2

Keith really should have paid better attention to Allura's instructions. Thanks to him favoring mouthing insults at Shiro he has missed most of them... Or at least, the ones that would that would be the most helpful. Anyone can figure out ways to block a punch, however when it comes to throwing them... That's another story. Especially if you are trying to punch someone who could easily, at the same time, punch you back.

"Dude," Lance laughs, as Keith ends up landing on his ass in as little as five minutes. "Did you even listen to a single word Allura was saying? Seriously, for someone who is supposed to be Shiro's brother you don't seem like it."

Keith isn't sure why Lance's words irritate him so. After all, they don't really know each other. Lance is just a dorky guy that thinks he's cool. If he was half as good as he thought, he would be able to win in a fight against Allura. "What is that supposed to mean?" Keith snarls, all the while getting back on his feet.

"It means," Lance responds in a tone that matches Keith's. "Your brother, who if you put aside his prosthetic arm, only has one arm is a better fighter than you. You should at least be able to keep yourself on your feet for 10 minutes. Shiro can do that when fighting with ONE ARM."

Keith knows that he shouldn't let Lance's words bother him. After all, just seconds ago, he started to think about why Lance's words shouldn't bother him. However, that doesn't stop him from feeling annoyed or angry... It especially doesn't suppress his urge of wanting to punch one of Lance's tan shins. Or Lance's tan... Yeah. Lance appears to be naturally tan so he would be tan THERE. Even though Keith is tempted to kick THERE, he settles for Lance's left shin.

"What the hell?" Lance screeches, all the while clutching his shin. His screech results in EVERYONE looking in their direction. Even Shiro, who had been gazing longingly at Allura as lifts weights turns to look in their direction. "Did you just kick me?"

"Yep," Keith responds, a smirk spreading across his face all the while. "It is called Kickboxing for a reason."

"That doesn't mean that you can randomly kick me!" Lance shouts, letting go of his shin so he can stand up nice and straight. It's as though he wants to remind Keith of how tall he is. "You should apologize to me."

Keith almost LAUGHS. "Me apologize to you?" He says in a voice that is steadily growing louder, "you're the one being a dick! You keep comparing me to my brother! Do you know how annoying that is? You probably don't. After all, you haven't been the one that has been compared to him for YEARS.. Shiro can do this, Shiro can do that, BLAH BLAH BLAH. Why can't you do this, Keith? Why can't you do that, Keith? Why can't you be more like Shiro? I don't know. I don't care! Do me a favor and leave me alone! I didn't even want to come here in the first place.!" Realizing that he had said far more than he planned to, Keith practically sprints to the nearest bathroom. He practically sprints past a surprised Lance, a confused Allura and a worried Shiro.

Once in the bathroom, which is thankfully clean and odor free, despite being a gym bathroom, Keith enters a stall. Once In the stall, he slams it closed behind him. He needs time to think, to breathe, to be... Alone. He needs time to be alone.

By some miracle, no one enters the bathroom so he has a chance to be alone. Why was Lance able to irritate him so easily? Why did every time he's ever gotten compared to Shiro suddenly come back to him... Suddenly overwhelm him? Why did he suddenly snap? Why did he have to snap and rant in front of (and to) a stranger? Why, why why?

The sound of something sliding along the tile floor forces him to focus on his surroundings instead of his thoughts. Looking down, he is surprised to find that someone has pushed a book underneath the stall door. Although he is a bit confused, he opens the book. Inside, there is a sticky note.

Shiro's brother: I never got to introduce myself earlier... I'm Pidge. You know, the weird kid reading a science book while riding an exercise bike? You rode next to me before you and Lance... ANYWAY reading helps me calm down. Maybe it can help you calm down too? Either way, I think you'll enjoy the pictures.

At the mention of pictures, Keith gets confused. Pictures? What kind of science book has pictures? With his curiosity getting the better of him, he turns the page. He then turns the next page. He turns the next page, and the next and the next and the next...

The pictures are breathtaking... With them containing a wide variety of colors and shapes. The pictures look perfect. Their solar system looks perfect. How is such a beautiful thing real?

Keith hates the gym. He hates how it is filled with sweaty people... He hates one sweaty, kickboxing person in particular. However... However he may grow to like it. Or rather, hate it less. Allura seemed pretty nice and Pidge...

He knows the book is Pidge's, but he wants to keep it. Or at the least, borrow it. After taking ten minutes to build up the courage to exit the bathroom, he approaches Pidge. He approaches Pidge, who smiles at his question. "You can borrow it," they tell him, "if you apologize to Lance." Just this once, Keith tells himself, I'll apologize to an annoying person like Lance just this once.