Hoodies felt weird.
Makeup did too.
In fact, human's taste in style interested Kipper. Did they always wear things so... Casual?
"Kipper watch out!"
Kipper let out a grunt as a soccerball hit him below the belt.
Regaining his posture, he laughed and tossed the ball back to the others.
The four decided that, even though time was precious, taking a break for a day was good for their health. The paladins and Azalea were playing soccer outside her house.
Pidge caught the ball.
"Didn't that hurt?", the Green Paladin asked.
"A little bit", Kipper lied.
Truthfully, it didn't hurt at all.
But the others didn't know that.
They didn't need to know that.
He didn't want them to know that he had the body of a female.
Pidge tossed the ball back to Keith, then reached down to pick up his glasses.
"I'll call the bus station", he said, "So we can be on our way to Washington by tomorrow."
The others nodded as Pidge jogged to the front door of Azalea's house.
He is a smart little thing.
"Hey Kip!", Azalea called out to him.
Kipper admired his cousin's ambitious and outgoing personality. The graceful way she carried herself, and her sparkling eyes and sharp grin led Kipper to believe that she was perfectly normal.
But the fact that she was twelve times paler than the photographs in the house, and the metal contraption on her limbs told Kipper otherwise.
That occasional dull glint in her eyes told him otherwise.
You can't be a DiNicolo without being some shape or sort of screwed up.
And for Azalea to have Marie Antoinette's Syndrome that severe, told Kipper she was the same as the rest.
Screwed up.
"You wanna join us?", she asked. She held the soccer ball in her hands.
Kipper rolled up the sleeves to his hoodie.
"Let's go!", he challenged.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pidge hung up.
They had reserved tickets for the bus now.
The group could head out to Seattle tomorrow.
He looked out of the window, just past the dusty curtains.
Kipper was beating Keith into the ground at soccer. He was one of the best players he'd ever seen.
Even Azalea couldn't get the ball from him.
Kipper was running...laughing.
This is his actual joy.
So... Why does he put on a show most of the time?
The hybrid boy scored another goal between the two twin trees at the edge of the field.
He jumped up for joy, then accidentally hit his head on Azalea's metal boot in the process.
Pidge giggled.
He was adorable in his own obnoxious way.