mcclain's diner//klance

Chapter One

It was a dreary morning when Keith arrived at McClain's diner. It hadn't rained since last night but the fog outside made it nearly impossible to see. A few times, he had nearly swerved off of the road into the unknown that laid beyond but, somehow, he managed to avoid any real damage. He kicked down the kickstand and headed right inside. As usual, he took his seat at the third bar stool from the end. It had a rip on the seat of it, with bits of stuffing poking out from out from the black leather. He liked it that way, thought it added to the authenticity of this diner being passed down from generation to generation. It was an oddly quiet crowd for McClain's today. Even at this early an hour, they normally had around twenty customers to serve, considering they were known all over town for their extra fluffy pancakes. Taking a look around, it seemed that there was only him, an old woman sat in a booth near the corner, knitting quietly, and Shiro, the mechanic down the road, who'd taken a certain liking to Keith. They exchanged a nod before he turned back around to look at the menu. He never bought anything from it, only flipped through its laminated pages. All he came there for was a coffee before he either blew town for the day or hung around the auto shop Shiro ran. They were the only ways he was able to escape to a place where he felt like he wasn't wasting his life away, trapped in a classroom that taught him nothing about how life really was. As he waited, he tapped his foot against the counter to the beat of the radio. It was an okay song, overplayed Keith thought, but catchy nonetheless. Out from the kitchen came a boy he'd never seen before. He looked to be about his own age, with messy brown hair and shining blue eyes. He was humming along to the radio when he spotted Keith, who he noticed had the beat solid.

"You like this song too?" The boy kept humming as he grabbed a mug and placed it in front of the other. "Or is it too overplayed for your taste?"

He didn't know how to respond. Not once in the two years he'd been sitting at this bar, having someone pour his coffee, had it ever been him. It'd always been the owner, Marc McClain. He wondered if this could be his son but he realized in a panic that, that couldn't mean anything good. Marc was the kind of man who wouldn't rest unless it would kill him. A few times he'd been there, his wife, Nicole, stepped in to fill his place. She'd always tell him what a struggle it was to get him to stay in bed, then insist that pancakes were on the house that day.

"It'll be our little secret." She'd wink and set the plate down, after Keith protested the entire time they'd been cooking. "I'd hear no end of it if Lance found out."

He wrapped his hands around the hot mug, nearly burning his palms. It was at that in between temperature where he didn't know whether or not to take a sip or to wait a moment longer. Lance, he figured that was his name, was no longer humming to the song on the radio. He was singing it. He had one of those voices that you wouldn't expect, the kind that made every song sound beautiful, no matter how bad it was. Keith couldn't help but listen in, resting his chin in his hands as he did. He was so full of joy when he sang, face brighter than the sun. He glanced around and saw that both Shiro and the old woman were bopping to the beat. It didn't even seem like they knew it themselves. He turned back to Lance as the song ended.

"You play any instruments?"

This caught him off guard. Nobody ever talked to him while he was working, other than for a refill or when he took their orders. He realized this must be Keith. His dad had a lot to say about him, more good than bad. He was one of the restaurants regulars, which meant Lance would have to be on his best behavior. The thought of his dad reminding him of that on his way out the door that morning made his heart sink a little. The apron he was wearing right now smelled of his cologne, subtle yet musky. The song on the radio had changed to one of their newer favorites. It wasn't played often but enough for them to find it on there every one in a while. For a second, he forgot the name of it. Shut Up and Dance, he remembered. That was its name. Now that he was listening to it again, it sounded different. It was mellower than usual. He shook his head, trying to shake his heavy heart out with it. Lance knew that he had to stay strong. His family was going to need him now more than ever and he couldn't let them down. This was the only way they'd be able to pay for it all. The other customers had already been served so he decided it wouldn't be a bad idea if he responded to Keith. Maybe he'd end up liking him. He did seem to be awfully kind and that was everything Lance needed right about then.