Teenage kicks (or just a teenage circus?) part 2/?
A/N: This comes to you totally unbeta'd but otherwise this post wouldn't have come until well after christmas- so you have to put up with my grammar and 'imaginative' take on the english language I'm afraid :P.
Part 1 here: http://s11235.livejournal.com/14838.html
‘She’s not coming,’ Arthur says for the eighth time since we’d arrived as he drummed his fingers on the table.
‘She is. She said so, so she is,’ I reply reasonably.
‘Why would Guinevere wanna hang out with losers like us?’
‘Maybe she just couldn’t stay away Arthur,’ Gwaine says sagely, ‘the chemistry between you two is undeniable.’
‘You really think so?’ Arthur says, trying to hide his grin, his cheeks a little pink as I just roll my eyes.
‘No,’ Will says, looking a little perplexed, ‘I thought you just piss her off,’ he adds, articulating my own thoughts perfectly.
‘What makes you say that?’ Arthur demands, instantly riled.
‘That’s what Merlin told me.’
I screw up my face in response.
‘Merlin told you?’ Arthur says, turning in his seat to glower at me. He looks ready to launch himself over the table but then-
‘Hi Merlin,’ Gwen beams down at me, ‘hi Gwaine, hi Will,’ she forces a tight-lipped smile, ‘Arthur.’
‘Hey,’ we chorus back brightly, all except for Arthur who is looking broodingly at his beer mat.
‘Merlin,’ she says, turning to the tall dark haired girl from earlier, ‘I don’t know if you two have met, this is Morgana.’
‘Hi’ I mumble, for some reason not quite able to meet Morgana’s blue-grey eyes.
‘Oh I see you didn’t bring Alvarr along, thanks for that,’ Arthur snaps sarcastically.
I notice a nerve twitch in Gwen’s cheek at the mention of Alvarr’s name.
‘No, funnily enough he had better things to do and he didn’t have Gwen emotionally blackmailing him to come along.’
‘Morgana,’ Gwen hisses disapprovingly.
‘You wanted me here, I’m here, and if I’m going to stay I’ll be needing a stiff drink,’ she says as she sidles up to the barman.
‘I’m sorry,’ Gwen mouths at us as she follows her friend.
‘I don’t get it,’ I say, once they are both out of earshot, ‘why is someone as kind as Gwen hanging out with someone like Morgana?’
Arthur opens his mouth to respond, looking angry, but Gwaine beats him to it, ‘because Gwen and Morgana have been best friends since their first day in Year Seven and Gwen’s not the sort of person who just gives up on someone because they’ve become mega psycho bitch of the century-’
‘Hey,’ Arthur objects, ‘that is my step-sister you’re talking about.’
My jaw draws, ‘what?’ I just manage to stammer.
‘Mr Pendragon married Morgana’s mum when we were in Year Ten wasn’t it?’
Arthur nods.
‘Morgana’s mum was head of the PTA- massive scandal wasn’t it?’
Arthur shrugs.
‘Then Morgana’s mum died in a road traffic accident a year ago and she’s been a bit unhinged ever since,’ Gwaine states plainly.
‘Bloody hell,’ I curse, shocked, ‘poor Morgana.’
‘Shit happens,’ Gwaine says unsympathetically, though shares a significant look with Arthur.
I’m just about to ask what it is I’m missing when Morgana and Gwen return with drinks.
My hand goes to my wallet as Gwen passes me a pint of Strongbow, ‘first round’s on me,’ Gwen smiles sweetly, ‘you can return the favour later.’
‘Thanks,’ I reply, Gwaine and Will reiterating my sentiments as they receive a glass each in turn.
‘Are you alright Arthur?’ Gwen asks as he scowls at the glass she has just placed before him.
‘It’s fine,’ he says bolshily, ‘but it would have been nice for you to have at least asked what I wanted.’
She looks at him stunned, her mouth slightly open, ‘right’ she says blankly, ‘sorry.’
The group falls into an awkward silence, each one of us studying the drink before us as if it might just be the most fascinating thing on the planet.
A few minutes pass.
‘I’m calling in reinforcements,’ Morgana announces, whipping out her blackberry.
‘Elena and Sophie already said they couldn’t make it on such short notice,’ Gwen explains.
‘I’m not talking about them; I’m talking about the entire football team.’
‘They won’t be interested,’ Gwen reasons with a shrug.
‘Oh, really?’ Morgana says, arching an eyebrow. ‘So you’re saying that if I drop a line to Lance stating that you would really appreciate it if he and the guys came to join us, he wouldn’t drop everything to route march his whole team and his cute little butt over here as fast as possible?’
