you're gonna go far, kid | ON HOLD

chapter 5

Much to his surprise, when Keith made it to the bookstore after everything that had gone down with Voltron and Phantom, only Nyma was working. The other four employees that were usually working at this time today, including his manager Acxa, were nowhere to be seen. It was such a mundane issue compared to those that had fell upon him earlier in the day that he nearly laughed.

"Well look who bothered to show up," Nyma quipped from where she was somehow taking inventory of their cups as she wiped down the countertop.

Keith winced guiltily. "Sorry, something happened when I was leaving the library. Where's everyone else?" He speed walked to the counter to help Nyma, and she eagerly tossed the damp towel to him. Miraculously, there were only a few customers inside at the moment, which was even odder given that the shop seemed to always crowd when only two or three of them were working.

Nyma shrugged and readjusted her blonde ponytail. "They left a while ago, in the middle of a shift, didn't seem like they wanted to tell me where so I just let them be. It's actually been really quiet today, barely anyone outside either. It's honestly kinda throwing me but I hope it lasts." Keith hummed in agreement.

He and Nyma weren't the closest, but they tolerated each other and he'd had a crush on her cousin Rolo for a while in their sophomore year of high school. It felt odd talking about school in past tense now, as he had only graduated about a month ago, but at the same time it felt like decades ago.

Keith glanced to the door as he wiped on the unoccupied tables and countertop. His mind unwillingly went into conversation overanalysis mode and before he could stop it, Keith found himself saying, "Hey Nyma, did anything weird happen outside like an hour ago?"

Nyma's head popped up from below the counter and she raised an eyebrow. "Was there supposed to be? It's just been really quiet since my shift began, not many people have come in and nothing's been going on outside as far as I know. Is there something to be concerned about?"

He studied her for a moment, and after deciding that she was being genuine, Keith shook his head. "No, nevermind. I just... yeah forget I said anything, I'm going to shelve." Leaving no room for reply, the boy lightly tossed down the rag and headed for the carts of books sitting by the backdoor. How had she not even noticed when things were bingtssed around and lit on fire like it was a goddamn Marvel movie? Was a prodigy hiding it from the people on this block? Though the types of powers prodigies could have that Keith knew were very limited, al being either those he had encountered firsthand thanks to Lotor, ones scribbled in Matt's notebook of cool prodigies he's seen on the news or met somewhere, and those of Voltron, Keith couldn't think of any that would allow that. Maybe something psychological like Lotor's or an energy related.

Keith took the first book from his cart with a sigh and pushed it onto the shelf a bit too aggressively. Nothing was making sense at all.

Half an hour later, the bell chimed and Acxa walked in, followed by Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti. They looked exhausted as Keith felt, and Zethrid immediately made a beeline for the coffee machine. Keith watched curiously as she filled her cup to the rim and dumped thirty packs of sugar into it. Narti and Acxa sunk into two of the fluffiest reading nook beanbags, and Ezor settled with collapsing into the nearest open chair. There was the unmistakable sign of a bruise forming beneath her right eye and Keith averted his eyes immediately, hoping that he hadn't been staring.

He wondered what they had been doing for the past hour, if Nyma was correct. It couldn't be worse than running away from possessed prodigies with heightened abilities like Keith found himself doing more and more frequently, but whatever it was, it obviously wasn't just a staff meeting or luncheon. But it was none of his business, Keith reminded himself.