Avalon High (BXB)

5: A Friend In Need

It's nighttime, as I'm laying in my bed, asleep, and wake up to the sound of an owl hooting, and look around my room with my head on my pillow, and sit up, putting both of my feet on the floor, and stand up, and turn my lamp on with my right hand, and walk over to my desk where the Journal of The Order of the Bear is, and sit down in my chair in front of it, and open it with both hands, flipping through the pages, and see a picture of King Arthur's crown, and look to the bottom right of the page next to it, as it looks basically identical to the school. "Camelot." I say, and look around my room, concentrating. It's the next day at school, as the bell rings for Mr. Moore's class. "Ok. Tomorrow, we'll be talking about sewage systems in King Arthur's day. So, if I were you, I'd plan on eating a light lunch." Moore says, as I get up, and walk over to him. "Arthur?" He asks. "Yeah?" I ask. "Were you able to find some information on the Order of the Bear from your parents?" He asks, grabbing his case with his left hand. "True to form, they had a dusty, fifty pound book about it." I say, smiling. "Fascinating." He says, and chuckles. "Did you read the part about the prophecy?" He asks. "Yep." I say. "What did you think?" He asks. "I don't know. The whole 'reincarnation of King Arthur' thing is a little far fetched, don't you think?" I ask. "It's only far fetched if it isn't true." He says, packing his stuff up, and I give a small laugh. "Don't tell me you believe in it, too?" I ask. "Oh, Absolutely! You're a very lucky guy to be able to read the prophecy firsthand." He says. "I could bring in the book for you, if you want to see it." I say. "Oh, no, no. I couldn't ask you to do that. A book like that must be so fragile. I'd be afraid of damaging it!" He exclaims, and we both chuckle. "Yeah. It's probably just best to leave it right where it is." He says, and I nod. "Just thought I'd ask." I say, and walk out of his classroom. "What did he want? Are you in trouble?" Miles asks, as I look at him." He says, and I sigh. "I don't want to be friends with a trouble maker." He says. "Miles, are you finally admitting we're friends?" I ask. "I admit nothing." He says, and we head to go outside. "Just tell me what Moore wanted." He says. "He just wanted to talk about the Order of the Bear." I say. "Wow. Informal, post class chit chat. Way to pull the Teacher's Pet spot out from underneath me. Some friend you turned out to be." He says, and I smile, walking past him. "Bye, Miles." I say. "Where are you going?" He asks, and I look back at him. "Cafeteria. Do you want to come with me?" I ask. "Ok." He says, and runs over towards me, and I hear giggling, and turn around, seeing Lance and Jen by the stairs, smiling and holding hands, and they look at me, and I turn back around. I'm running through the park in my maroon hoodie, Hunter Green beanie, and gray sweatpants, and run past the school theatre and down, and start running past a bunch of trees, and a deserted forest where's there's just a bunch of random plants, bushes, and weeds, and a strong wind blows, and my beanie flys off, and I chase after it, and step over two long tree branches, and push them back some to get through, and look around as the wind blows more, and I see Will sitting down in front of a tree, and I walk over to him, and see he's in the same outfit I first me him in, and notice he's holding my beanie in his right hand. "Hey." I say, smiling. "Hey. Is this yours. I think I remember you wearing it at the fountain." He says. "Yeah, the same one. It blew away." I say, and he brushes some leaves off with his left hand. "Right to me. Must be fate." He says, outstretching his right hand to me, and I take it with my right. "Thanks. So, what are you doing out here?" I ask. "Running, thinking. Running and thinking. This is obviously the thinking part." He says, and I laugh. "I figured." I say, smiling. "Ok. Well, I'll leave you alone, then." I say, and begin to walk off. "No, it's ok. Stay." He says, and I step forward and stand next to him, looking at him. "You know, most people just run right past this part of the forest, but it's great in here." He says, and I sit down in front of him. "Listen, hear the wind in the trees. It's.. like music." He says, as I can hear the wind whistling. "Football players aren't supposed to talk like that." I say, sarcastically, smiling. "You're making fun of me?" He asks. "Yeah, totally. I'm making fun of you for doing something you love. Oh, and I'm plotting with Marco to figure out how to get away with murder." I say, sarcastically, and he gives a small laugh. "Does it really look like I'm the kind of person that would make fun of anyone?