I notice Arthur’s face harden while Gwen’s turn a delicate shade of pink.
‘He has better things to do than sitting around waiting for an invitation from me,’ Gwen insists.
‘You’re totally right he does have better things to do but he’s too busy pining over you to do any of them,’ Morgana retorts with a smirk, ‘so he might as well come join us.’
‘Morgana-’ Gwen begins to protest just as Morgana’s phone makes a satisfied beeping sound.
‘What was that?’ Arthur asks warily.
‘Lance. He and the boys will be here in ten,’ Morgana says with a smirk.
‘Brilliant,’ Arthur and Gwen breathe in unison.
‘Maybe you guys should leave before they get here,’ Morgana suggests offhandedly.
Arthur opened his mouth angrily, but Gwen beat him to it, ‘Morgana!’
‘What?’ she replied coolly, studying her perfectly manicured nails.
‘This was Merlin’s idea, you shouldn’t even have invited anyone else without asking him if it was okay.’
‘Fine, Merlin can stay,’ Morgana shrugs, ‘but does my step-brother have to?’
Again Arthur opens his mouth to respond and again Gwen gets there first, ‘of course Arthur can stay.’
I could see Arthur barely holding back an awe-filled ‘really?’
‘-he’s Merlin’s friend’ Gwen continues.
Arthur’s face falls momentarily before his jaw tightens and he snaps, ‘Merlin is not my friend.’
‘Oh’ is Gwen’s only response.
‘But I’m staying anyway’ Arthur says before chugging down the rest of his cider and folding his arms mutinously.
‘Ok,’ Gwen murmurs, looking a bit confused.
‘I like this stuff,’ Will says, staring pensively into his pint glass.
Gwaine gave him a derisive look and stood up, ‘I’m gunna go chat up those girls over there,’ he grins, gesturing over his shoulder, ‘fancy being my wing-man Arthur?’
‘Er,’ Arthur says shooting an involuntary glance in Gwen’s direction. His gaze lingers a little too long on her lips as she chastises Morgana for inviting along Lancelot and the guys. ‘Actually I’m ok mate,’ Arthur elaborates, his eyes flicking back to Gwen, ‘good luck though.’
‘I don’t need luck’ Gwaine scoffs, ‘I have good old fashioned Irish charm,’ he adds with a wink.
Once Gwaine has sauntered off to terrorise the pretty redhead and the leggy blonde in the corner- both of whom look to be at least five years older than him- I turn to Arthur.
‘Who’s Lance?’
‘He’s Gwen’s gentleman caller,’ Morgana interjects with a smirk.
‘Here in the twenty-first century we call that a stalker Morgana,’ Arthur responds smoothly.
I notice Gwen’s lips twitch slightly, but she refuses to indulge Arthur to the point of a smile.
Instead she turns to me and says levelly, ‘Lance is the captain of the school’s football team and in the year above us.’
‘Oh ok.’
‘And he’s gorgeous,’ Morgana adds with a grin.
‘If you’re so crazy about him, you go out with him,’ Arthur says.
‘He’s so in love with Gwen he wouldn’t even look twice at me,’ Morgana replies with the first genuine smile I had seen from her, ‘not that I blame him’ she continues, giving her friend a conspiratorial nudge with her elbow.
Gwen’s face is on fire as she says defiantly, ‘he is not in love with me, he doesn’t even know me.’
‘Have you never heard of love at first sight?’ Morgana asks exasperatedly.
‘Yes,’ Gwen reasons, ‘but you are supposed to actually get to know someone you’re interested in.’
I don’t miss the look in Arthur’s eyes stating clearly that he has just made a mental note of that information and stuck a giant, yellow, mental post-it on it.
‘Anyway that’s enough about my fictional love-life,’ Gwen says, clearing her throat and clearly uncomfortable.
‘So there’s nothing going on between you and Lance?’ Arthur asks before he can stop himself, or I can give him a swift kick him under the table.
Gwen gives him a curious look and is just about to respond when the pub door opens with a gust of cold air.
‘Lance!’ Morgana exclaims, getting to her feet and rushing over to the gaggle of teenage boys, ‘thank god you’re here, I was about ready to die of boredom’ she adds, placing a swift kiss on both cheeks of the guy whom I guess is Lance. However his attention is not on her, but somewhere over her head. I follow his gaze and there, sure enough is Gwen.
‘Hey, Gwen,’ he says with a wide smile.
‘Oh,’ she mumbles, giving him a small wave, ‘hi.’
Lance slides into the booth beside Gwen and I feel Arthur’s whole body stiffen beside me.
