Chapter 15: A Week Without Keith


"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh…" Lance stretched his hands up and out as he let out a long, drawn out yawn.

Pidge had to duck out of the way of his stretching arms. "Is that really necessary?" she asks in a monotone voice, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

Lance drops his hands. "Oh, sorry." His eyes were so heavy, it took way too much effort to keep them open.

"Dude. Did you even get any sleep last night?" Hunk smiled a bit at the bags under his friend's eyes.

They were all currently in the commons area waiting for the first bell to ring. Hunk, Pidge, and Lance were sitting on the floor against a wall and Shiro was sitting in front of them with his laptop open.

Lance sighed. "No, I really didn't. K-" He stopped himself. He didn't want them to know Keith showed up at his place completely drunk. "I was working all night on homework."

Hunk nodded in understanding, but Pidge gave him a sidelong glance.

Shiro also spared him a glance, having caught his slip up. He looked towards the front entrance of the school then back to Lance. "So, does anyone know where Keith its?" He looked at his watch. "It's only a minute till the bell rings. He's never been late before." He couldn't seem to hide the concern in his voice.

Lance wrung his hands together. He knew exactly why Keith wasn't at school today, at least he was pretty sure. Keith was probably nursing a hangover at the moment. "M-maybe he just isn't feeling well?" It came out more like a question than a statement.

Shiro eyed him a moment longer before going back to his work.

Pidge, however, certainly didn't miss how Lance continued to stare at the school's entrance, hands wringing in his lap. He jumped a bit when the first bell rang, smiling sheepishly as he gathered his stuff. They all headed off to their first class.

All day, Lance could not get away from his concern about Keith. Hearing what he was saying last night… there is something going on at his house on Sunday nights, and Lance is determined to find out what. He was sure to get copies of the day's work from whatever classes he has with Keith. Hopefully this is the only day Keith has to miss…


…Or not.

Tuesday comes and goes and still no word or appearance from Keith. Lance's worry only grows. He continues to collect work for Keith, asking the others to do so as well for the rest of his classes. He really wishes Keith had a cell phone or something. He has no way of contacting him or figuring out how he's doing. Lance sighs, feeling his anxiety rise.


On Wednesday, Lance makes a decision. Keith still hasn't shown and if he still doesn't show by Friday, Lance will then voice his suspicions to the rest of the group. He can see the concern growing in the others as Keith still doesn't show up. He can tell they are all worried, especially Pidge, but just don't want to show it. They try to act like they are all okay, but Lance can tell.


Thursday and Friday come and go, anxiety increases, Lance feels sick with worry, and his stack of make-up work for Keith is ever growing. Lunch on Friday is solemn and quiet. They are all worried and refuse to admit it. Finally, just before the bell rings, Lance mentions to them that they should all meet at Burger Palace after school. The others nod in agreement and head to class when the bell rings.


"So what's this about exactly?" Pidge was the last to sit down with her food. She looked to the others for some kind of response.

"Well, I'm sure this has something to do with Keith," Hunk offers.

"Yes but I'm sure she means more specifically." Shiro took a sip of his drink.

Pidge nodded. Lance swallowed the fry he was currently chewing before he began. "So…" Lance took a moment to figure out how he was going to say this. The others waited patiently for him to be ready. "There is something that you all need to know. I've chosen to tell you because I know you all care about Keith, and after this week, we are all very worried for him. Well… I've had my suspicions about something. The only other person I've told is Pidge, because she happen to really notice his change."

All their food sits forgotten on the table as they all listened intently to Lance's every word.

Lance continued. "I began to notice little things when I first met him: small bruises seemed to appear, how reserved he is, how he flinches away from any physical touch." He paused. "That day I got his address from you, Shiro, I met his dad. He was very rude and treats Keith like trash. I believe he is abusing Keith. I don't know the full extent of it, but I know something is going on."

"So, do you think that time he freaked out over the blackout is somehow connected to his abuse?" Hunk asked, thinking back to the day of that huge storm.

Lance nodded and Shiro looked worried. "What happened during the blackout?"

"Well… As soon as the whole school went dark, of course everyone was acting like third graders, but we all turned on our phone lights. When I looked around, Keith wasn't at his desk anymore. Eventually Pidge found him in a corner, sitting in a fetal position. His whole body was shaking and he'd been crying. That isn't a normal reaction to being scared of the dark. I sat down and talked with him until he calmed down enough to fall asleep." He paused a moment, trying to keep his anger in check. "I don't know what his father's been doing to him for him to react like that, but I know it's him."

The others waited patiently for Lance to continue.

"I thought he had been getting better. He was smiling more, flinching less, letting his friends in. Recently, however, he seems to have regressed and almost gotten worse. I hardly see any emotion in him at all. I don't know what has changed exactly but I know it has something to do what whatever goes on Sunday nights." He stopped to take in everyone's reactions. Hunk looked completely appalled and heartbroken. Pidge, who knew some, was surprised and saddened at the rest of the information.

Shiro, on the other hand, didn't look surprised at all, just solemn. "I knew something was off. I haven't found out as much as you have, but I had suspicions." Shiro thought for a moment. "What happened last Sunday? Is Keith the reason you were so tired Monday at school?"

Lance sighed. He can't get anything passed Shiro. "I found Keith in my front yard around one in the morning, drunk off his ass and smelling of tequila." He ignored Hunk's comment of 'Keith drinks?!' to continue his story. "I brought him inside and asked how he got there. He said he walked. He walked all the way to my house, drunk. I tried to get more out of him. He kept talking about this 'her' who… well… I only got bits and pieces form him. Something about his dad liking the money, this lady likes his 'work', that tequila was her favorite, and that it's his fault. He kept insisting on leaving and that he's not allowed to say anything."

"You think someone forced him to drink?" Pidge asked, suspicion edging her voice.

Lance nodded. "I do. I think whoever this mystery lady is, somehow forced him to drink. Though I can't think of why." Lance had a hand to his chin in deep thought.

"Maybe…" Hunk started to speak but he seemed almost sick at his own thoughts. "You don't think it was to make it easier to… abuse him? Make him more compliant?"

Shiro nodded solemnly. "That is very possible. It could have made him more impressionable or more yielding to others' suggestions."

Lance just nodded. "I plan on 'paying a visit' to his place this Sunday night. I need to know what has changed to make him as he is now. He has no emotion and no energy." He looked down at his lap. "It breaks me to see him that way."

Hunk places a comforting hand on Lance's back, though he knows it can't do much in a situation like this.

Shiro spoke next. "I agree that we should find out what is happening on Sundays, but just be careful. There is no telling what you are going to see."

Lance nodded. If he was being honest, he really didn't want to know what was happening.


Sure enough, that Sunday night, Lance made his way to the Kogane house. When he got there, he saw the light on in the living room. As he snuck up to the front window, he only found John, sitting and watching TV. He backed up to look at the rest of the house. He didn't notice at first but there is a faint light coming from a bedroom. He snuck over and ducked down below the window. He peeked over and found a break in the blinds, just large enough for him to see inside. What he did see, however, had him frozen. He was so in shock that he found he couldn't move or even look away. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing.


Woooooow I finally got a chapter up! I've actually gotten a little ahead in my writing (thanks to the holiday break) so hopefully I can keep it that way. So the others finally know of Lance's suspicions! Yay! Please review! Until next chapter,

NyteXade