beaming | keith kogane

XV | quickly

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WEEKS PASSED QUICKLY, Halloween coming up to us before we knew it. Along with that, Y/n came to me before I knew it, almost tripping over her own feet and knocking her forehead onto my chin. She excitedly held up an orange poster; I didn't need to read it to see what it said. She grinned like a child, waving it as I continued glaring down at her.

"Can we go?"

"No."

"Please? Just for one night! It isn't even that scary!"

I turned around, "I'm not scared, just uninterested."

She huffed, giving up briefly as I continued my walk down the hall. Whatever stupid haunted house on the poster was hardly any of my interest and I didn't want to go in the first place. That's where the group usually went and the last time I went there with them, I got singled out and got terrorized by some kids that decided to put the goldfish I won at the fair in their mouth.

A whole bunch of dickheads.

"Okay," Y/n suddenly spoke as I continued walking. She screamed.

"KEITH KOGANE IS A CHICKEN—"

I immediately spun around, covering her mouth with the palm of my right hand. I swore I heard someone say 'kinky', but I ignored them. I pushed her out the double doors, walking outside with her. The day was almost over, so I could afford to be late to my class anyways. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I spat.

She smiled, "It got you to turn around, didn't you?" Y/n still held the poster, pushing it towards my face for the umpteenth time that day. She'd tried before this morning, but I turned her down multiple times on the walk to school. I rolled my eyes. These were her efforts? "Besides, you double owe me, remember? I didn't take you costume shopping for nothing!"

I heard people talking as they went inside the school building. Since my wrath side had slightly enhanced senses, I could hear them whisper about the two of us. However, I was too exhausted to care. "Fine, I'll go to this stupid haunted house, but after this, no deals. I don't owe you anything, got that?" I said bitterly.

I really didn't want to deal with this.

"Yay! It's tomorrow—"

I waved her off, "—yeah, yeah. I know. It's been an annual tradition here."

"See you there!" I could practically hear her beam.

Just an hour later, school finally let out. I was glad. I just wanted to go home and take a giant nap; this day just left me absolutely exhausted. "So," Pidge piped up, suddenly appearing on my right. "I heard that the Keith Kogane is coming to the haunted house?" She wiggled her eyebrows and I could see her glasses glare. 

I sighed, averting my eyes. "Y/n wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't have much of a choice." Pidge grinned at that. She was tinkering with something in her hand, a screwdriver in one and a scrap of metal in the other. Her green backpack was stuffed to the brim, a few nuts and bolts sticking out of the rim of it. How she fit all of that in there still surprised me to this day.

She shrugged, "I don't know. I think Y/n's a good influence on you. Remember when you were all grumpy and hated her? You two get along pretty well now." I thought about it for a moment, remembering the mall incident and when she vaguely gave me her number. I stared up at the sky briefly, "I guess. Probably because Perla isn't there anymore."

The short female stopped, "Is Y/n a replacement for Perla?"

I stopped, looking back at her as she avoided my gaze. "No. T-That's not what I intended at all."

Pidge just nodded, continuing on her way. It sort of scared me that she'd paused so suddenly, but I wouldn't let her know that. "Just be more careful with your words, Keith." She advised as I just silently nodded. Pidge barely talked, but when she did, it was either pure crack or decent advice. There was no in-between. 

"You know I meant that in a different way, Pidge," I mumbled under my breath as she sighed and made a full stop in front of me, turning around as she tilted her head up to look at me directly in the eyes. Now, the glare of her glasses didn't block her sight from me and I could see her caramel eyes clearly. "Yeah, but would other people be able to?"

"Who cares what other people think—"

"—some people do, Keith," Her voice was a lot quieter all of a sudden. She turned around as if nothing happened, putting the tinkering stuff in her pockets. Although the uniform preferred for girls to wear skirts, Pidge was one to evade the rules. "Anyways, I have to go help Matt set up this new arcade machine or something." She waved halfheartedly, leaving to her brother's car.

I scrunched my nose, shaking my head lightly. "Weird," Footsteps caught up to me. I could easily tell who it was from the skipping rhythm of it. "What's weird?" The familiar voice chimed. She seemed to have only caught the last of our conversation rather than the sudden tensity it held earlier. "Nothing, just something Pidge said." I shrugged.

She grinned up at me suddenly, "Did you pause at the gate for lil' ole me?" Y/n joked, a big smile on her face. I grew confused before seeing where my feet stood. I stood right by the gate of our school, my feet frozen on their own. I guess I did, subconsciously. Walking home without her banter for once felt odd and almost unnatural.

"No. I would never." I glanced over at her, scowling instead. Y/n just smiled more, ignoring my cold look. She skipped up ahead, gripping onto the strap of her bag as I followed after her, but kept my normal pace. "So, you're definitely coming to the haunted house, right?" I rolled my eyes. I guess reassurance isn't enough?

"Yes, yes I am." I sighed. I was over it at this point.

Her lips stretched further apart, "Good."