‘It’s so nice to see you again Gwen,’ Lance says, taking her hand and raising it to his lips, ‘our paths don’t seem to cross nearly enough for my liking.’
‘Right,’ she replies, pulling her hand from his grasp before saying pointedly, ‘Lance have you met Merlin.’
The guy gives me a half second glance.
‘No I don’t think so.’
‘Well he is new in school and he’s a really nice guy.’
‘It’s a pleasure to meet you Merlin,’ he says with a polite smile, ‘any friend of Gwen’s is a friend of mine.’
‘So you guys are an item?’ I ask, a little confused.
‘Sorta’
‘No,’ Gwen says firmly at the exact same time.
‘Well, technically no, but that’s only because she’s so stubborn,’ he says fondly as he puts his arm around her.
‘Guinevere, I am getting in the next round of drinks, could you maybe give me a hand?’ Arthur asks in a rush.
Gwen gives him a surprised look which is swiftly followed by a ‘sure,’ accompanied by an appreciate smile.
‘Pendragon, do you seriously think you’ll get served? You’re only seventeen, right?’
‘Er, yeah,’ Arthur says nervously.
‘Why don’t you just let me get the drinks, Pendragon?’ Lance grins.
Arthur looks at him blankly.
‘We’ll be fine,’ Gwen says firmly.
I watch as Gwen and Arthur move over to the bar and Arthur attempts to get the attention of the barman.
‘So how did you find your first day?’ Lance asks.
‘The kids here aren’t exactly what I’m used to,’ I say, ‘though it might be more appropriate to say I’m not exactly what they’re used to,’ I add with a grin.
‘Well you didn’t exactly make it easy for yourself,’ he says, ‘making friends with Pendragon, I mean.’
‘I’ve never liked doing things the easy way,’ I reply, my eyes on the bar where Arthur and Gwen are talking. Arthur is wearing a smile worthy of the Cheshire cat and Gwen is looking happier than she has all evening- although that’s not saying an awful lot.
‘But I can’t imagine Arthur’s exactly welcomed you into the fold?’ Lance continues.
‘Not exactly, no,’ I say uncertainly, ‘but he is a good guy underneath it all. I genuinely believe that.’
‘And what possible foundation could you have for thinking that Arthur Pendragon is anything more than a prattish loser?’
My eyes flicker over Gwen and Arthur.
‘I’m just guessing,’ I say with a half smile.
‘Ok mate,’ Lance says, raising his hands in defeat, ‘all I’m saying is that Gwen already seems to be warming to you. If you focus on making friends with her and her friends then the next two years of your life might be pretty good. Stick with Arthur and you’ll probably want to jump off the top of a multi-storey car park by Christmas.’
‘I’ll take my chances,’ I reply with a grin.
‘You don’t wanna jump off a building Merls,’ Will says dozily. He pauses, as if for thought, before coming to his conclusion, ‘yeah, you definitely don’t wanna do that, you’d make a right mess on the pavement.’
‘Thanks Will.’
‘No problem,’ he says with a toothy grin, before sinking back into his own, impenetrable little world.
I cast a glance over to the bar just in time to see an outraged looking Gwen arguing with a very defensive looking Arthur. They exchange a few more words before Gwen picks up her drink and stalks off towards Morgana and the assembled football squad. Arthur watches her go with a fierce scowl on his face.
‘I’ve got to go,’ I say as I get to my feet, ‘bathroom,’ I add vaguely, gesturing in the direction of the gents.
As I pass the bar I grab Arthur by the hood of his jacket. He splutters in indignation as I drag him away from everyone else.
‘What happened?’ I ask, releasing him.
‘Nothing,’ he replies like a sulking child.
‘What did you say to her?’
‘It wasn’t my fault.’
‘What did you say?’
‘She blew the whole thing way out of proportion.’
‘Arthur?’ I say, in a non-nonsense kind of voice- the kind my mum had always employed on me as a child, when she found the biscuit tin empty and crumbs on my face.
‘She may have possibly, sort of got the impression that maybe I think she wears tops that are a little bit too revealing,’ he says tentatively.
‘And where would she have got an idea like that?’
‘Because I might, possibly, maybe have said something a little bit like that.’
‘You what?!’ I exclaim.
‘It wasn’t my fault!’ Arthur shouts back.
‘How is this not your fault?’
‘Well I asked her if it bothered her, guys like Lance drooling over her, I mean. And she said she wasn’t the kind of girl who really enjoys that much male attention. And I said she doesn’t do enough to stop it…’ he trails off.
‘And?’
‘And she asked what I meant.’
‘So?’