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "No. You don't. It just seems like all people can talk to me about is football." He says. "Ok. Well, then, what else do you want go talk about?" I ask, and he gives a light chuckle. "See? That's the problem. I can't think of anything else." He says, and I smile, giving a light chuckle. "Can I tell you something?" He asks, and I nod. "Football used to mean everything to me. I loved the game. But now everyone's counting on me to win the championship and get my scholarship." He says. "You're getting a football scholarship? That's amazing!" I exclaim, smiling. "I don't have one yet, but I need one, or no college." He says. "No pressure there. I'm sure my parents could and would definitely pull some strings if you ever need or want it." I say, and we both smile, and he looks to his right, sighing, and stands up, and I get up, following him. "You're a great athlete. Everybody knows that. And all great athletes have pressure on them all the time. You can't be afraid of it. You have to embrace it." I say, and we stop walking. "And the way you do that is to remember what victory felt like, that feeling when you lead your team to glory. Like how King Arthur and his knights stood up against Mordred and used the ancient weapon of Excalibur to defeat him. And if you can live in that moment and want it again with all your heart and find your own Excalibur, nothing can stop you." I say, and he smiles at me. "Wow. That was.." He says, and I give a small chuckle. "Thank you." He says. "I honestly have no idea in hell where that came from." I say, and we start walking again. "What if I lose?" He asks. "Then I guess State wasn't meant to be." I say, smiling. "Not the answer I was hoping for." He says, and I laugh. "Sorry, I just mean.. maybe everything happens for a reason." I say. "You think so?" He asks. "I didn't. But I'm starting to." I say, and his phone beeps, and he pulls it out of his left pocket, and we see it's Jen calling. "Wow. You guys have been together for a while, huh?" I ask. "Almost three years. Don't ask." He says. "Ask what?" I ask. "Why I didn't answer the phone. Hey, want to run some more?" He asks. "Sure. Wait, I forgot. My Dad's making burgers for Dinner." I say. "Burgers, huh? Sounds good." He says. "Yeah, they are. Yep. My Dad makes some pretty good burgers there. Oh, wait. Did you want to come over for burgers? Just as friends. So, it'd just be like.. like a friend burger." I say, and he laughs. "Yeah, I would love a 'friend' burger." He says, and I laugh with him. We're all at home in my backyard near the pool, as Dad is grilling burgers. "Perfect. There we go. Good." Dad says, and Will walks over to him. "Oh, I got that, sir." He says, closing the grill, as Dad steps back. "No problem. Yeah. Thanks." Dad says, and I see Mom coming with a bowl of lettuce in her right hand, and Dad lifts the grill up again. "Will, you're welcome here anytime. You're wonderful." Mom says, walking past me, as I'm setting the table. "Mom, please!" I exclaim, and walk over to my chair, and he sits on the left side of me. "What? He's Class President, the Quarterback, and Homecoming King. He's very impressive. Very impressive." Mom says, and I mentally sigh. "One of the professors told me that you really helped turn the team around." Dad says, as Will passes me a plate with his right hand, and I take it with my left, and set it down in front of me. "Not to mention bringing a lot of pride back to the school." Dad says. "His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd. On burnish'd hooves his war horse trode. From underneath his helmet flow'd. His coal black curls as on he rode.." Mom says, as Dad holds her right hand. "As he rode down to Camelot." Dad says, and kisses her head. "It's a poem about how Arthur became the leader Britian needed. Seems like Will did the same thing for Avalon High." Mom says, and I give a