Chapter 16

Wednesday, October 23rd.

"What kind of movie genres do you like?"

Pidge lifted her head to level the jock in front of her with a confused gaze. The question had to be at least the tenth one he asked since the class started and all of them involved him finding out something new.

About her.

The player had smiled largely at the brunette when he sat down in his spot beside her.

It had been a couple of weeks since the first Friday night lights and the boy had yet to bring up the conversation that Lance had interrupted. Which she was grateful for. She really didn't want to have that talk.

But he still sat very close to her every second period and tried to be at her side the moment he caught sight of her in the halls.

Lunch was about the only time he actually let her be while being in the same room and it was starting to grate on her nerves.

"I don't actually have a preference."

The brunette tried to keep her answers and responses short. She didn't want to seem rude but also didn't want to encourage him to continue with trying to make small talk.

"That's cool. I personally like action. Do you like any action movies?"

So far nothing seemed to shut him up, though. He didn't care If her answers were simple and uninterested. He didn't even seem to care that she didn't ask any of her own questions.

He just talked. Not deterred in the slightest.

It was impressive but super annoying. He was becoming super annoying.

At first he was great. A cool guy she considered a friend. He was someone she shared common interests with. They discussed topics they both liked. He helped her in social studies and sometimes she would offer advice on his math homework. They had exchanged numbers to do just that.

But now, It was creepy how they only talked about her. Griffin just wanted to talk about her interest and her likes and dislikes. He wanted to know about her home life and her family. He wanted to hear about her childhood and what she was like as a small girl.He never wanted to know about her friends though. She noticed how he tried to bypass any conversation when it came to Lance or even Keith.

Allura was an okay topic for him, that is, as long as no boys were brought up. Not even the captain's boyfriend.

"I don't really follow movies, Griffin," she responded, only glancing at him momentarily before focusing back on her paper.

"How come?"

Pidge sighed. Another question.

"I have other and better ways to spend my time."

She did watch movies. Just mostly with her friends and family. Mostly Lance and Keith.

Which she knew he wouldn't appreciate hearing.

"Doing what?"

The brunette huffed in frustration. Flattening her palms on her tabletop and preventing her hands from bawling into fist and showing her anger. "Like paying attention and completing my history work."Her voice was steady but teetering on the edge of pissy. She needed him to understand she was done talking and wanted to finish her paper. Hopefully without him getting upset with her tone.

"I can just do it for you," he said, smirking. It was almost like he enjoyed that he was capable of making her irritated and distracting her.

"I know you can and I appreciate all your past help but I would like to do this one on my own though. Copying someone else's work can only get me so far."

She had depended on him for far too long. Her class grade had gone up, which was good. But she found that it depressed her a bit, knowing that it wasn't because of her own hard work.

"But I like helping you." One of his hands weaved through some of her long tresses and he twisted some of the strands around his fingers, tucking it behind her ear. "I like when you need my help."

Pidge stilled at the contact. Eyes widening. "You have very pretty hair, you know that. It's probably one of my favorite things about you," he told her. His eyes were half lidded and a bodacious smile stretched across his lips. It was similar to the mesmerizing gaze Lance often gave her. The look she adored so much from her lanky best friend. The look she tried so hard to not blush at, made her want to throw up when placed on the boy in front of her.

She jerked back from his touch, sick to her stomach. She realized she didn't like his touch. She didn't like how it made her feel.

"You okay?" Griffin asked. The unpleasant expression dropped from his face and he frowned, looking ready to reach for her hand but she jumped up. Not quite sure why her body gave such a strong reaction to just predicting his touch before even feeling it.

The bell rang.

A couple of her peers' attention was drawn to her, glancing at her weirdly as they grabbed their things. She only averted her eyes away from them, collecting her own stuff.

"Pidge?" Griffin asked in confusion.

He sounded concerned and probably looked like it too but she couldn't tell as she couldn't meet his gaze. She was embarrassed and worried that the soft expression on his face would make her apologize for her odd behavior. Even when she didn't quite understand it.

She knew it was because of the contact he kept giving her but for whatever reason she had hated it. A reason she didn't want to find out right then. So she grabbed her bag from the floor and pulled it over her shoulder.

