Wait (Keith Kogane X OC)

Chapter 12

Heart pounding, muscles burning, chest aching, and sweat dripping from her face - Sarah was running, hoping to distract herself from some recent events, including her hatred for a certain red-wearing paladin. For a time, it worked. All she thought about was urging herself to continue. "Don't stop to walk," she kept telling herself and pushed to go a little faster. That mantra helped keep thoughts of Keith and her frustrations with him at bay, especially the thought of how he disappeared.

The training room was empty as usual. When Sarah wandered in there for the first time that day she hoped to see some sort of strange Altean exercise equipment but was disappointed. That was okay though. All she wanted to do was run, anyways. In that brightly lit room that smelled of a high school locker room, she continued to push herself.

She faltered, slowing dramatically when she heard the door open. It was Keith who interrupted her, and she couldn't help but feel anger overtake her previous determination. She stopped running and asked coldly, "What are you doing here?" while glaring at him.

Keith visibly gulped and looked anywhere except at Sarah. The floor in front of him suddenly became very interesting. "Shiro's calling a meeting soon. I just wanted to let you know."

"You interrupted me because you wanted to tell me there's a meeting?" Sarah rolled her eyes. "I would rather find that out when he makes the announcement over the intercom. There's no reason for you to talk to me." She felt a pang in her chest when Keith flinched, but ignored it. Her heart was trying to tell her she still loved him when her brain knew otherwise.

"Trust me, I didn't want to talk to you either when you're acting like this," Keith said, "but Shiro asked me to tell everyone. I'm just-"

"Following orders? Gee, being obedient is suddenly easy for you when it's your idol telling you what to do. Maybe you should have listened years ago. Then I wouldn't have had to be alone."

"How many times do I have to apologize?" Keith shouted, his tone growing edgier to match Sarah's. "I'm sorry I got expelled, I'm sorry I didn't call you. I don't know what else you want from me!"

Tears prickled her eyes. She hated crying when she argued. It made her look like she's overly emotional. "I want you to go away and never speak to me again." Her throat felt tight and a tear slipped down her cheek.

Keith threw his hands up in the air and stalked out of the room. "Fine. Whatever you want, princess."

Now seething with anger and broken hearted, Sarah went to lean against the wall. She ended up sitting, with her head resting against her knees, crying, and it was a long time before she was able to calm down. Why couldn't she bring herself to forgive him? When they were younger, Keith was his best friend, and after he got expelled from the Garrison, he just disappeared, and she'd spent years trying to get over it. Try as she might, there was something blocking that path to forgiveness in her mind. Was it because she was stubborn? Because she didn't want to forget what he'd done?

The training room suddenly felt a lot bigger, and Sarah felt more alone.

She wanted to go home.

The call did eventually come to meet in the command center. By the time Sarah arrived everyone was already there. She hoped nobody noticed how red her eyes were. Thankfully nobody paid much attention to her, with Shiro only nodding as she came to stand between Pidge and Allura.

"Okay look," Shiro said, looking and sounding more serious than anyone had ever witnessed before, "I now know for certain that Zarkon is tracking us through the black lion. We have to find some way to stop him.