Hiding Behind a Mask

Chapter 18-What is This?

Lance got out of the car, Keith followed out and walked around.

"Is this something normal friends do?"

"Yeah... a lot of friend groups do this kind of thing." He said. Keith's face lit up, he did something a normal teen would do. He felt proud of himself.

Lance chuckles at Keith's adorable face and hugged him.

"We'll do this again no doubt."

"Ah..." Keith stiffened up. "Ah y-yeah. Yeah we will." Keith quickly hugged Lance back, practically clinging to him.

" Ooh ¿qué es esto? " The two looked up to see Isabella staring at her son with a smug smirk, Lance was definitely her kid. " ¿Es mi hijo amar a algún niño por ahí? ¿Quieres privacidad? " Lance's face turned red.

" ¡M-Mamá! No es asi! " He shouts. She gave him a look.

"Sure son." She walked to her rented car. "I know a boyfriend when I see one." That caused Keith to turn many shades darker than Lance. He quickly let go and almost fell over. Lance grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Isabella laughs. " Yo sólo estoy bromeando a Keith. "

"You'd better be!" Lance shouts. " Somos solamente amigos. "

" ¡Oh sí cómo no! " She points at her son. " Puedo ver que está machacando en ese chico duro. "

" ¡Mamá! " Lance whines. She laughs. Keith groans and went back in the car.

"See you Monday."

"Yeah." Lance opens the back and pulls out the giant plushie. "See you Monday." He waves Keith off. Isabella gave her son the strangest look and points at the plushie.

" ¿Qué demonios es eso? "

"It's a stuffed lion and I love it." Lance said. His mom smiles. "I will not tell you how I got it." He announced.

"Oh that gave it away." She teases.

"Stop Mamá!" He walked in the house and took the giant stuffed cat to his room. Sam saw it and gave his brother a look.

"What the fuck?"

"It's my giant stuffed lion and I love it!" Lance said. Sam shook his head.

"The fuck man..."

"It's going on my bed." Lance wraps his arms and legs around the lion and smiled happily. Sam went back on his bunk and texted his friends telling them his brother is weird.

Lance woke up to hear his mom sigh and looking through her bills.

"Morning Mamá." Lance said as he went into the kitchen and pulls out his medication. She looked at her son.

"Morning." She said. Lance came in and popped it in his mouth.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing... well bills." She said.

"Mamá? You okay?"

"No, I won't be able to pay this off. I do not want to resort to Rebecca's money now. I'd feel dirty if I tried." She said. Lance stared at the amount and gave his mom a sad look. He hated seeing his mom suffer like this. She was practically everything to him now, she was the reason they were all alive in the first place. Lance didn't want her to carry that burden of caring for four kids on her own.

"Should I help?"

"No, you're staying in school."

"I know. But I don't want you to go into debt." He said. She hugs her son.