Chapter Text
All Spanish parts in this chapter were written and translated using an app. Only language I took was French.
Garrison High is a fairly prestigious place. Lance would have wondered how his widowed mother was even able to afford to send him there if it wasn’t for the fact he had three amazing older siblings who had pitched in; one who even already went through the school. And his grades. His grades were a big part too. He wasn’t an absolute genius like some people in his friend group. But he made it work. He was above intelligence after all.
The Garrison is a little abnormal. Offering 5 years of education rather than a normal high schools 4. The first four of course are almost always necessary for graduation. Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. Each year up is just another level of learning. But the fifth year is an optional year. Offering college courses and levels of experience with an addition of the mental preparations it would take to figure out majors and just college life in general. This year is called the Loft-year. For the sake that they are at the highest level of education the school provides.
Garrison High school isn’t a private or a boarding school. But it’s expensive, and the grade pattern is important. Grades do matter in the case of getting into the school. So does the money, but a rich kid with a bad GPA will only get halfway through whichever year. And you have to pass Garrison Senior year to go into Loft year.
Each year is heavily dedicated to studies. Hour long classes. 6 classes a day and one lunch period. An optional 7th class for students who wanted either extra time for classes, better grades, or maybe just to get out of school before everyone else, was held early in the morning. About an hour and a half before the rest of the school staff would really get there. It was like a really long study hall, with mixed class lessons. Lance doesn’t know anyone who’s has done that though. He might; if he makes it to loft year. The garrison is practically a public academy, that focuses on the many studies of sciences and maths. Physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics itself in all of his forms.
There are recreational clubs for theatre and choir, more normal high school activities, but these clubs are not funded by the school and must be led by parents or students in the system regardless. Lance likes his biochemistry class, his marine biology, and his Botany classes. Biology of all types has always been his specialty. The ocean has been a part of him for years. But he knows he wants to travel farther than deep. He wants the sky to speak to him. So he joined the Astronomy club. He can’t technically take the class until senior year, but the club is available to all students and funded by the school itself. So a win win.
Lotor Zakron. The son of one of the two principals of the school. A straight B student. But his father’s pride and joy all the same. However, Lotor does not partake in simple pleasures or letting his studying habits make him happy. He craves violence and fear. To make others cower. Nobody is a stranger to darkness or bruises or lockers or empty classrooms or cut hair or anything else of typical bullying behavior. Nobody is a stranger to its cruelty, not when you’ve managed to cross paths with Lotor.
Astronomy class is only available to senior and loft year students. So the club was formed to be available to all students. It was mostly Sophomores and Juniors, but Freshman are also included. And during the end of the year, all members are to put on a series of projects to present to the middle schools who would become a part of the schools freshmen year in months to come. It’s an introduction to the class itself. A whiteboard with a voting system for future research projects and sign up sheets and summer assignments. All of it galore. Equations and possible learnings. Statistics
Matt is one of Shiro’s best friends. That boy wears band shirt and flannels for days. He traded his glasses in for contacts. An old pair of rounded squares for something of daily use that doesn’t fit up when he breaths or clogs his pores. Light brown hair and hazel eyes. Not to mention he like incredibly smart. He great with coding and math. The computeristics something Lance wishes he himself was better at. Oh, and Matt’s dad is a teacher at the school. He only teaches Loft years, but luckily both Matt and Shiro are Loft years. Lance being a junior hopes he’ll be smart enough to make it to loft year.
Coran Wimbleton-Smythe. Or Mr. W-Smythe. A funny man, with a funny name, and a funny style of teaching. But a great mustache, a great personality, and a great eye for detail, not just in his students, but life. Lance wonders if the guy mastered in psychology before he switched gears and went studying about space for years. He is the Garrison-High professor of Astronomy, Astrology, and Physics. Lance had him for physics this year, and it’s hard to slip things past Coran, unless it’s about space. Coran is also one of the leading professor of the club, a leader and founder of you asked him. But he lives each of his students equally, right after Allura, the daughter of his best friend Alfor.
Allura Altea. The daughter of the Co-Principle Alfor Altea, and also one of ten brilliant thinkers for the school in the first place. Allura is just as ambitious as he father is, and just as beautiful as her mother was. She is just as kind as you let her be, meaning golden rule and giving kindness gets kindness. Though she’s not too kind to Lotor. Who is also her ex, might the drama spin a little longer. But Allura loves the stars just as much as anyone else in the group, although she sometimes says it’s like she feels as if she’s being pulled into it. A welcomed tug, like it’s her absolute destiny to be out there, somewhere far from earth. And she swears he father and her uncle feel it too.
Pidge was the brains of the operation. She’s short and feisty, with caramel-brown eyes and dirty blonde hair. Her face is round with her youth, and wide eyes framed by even rounder glasses. She’s only a freshman, but still a wild genius in her own right. Her older brother Matt is already in the Astronomy class. And her father is one of the professors that mandates the club. So she has quite the build up of connections with it already, and there’s no shock that she’s taking many classes ahead of her grade. Although you would think that someone with such a back for reading numbers, would be dyslexic and barely function to read a book.
