Lance felt like everything was moving, the floor, the walls, the furniture, the people stationed on the couch. He attempted to focus his eyes on his sister, the same girl who was sitting stiffly on the chair next to the couch, her eyes narrowed down at their so-called parents.
“Excuse me what the actual hell are you doing in my house?!” Ashley slammed the door shut, slightly pushing past Lance to stare at the older couple.
Lance’s mother looked like she just got slapped and Lance watched his father stand up straighter, attempting to size up Ashley. “What did you just say to us?”
Ashley took a few steps forward, a smirk forming on her face, as she crossed her arms over he chest. “You heard me, sir, so answer my question before I call the cops and have you escorted off my property.”
“Enough Ashley. We can’t call the cops on them.” Camellias voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard and Lance felt a shiver move down his back.
Ashley dropped her shoulders slightly, her voice softening as she spoke to her girlfriend from her spot in the room. “What do you mean?”
Camillia filled her lungs with a shaky breath and she wiped her eyes, avoiding Lance’s gaze like he would catch her on fire. “Lance isn’t in our custody so if you call the cops they can easily require him to go home with my parents. He’s not 18 yet so he can’t make that decision himself either, we’re in a bind at the moment.”
Ashley frowned and retreated her steps and made her way over to Camillia, keeping her stare on the male in the room. She slowly kneeled next to the tanner girl and took her hand in hers, offering as much support as she could.
Lance was lost, he didn’t know what to do, where to stand, what to do with his hands, how to react. Every fiber of his body was telling him to make a run for the door but his feet felt like they were in dried concrete. He looked at everyone in the room, his eyes scanning his sister, too Ashley, to his mother, and finally to his father. Why are they here? What do they want? They can’t possibly be wanting to take me home right? They kicked me out for a reason.
“Lance, honey, why don’t you sit down so we can talk.” His mother smiled as she patted the empty spot by her on the couch.
Lance didn’t even nod in response, he simply pushed his legs forward until he made it by the other chair and slumped down in it, his heart rate picking up the longer his parents started at him. He felt anxiety form in the pit of his stomach, swallowing down nothing as he looked towards his sister for any help but found that both of them were avoiding his gaze and Lance honestly had never felt so alone. I wanna call Keith. He watched his father sink back into the couch, a small smile appearing on his face.
The only sounds filling the room was the quiet whispers that Ashley spoke to Camillia, her comfort words reaching dead ears.
Lance couldn’t blame her for acting the way she was, this was the first time she had seen her parents since she was kicked out all those months ago. She may act like she was completely over it but Lance now knew that she wasn’t and she obviously she wasn’t too content with the fact that the same people who dragged her through hell where now casually sitting in her living room.
A small cough filled the air and everyone’s eyes went to Lance's mother, her eyes directed towards her daughter, avoiding how her she was holding another woman's hand. “So Cam is this your roommate?”
Lance could feel the eye roll before the two girls even executed it. Camillia opened her mouth to respond yet her soulmate cut in. “Awe no we’re not roommates, you see Camillia is my master and I’m her mistress, I have to listen to everything she says,” she winked at the women and Lance nearly laughed when he saw how pale his mother had become.
Camillia stifled a giggle and Ashley gave her a small wink. A grunt of annoyance filled the room and all eyes fell on the older man. Nobody said anything and Lance began to tap his foot in annoyance. “Yes, Satan?”
“Is that any way to talk to your father Lance?!?!” His mother sounded shocked and Lance responded with a very similar eyeroll.
His father placed his hand on his wife’s leg and looked towards the tanner boy, “remember what I said about respect, Lance?” His voice held almost no emotion and it floated around the room like dust.
Lance released a huff of air, turning his eyes towards the man he once believed was his father, “I also remember you promising all of us that you would protect us and you know, not kick us out because of something we can’t control.”
“You and your sister are both faggots and we will not tolerate that in my house. We live by the word of the lord, an-” He was cut off by Ashley breaking out into chuckles and slapping her knee with her hand.
