CHAPTER 1 : A NEW FRIENDSHIP
Gawaine was in trouble from the time he got up until he retired at night. Everything he did just seemed to turn out badly and he was always blamed and would never have thought to have lied and tried to pass them off as someone else's actions. He figured that he was just unlucky like the time the football he was kicking had hit the corner of the wall and bounced out of sight into the staff parking area.
He heard a stifled shout of indignation and went to see what had happened. His ball had rolled beneath a teacher's car but not before bouncing off the bonnet of the Head's car leaving a few muddy scratches and a slight indentation.
The whole incident witnessed by the Assistant Head, resulted in the man saying, "I might well have know that you would be involved somehow!" as he walked back into the school followed by his son Maurice who had given Gawaine a snobbish eyes-raised-to-heaven look. His father had told him to be careful in choosing his friends and although he had never mentioned anyone by name, the boy knew that he was referring to one Gawaine the son of Lord Michael and Lady Grace Knells of Hexforth Hall.
Gawaine attended a good school in Liverpool, St. Edwards. His father had gone there when it was a boys' only establishment but now it was co-ed. Everyone on the staff knew that Gawaine had brains but it was just unfortunate that he never put them to any use scholastically. He coasted along just managing to slip by each year. In class he was the last one to be named as a partner and the better students held their collective breaths that their name would not be matched with his. As a result, most of his projects were his own work.
One day at half term a new pupil arrived in the school, word preceded him that he was a scholarship pupil and the snobs in attendance looked down on him. Whereas most new pupils seemed to wear a sign across their chests saying, 'I'd like to be your friend!' this boy had no interest in other students and if anything, his sign would have read, "I don't need friends."
He was happy sitting alone with a book at lunch. He was not really interested in sports but if during gym he was chosen to participate on a team, he did so willingly and proved his worth. However, his lack of interest in pursuing friendships meant that he was usually on the sidelines watching and without any apparent desire to join in.
Class was a different matter, he was bright and well-read. The teachers knew he could be counted upon to answer clearly and that his depth of knowledge had yet to be challenged by the subjects he was taking.
As many of his classes were odd numbered, he was on a few occasions paired up with Gawaine who had no partner. This caused him no hardship as he secretly admired the other boy's independence and originality.
Gawaine was excellent at sports and had to admire the new boy's stay-with-it-attitude even in Track and Field especially cross-country. Gawaine was not the fastest runner but he was solid and determined and usually placed high in the ratings as other boys flashed by burning themselves out before the course was completed. He was therefore surprised when his partner in English, stuck to his heels from the beginning to the end of the course.
Slowly the friendship between Gawaine and the new boy became solid. Gawaine was no longer a loose wheel, he had a reason to be sensible. His so called friends were less impressed. He'd given them many opportunities to laugh at the staff's expense but now he'd changed. He didn't want to be the leader in pranks which would probably go wrong and he'd end up taking the full brunt of the punishment.
Not surprisingly as he continued with his project partner, his marks started to improve. He began answering in class surprising not only himself but his teachers.
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One day, a nasty character made fun of the new boy insinuating that he was at the school only because he'd received a scholarship and even his uniform was second hand.
The words were only out of his mouth before he felt someone's weight against him. He crumpled to the ground and within seconds a hall monitor arrived with a staff member. Gawaine was hauled off the boy and escorted to the Head's office.
Gawaine listened silently to the Head. He refused to explain his actions and was told that as he couldn't follow the rules, the school secretary would be notifying his parents that he was coming home early. He would see him with his father on Monday.
Monday came and Gawaine went to class as his father met with the Head. "He's been doing so well. His conduct has improved and then he loses it over some boy's disparaging remarks about one of the new boys." He looked at Gawaine's father and added, "He is a clever boy and should do well. Maybe once he matures, he will have a different outlook on life."
Gawaine's father nodded, his wife and he had seen the change in their son's attitude to school. It was as if he had seen the open net and was determined to score.
