Romance in the Science Classroom

Science. What a wonderful subject it is. The subject that provides you knowledge and understanding of the most unknown world. Unfortunately, the people in the class just seem to ruin everything, those ignorant brats.

"Merlin, you alright?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Gwen's concerned voice rung through my ears. Nodding in response, I took a good look around the room; wooden seats that were meant to be lined up were scattered all over the place, the long tables descend in rows and I was sitting right in the middle, blue-grey, lined wallpaper was glued onto the walls of the school (they looked like they were about to peel off in any minute) and the blackboard at the front of the classroom was scratched and not to mention, filthy. The students were chattering loudly, throwing their utensils across the room and drawing on the tables, chairs and walls (practically everywhere).

Suddenly, everything went quiet. I noticed Arthur trudge into the room with his friends behind him, giving out glares at the other students. Sensing Gwen's alarm, I shrank myself furthur down the chair.

"Hey, that's my seat! Get off!"

A short but muscular guy stood behind me, glaring angrily. I quickly stood up, but Gwen stopped me and gave me a look saying 'don't listen, he's just trying to scare you' and returned to her book that she was reading the whole time.

"You getting off or what?!" the guy rose his voice, attracting everyone's attention, "Or do you want a beating?"

"Hey, hey, Valiant, chill man, just some poor new kid," the low smooth voice belonged to this tall guy with dark brown, curly hair reaching his shoulders, he had piercing dark eyes, and smooth white skin that was slightly tanned.

The short guy (Valiant) sneered at me and threatened, "I'll let you go this time, but don't be too sure next time. Who knows I might crack you neck" and stomped off to Arthur, who was watching the whole scene in amusement...

"Sorry, Valiant tends to be a bit, possessive"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm fine"

Sighing in relief, the tall guy gently smiled at me and asked for my name.

"Merlin Emyrs, call me Merlin though"

"Merlin... An interesting name indeed," he commented fondly, "Lancelot, you can call me Lance if you want"

I replied with an 'OK' and nudged Gwen on the arm, getting her attention. Gwen on the other hand was too engrossed in her book that she didn't realize my constant nudging and shook me off everytime. Lance chuckled at her behaviour, putting his finger to his lips telling me to hush, he slowly and silently stretched out his arm.

CLICK!

The click tore Gwen out of her beloved book and back to reality.

"What was that for?! I was up to the best part!" she whined, slapping me on the shoulder lightly, stopping when she noticed Lance staring at her, "Oh, hello there Lancelot... Good to see you again"

"Very much the same to you, Guinevere," he politely remarked back, "Well, Merlin, see you around then"

I just nodded slowly, not sure what just happened between Gwen and Lance. I watched as Lance returned to his group and saw him laughing with Arthur and the rest of the group. Arthur took a glance at me and looked away immediately when he noticed me staring straight back. Gwen noticed me staring and waved her hand in front of my face.

"You still here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking," I replied, "Where's the teacher?"

"Late again," Gwen mumbled, gaping at the door, "Probably too scared to come to class, since your the new student more trouble will be caused"

"Jeez, thanks, blame it all on me, and I just transferred here"

"Heh, No problem"

Although Gwen said the teacher probably wouldn't come, a young woman with snow-blond hair tied up in a bun, and a sophisticated long grey dress and vest, walked into the classroom. Clapping her hands loudly, she managed to get the class's attention.

"Good morning class, I'm Ms Wild, and I'm your teacher for today," she announced, tapping the board with a long, thin wooden stick.

"Are you as wild as you are called?"

The teacher paused and slowly turned to the student who said that. Unfortunately, it was Arthur... I was shocked to hear this as much as Ms Wild was, but remained silent and patient. Arthur on the other hand, continued to smirk and crack completely non-funny jokes about Ms Wild.

"You must be Arthur Pendragon, no?" Ms Wild crossed her arms and looked at Arthur intensely, "The mayor's son and heir?"

