunette had seen him many times without a shirt and even pants. She wasn't gonna lie though, it had definitely made her blush before. But now it was just as if Matt was standing in front of her.

Sitting on his bed, Pidge watched as he grabbed a black t-shirt from the many other black ones from his closet. She swore that boy was emo.

"If you couldn't sleep last night because I made you think about your feelings, and then you came all the way over here to hit me about making you realize said feelings…..does that mean you have feelings for Lance?" He smirked at her, as if he already knew the answer.

"Fine, yes. You were right." She admitted. Sighing, as she watched him pump his fist in the air in victory.

"I may have a small crush on Lance."

His victory pump fell instantly down to his side.

"A crush?!" He exclaimed. "You can't seriously think it's Just a crush?"

Going on his knees, Keith kneeled in front of her, "oh Holt, please tell me you don't think this is just a crush?" He practically begged her.

"Yes, It's just a crush, Kogane."

He scoffed, standing up and grabbing a pair of pants, he walked into his bathroom.

"I tried to soften the blow, I really did," he said, more to himself than to her.

"What are you talking about, now?" She asked in exasperation.

He peeked his head out from behind the bathroom door. "When the time comes for you to realize that I was right in this situation and you were wrong, just know that I tried to warn you."

"I've never been wrong and I'm not gonna start now, Keith."

Rolling his eyes as he leaned against the frame of his bathroom door, Keith crossed his arms and looked at his friend intently.

"What?" She questioned.

He was looking at her almost like she was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. The look was beyond contemplating and she kinda felt like some test subject he was eyeing with a magnifying glass.

"What are you gonna do about your crush, now that you know about it?" He finally spoke.

"Nothing."

"Are you serious?!" He threw his hands into the air and brought them down on top of his head

"Yes!!!" She yelled. Why was he so into this? Why did it matter if her feelings were brought to light? Why did it matter that she only had a crush? And why on God's green earth, did it matter what she was going to do with this new information?

"What is it with you and my feelings lately?" She asked.

The teen gripped his hair in irritation, "Because if you don't get it out now and bottle it up like you always do, things are going to explode, in your face."

"Oh it will not," she rolled her eyes. "We will talk about this later, just finish getting ready and meet me outside."

Keith said nothing as she left and crawled back into her room. His silence kind of worried her and she really hoped that she wouldn't end up eating her words.

Pidge was pissed as she walked down the halls of Garrison high.

She was so happy that Keith had early morning practice and because of that, the school was basically empty.

She didn't want anyone witnessing her as she stomped down the hallway with an extremely red and flushed face.

She was pissed and she was embarrassed.

On the way to school, the drive was mostly quiet between her and Keith. It was a comfortable silence with just a bit of a question hanging in the air.

When would they continue their conversation?

As far as she was concerned, they never had to talk about it again. Keith was putting too much thought into something that would eventually pass in probably….how long did it take Lance to get over Allura? 6 months?

Yeah, about 6 months.

In 6 months, Lance would find some girl or boy to hang off of and she would be stuck being a third wheel for a short amount of time, which would lead to her, inevitably, getting over lance. It was simple.

So why did Keith's comment piss her off so much?

He had given her a look of aloofness, a look that sent no warning bells in her head that he was about to make a joke.

"I just wanted to let you know," he started as he parked the truck in his usual parking spot. "That if you don't want to talk more on the subject from this morning, we don't have to."

She smiled at him in thanks, reaching for the door so she could go with him down to the field for his practice. And to see Lance of course.

"But," he stopped her with a hand on her arm before pulling it back to his lap. "I will be using it as a story for my best man speech at your's and Lance's wedding."

And then he was gone. He had left her in that stupid truck with the biggest blush imaginable on her face.

So she didn't follow him. Instead she grabbed her bag and went inside the school to put her stuff away in her locker because she was mad that he embarrassed her. But mostly mad, that she let him embarrass her.

So there she was, planning to stand there at her locker for the next 45 minutes, until class started.

