"Hey guys," Shiro smiled as he was with his brother at the diner when Allura and her brothers walked in.

"Shiro! Keith! Hi," Allura waved with a gleeful smile.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Shiro waved back and offered them to sit with him and Keith. Keith grunted when Lotor sat next to him and the other two sat with Shiro.

"We just went shopping for the summer, I got dresses and shorts," Allura told them happily as she pulled her hair over her shoulder.

"Are you doing anything for summer vacation?" Shiro asked her kindly as lance was looking around the diner next to the two, looking interested at how everything looked.

"Am I suppose too?" She didn't understand.

"No, it's just a summer break from school till the fall," Shiro waved it off understanding she and the other two didn't know any better. "Just get to relax and have free time,"

"Is that why your making me get a job?" Keith asked annoyed.

"Exactly," he smiled nodding.

"Alright kiddos, do you know what you want to eat?" The waitress walked over to the group of teens.

"Oh I'm so sorry not yet," Shiro gave a shy wave shaking his head.

"I'll be back in a few then, want me to get you some waters?" She asked and they all said yes. She walked away and everyone grabbed a menu from the end of the table.

"When does the school year end?" Lance asked curiously.

"Three weeks," Keith answered looking at his menu unamused by the company.

"Don't be rude," Shiro tapped his menu with a tsk.

"Does home schooling go all summer?" Keith sighed and tried to make conversation.

"Uh n-no, I'm done next week," lance lied quickly. "I finished my work early?"

Lotor nodded in approval for the lie.

"Did you guys figure out what to eat?" The waitress came back before they could talk about what they'd all get to eat.

"Yea," Keith set his menu down and the waitress looked at lance.

"What can I get you dear?" She asked lance.

Lotor panicked a little knowing Lance couldn't read well yet, much less read fast. He was just learning how. And not hearing what everyone else was getting? He didn't want him to get embarrassed.

"I'm sorry do you have cheese burgers?" Lance rubbed his neck nervously.

"Yes? It's first on the menu?" She raised a brow pointing.

"Right right, I forgot my glasses at home, basically blind without them," he laughed a little giving a kind smile.

"I got you honey, a cheeseburger and what side? We got fries, steam veggies, chips," the waitress listed for him.

"Just fries please, and two cheese burgers," lance nodded happily.

"Do you just want a double cheese burger?" She offered.

"Oh yes! Two of those please!" Lance clasped his hands together beaming.

"O...Kay... and you hun?" She looked at Allura after writing lances order down. They all went to order one at a time and she got everyone written down on her note pad. She gave weird looks when Allura and Lotor also ordered a larger amount of food for themselves.

"Athletes," the waitress hugged a little impressed at the food they'd eat.

"You guys eat that much all the time?" Keith whistled a little also noticing. Lotor looked at Shiro to cover for them.

"Mostly when we go out for meals, we have a high metabolism," Allura answered for them with a smile.

"Are you guys going to come over to hunks place? He just got an in ground pool for the summer," Keith asked curiously.

"Uh we don't know how to swim," Allura laughed nervously.

"Same, being in the system didn't give a lot of opportunities to learn how to swim, or a lot of things," Keith nodded understanding the 'situation'.

"Like what?" Lance leaned in curiously.

"I mean riding a bike, swimming, took me forever to figure out how to fold clothes like a normal person, some basic stuff I didn't realize I was missing," he shrugged and lance smiled softly looking down.

"Yea I get that," lance smiled to himself playing with the edge of his fork.

"What did you miss out on from the foster system?" Keith asked as Allura and Shiro had their own conversation but Lotor sat quiet and just listened.

"Oh I'm really late on some things, can't swim, can't ride a bike, I can't r-read or write cursive," lance bit back nervously as he looked at Lotor.

"I'm not really good with the whole school thing," he rubbed his head keeping his eyes down.

"When lance was in the system he was never able to attend elementary school, moved around to much, so being home schooled helps making sure he knows what he needs to know," Lotor cut in for him and lance nodded with a smile.

"Seriously? How far back are you?" Keith snorted but Shiro frowned hearing the judgement.

"Not that far," lance mumbled.

"Your suppose to be a junior, what your at like freshmen level?" Keith smirked a little but Shiro kicked him under the table.

"That's rude, your the last person that should judge for that shit Keith," Shiro snapped a little. Lance kept his eyes down as he was anxiously playing with the ends of his hair.

"It's-it's fine, It's not a big deal," lance whispered closing his eyes.

"No it's not fine, I know you two have tension but It's dumb," Shiro narrowed his eyes with warning at his brother.

"Fine I'm sorry-" Keith was cut off when lance got up and left the table quickly going to the bathroom on the side and closed the door behind him quickly.

"God dammit," Shiro sighed as everyone was surprised by the sudden absence.

Lance whimpered a little as he went into a stall and leaned against the wall on the side as he slid down covering his ears.

He didn't need to be smart in the labs, they just wanted him strong.

The collar around his neck sent strong burning shocked down his spine as he let out a scream of pain before dropping to the floor.

"To slow, run the test again,"

He whined putting his head against his knees, it felt like a nightmare but he was stuck. He was awake. He couldn't breathe.

"Stop stop stop stop," lance hit the side of his head softly but started to get harder with each hit from his palm.

The stall door open, never being locked in the first place, and a hand gently grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands off his heads. Lance looked up with wide blue eyes and saw Lotor, immediately feeling relieved as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders begging for comfort.

"He doesn't understand," Lotor whispered rubbing gently on lances back, on his wings under his hoodie.

"He doesn't understand what we've been through, lying about it is the best we can do," he hugged him tightly as lance buried his face.

"I'm not dumb I'm not," lance whimpered. "Im trying,"

"You've never been dumb lance, but you need to calm down, you need to get under control," Lotor hushed him and lance nodded understanding.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to run off, I just-just.." he trailed off as Lotor walked him out to the sink to get more space.

"I feel like a joke," lance kept his eyes down.

"You're not, we're all just a little unhinged," Lotor told him calmly and lance laughed a little at that.

"Keith wants to apologize, let's go back," Lotor motioned back and lance nodded following.

The boys left the restroom and a minute later a boy peaked out wide eyes as he grabbed his phone knowing those were the guys that made his friend a joke.

"Hey rolo, meet at the diner," he smirked a little.