“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe that you two had to put up with this complete bullshit, how did you survive?”
Camillia shook her head, a small smile forming on her face, “lots and lots of lies.”
Lance watched her mother nudge his father and mumble something into his ear, the older man nodding in response. He shifted his body away from Camillia and Ashley and stared Lance straight in the eye, “you need to come home with us.”
“And why would I do that? That’s like running back into a burning building because you left the kettle on.” Lance leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He didn’t know where this burst of confidence sprung from, maybe it was fear or anger but Lance was going to use as much of it as he possibly could. He wasn’t going to crack, well not in front of them.
“Because we are your parents and we found this lovely girl for you. She was put in a ‘changing’ program as they called it,” she released a nervous laugh and Lance felt bile burn the back of his throat. “Her soulmate was another female so in order to fix her she needs to find a man to be with, that could be you, Lance!” She seemed a bit too excited and Lance quickly glanced at his sister who looked like she just listened to the dumbest thing ever. His mother lowered his eyes and mumbled the next sentence, thinking nobody heard her, “your father and I discussed this before you went with that thing.”
“She’s perfect for you Lance, long red hair, tall, but not as tall as you. She adores space and stars and she likes musicals just like you do…” His father began to trail off and Lance felt pain move into his palms, his nails digging into his skin.
Lance didn’t even hear what his father was saying anymore, he was only focusing on what his mother just mutter, that thing? Is she referring to Keith?! What the actual hell, he’s not some animal at the zoo, he’s my boyfriend. “Shut the fuck up, both of you. I know who’s perfect for me and that’s Keith, and he’s not a thing.” Lance glanced around the room, his eyes falling back to his sister and Ashley, he had never seen a smile that big on anyone’s faces.
“But how can you be so sure that he’s perfect for you?! The universe can make mistakes!” Lance began to move his head at what his mother was saying and he felt anger begin to overwhelm him.
“How do I know this random girl is perfect for me?!” Lance filled his lungs with air and forced himself to keep eye contact with both of his parents. “Look I love Keith, I love him with every fiber of my body and yeah he may not be one hundred percent perfect but he was chosen for me. He listens to me and tells me what to do, he makes me feel better, he makes me laugh, he loves stars just as much as I do and I want nothing more than to be with him, and nothing you two will say will change my mind.”
“But Lance consider your, well our religion, are you simply turning your back on God?” His mother’s voice sounded wet and Lance shrugged his shoulder.
“No, I’m staying with my God, I’m simply turning my back on your God.” He rose from his chair, keeping his shoulders squared, he had never felt so confident before. I can do this, I got this.
His father rose from the couch, his arm raised slightly as he looked at Lance, “is that any way to speak to us? Your parents?!”
Lance snarled slightly, “you’re not my parents anymore.” Lance wasn’t exactly sure what happened in the next five seconds but it was fast. He heard his name screamed by his sister and Ashley was lunging at his father, reaching out and grabbing the older man arms, her nails digging into him.
“It’s one thing to be shitty parents, but it’s another thing to attempt to hit a minor,” she forced his arm down and gave him a slight shove. “I suggest you get out of my house before I call the fucking cops on you.”
Lance’s father tore his arm away from Ashley’s grip and turned to face her, his stare having no effect on the girl, “what would your charges be? I haven’t touched anyone.” He gave what looked like a victory smile and Ashley made a few ticking sounds from her mouth.
“You see, normally I wouldn’t step in if I had nothing to support me. I only pick battles I know I can win and I know I can win this one since you picked a battle in foreign territory,” Ashley motioned towards a small camera in the corner of the room by the ceiling, “it’s all on tape. So in all truth, you may not have touched anyone but you made a clear attempt and that, sir, will not be beneficial to you in court.”
Lance nearly broke his neck turning his head to look at the now obvious camera, those things are everywhere! He turned back and looked at everyone in the room, following Ashley with his eyes as she escorted the two adults towards the front door, heavy stomps making the pictures on the wall shake.