She was going to show that mullet wearing ass, that she was angry at him. That she didn't want to watch him practice like she always did because he pissed her off.

Except, there was the fact that she also went down to the field to watch Lance practice. She wasn't mad at Lance, a little nervous to be around him after coming to terms with her crush, but never angry with him. And if she didn't show up, he was gonna think she was.

Pidge groaned. She really didn't want to go through an entire first period trying to convince the lanky teen that she wasn't in fact, mad at him. Nor did she want to explain why she was mad at Keith. Although he was probably going to ask anyways, seeing as she didn't show up with him.

"You good, Pidge?"

Lotor's voice popped her out of her thoughts with a jump. The football player was standing before her in his black jersey and practice gear.

She had thought she was completely alone and hoped that he didn't hear her groan from the internal battle she was having. The wide halls echoed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, an absolutely white and charming smile lighting up his face.

Nowhere near as charming as Lance's though, she thought with a slight blush.

"Your fine, lotor. I was just in deep thought."

Nodding that he understood, he began to take off an elastic from his wrist and tie his hair back. "So why aren't you at practice, don't you usually come down with Keith and watch?"

"Mullet head and I aren't currently talking at the moment." A bit of her anger came out as she told him that, causing the sentence to have a bit more attitude to it.

"May I ask why?"

"No you may not," she said a little icely. She probably shouldn't have said it with so much bite to it. He was only asking out of concern.

A bit of amusement appeared on his face though. He looked as if he was trying not to smile.

"Why don't you come down with me? I'm sure he and Lance are worried about where you wandered off to. You know how they are."

Indeed she did.

They practically flocked over her like a bunch of mother hens who's chick wasn't accounted for. Even though hunk was more of the mother like figure of the group. Weirdly enough.

The linebacker was as tough as a bear on the field but turned to an absolute teddy when he worried over them.

Reaching into her locker to grab her phone, because for whatever reason she slammed it in there in a fit of anger, the brunette followed the captain down to the field.

He didn't say much to her going down the steps. He only mentioned that Allura's tryouts were Friday after school and during afternoon football practice and that she wanted Pidge to come and watch.

Of course she did.

Once they reached the field though, he sent her a little salute and ran off onto the field.

Right where Lance and Keith were watching them.

They most likely caught sight of them descending the long flight of stairs.

Why couldn't they focus on their practice like all the other players? Why did they have to just stand around talking?

Lance gave her a look of confusion before turning his eyes on Lotor who stood in front of them, mostly talking to Keith.

It wasn't long after they started talking though, that Keith burst into hysterics.

The asian boy looked straight at her while still laughing and blew her a kiss with both hands.

He obviously found whatever lotor had said, funny, at her expense.

Shaking her head in annoyance, the brunette sat in the bleachers. Lance was giving her a look that told her he had no idea what was going on. Not that she could blame him.

If she had to guess, Lotor probably told him and Keith that she was found in the hallway, being angry at the emo. And then of course the idea of her being even slightly angry at keith for what he said had been what sent the asian into hysterics.

That would have led to Lance being confused, because even though Lotor didn't know any more than he did, as her best friend he probably felt obligated to know that she was angry.

And then that would explain why the cuban jock was running towards her way. He couldn't just let her be angry, could he?

Huffing to herself, the burnette stood from her seat and met him at the fence. Coach Iverson probably wouldn't have been happy with either of them if one of his players left the field.

"Why is Keith laughing like a maniac over the fact that you're mad at him? And why are you mad at him?" The cuban asked as he reached her. The quarterback had a plain light blue jersey on. It seemed he had been placed on the rival team for practice.

"Mullet brain said something he had no business saying."

Her attitude started bleeding into her words again.

"Oh?" He asked, looking behind himself, over to his coach. Turning around, the lanky teen leaned over the fence. The wire gate came all the way up to her shoulder but stopped well below his chest, making it quite easy for him to bend down and get a good look at her face. "What was it he said?"

