The Small Town

This is a video game, City Boy

Keith hit the water face first. He swam around under the water for what felt like ten minutes. He couldn't Pidge anywhere though. There was a heavy feeling in his stomach, like a rock had sank to the bottom of it. He had to go up for air, and he screamed Pidge's name. Hunk and Lance were still searching for the small girl in the water. He dove back down and saw what he thought was her limp body at the bottom of the lake. He swam down to it, but he realized that it was just a small log. He ran out of air, and emerged from the water coughing.

"There she is!" Lance yelled. He pointed to the shore. Sure enough, there was their small friend, laying on solid land. They swam faster than an Olympic champion to get to her. Keith was the first to reach the shore.

She was doubled over on the ground, coughing up water. Keith placed his hand on her shoulder and she buried her face in his chest. She coughed a few more times and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Those guys are assholes," she coughed.

"Yeah, they are." Lance and Hunk made it onto land and dropped to their knees next to the other two.

"Let's grab our stuff and head back," Hunk suggested. "We could head to Bailey's and get milkshakes."

"Yeah, let's do that," Lance agreed. Pidge and Keith nodded. They grabbed their things and threw their clothes over their bathing suits. Pidge set her glasses on the bridge of her nose and threw the backpack on her back once again, only to have it taken by Lance. They walked down the same, long, dirt road again until they made it back into the town. Instead of turning back to Lance's house, they went down main street and into a small 50's style diner.

The floor was checkered black and white and there were small green booths lining the walls. There were also spinning stools at the bar and a jukebox in the corner. Some tables sat in the middle of the floor as well. Keith thought it was a very cute diner.

Lance and Hunk slid into a booth in the back corner, followed by Pidge and Keith. Pidge sat in the very far corner, protected by Keith, who sat next to her.

A young lady with with two low, blonde pigtails came up to take their order.

"Howdy Pidgey! Hunk! Lance," she flirted, twirling her hair around her finger. "Same as always? Oh. What's your name, hun?" she asked, noticing Keith.

"I- uh... I'm- I'm Keith," he stuttered.

"Well Keith, I'm Romelle. What can I get'cha?" Romelle smiled, tapping her pen on her notepad. She finally gave a good look at them. "Did y'all hit the lake?"

Lance and Hunk both said yes, while Pidge nodded slowly, looking at her hands in her lap.

"You alright there, Pidgey Pie?" Romelle asked in a worried tone. Pidge looked up and blinked a couple of times.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she answered.

"Oh my baby!" Romelle threw herself over Keith and pulled Pidge into a hug. "Who hurt you? I'll shove their hands in my blender!"

"Nothing happened. I'm fine. Swimming just wore me out," Pidge lied. Romelle gave her a skeptical look, but released her from the hug. She stood and regained her composure.

"Alright. Then what can I get y'all?" she repeated. "Milkshakes?"

"Yes please!" said Lance, a little too enthusiastic in Keith's opinion. "Same as always!"

Pidge and Hunk nodded. Romelle scribbled their orders on her notepad. Then she turned to Keith.

"And you, sweetie?"

Keith wasn't really paying attention to what they were talking about, and he was wondering why Pidge would have lied to the waitress. He was shaken from his daze by her question.