"See you later, Griffin." She didn't look at him once, leaving for the door of the classroom quickly. She didn't want him to catch up to her and practically jogged through the students surrounding the hall.

"Pidge!"

A gasp sounded from her throatas a hand clasped around her wrist, swinging her around.

Shaggy blonde hair greeted her.

"Rolo," the brunette breathed.

It's just Rolo, Pidge. Calm down.

The jock really had her on edge.

"You good?" Rolo asked. His fingers rested gently against her skin and she noticed it calmed her. It was a familiar and friendly touch and she welcomed it, happily. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm always pale," she laughed uneasily. Her heart felt like it was coming down from an adrenaline rush, making her very anxious.

She bounced from one foot to another.

Rolo raised a brow, "More so than usual." He looked down to her wrist, twisting it in his hand. "And you're shaking."

The brunette pulled her appendage from the teen and settled it down by her side, giving her friend a fake smile. "Low sugar," she lamely told him.

The blonde gave her a doubtful stare before shrugging at her, "If you say so. Want me to walk you to class?" He asked.

"Yes!" She eagerly answered, not wanting to run the chance of bumping into Griffin on her way to 3rd period. "I mean," she calmed herself. "If you don't mind that is. Warning bell is about to ring."

"Nah," he tucked his hands into his cargo pants pockets, beginning to walk. "I've got study hall. I doubt anyone will mind me being late."

She nodded, "Right, you share it with Keith, Lance, and Hunk."

"Among others. Got my girl in there too." He smiled at the mention of his girlfriend. The sight eased her a bit more and she smiled along with him.

"Are you sure you are okay?" He asked once again. "You still look off."

Pidge sighed, reaching up to slip some hair behind her ear but quickly yanking her hands down by her side when she remembered that Griffin had already tucked the strands away. She shook her head to release them from their hold.

"I could give you some stuff to help."

The brunette glared at her walking companion. "I don't want to smoke any weed, Rolo."

"I've got edibles."

"Rolo," she warned.

The blonde laughed.

"So I have an idea," Hunk said excitedly as he sat down at the large round lunch table and everyone looked up from their food. "I think we need a guys day, this Saturday."

"A guys day? Meaning Allura and I are excluded?" asked Pidge. Two unopened packs of powdered donuts were laid before her as she finished up her third pack.Hunk wished he could put away that much junk food without gaining an ounce.

"Are you a guy?" Lance asked her with a smirk.

"Probably more of one than you, McClain," the brunette smirked back, giving the lanky teen next to her a smug look.

Lance held up his fist in a fighting position. "Oh yeah, you wanna test that Holt. Let's go."

The cuban bumped his knuckles lightly against her shoulder and the small girl laughed, pushing his hands away and almost shoving him off his seat.

"Sorry, Pidge. I kinda just meant Lance, Keith, and Lotor. We could all go check out the new arcade that was just built downtown!"

"I didn't know I was apart of this guy retreat," said Keith. He didn't seem so enthused by his teammates' idea.

Keith doesn't want to do anything fun. Shocker.

"Yeah, why is mullet included in this? He's more of a girl than any of us," Lance pointed towards the asian as he spoke, getting a glare sent his way.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Keith yelled.

"You prefer to hang out with Pidge and only her outside of school. Not to mention you consider her your only real friend. You don't hangout with boys."

"She's also your best friend!"

"Yeah but I also have male friends I hangout with."

"It's not that I don't want to hang out with males, it's just that I don't like people!"

Hunk watched from across the table with amusement, but not at the two arguing boys. He instead watched the small body between them. Pidge, amidst the tiny war, contentedly stuffed her face with her sweets. Powered sprinkled all over her sweater as she watched her friends go back and forth like a tennis match. She was so unbothered but also so focused on the two that the player almost wanted to laugh at her expression of true Interest.

"At least I don't go through the trouble of putting a face on my face before I go to bed!"

Lance gasped, "It's called a facial mask and it can be very manly!"

Lotor snorted beside Allura.

"Manly my ass! If a man gets acne he doesn't spend money on Proactive!"

"My stuff is a lot more expensive than that cheap shit!

Pidge swallowed her last donut from her second pack and brushed her hands off on her jeans. "Ladies!" She yelled, catching the boys attention. "You're both beautiful, can we move on."

