Lance's Funeral

Vol 7 / part 1: You Found Me

In the end
Everyone ends up alone
Losing her
The only one who's ever known
Who I am, who I'm not, and who I wanna be
No way to know
How long she will be next to me

~Fray / You Found Me

***

Keith had lost the letter.

He realized this a while back, after his and Lance's little adventure to 452 Sanders Way, where they had their lovely 'meet n' greet' with Lance's satanic brother. On the car ride home, unbeknownst to the younger, non-satanic McClain, Keith reached to feel a familiar weight in his pocket only to discover it was no longer there.

Normally, Keith wouldn't dwindle over an event such as losing a scrap of paper, but this nearly drove him to the brink. First Lance was put in danger, and then Keith lost his most precious possession. The only thing that kept him grounded during this chapter of love and chaos. Or, one ghost rather. But now, what was he to do? The problems wouldn't stop piling, building a tower to the sky, the heavens, and beyond.

Keith answered his phone.

"Keith! You picked up!" Shiro exclaimed in another place, existing, though not visible. "What's happening, man? Pidge told me you've missed a lot of days of school. Is something wrong?"

"Shiro!" Keith yelled, though it was unnecessary. "Come over. And bring everyone else, including Coran. There is... there is something we need to tell you guys. For real this time."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down." Shiro's voice was low and robotic through the speaker. Keith and Lance leaned in - shoulders touching - to listen. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Please, Shiro." Keith begged. "I need to see you badly. This is urgent, like, real urgent. I don't know who else to turn to. I'm... I'm kinda freaking out here, Shiro. Please. I need your help."

"I'm on my way." Shiro said at once. "I'll inform everyone else. Hang in there, Keith. You don't need to explain yourself now."

And, with that, Shiro hung up. He was always the first to take action and help a friend in need. Keith was impressed by it. Envious even. That's why they were such good friends. No, brothers.

Keith shoved his phone into his pocket then brought his shaky palm to his temple. His head was spinning. Everything around him was a spiral of madness that he was desperately trying not to be consumed by. He ran his fingers through his hair, a veil between his stare and the pavement road beneath them. The night was cold and bleak.

"Ok..." Keith finally spoke up, his breath a white, airy cloud against the black landscape. "What is going on?"

"No, no. I remember Shiro." Lance insisted, though he held no tone of confidence. "Yeah, Shiro. I know him. Sheerios, Shiro, Sheerios. I don't know what came over me."

"How about he rest of our friends? Can you remember them?"

"Yeah, yeah. There's Pidge, Hunk, Allura... and... is that it?"

"No, no, no. I said his name seconds ago! Our professor. Think hard, Lance."

"Our professor? I go to college?" Lance brought his knees to his chest, his hands wrapped around the back of his skull. "Wait, of course I do. Well, yeah, I used to. Pidge was in our class. With, what's her name? Mrs. Glenn! And Coran! Coran, Coran, the gorgeous man."