Arthur nodded, looking smug about his title of the mayor's heir. Ms Wild smiled sweetly at him, turned her back on him for a second and wrote his name on the board, adding a tick on it. The students all began chattering about how the brave the teacher was for putting Arthur on the board for a 10 minute detention while Arthur just shrugged it off.

"Oh, Miss, I'm so scared," he said sarcastically, acting scared and vulnerable, "Oh, please, let me go free"

The class laughed at the act, but I just sat there gaping at Arthur, the Arthur I didn't know. Gwen wasn't laughing either and was frowning at Ms Wild as if she was up to something.

"Oh my dear boy, yes I'll let you go free," she retorted back with a high-pitched voice, "On one condition. You will never be able to go out with any girl"

Now Ms Wild was the one smirking triumphantly as Arthur stared at her wide eyed. I nearly choked on the air, what kind of teacher tells you to not go out with someone?! Gwen was now laughing quietly putting her thumbs up at the teacher while the teacher winked and put a thumb up as well.

"Hey! Your the one who thought of it, am I not right?!" Valiant roared at Gwen while Gwen just ignored him and continued to read her book peacefully, "How dare you ignore me!" he yelled some more. Gwen ignored again.

"You can't do that! Your not my mother!" Arthur cried out angrily, banging his fists on the table.

"Well, I just did, didn't I?"

"Grrrrr, you bitch, I'll get you sued for this!"

"Too bad your father is way too shamed of you to do something like that, Pendragon," she emphasised Arthur's last name as if indicating that he himself was useless without his father's surname.

When Arthur was close to bursting, I stood up and raised my hand slowly. "Umm... Isn't this a science room? Why are we fighting rather than working?" I asked quietly.

Ms Wild turned her attention fully to me. "You are the new student, no? So, you are the reason why Ms Juriansz did not come"

"Yes, I'm the new student, but I'm not sure if Ms Juriansz did not come because of me..." I answered honestly.

"I assume you know Pendragon?"

I nodded, "I only knew him recently, nothing special or interesting really"

The whole class stared at me in disbelief. While his friends attention was on me, Arthur pretending to sliced his neck with the side his left hand and shot his head with right hand, which looked like a hand gun. I knew what he wanted, and telling everyone that I lived with him definitely wasn't one.

"Tell us, tell us," she urged on, sitting on her desk at the front of the classroom, "Unless, it's something embarrassing, and Pendragon obviously doesn't want us innocent people to know"

Arthur groaned in annoyance, shinking himself behind his desk. Lance gave him a odd look and patted him on the shoulder in sympathy.

"Uhh... I met him in that castle , the castle up on that hill, surrounded by trees. You know the one in front of the school?" I lied, remembering the castle I saw when I first arrived here.

"And how on earth did you manage to enter such a place?"

"Umm... I don't know, I don't remember," I continued to fib, fidgeting with my figure nervously, "Can we do something that's scientific now? This isn't a health class..."

"But your teacher didn't leave any work for you," Ms Wild stated, "And I'm just a substitute, so you children make use of your time then"

With that said, everyone cheered and continued to chatter like they did before Ms Wild came in. I sighed in relief, I was glad that was over. Gwen obviously knew I was lying and burst out laughing, ranting about how I was acting when telling Ms Wild about my 'aquaintance' with the mighty Arthur Pendragon. Glaring at Gwen, I gave her the cold shoulder, making myself seem aloof.

"Guess it's free time then," Lance's voice popped out of nowhere, which made me jump up a little, "Sorry, did I frighten you?" he apologized.

"No, no, it's OK" I mumbled.

"That's good," he smiled in relief, "That was a nice speech you had there"

"That? You kidding me?! I was trying to make it up on the top of my bloody head!"

"Wait? You didn't meet Arthur in that castle? Cause if you did that would be pretty cool"

"Why would that be?"

