So, this is my newest story, because I fell in love with Merlin at first sight. And because I've been totally uninspired for the past few months. This is actually going to be a couple of chapters; the following ones will talk about relationships, people who try to interrupt the dynamics, and possibly major events shown in the series.

Onwards, my friends! Please read and review.

~jedikhaleesi

Camelot High: Chapter 1

Every day without fail, something strange happens at Camelot High. The people who make it happen are deeply committed for their ages- this strange thing has been happening for four years now.

What is this "strange thing" I'm constantly referring to? Well, we'll have to go back to the beginning to find out...

It's only the first day of freshman year, and Merlin is completely lost. He's supposed to be in the cafeteria, but he has no idea where that is.

Someone clears their throat from behind him, and he turns around, hoping against all hopes that it isn't a bully-

It's only his science teacher, a seventy-year-old man who insists his students call him Gaius. He's raising an eyebrow. "Want somewhere to eat?"

Merlin nods eagerly and follows Gaius inside.

They've just settled down when the famed Mr. Kilgharrah barges in. He's the English teacher- burly, fierce, and totally deserving the name students call him behind his back (the "Great Dragon"). He proceeds to interrogate Merlin about every aspect of his life, constantly interrupt Gaius whenever he says anything, and make the both of them roll their eyes.


The next day, Merlin makes a friend.

Her name is Guinevere ("But you have to call me Gwen!" she demands) and she likes to dress in bright colors and mismatched patterns. She's pretty, kind, and sweet, but she would never have been Merlin's friend if she hadn't shown him her backbone.

So, because friends sit with each other at lunch, he asks her if she'd like to go to Gaius' classroom (making sure to warn her about Mr. Kilgharrah).

When they finish wandering their way into the science classroom, the English teacher is dragging in a blond boy by the ears.

Said blond boy is Arthur Pendragon, the headmaster's spoiled brat. It's obvious he doesn't want to be there (Mr. Kilgharrah explains that he's serving lunch detention), judging by all the annoyed glances at the clock, but eventually he relaxes enough to become an enormous prat.

It's with a scowl on his face that Merlin leaves the room.


Gwen proceeds to introduce him to Morgana Pendragon.

She's Arthur's sister- a total bitch layered in eyeliner and black clothing. Merlin likes her, though. And who cares if she looks suspicious to the rest of the freshman class? She doesn't to him or Gwen.

They set off for the science room. Arthur's there again, and Merlin spends the first few minutes trading insults with him.

They realize everyone else is watching them argue away, demanding, "What?" almost at the same time.

Gaius shakes his head. Mr. Kilgharrah, meanwhile, only says cryptically, "A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole."

Morgana and Gwen snicker.


Lancelot is Gwen in male form, Merlin notices. Handsome, kind, sweet, but with a will of iron.

He brings him along to lunch, and Gwen's eyes widen like saucers. By this time, Arthur's started showing up in Gaius' classroom of his own volition whenever he doesn't have lunch detention, and so he and Merlin snicker as the two blunder their way through an awkward conversation. Merlin can practically hear Morgana cooing "It's like they're meant to be!", and Mr. Kilgharrah actually doesn't tell them something confusing and supposedly wise. And this is Mr. Kilgharrah.


Morgause is a late arrival to Camelot High.

The trio of Pendragons welcome her with open arms. She is Uther's favorite niece, after all. So she's automatically part of their "Round Table", as they've started calling it.

Originally, Merlin is slightly put off by her all-knowingness. He doesn't like people who seem to be able to dissect him with a glance, and shrinks back almost imperceptibly whenever she looks at him. But Morgause finally wins him over by showing him a magic trick- because good Lord, Merlin loves magic tricks more than an addict loves crack, and she can do those like no one else.


Leon meets Merlin in the nurse's office.

The former has the flu; the latter's sprained his ankle by tripping over Gwen's foot during the square dancing unit in PE. When Arthur comes to drag his best-friend-at-heart-but-hated-enemy-on-the-surface to math class, they get to talking.

A few days later, only Gwen is sympathizing with Merlin while Arthur laughs about his clumsiness with the newly added Leon.


Elyan joins their little group a few months later, after his and Gwen's father dies.

He's an average student, and an average person too. Possibly the only thing he excels at is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He doesn't have many ambitions in life (he just wants to continue his father's glass blowing business, and maybe get a degree in architecture), but he does have a good heart. And he's Gwen's brother.

Even if Elyan's original reason for being there is simply to get to know his sister better, he eventually starts coming to lunch because he wants to. Merlin reasons, "It must have been our utter charm!".

He gets practically blown over by everyone's laughter.


Gwaine asks Arthur if he wants a blowjob. Morgana gives him a black eye. Merlin asks if he wants to join their Round Table.

The playboy flips his hair and says yes.


Percival stumbles into their lives during sophomore year.

He pokes his head around the door, posture suggesting that he's bending under the opening in an effort to fit, and gives everyone such a heart-warming smile even Morgause's mouth moves upwards slightly. "Do you know where the cafeteria is?" he asks, and Merlin is reminded of his first day at Camelot High.

"I know someplace better," Arthur answers, and that's how Percival ends up with them.


Mordred is an incoming freshman during their senior year.

Morgana spots sophomores bullying him and launches into action, growling at them threateningly and cracking her knuckles. Morgause follows behind, eyeing the sophomores menacingly from behind her aviator glasses.

Needless to say, they scatter.

Mordred latches himself on to the cousins and gets invited to lunch.


This is the event, if you were wondering- lunch at the Round Table. It seems simple enough, but it is the epitome of friendship and equality.

Many have tried to figure out the formula to the Round Table unsuccessfully. Why? On one hand, there are Leon and Elyan, average students who would blend into the background at any other school. The punk Morgana and badass Morgause, meanwhile, sit next to gentle, quiet Gwen. The sports stars, Lancelot, Percival, and Gwaine, are interspersed between them, happily chatting away with people that they normally wouldn't. To confuse outsiders even more, Mr. Kilgarrah lords over the table, and Gaius drags him off his high horse at regular intervals with well-placed, sarcastic comments. Now, why would students eat with teachers voluntarily? That's a question no one has been able to answer. One more seemingly random person at the Round Table- Mordred. It was previously thought only people in that certain year were allowed in, but the freshman breaks this rule.

However, the crowning glories of the Round Table, and the main reasons why no outsiders understands it, are Merlin and Arthur. The former the most awkward dork ever, the latter one of the hottest guys in existence. And they're together, in a school population ruled by a homophobic headmaster.

Nobody can understand this strange dynamic. They can try, but they never will.

And that is the beauty of the Round Table at Camelot High.

Remember, please read and review!