Garrison Academy

Chapter 1

Lance

Lance didn't want to leave home; but he didn't feel like he had a choice.

As much as his parents were trying to cover it up he knew, they were struggling. It's not easy with a full household; especially with low wage jobs. But they tried their hardest to pull through and even though it isn't his responsibility that just made him feel guilty. Whenever he asked if there was something he could do he just got the smile from his mama that says, "everything will be alright" but Lance knew; it was not. All he could see from that smile was sadness.

He was the oldest in his family; with 10 other siblings. Since his parents were hard at work most of the time, he did his best to take them in and keep them out of trouble. There was enough raw tension around the house as it is from all the stress. Unfortunately however, that didn't stop the tension from exploding at times. Lance couldn't count the times he had to distract the others from the yelling and screaming from the other room. With reading and dance parties with blasting music, he thinks he did a good job when he had to.

There were many quiet discussions from the adults on how to fix this, but there's only so much that can be done to fix something that is possibly broken beyond repair. That's about when Lance came across a pamphlet for Garrison Academy; a boarding school that offered full rides to children of families with low incomes. With him gone that would be one less child to care for, so he contacted to get more information, and now here he was.

Lance's family saw him off. They each hugged him and said their goodbyes. It was emotional for Lance; he just hoped everything would be a bit easier on everyone. "No need to cry", he remembered telling his siblings while wiping their tears away. "You guys will be fine without me; you guys are strong." He got a final kiss on his cheek from his mom before he got on the train bound to his destination. He could still feel the kiss lingering, even hours away.

He took a deep breath, looking up at the academy. 'Well this can't be so bad' he thought to himself. It's like a fresh start to life. Sure he had to make new friends, but this was Lance. Lance was good at making new friends. Besides, Hunk is here. Hunk has been his friend since practically birth, the only friend he ever counted on enough to let him into his situation. They were practically inseparable; but besides Hunk he realized, he had left everything else behind.

He just hoped he made the right choice.

Keith

Keith had nothing to lose.

After his mother left, so did his father; on this "crazy quest to find her" or something. In Keith's opinion, it was just because he wasn't wanted anymore. Even if he wanted to believe that his father would come back, who would leave their child alone and not take them along? Once it was found out that he was living in his small house alone, he was forced into the orphanage with other lonely children. It was no use getting close to those kids or even the staff of the orphanage in Keith's opinion; they'll just leave him like his mother or even worse; get close to him and abandon him like his father.

Sure it was an isolated life, but Keith got used to it.

It didn't bother him at all when he was flat out ignored; it's not like he talked anyways. It didn't bother him when other kids left with new parents. It didn't bother him when there were whispers that no one would want a kid who doesn't talk. Keith lived for himself only. He was convinced that if there was no one there to love him, then just himself was fine. Until Shiro walked into his life.