"Cause of your names," Gwen's irritated voice invited itself into the conversation, "You get it? The Arthurian Legends. Merlin the wizard and King Arthur, all that shit"

"Hey! It's not shit! Just because you don't understand it!" Lance argued.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to either. The last thing I want is to be Arthur's wife and your lover... Eww... The mere thought of it gives shivers down my spine"

"It couldn't be that bad"

"Oh, trust me Merlin, it's horrible"

Lance didn't seem so happy about Gwen talking down on his favourite topic and was glaring angrily at her. Gwen on the other hand, ignored him and swiftly returned to her thick book. I chuckled at the childish quarreling and drifted my eyes towards a certain blond...

Arthur had his head bent backwards slightly over the seat, his hair like a waterfall flowing with gold. I realized he was asleep, well, trying to sleep while Valiant and some other guy was annoying him by ruffling his hair and talking loudly. Lance glanced at whoever I was staring at and put his hand in front of my face, completely scaring my wits out.

"You scared me!"

"Sorry man, but you were staring into space. Well, more like staring at someone but that's none of my business, right?"

I nodded, hoping the topic would be over soon. Unfortunately it was just the beginning...

"Oh what the heck! You like Arthur don't you?" Lance concluded quietly, so nobody could hear him except me, "No need to lie"

I groaned in annoyance, "Why would you think that?"

"Cause you keep staring at him! It ain't natural!" he explained.

"So what if I stare at him?! I practically stare at everyone! I am an artist aren't I?" I quickly denied, trying to find an escape route.

"Wait... You hit on everybody?!"

I slapped my hand on my forehead in total irritation, never been quite so annoyed before. "Yeah, I hit one everyone," I said sarcastically, but unfortunately Lance took it seriously and began to panic unnessesarily.

"Oh my god you per--" he was about to scream out 'pervet', until I covered his mouth with my hand and made sure he shut up.

Before he could say anything else I quickly explained, "I'm an artist and a writer Lance. In other words I observe, so I can understand how the people around me feel, work and look. It's easier to paint and actual person than to make one up on the top of your head"

Lance nodded, trying to contain the sudden information brought to him. To be honest, I a bit surprised to find out how childish Lance was after he saved me from Valiant, so not what I was expecting. Lance must have noticed my expression and explained that many people think of him as cool and smart when they first meet him and then become disappointed when they discover the real him. The childish and adorable Lancelot.

"Was Gwen like that too? Disappointed I mean," I couldn't help but ask, "You guys seem pretty close, even though you fight"

Gwen probably heard me, since she looked up and stared at me urging me to be quiet. "Excuse me but... Lance and are not close!" she protested.

"Even though we went out?"

Gwen paused. Speechlessly, she didn't hesitate to return to her book and quickly scanned through the book. Lance smirked, it seemed obvious that he knew that was her weak point and had no problem taking advantage of it. I laughed lightly at the pair, and I thought Arthur was cute.

Speaking of Arthur, I noticed him taking little glances at me, blue eyes sparkling when he saw me staring back. Lance rolled his eyes and mumbled about something that had my name in it.

"You like Arthur, full stop!"

"You still like Gwen!" I smirked as Lance shrunk down a little, not liking where this conversation was heading, "Come on, I can tell from a mile away!"

"Y-You can?" he stuttered, "I thought I hid it pretty well"

"Well, I told you I observe"

"You observe too deep. It's scaring me!"

"You'll just have to get use to it then"

Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall by the blackboard, there was only 1 minute left till class ends and recess starts. Ms Wild was flipping through some kind of paperwork, lifting her head up occasionally, checking if we weren't making too much chaos.

RIIIINNNGG!

Everyone stood up and ran to the door. Arthur slowly trudged behind the mob of people, yawning, while Lance followed the loud and bossy Valiant into the crowd. Gwen closed her book and shoved it into her bag and swung her bag over her shoulder ready to leave. Following her, there was one thing in my mind.

How strange first period has been...
_______________________________________________________________________

Review please?