"Nothing. He was just joking around," she answered him, looking to the ground.

After a second of silence, she heard the boy sigh and watched as he wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

Familiar warm tingles spread and shot up her arm as his skin made contact with hers. She prayed to God that the early morning sun didn't reveal too much of the raging blush that was now on her face.

Why was he so close to her?!

Did he really not see how he was affecting her?!

"Can't be nothing if it's making you upset." A kind smile appeared on his very soft lips and Pidge thought she would melt right where she stood.

Were his lips always that pink? She thought.

"It's nothing. It's Just-," her mind struggled for anything she could use as an excuse. He was her best friend and he would never let her go anywhere, unless he knew what her problem was. He constantly wanted to try to fix people's problems for them. It's what she liked about him most, personality wise.

Now physically, was just another story….

Let's just say he never looked bad in a tight muscle shirt.

God almighty, how did she not notice that she had a crush on him? Keith was right, she was dense.

"Pidge?"

"Huh?" She smartly asked.

"You were going to say something," he stated, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, right!" She had completely forgotten she was supposed to be working on an excuse. "It's Just my monthly menstrual cycle,"she said hurriedly.

Oh my God, why did she just say that?

Why was that even an option for her mouth to say? And so easily!

"I gotcha, mood swings, right?"

Surprisingly he was very calm about it. She wondered if it had to do with having older sisters and sister in laws. "Uh, yeah," she said awkwardly. He must have noticed the bright blush on her face because he chuckled and waved the hand that had just been around her wrist, in a dismissing manner.

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

He would make such a wonderful boyfriend.

"I'm fine. All good here." She chuckled nervously.

Giving her a smile, the cuban nodded at her, turning back towards the field.

She watched him go before she let out a sigh and started back for her seat on the bleachers, but not before she caught sight of Keith watching her from the field with a massive grin plastered on his face.

"KOGANE! Pay attention will you!" Iverson yelled from the sidelines. Keith rolled his eyes and began to practice again. She had to smirk at that, it served him right. Though Iverson was always too hard on him.

Keith had started out in highschool as a bit of a trouble maker. Sometimes she helped him with his shenanigans, as long as it had something to do with hacking into the PA system, or anything having to do with tech. If he didn't really need her expertise, she never bothered to help.

It had gotten so out of hand that Iverson had approached Principal Coran about placing Keith on the team as a punishment. Almost like Iverson's boot camp for troubled youth.

Keith had been furious but wasn't given a choice. Shiro, who was still a senior at the time, thought it was a great idea. He even went as far as convincing their dad that it was possibly the best thing Keith needed.

And would you know, it actually was. Shiro was right. Shocker there.

Keith had ended up being an exceptional player for a freshman and even a better one now.

It was actually where she met Lance, at one of his practices. The still lanky but shorter boy had tried to befriend Keith. He was new to the Altea school system, his mamá moving their family to the states from cuba. Something about them getting a better education.

Keith had completely ignored the boy, which pissed the cuban off and in return started a rival between the two.

It quickly ended though when Lance made conversation with her at one of the practices. They became good friends, finding a lot in common. It was then that Keith backed off a bit and let the boy be. He knew if he messed with Pidge's friend, it was basically messing with her.

And he did not want to be on her bad side.

Eventually they started to bond over having her as a mutual friend and the rest was history.

They still pick at each other, of course. The nickname "mullet" did come from Lance himself.

But Pidge was happy with her boys.

Even if they were both annoying as hell.

"Hunk asked me at practice if it was alright if we hang at your house for a bit," said Lance as he leaned his head back on her desk.

He was long enough to not have to arch his head to look up at her. His head was perfectly flat on her desk. Beautiful bright Azul eyes looking straight up at her.

"Depends. Who is "we" being applied to?" Her hair fell around the sides of his face as she looked down at him.

She wondered if it was moments like these that Keith realized she had a crush.

That thought alone made her straighten up and look around her to see if anyone was watching.