When asked by his mother, he would only say that his days of playing the silly beggar were over. He wanted to do well and get a chance to attend a good college. Gawaine's father had been pleasantly surprised as he'd never heard his son talk about his academic future. Whatever was responsible for this change of heart, he didn't know...
He found out one day when Gawaine asked his mother if he could have a friend join them for tea as they needed to work on a project for science class.
Merlin entered their lives. They both liked him immediately, he was intelligent but when he smiled his face lit up with a love of life itself.
He had explained to them that he and his mother were new to the area. He had arrived after the Christmas break and found the boys less than welcoming to a new scholarship student. He explained that he lived with his mother and great uncle and that the chance for a place in the school where his father had studied had come out of the blue. His mother and great uncle were thrilled and managed to purchase a second hand uniform and off he went to a new school leaving all his friends behind.
He'd smiled saying that he was teamed up with Gawaine in some of his classes and realised that he was no slouch, just misguided as to where his efforts should be focused.
Gawaine had laughed as Merlin was so diplomatic. Gawaine's father nodded and his mother was charmed by her son's new friend.
For the next few years, the family got to know Merlin well. Gawaine's mother had talked to Merlin's about allowing her son to join them for two weeks during their holidays.
"Only, if you don't think he will be a nuisance,"Hunith had said.
"We are used to boys. I never had a daughter but Gawaine has an older brother in university and younger brothers who are twins. It will be fun for him to have a friend of his own age. He's been the best thing in Gawaine's life for the past two terms and academically he is really doing well and I attribute that to Merlin's presence and…" she added laughing, "…I even think that the Head is missing his frequent visits to his office. Don't worry, we'll look after him like he's one of our own. His father told me that the two of them were researching Arthurian legends last time they were here and surprisingly that is not on their curriculum."
"If you are sure, he will be no trouble, I would like to accept your kind offer and hopefully later in the holidays you might allow Gawaine to join us here."
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Merlin packed his bag and took the bus to Gawaine's house. The family's Land Rover was in the drive and he added his bag to the others already piled beside it. Besides the usual car which Gawaine's mother used there was a rather nice white Porsche.
Gawaine came down the stairs when he heard Merlin talking to his father, "Laurence says that we can go with him if we want. The twins wanted to but he said that his car was not for children." Merlin looked at the Porsche with eyes wide open.
Gawaine laughed saying, "No, not that one, that belongs to a friend of Laurence's from Uni. He's off to Paris for the week with his father and he dropped by to leave his car here. Says it's cheaper and safer than the parking at the airport."
Merlin nodded he still had much to learn about the lives of the rich and famous. Then he felt guilty as if he were lumping all people with money into one often unfortunate group. They had a car in their family too but it was his uncle's ancient Vauxhall. It still ran and got them from point A to B but without any pretensions of grandeur.
Gawaine pointed to a VW Golf, "That's Laurence's car. He says it's easy to park and cheap to run but I think my first car will be a big SUV. He says I could have a Tiguan but as I have no money and no license, I think that will have to wait. How about you?"
Laughing Merlin realised that Gawaine would hardly be impressed with his choice of favourite car, a Mini Cooper S. He liked them and seeing them on the road made him feel happy. His mother used to tease him but although he changed his choice of colours over the years, he knew he still wanted a Mini.
All the luggage was loaded into the Land Rover and the twins and their parents left. Merlin had not yet met Laurence and he hoped that he was like Gawaine and that he would feel comfortable with him.
Laurence came down the stairs with his friend who drove the Porsche into one of the empty garages. He threw the keys at Laurence and said, "If you have to take it out, make sure that it is full of petrol when I get back."
Melin thought that that was very generous of the Laurence's friend but when he mentioned so later to Gawaine, Gawaine had laughed saying that unless the situation was one of dire need such as one of the twins being on the verge of death, Laurence wasn't likely to touch the car." He laughed adding, "He knows how much it costs!"