‘So I said needed to be less nice to these guys and perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea for her to wear less low-cut tops occasionally,’ Arthur says, with an attempt at nonchalance, but his adam’s apple, bobbing nervously in his throat, like a cork in water, gives him away.
‘You did not?’ I exclaim.
‘I did,’ Arthur says, folding his arm defensively across his chest.
‘You moron.’
‘Shut up Merlin!’
‘I leave you alone with Gwen for two minutes and you go and say something like that. Were Gwaine and Will just making up the stuff about you being interested in her? Were you serious when you said you didn’t like her? I thought it was just a cover, but now I’m not so sure…’
Arthur’s face is on fire by the time I finish speaking. My answer is right there in the flush of his cheeks.
‘Why can’t you just admit it?’
‘What would be the point?’ Arthur says with a shrug, ‘nothing will ever happen between us. She’s the most popular girl in school, she has every boy there lining up to date her, I can’t compete with those guys, guys like Lance. She’s my step-sister’s best friend, my step-sister who would probably get her boyfriend to kick the shit out of me if she had any idea that I have a thing for Gwen. And to top it all off I can’t even have a decent conversation with her, my brain turns to mush and verbal diahorrea just won't stop every time we are within three feet of each other.’
‘You sound like you’ve given up already?’
‘Two years, Merlin, two years I’ve spent not giving up on her. I should just face facts; we are from two totally different worlds.’
‘You go to the same friggin’ school,’ I say in exasperation.
‘You know what I mean.’
‘Arthur, if you like Gwen enough and if she likes you- or gets to like you,’ I amend swiftly, ‘then the popularity thing won’t matter, Gwen isn’t the kind of girl who would let a thing like that get in the way and the Morgana stuff, well I don’t reckon she would mind, she seems to care about Gwen. If that is the case she will want her to be happy. And the verbal diahorrea thing, that we can work on,’ I say with a wide grin, feeling something like a fairy godmother.
Arthur gives me a forced smile, and mumbles something like ‘thanks’ before his countenance shifts, ‘but tell anyone about this Emrys, I swear, and I will make Camelot High a living hell for you, I mean it.’
I am just thinking how exactly to respond to this when a tall man in dark clothing, with an earpiece in, says in a gruff, gravelly voice, ‘boys, I wanna see some I.D.’
‘Er,’ we both say as we search our pockets for the non-existent I.D.
‘I seem to have left my driving licence at home,’ Arthur says with a stab at nonchalance.
‘Out!’
‘But-’
‘If your arse isn’t out that door in five seconds I am calling up the head at Camelot High and will report the pair of you.’
‘Fine,’ Arthur grumbles as we make a hasty exit.
We stumble out into the cool night air and into Will and Gwaine.
‘Did you get thrown out too?’
‘No,’ Will says, ‘there was just a nice guy who asked if I was eighteen, I said no, and he asked me to leave. Suppose he must have wanted the table.’
Arthur rolls his eyes.
‘And you Gwaine?’
‘The bar staff threw me out because apparently the redhead complained about my good old fashioned Irish charm, though I’m betting she was just playing hard to get. All the older women are like that.’
‘Right,’ Arthur says, looking decidedly unimpressed.
‘I still had a pretty good night though,’ I say, blowing on my hands to keep them warm.
‘Not too shabby,’ Gwaine agrees.
‘The best,’ Will says, starry-eyed as he sways on the spot.
And Arthur just looks at the pub window, through which he can see the top of Gwen’s head, her curls making her stand out even at this distance.
‘It has certainly given me stuff to think about,’ Arthur says, half to himself.
‘Like what?’ Will asks, as we begin to meander our way out of the pub car park.
‘Stuff,’ Arthur shrugs.
‘Like-’ Will starts to say, but he seems to lose the thread of his thought as he staggers into someone’s garden fence, clinging onto it for dear life.
‘Will, let go of the fence,’ I say reasonably when he refuses to move after two minutes.
‘I can’t,’ Will assures me vehemently.
‘Come on mate,’ Gwaine tries to coax him, as he hops up and down to ward off the cold.
‘No.’
‘William, let go of that fence this instant!’
We all turn to stare at Arthur in unison, including Will, who has stopped clinging to the fence now.
‘Let’s get you home,’ Arthur says much more gently this time and he wraps one arm around Will’s waist and places the other boy’s arm around his shoulder.
‘Am I flying?’ Will asks, looking around him in bemusement.
‘Nope, just smashed,’ Arthur murmurs, shooting me a furtive grin.
A/N: Just wanted to say thanks for reading and Happy Christmas/ Festive season to all of you! Hope you have a great time :D