Keith stopped and looked at the brunette for a only a second before glancing back up to the cuban. He pointed down towards his female friend, "Can you really go off Pidge being the reason I'm not considered "Manly", she's not really all that girly."

The brunette eyebrows furrowed into a glare.

"Yeah I guess you're right."

She swirled around to give a shocked look to Lance.

"I am too girly," she told him confidently but with a look of offense.

Lance lifted an eyebrow.

"I can be." She mumbled, crossing her arms.

Lance laughed, reaching an arm around her shoulders. "Who said I would want you to be?" He asked her.

Pidge blushed and Keith rolled his eyes at the two, turning his gaze towards his burly friend. "I don't really play games, Hunk."

"We could do other things. We could go see a movie and get food," Hunk offered up.

"I won't be able to go. Allura and I already have plans," said Lotor, pulling his girlfriend closer to him.

"Oh right. You two have a love life," Lance said playfully, pretending to be sour about it.

"How nice for you."

The asian sighed, "I guess I'll tag along," he said boredly, leaning back Into his chair.

"Don't sound so excited, Mullet," the cuban glowered but quickly shifted his expression to one of joy. "You know I'm in, buddy! We could totally run around the whole arcade."

"Joy," Keith deadpanned.

"Great!" Hunk cheered. "Now I just have one loose end to tie up before our plan is a go." His dark brown eyes focused on the petite figure in front of him.

"Pidge!"

The brunette looked up from her third package of sugar, half a donut adorably sticking out of her mouth.

"Will you babysit my brother and sister?!"

She nodded eagerly and Hunk smiled. He knew she would gladly watch his siblings. She loved them.

"So we have a guys day?!" Lance questioned happily.

"We have a guys day!"

Lance was getting irritated.

To be more precise. James fucking Griffin was irritating him.

The guy had been staring at him since gym class had started. Constantly following him around.

He leaned up against the rock wall while the cuban did push ups. He was at the weights across from the treadmills where Lance was running.

And now as Lance benched, the jock was in line for the pull up bar, a clear view straight his way.

Honestly, if the coach hadn't made sitting around prohibited, the lanky teen was sure Griffin would have pulled up a chair 5 feet away and just stared.

He was aware of whatever had gone down in second period between the player and his best friend. Rolo had watched the entire thing from where he sat in the corner of the history class and spared no detail on how freaked Pidge looked when she just about ran from the jock and Lance had been furious.

The blonde pulled him aside on the way to lunch and told him.

The bastard had no right to touch Pidge. Not one person did unless she allowed it.

It took everything in him to not bring up the incident at lunch. To not at least mention it to Keith.

But he knew if he did, Keith would just get upset and question the brunette. Lance didn't question her himself because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by bringing it back up and the asian would have without thinking.

"Need a spotter?"

Dark brown and gelled hair fell around the jock's face as he leaned forward over the cuban. Lance was currently still laying down on the weight bench so he had to look straight up.

"No thanks," the cuban sneered, sitting up and grabbing a towel from off the floor. He wrapped it around his neck, watching as his teammate now stood in front of him. "May I help you?" He questioned, realizing the guy wasn't going anywhere.

Griffin smirked, "Actually, you can." He squatted down, perching on the edge of the bench. "I think we need to talk about how much time you're spending with Pidge."

"Excuse me?" Lance gawked. Too shocked to be angry at his bluntness.

Is he serious?!

"I think it's in her best interest if you and your little fan club take a step back from her."

The cuban huffed in amusement. "Her best interest? What are you, her dad?"

"She talks about you too much."

Lance smiled almost smugly. "She talks about me?"

The jock glared, "She talks about all of you but yes, you are the most annoying topic for her."

The lanky teen blushed slightly at that, using the edge of his sweat rag to wipe at his inflamed cheeks.

"Don't get too happy about that, McClain. I'm working to eradicate whatever relationship the two of you have."

Lance frowned, "What do you mean?"

Griffin gave a cocky smile. "You think I don't know how head over heels you are for her?"

Lance could feel his hands tighten into fist, gripping at his gym shorts.