It’s also kinda funny that Lance is the opposite.
Hunk Garret. Lances very best friend and the one whom he confides in everything with. They have a beautiful relationship that Lance never wants to change. Lance even encouraged Hunk to join in the astrology club this year, and things were looking up for Hunk’s anxiety. Lance is pretty sure hunk even hase a crush on one of the girls who made her own group in the club, Shayla, or Shay. A very tall and well built woman whose soft voice and nature don’t match up with her physique. But hunk is definitely making more friends, and not to meantion leaning. About space, social relationships, his own self and his own growth, and definitely a lot more for his favorite thing, cooking. Or baking. Just mix ingredients and then add heat
Takashi Shirogane, or just Shiro as everyone in the whole club had taken to call him, was a man aspiring to join NASA. NASA, Astronaut, Astrology and Astronomy. Space exploration and identifying new possible solar systems and moons and suns and stars. The club only teaches what is already know about the Milkyway system.
And then Keith himself? Well, Keith was…
”Lance.” came a voice from beside him. Lance only hummed. Barely looking at Keith. Keith was cute. He finally settled on. Even now that his mullet from back in freshman year was a low ponytail the settled on his back. The shaggy bangs framed his sharper jawline better. His eyes got sharper; but kinder. He has a scar on his cheek now, an almost purple and cool tone for his bleached skin.
He always wondered how the lone wolf came to be his friend. Maybe it was Matt and Shiro. Just knowing each other through family and close friends. Maybe it was Hunk and all his kindness. Inviting him to a seat at the lunch table in the cafeteria or showing off his cooking skills at one or their houses. Maybe it was the pointless fights they started. The ones that always finished with black eyes and Keith as the winner. Maybe it was Pidge and the two’s shared love for cryptids. It could have been the club too. Lance wasn’t sure how it came to be. But he blinked dumbly without an inch of regret.
”Well, if you’re even listening to me. Since you’ve been staring out the window for so long, you probably didn’t know that the busses are going to stop at this Burger King up ahead so we can all eat lunch. We have another 2 hours of sitting here on the bus after that. Just thought I would tell you.
“Thanks Keith…” Lance also had no idea when he first mistook his crush on Keith for jealousy. Sure, they had ups and downs grade wise. Just a point or two off. Or maybe it was the stupid races in gym. Rolling feet across the track. Luckily Lance always won those. Maybe…. Well. Lance has run it of maybes. He was just to stubborn to admit he was Bi. Not that he was any more open about it now. But he wasn’t afraid to look at boys either. Look at them like he looked at girls. But even he knew it would never compare to how he looks at Keith.
His feet were moving now. The bus has halted with a barely audible screech and jerked to a full break at the edge of the parking lot. It typically would have been a full ride there. But they were already going to make the hotel late at night anyways. They had to abide by the laws. ‘Like good citizens’ Lance thought to himself with a soft and quick puff of air escaping past his lips in a half laugh at his own silliness. Food? And busses? Nope. Not something that’s supposed to happen. Not that Lance had never had a piece of candy or something fast on the bus before. But two whole busses worth of students breaking that conduct? Or whatever it was called?
Reglas que están ahí porque algo podría pasar, pero también reglas un poco estúpidas. Lance thought to himself as he wobbled almost clumsily down the stairs of the bus before walking towards the restaurant. They had all agreed to simply eat their meals in the grass on the slight hill behind the building. One of their teachers had already run in and gotten permission.
“Lance,” came that voice again.
“Dios mío. No sabía que teníamos tanta gente. Me siento mal por los trabajadores. ¿Qué es, Keith?” He felt the words leaving his mouth before he said them. But why did Keith look at him like he just chirped at him?
”Lance, slow down. And you know I don’t speak Spanish.”
”Oh, sorry Keith. I was in mi cabesa. Thinking about busses and las règles and stuff. You know?” Keith only gave him a face. “Ugh. Nunca Menos. Me muero de hambre. Let’s go get our hamburgers or whatever..”
Keith caught up quickly. Lance was tall, and had long strides. Keith had sprouted up to be somewhere around Lance’s height. And then Lance grew. Again. So Keith was only about to Lance’s nose. Lance had to not think about just leaning down and kissing that boys lips though. “Wait up scarecrow. Also, did you just say hamburger twice?!”
”Keith-“ Lance huffed and rolled his eyes. Keith was still cute. Damnit. “I said hambre. Which means hungry ‘en español’ mi amigo. Aya aye aye… Sorry dude. Just- sorta tired I guess. I revert to more Spanish when I’m tired. Ask my Mamí. She would agree. And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me scarecrow? I’ll go back to calling you Cowboy, or like, Ranger if you don’t.” Lance poked Keith in the forehead. The Korean boy only chuckled. They had the worst nicknames for each other.
“Maybe you just need to get better sleep. We still have a while on the road, I bet you could catch a nap while we make our way there.” Lance could do nothing to deny the logic. It was there. But..