One of the linebackers named Ryan, was watching them with a small smile. As well as a cheerleader who's name was nyma.

They both sat off to the side of them a couple rows over. Pidge guessed they had peaked their interest with their interaction.

"Just us, hunk, and Keith of course."

"Sounds fun," she replied, moving his head from her paper so she could get back to work. He always distracted her with his antics.

Chemistry was her favorite class and he still managed to catch her attention.

Sitting up, Lance stood up only to sit back down in his chair backwards, completely facing her. "So do you want to ride with me or with Keith?" He asked with a challenging smile.

Probably wanting to hang, the fact that she would pick him, over Keith's head.

"Hmm," she tapped her pencil on the desk in mock thought. "Ride with you on the death trap you call a bike or with Keith in old, safe, reliable red….what do you think?" She asked him playfully.

"Well," he said, sitting up straighter. "I think if you were the kind of person to think rationally and think everything through all the time, you wouldn't be friends with me," he smiled, plastering a cheesy smile on his face.

Pidge laughed and nodded her head. He was absolutely right.

"That's a good point, guess I'll take the death trap," she told him

Like she wouldn't have rode with him anyways.

Lance gave her another cheesy smile, "I'm the best."

Yes, he was.

"What did you end up doing after I left last night?"

Pidge blushed at the memory of the night before. The conversation she had with Keith suddenly coming back to her. "I read." She lied. She hadn't even finished two sentences before she let Keith into her room and into her mind.

Fucking Keith.

"Did you hear about the big Halloween party Griffin and some of his buddy's are throwing?

"Halloween? It's still September," she reminded him with a raised eyebrow. "You do know that, don't you Lance?" She smirked.

He rolled his eyes, "Yes I know that. But as big as it sounds, and it sounds huge by the way, you have to plan it a month in advance. Not to mention it'll be the first party of the school year."

If Pidge remembered correctly, and she probably does, James griffin was a bit of an ass. He had dated Lance's sister, Veronica, before he cheated on her with another soccer player.

And from what she's heard about his friends, they weren't any better.

"You hate Griffin," she stated.

"Yes, but Griffin is on the team and very popular."

Oh, right. This was a status thing. Even though Lance still had a pretty good reputation being a player and quarterback, it was always a recurring thing with him. Lance wanted to be popular so he could get all girls and guys. He wanted to be able to flirt with just about anyone without him being rejected because of his social status.

The thought of it put a sour taste in her mouth.

"Let me guess, you want to go."

"Uh duh," he proclaimed. "Who wouldn't. It's going to be the first and probably biggest party of the entire year," he grinned in excitement. "I'm only mentioning so you can have a costume ready."

"So I can have a costume ready?" Why did she need one?

"Yup, I'm making everyone go. Even mullet."

She doubted that. There was no way he was gonna get herself and Keith to go.

"Yeah, no," said Keith dully.

They were all seated at their usual lunch table in the side corner of the cafeteria.

She was seated between hunk and Lance opposed to how she usually sat between Keith and Lance. She was still mad at him and made sure he knew it when she squeezed between the linebacker and quarterback.

Allura and hunk had given her strange looks but lotor shook his head at the two, as if to say "Don't Ask."

"Come on, Keith! It's just a Halloween party," Lance whined. He had been trying to get the emo to relent since they had sat down. according to Keith, he had been nagging him during the whole 3rd period they shared.

"I don't dress up and I don't do parties."

Lance huffed and crossed his arms in the cutest pout she had ever seen. "Just forget about it, Lance," she said "We all know how stubborn Keith can be." She sent a glare towards the asian boy as she said it.

"Are you seriously still angry with me!" He said, eyes wide as he looked at her from across the table. Or at least as 'across' as you could get at a round table. "Pidge, this attitude of yours is getting ridiculous."

Her glare only hardened,

"You mean like your ridiculous mullet."

"Ooh, shots fired." Hunk announced, eyes wide.