"Is his friend rich?"
"Yes, very! They seem to have houses and flats everywhere and when he graduates he will just go into the family business. No tramping the streets looking for a job like most people."
Merlin was impressed, that sounded rather nice, no need to worry about tuition and a guaranteed job once you graduated. He knew that he had to work hard to keep his marks up and win a scholarship into university.
They got into the back of the car as Laurence was driving his friend to the airport. The two of them spoke quietly in the front and Merlin felt that it was a bit rude as they hadn't even acknowledged the two of them sitting in the back but then he figured, that was what big brothers were like.
However, once they dropped off the friend, Laurence invited him to sit in the front. Gawaine nodded that he should. After a couple of miles, he realised that Laurence was quite normal, funny and very like Gawaine. He decided that it was the other passenger in the car who had been the problem.
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Gawaine's family house in Cheshire was big and welcoming. It had been in the family for years and had that lived in look. Regular meals were eaten in an area off the kitchen except Gawaine told him on holidays or when they had guests. Then the meal was served in the proper dining room.
Upstairs was a maze of rooms including all the bedrooms and Gawaine even had his own bathroom because Laurence had moved upstairs onto the next floor. The twins shared what Gawaine referred to as the old school room. It was huge giving both of them lots of space. They were friendly kids, Kieren and Garth and at eleven years old would be starting St. Edwards in September.
Merlin thought that at least they would have each other and an older brother in the school. He remembered how lonely school had been those first few weeks until he had hooked up with Gawaine.
The two weeks seemed to fly by. They'd gone hiking, spent days in the sun around the pool, tried to play tennis and even spent an hour pony-treking from a local stable. They had visited Gawaine's friends by bike and had felt free in the country.
Gawaine's mother had taken them to visit the historical Quarry-Bank mill in Styal and following a visit to Buxton, Gawaine's father had taken them all for lunch to the second highest pub in the UK, the Cat and Fiddle in the Peaks district. Gawaine was impressed and had announced that one day it might be his home away from home.
Laurence had laughed saying, "Don't be silly after one drink you would probably be under the table!"
"I wouldn't be as I know that one day, I'll be known to my friends as a renowned drinker."
His father had laughed saying,"That is not exactly what your mother and I have in mind for you as an adult."
"Well, I'd have a job and make a lot of money but me and my friends would visit all the pubs and get drunk like Laurence and his friends do."
Laurence decided that that was a far as he wanted to go in that conversation but the twins said that beer tasted awful and everyone laughed as the conversation turned to the Cable Car which they were going to ride the following afternoon at the Heights of Abraham.
It was soon time for Merlin to leave as the family was going to spend some time in Ireland with Gawaine's paternal grandparents. They drove back to Liverpool as the family would be going by ferry via the Isle of Mann. Laurence wasn't going and had offered to drive Merlin back home. He had told Gawaine's mother that he had money to take the bus but she had insisted that he should be delivered to his door.
His bag packed into the Golf, he stood and watched the others leave for Ireland. Laurence was nice to him and chatted to him on the way home telling him about his friends at Oxford and how if Merlin intended to go to uni himself he should consider the same school.
Laurence waited until Merlin's mother had opened the door and then he waved and drove off. Hunith was impressed by the young man's thoughtfulness but Merlin assured her that it was Gawaine's mother who had insisted that he should wait until he was sure there was someone at home before driving away.
"Did you have a nice holiday? Your Uncle Gaius is in so come and tell us about it."
Merlin started at the very beginning and was able not only to tell them about his holidays at Gawaine's but also to show them his photos on his iPhone. Both adults were impressed and Hunith said that he would have to send a little thank you note to Gawaine's mother for the lovely holiday.
Merlin went to bed that night dreaming of cable cars, ponies and an old mill where if he had been alive in the seventeen-nineties, he would oprobably have been working in deplorable conditions.