"You practically shine like a fucking star every time she's near you." He laughed, standing up from where he seated himself. "I shouldn't blame you though. What straight man wouldn't want to bang the brains out of that pretty little-"

Lance quickly stood, getting up into the boy's face. "Don't talk about her like that," he growled. His voice was low and dangerous. It practically dared Griffin to speak about her like that again. Any sane person would have shivered at the sound, running with their tail tucked between their legs.

But James only smiled. The psychopath.

"Watch yourself, lancey. We wouldn't want Pidge knowing about your little secret, now would we?"

Lance flinched.

The Asswhole was really going to hang his feelings over his head like a threat.

"But then you would run the chance of her returning those feelings." It was a bluff. He knew Pidge would never return his affection. But even so, there was a good chance it would shake the teen up a bit. Maybe make him stop and think that it might be a possibility.

Griffin scoffed, "Is that a challenge? You think you could win her over me?"

Pidge wasn't a prize. He would never fight over her like some object. But he also didn't want her to fall for some fake scum like James Griffin. Who, even if Lance hated to admit it, was very charming when it came to the ladies. Facade or not.

"You consider yourself a challenge?" The cuban smirked. "From what I hear she practically ran from your advances this morning."

It was low but oh man, did It make Lance happy to watch the smug look fall from his ..opponent's expression.

"It was too much, too early," he shrugged. "She'll get used to me touching her, don't you worry."

A muscle in Lance's right arm twitched. It itched to punch the confident look right off the boy's face.

"McClain. Griffin. You can chit-chat and braid each other's hair later. Get your asses in gear and do some exercises." Iverson yelled from his office.

No words were exchanged as the two separated from each other. But one thing stuck on Lance's mind the rest of the class until he could reach his best friend in 7th period.

And it was Murder.

"I'm starting to think I'm not meant to pass Calculus," Keith groaned from his desk chair.

Pidge laughed from the spot on his bed and shoved her history book to the side. "Let me help you," she said, patting the place beside her.The asian huffed and flopped down on top of his covers, handing her his homework.

The two had rode home together, deciding a little study time wouldn't be so bad. Especially seeing as the brunette genius was the reason the emo was passing his math class in the first place.

"What exactly aren't you understanding?" She asked him, looking down at the problems that had been selected by his teacher.

"Everything," he complained, a small whine creaking in the back of his throat. He sorrowfully dropped his head onto her upper thigh so he could look along with her but also so he could keep his pitiful act up. "I'm just so awful with this, Pidge. Maybe you should do it."

"Oh no you don't." She shook her head in amusement, lifting his head up with her hand so he leaned against her shoulder instead. "You are doing this and you're going to understand it."

She grabbed the paper that she pulled out for some of her own notes and flipped it over. Not caring that she would have scribbled math problems all over the back of the neat sheet.

Which wasn't shocking. The brunette was never a neat or organized person. She mostly just went off what worked in that moment and dealt with the resulting consequences later.

"So you are basically going to add this.." She pointed to some various numbers at the top of the paper and Keith only looked ahead, not really paying attention. She had a comfy shoulder and her constant droning but soothing voice was starting to lure him into a relaxed state.

"Get it?" She asked, her voice sounding a little loud in his drowsy head but he nodded anyways. He wasn't even sure what she was asking. He just knew it had been a long day and his mind was starting to drift.

Early morning practice had started to become brutal now that the weather was starting to take a turn for freezing. His bones always ache a lot more when he is exposed to cold temperatures and it made him absolutely dread the upcoming snow that they were sure to get towards the end of November and early December.

He hated the snow, unlike Pidge.

The brunette enjoyed any time that she could get, shoveling snow balls down his jacket and giving the excuse every year, that it's a tradition. A tradition that she made everyone take in order to torture him.

"...ith? Are you even listening to me?" The girls voice sounded irritated as it finally made its way into his head.

"Hmm?" He hummed.

A scoff was heard before his temporary and warm pillow moved out from underneath his head. "This is why you are failing the subject," she told him simply.

"No!" He defended, clearing his head as he looked to her. "I pay attention in class, I'm just tired. Sore."

Understanding flashed behind her golden eyes. "Ah. Your bones hurt, don't they?"

He nodded, dropping down into her lap once again.