light chuckle, and look at Will. "I don't know how things are at your house, but dinner just isn't complete without a King Arthur poem. A name that I will never be able to live down." I say, looking back at them, and Mom and Dad laugh, and the grill catches fire. "Excuse me." Dad says. "I'll help you, sir." Will says, standing up, as so does Dad, and they walk over to the grill, and Mom and I look at each other, and she glances her eyes at Will, and I shake my head, and roll my eyes. "Girlfriend." I mouth, and she rolls her eyes. "Not safe. It will explode." I hear a calm, woman's voice say, and look at the grill, and stand up, running over to them. "Everyone, run! It's gonna blow!" I yell, as we all run towards the house, and I hear Will trip, and I turn around, running back over to him, and grab his right hand, helping him up, and think of the most logical thing, and tackle him into the pool, as we hear the grill explode, and I see that Will is sinking to the bottom, and I swim down, and grab his waist, pulling him back to the surface, as Dad helps me lift him up out of the water, as I see the chairs and table is on fire, as Mom is using the fire extinguisher, as I get out of the water, and Dad lays him down, and I put my ear to Will's chest, heating a faint heartbeat. "It's faint!" I yell, and begin doing chest compressions that I learned from camp, as it's not working, and I do mouth to mouth CPR also. "Come on, Will! Wake up!" I exclaim, crying, and repeat the same step, and he wakes up, coughing up water, and I sigh in relief, wrapping my arms around his back, as he does the same, and Mom brings us both towels. It's almost sundown, as Will walks out of my bathroom, wearing my Maroon hoodie and black sweatpants, as I'm sitting on my bed. "Well, it's a good thing you wear some clothes a lot bigger than you. Not that your big, I mean.." He says, and I laugh. "I know what you mean. And I'm really sorry about Dinner and tackling you in the water. I just.. it just seemed like the most logical thing to do." I say, and he nods. "I totally understand and you did save my life." He says, smiling, and sits down on my bed next to me. "Yeah, after I put it at risk. How's your head?" I ask. "I'll be fine. So, listen. There's a party at my house after Friday's game. You should come." He says. "Sure. I'd love to. But isn't this a forbidden friendship? I mean, the Nerd and the Jock?" I ask, and he laughs. "Not forbidden at all." He says, and I smile. "It's.. not just the pressure of the scholarship or the people or anything. I just.. I don't want to be judged differently or anything." He says. "Judged how?" I ask. "About who I like. I mean, yeah. Jen and Lance are my friends, and I'm dating her.. but. I just don't.. feel that way." He says. "Oh. As in.. liking guys." I say, and he nods. "Well, you shouldn't have to hide who you are from anyone. You can just be yourself and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I'll always be your friend whenever you need me for anything. Anything to talk about. Day or Night. And, I mean, it's pretty obvious I don't like girls, either." I say, and he laughs, touching the right side of my face. "Will.." I say, touching his with mine, and he kisses me, as it's filled with passion and warmth, and he stops. "Will.. you have a girlfriend and I can't be a secret lover." I say, sighing. "I know, but. Will you wait for me?" He asks. "Like I said. I'll always be here for you." I say, smiling, and we stand up. "Come on. I'll walk you to your jeep." I say, smiling, and he opens my door with his right hand, and I walk out, and we head to the front door, as I open it with my left, and walk out, and see him close the door behind him, and we walk to his jeep. "So, I'll still see you at the party, right?" He asks. "Definitely." I say, smiling, and walk back to my house, and open the door with my right hand, and walk in, closing it behind me, and see Mom and Dad. "So, did he ask you on a date?" Mom asks. "No, he didn't. Those were supposed to be friend burgers before our near death experiences." I say. "Sure. Awesome. Just friends." Dad says. "Seriously! I just gave him a football pep talk. That's it." I say. "Well, if you say that's it, I guess that's it." Mom says, smiling and nodding. "Good. Ok." I say, and turn around, heading up the stairs.