Avalon High (BXB)

7: The Politician

It's the next day at school, as I'm by my locker, and sling my bag over my right shoulder, and hear marching, and turn to my right, seeing four Knights carrying shields, and marching towards me, and they turn back to Will, Lance, and two of their friends in Letterman jackets, and Will walks over to me. "Hey, Arthur!" He exclaims, as I shut my locker with my right hand. "Hey, you took off so early from the party. Didn't you have fun?" He asks. "Uh.." I say, and look behind him at Jen and Lance, and back to Will. "I was feeling a little hot. I took some medicine and I was good to go." I say, smiling. "Oh. So you're ok now. That's awesome." He says. "Yeah. It comes and goes." I say, glancing at Lance and Jen. "I should get to class." I say, and turn around, and walk off to Moore's class, and take the Order of the Bear Journal out of my bag with my right hand, laying it on his desk. "I brought the book." I say, as he's writing on the chalkboard, and he turns around, looking at me. "Oh, no, Arthur, you shouldn't have. I meant what I said about keeping it safe." He says, walking over to me. "It's far too valuable." He says. "Mr. Moore, my parents said it's fine. As long as I bring it home with me tonight." I say, smiling. "Say no more. I'll look at it right now, and give it back at the end of class. Thank you." He says, picking the book up with both hands. "You've made an old Arthur buff very happy. Thank you, Arthur." He says, and we both smile, and I nod, turning around, walking over to my seat, as I see a bunch of people sitting down. "Ok. Change in plans. We're watching a video today." Moore says, as everyone cheers, and I sit in my seat. I rest my chin on my left hand, watching a King Arthur movie that I've seen dozens of times, and Lance turns around, looking at me, and I look back at him, and we both sigh, and he turns around, and I look back at the movie, and feel someone staring at me, and I look to my left to see Marco staring at me, and I turn back around, and see a shadow on the left side of me, and I gasp, and see Moore holding the book in his right hand. "The pages on the timing of the reincarnation were positively enlightening. Thanks again for bringing it in." He says, handing me the book, as I grab it with both hands. "No problem. And hey, if you ever want to talk King Authur, my parents would be happy to hold you hostage. I mean, have you over for Dinner." I say, smiling, and he laughs. "Yeah. I'll have to take you up on that." He says, and the bell rings, and we all get out of our desks. "All right. Everyone, out." Moore says, and I look at Miles. "I don't know how things were at your last school, but around here, you can't get anything higher than an A, so you can quit trying so hard." He says. "It's called being nice, Miles. You should try it instead of hiding all your insecurities behind your snark." I say, and walk past him. "Hey, Arthur." Will says, as I glance at him. "Hey." I say, and walk off to my locker, and open it with my right hand, seeing Marco in the mirror, and I gasp. "I know you know." He says, and I look at him, sighing. "Know what?" I ask, and he leans against the locker next to me. "That Lance and Jen are cheating on my jock of a step brother. If you know what's good for you, you won't say anything to Will." He says. "I haven't set anything. And I don't plan to. But not because you're threatening me. I have my own reasons." I say. "I don't care what your reasons are, just shut the fuck up about it. And stay out of my way, or else." He says. "Or else what? You'll kill me?" I ask, stepping forward. "I just might." He says, and slams my locker closed, as it almost hits my fingers, and he stomps off past me. I'm running through the woods near a street, and run into Will. "Arthur!" He exclaims, and we both stop running. "Oh. Hi." I say. "Hey, you've been avoiding me ever since my party. Did I do something wrong? Or is this about.. you know. The kiss?" He asks. "No, no. It's about the kiss or you did anything wrong, which you didn't, and Miles didn't ask. I've just had a lot on my mind." I say, smiling and nodding. "So, you're sure it's nothing I did?" He asks. "No. It's definitely nothing.. you did." I say, and he smiles at me. "Good. So, you want to run with me?" He asks. "Um.. sure." I say, and he runs past me, and I turn around, and start running. "What you want to do? Like, two miles?" He asks. "I was thinking four. If you think you can handle it." I say, smiling, and he laughs. We run past the school and then past the theater, and past the windmill area. "Race you to the corner." He says, smiling. "Ok." I say, and we run after each other, and reach the park, and stop running, as I give a small laugh. "Oh! You are seriously fast. Maybe we should draft you for next season." He says, and I laugh. "I'm not a big fan of shoulder pads." I say. "Enough said." He says, and turns around, picking up a rose, and hands it to me, as it's in his right hand. "What's this for?" I ask, taking it with my right. "Nothing. I just thought you'd like it. It's no biggie. But you're a guy, so I can take it back if you want." He says, and I have another flashback, where a girl is walking down the aisle, holding roses in her wedding dress, as King Arthur is waiting for her, and I snap back into reality, almost dropping it, as he catches it, with his right hand. "Did one of the thorns cut you?" He asks. "No. I just thought it did. Or maybe it's the adrenaline." I say, smiling. We're sitting in a tree in the forest. "It's weird. You're so easy to talk to. It's like.." He says, smiling, and stops. "What?" I ask, smiling. "It's like we were already friends before we met. Does that make any sense?" He asks, and I smile a little more. "Never mind. It's crazy." He says, and I give a small laugh. "No. No. I thought the same thing. Sort of like we.. knew each other from a past life." I say. "Exactly! But I dony really know anything about you except you love running and guys." He says, smiling. "Well, what do you want to know?" He asks. "What do you want to do with your life?" He asks, and I give a small laugh. "I don't know. I'll probably end up doing something in law. I'm really big on fairness. I just.. I can't stand people who think they can get away with doing something they know is wrong. I want to change the world." I say. "Like what?" He asks. "I don't know, like. Like people who cut in line. Seriously, they shouldn't even get what they want if they cut." I say. "What, so if you're in line for a movie and I just got my ticket." He says. "Mhm." I say. "And as I'm on my way to the very, very back of the line, I see you." He says. "Mhm." I say. "Can I get in line with you?" He asks. "Nope." I say. "Damn. You're tough." He says, and I nod, smiling. "Tough but fair. You can stand next to me not in the line though. Like, off to the side." I say, smiling, and he laughs. "When I go into Politics, that's how I want to be." He says. "Is that what you want to do? Be a Politican?" I ask. "Not 'a' Politician. 'The' Politician. I'm thinking President of the United States." He says. "Woah." I say. "Yeah, I know, it's crazy to even joke about it, right?" He asks. "No. I can totally see it." I say, and we smile at each other. "Race you back to school." He says. "You're on." I say, smiling, and he hops down, and he takes my arms, as I hop down, too, and I turn around, and start running, and I laugh, as he's taking a shortcut. "Hey! No shortcuts." I say, smiling. "Why not?" He asks, smiling.