Warm and tiny hands found their way into his raven locks and he exhaled largely at the sensation. "It's been a hard week," he told her, feeling her stomach that was behind his head, rise and fall with her breathing.

"It's only Wednesday," she chuckled softly.

"I know," he groaned.

"Why didn't you tell me you've been this tired. You know I would've been over in a heartbeat to spend some down time with you."

"I like natural attention. I don't want to feel like I had to goad you into comforting me."

The brunette shook her head down at him, "I will always want to help you. You'll never goad me."

The asian stayed quiet but closed his eyes and relaxed his full head weight Into his little sister's hands.

The two stayed like that for a bit. Just snuggling up in each other's company and warmth. Occasionally Keith would shift his head so tiny fingers could massage a certain spot on his scalp. It was a comforting act he preferred only from her. He didn't really let anyone in his hair...or close to him at all but Pidge.

She was kinda his safe spot when he needed to unwind.

"What do you want to do for dinner?" She asked quietly, not wanting to disturb him but also not wanting to sit in silence anymore.

"Dad is working late."

"So order in? Mom is making her vegetarian burritos and I'm not really interested."

He gave her a thumbs up, turning on his side so she could get the back of his neck.

'Ding'

The green cased phone vibrated along with it's high pitched alert and the asian squinted an eye open as the device was right by his head. "Who is Casanova and why did he send you 4 smiley faces?" He asked, his voice sluggish from exhaustion and mumbled from being squished against her knee.

Pale fingers gripped the mobile, bringing it from his view.

"That would be James Griffin," she sighed.

Keith turned back flat on his back, more awake than he had been a second ago. "Why does he have your number?"

"We exchanged them for academic purposes."

Keith believed that was the reason she gave out her number, but doubted it was the only reason Griffin did.

"By the way, how's that been going?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, gazing at him with a quizzical and raised brow.

The emo sat up, "Has he confessed his undying love for you yet?" He smirked.

The brunette rolled her eyes, "Look, I know the guy has some kind of thing for me-"

"Shocker," he sarcastically Interrupted, gasping.

"Oh shut up," she pushed him playfully. "It's not often that a football player finds me Interesting."

More often than she thinks.

"It surprised me." Leaning back, she pulled her knees up to her chest and surrounded her arms around them. "He's bold though, so I caught on quick."

"Bold?"

"Yeah." She pulled her knees tighter. "He's an upfront flirt, a little touchy."

Keith frowned. He didn't like how enclosed she got when she mentioned him being "touchy".

"He touched you?" His voice was mostly concerned but he could hear how it was rimming with slight anger.

Her honey eyes widened a fraction, realizing he took what she said a bit far. "Not like that. Just playing with my hair and wanting to have some physical contact with me at all times."

Kieth nodded, "And you don't like it." It was a statement, not a question. The look on her face told him everything he needed to know so he didn't have to ask. "Did you tell him?"

Her brunette's locks moved in waves as she shook her head. "I kinda freaked earlier today and ran out on him. I thought maybe that would have been message enough but apparently not. He texted me and doesn't seem to remember what happened."

"Or he's avoiding it."

"Maybe," she sighed. "He's becoming a bit of a problem. I don't think I really like his company anymore."

Keith watched as she started to chew on her bottom lip, a nervous habit of hers. It was something she rarely did because she never really let a situation gnaw on her as much as she was letting this. "Does he make you uncomfortable?"

The asian didn't really like the fact that a guy he attended school with and played football with, was making his sister figure feel uneasy.

"More like just bad vibes."

The emo wondered if maybe Lance knew how she felt about the jock. The two had been giving each other death glares for about a month now. Perhaps she had told the lanky teen already.

"I think you should tell him that," he offered. It would probably do some good if she told him to back off.

Before he told the dick to fuck off.

"I will. I just don't think he's the kind of person that will take rejection well."

"You think he will be angry with you?"

"I don't know. It's like he has these moments where he just looks really angry but covers it up with a smile," she cringed slightly. "It's kinda creepy but I'm hoping he'll prove me wrong and be okay with it."

She always wanted to see the good in people that sometimes just wasn't there.

Keith shook his head at her. Pidge was too kind for the world.

Groaning as he stood, he stretched before turning towards the petite girl. "So, pizza?"