His mother stopped when they got to the door and turned to face Lance once more, tears in her eyes, “Lance….please just come home with us. Everyone has been asking about you a-and your siblings miss you terribly, s-so, please. Fo-for them.”
Lance felt his stomach drop and he turned away from his mother, avoiding her gaze. “I’m sorry, I need to be where I’m accepted.”
“You are no longer our son,” his father lead the women out the door and Lance looked at him over his shoulder.
“And you’re no longer my parents.”
As soon as the door was shut Lance felt a few hiccups escape and the next thing he knew was his sister wiping his face from tears whispering words of encouragement, saying how well he did and how strong he is.
“I can’t believe I did that,” Lance pulled his sister closer to him and she ran his hand through his hair.
“I can’t either, but I’m so proud of you, so so proud” she squeezed him tighter, looking at her soulmate over his shoulder.
“How did they find us?” Lance mumbled into his sister's hair and she sighed slightly.
“Since you’re still under their care the school is able to tell them your new location and living and I guess Coran wasn’t in school today.” She pulled away from her brother and straighten his shirt down, wiping his eyes a few more times.
Lance mumbled a small thanks and turned to thank Ashley, pausing when she noticed that she had her phone out, “Um who are you calling at this time of day?”
Ashley glanced at him, “well two people, number one is Chinese because I don’t wanna cook after that and two is my dad,” she glanced at the door, eyeing the locks, “I need to get better security.”
---
“Are you going to tell Keith about yesterday?” Camillia questioned as she began to back out of the driveway, Lance adjusting the books in his bag.
Lance shrugged his shoulders, he had only texted Keith goodnight, he didn’t have the energy to explain what happened and he didn't want to talk about it. “I don’t know actually, should I?” Lance leaned back in his seat and rested his head on the headrest.
Camillia shrugged her shoulders and pulled down onto the road, “it’s still your private life.”
Lance nodded and closed his eyes, he had been thinking about yesterday all night. “I’ll decide when I get to school.”
Camillia bobbed her head and reached for the volume for the radio, “it’s all up to you.”
---
“Lance!” Hunk jogged towards the lanky boy and wrapped his arms around him, “I've missed you so much!”
Lance returned the hug, a smile the only thing on his face, “I missed you too man, you don’t understand.” they both remained hugging for a few minutes before a cough from Shay made them separate, Shay immediately taking Hunks spot.
“It's good to have you back Lance,” she smiled brightly at him and he honestly felt blessed.
“Good you're back, now Keith can stop being so emo all the time,” Pidge ran their finger through their messy hair and Keith shoved them slightly.
“What it's a crime to miss my boyfriend?” Keith and Pidge fell into a small argument and Lance smiled at the two of them, letting the last word replay in his mind. He's my boyfriend, I honestly can't believe that, he's mine.
“Stop drooling Lance, or else we'll have to put a wet floor caution sign out,” Hunk patted his back in a friendly manner and Lance reached out to hug his boyfriend, his face immediately going into Keith's hair.
“How was church?” Keith mumbled into Lance's shoulder.
“Good until I got home and my parents were there,” he pulled away from Keith and prayed that no death threats would be thrown.
Everyone was silent, all their eyes falling on Lance, searching for an explanation. Keith was the first one to say anything, his voice holding nothing but confusion, “your parents?”
Lance nodded, “they wanted me to go back home and met this girl they found for me.”
“You said no right? Please tell me you said no!” Hunk ran his hands through his hair anxiously and Lance smiled.
“I said no, I'm feeling a lot better with myself since moving in with Ashley and Cam, I think it was good for an and I want nothing more than to stay this happy for as long as I can,” Lance kissed Keith on the temple and intertwined their fingers, I'm going to be okay.
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Sorry for not updating I've been kind of busy and almost forgot about this book but there's about 2 chapters left so buckle your seatbelts and take some naps