Lance was turning red at how hard he was trying not to laugh. He loved it when anyone made fun of the mullet. Especially her.

"That's it, midget." Keith quickly stood up and stomped towards her. Grabbing her by her upper arms, he pulled her from her seat and started towards the double doors that led to the hallway.

"What is your problem?" he asked as he let her go. "You can't really still be mad at me about the joke I made this morning."

"It was not a joke and you know it! You said it way too seriously for it to be in a joking manner," she whisper-yelled, not wanting anyone to hear her but wanting him to understand how pissed she was.

"I don't see the big deal!"

"The big deal is that you left me and made me feel embarrassed. My brain short circuited. I'm new to all of this!"

"Alright, you're right." He pulled his hands up into a surrender position. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you like that."

"You should also be sorry for me making a complete idiot out of myself in front of Lance." She was still a little angry but had calmed down considerably from his apology. "I had to walk down with Lotor because you left me and he then told Lance I was mad, which led me having to find some random fucking excuse to give him."

"Why not the truth," he grinned. A shit eating grin at that.

Pidge glared at him, "That's not an option."

He laughed at her glare, the anger and tension diminishing between them, "So what did you tell him?"

The brunette hesitated. She didn't want to tell him because he was going to make fun of her. Who wouldn't?

"Promise not to laugh?" She asked.

Taking his nod as an answer, Pidge sighed. "I told him it was my monthly menstrual."

Kieth covered his mouth with his hand, trying to keep himself from laughing and failing miserably as she watched thequaking of his shoulders.

"You-you what?" Amusement littered his voice as he continued to try and muffle his chuckles.

All classes had ended and Pidge couldn't have been more exhausted. Between being angry with Keith, not getting any sleep, and not being able to take a nap in 3rd because of a test, she wanted to pass out.

She didn't even freak out when Lance had helped her up from the theatre stage and led her out the door with a hand on her back.

She was very happy she didn't pick a thin shirt for that reason though. She didn't think she could handle trying to deal and fight a blush.

"Woah, Pidge!" Yelled Hunk as they arrived outside to where the three boys had parked. Heand Keith were both leaning on Hunks very new, yellow, hummer. It had been a birthday gift from his great aunt. "Did you die?" He asked. "You look dead."

"God, I wish," she answered him. "At least I could sleep while dead."

The three snickered at her.

"Are you sure you want to ride with Lance?" Keith asked. He sent a smirk towards the cuban boy. Obviously trying to throw the victory dance Lance had performed in the cafeteria when he announced that she would be going with him, back at him.

"Oh no no no. She will not be going with you, mullet."

Lance waved a finger in the asian's face "if anything, the cold wind will wake her up."

And he was right. She dug her little fingers into the side of his jacket. The wind was way more cold and horrid on her then the day before. Especially seeing as she forgot her green sweater and decided to wear shorts. Lance actually had to pull his hoodie off at a light and offer it to her, just so she would unlatch her finger nails from his body. She was sure her bony fingers didn't feel good pressed into his ribs.

Once they had pulled into her driveway though, Pidge immediately jumped off the bike before Lance and started to rub her legs viciously, trying to get some kind of heat on them.

Hunk and Keith only laughed as they walked over from their nice warm vehicles and Lance looked a little guilty. He was most likely used to the cold wind hitting him considering he drove the bike everyday. He probably felt bad that he made her ride with him. Even though he did give her the option.

It was her stupid fault.

The front door opened and they all looked up expecting to see Colleen standing there to greet them but instead a mop of brown hair similar to her own popped out.

Matt was leaning against the door frame, amusement surrounding his features. Shiro soon joined him in the doorway and smiled at the four.

"I don't know how I feel about my baby sister riding on one of those monstrosities."

"Matty!!"

Authors note:

Oh dear I can't believe how long that took!! But I promised Matt and Shiro and I delivered. There will be more of them in the next one.

A lot of cuteness coming your way. Please leave some comments!