Chapter 4

''Hurry up Rosie or you're going to be late!'' Arthur yelled from behind Rose's bedroom door.

Today was her first day of school at Abbey Dawn a girls only private high school. When Arthur and Rose went searching for a school in London, he had insisted about sending her to a private establishment so she could have the best education possible no matter how expensive it was.

" Stop calling me Rosie or I'll start calling you Artie!" Rose threatened as she emerged from her room clad in a red and navy blue plaid skirt, long white socks and a burgundy blazer.

Arthur tried to contain his laugh, but couldn't. The uniform was so different from the way Rose usually dressed up.

" It's not funny Arthur!" Rose scolded shooting him a deadly look and he immediately stopped.

" You're right, I'm sorry. It's just you look so… serious," he amended scratching his head.

Rose rolled her eyes heading straight to the kitchen. She quickly swallowed a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice while Arthur was gathering his paper works. He glanced down at his luxurious Swiss wristwatch 8:05. Rose's school was starting in exactly twenty-five minutes. She quickly grabbed her backpack and put her brand new black shoes on and the two of them made their way to Arthur's Bentley. Outside, from the sidewalk they saw Merlin running towards them.

" Arthur! Wait!" Merlin called out of breath. He reached the car few seconds later still breathing heavily.

" What is it Merlin?" Arthur asked puzzled.

" My… car is in the garage. I thought you could give me a ride since you know we work at the same place"

"Yeah sure, climb in" Arthur acquiesced.

Rose sat in the passenger seat next to Arthur while Merlin made himself comfortable in the back seat.

" What happened with your car?" Arthur asked looking at him through the rear view mirror.

" Needs an oil change," he answered simply.

" And you couldn't do that by yourself… Rose what are you looking for?" he asked noticing the young girl searching around among the several buttons control.

" Uh, the radio button"

" Here," Arthur said poking a button. A red light appeared around a small screen.

" Please, say a command," a female voice said.

" Radio," Arthur ordered.

" Wicked," Rose exclaimed.

We're all someone's daughter.

We're all someone's son.

How long can we look at each other?

…

" You're the voice! That's our favorite song Merl! " Arthur shouted joyfully.

" Yeah"

The two grown man started to sing out loud. They knew each word of the song by heart.

"You're the voice try and understand it

Make noise and make it clear

We're not gonna sit in silence

Rose pressed her hands over her ears laughing. They were awful couldn't carry a tune, but so into the song. Arthur was tapping the wheel with his thumbs nodding his head back and forth while in the back Merlin was pretending to be holding a mike.

We're not gonna live with fear

Whoa oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, … "

" Bloody hell! That was fun, "Arthur declared grinning as the song ended.

" Yeah, so much memories," Merlin added laughing.

" You two were so horrible. My ears were about to bleed not to mention the poor windows. You could have broken them," Rose said removing her hands from her ears.

" Pff, you're just jealous," Arthur teased.

" Oh really! Of what?" she replied eyes widened.

Arthur rolled his eyes then stopped the car as they arrived in front of the Abbey Dawn High School.

''Here we are. Are you nervous?'' Arthur asked looking at Rose who was glancing at the school trough the passenger side window.

"What, no I'm not nervous. Why would I be?''

''Good, now be nice to your teachers. Try to make some new friends. Just be yourself and everything will be fine, okay. ''

'' Yes, thank you, '' she whispered unbuckling her seat belt Rose opened the door and got out of the car. She waved goodbye to both Arthur and Merlin then turned around walking confidently towards the school's entrance.

"Hope everything will be fine for her,'' Arthur sighed starting his car again.

'' You do care about this little girl... like a father would,'' Merlin said quietly.

Arthur said nothing keeping his eyes on the road. He wasn't too sure about the father part. He was too young to be one. To him Rose was just like a little sister…at least that was what he thought.

Rose looked around the hallways. Everyone was busy hurrying to their classes. She sat on a nearby bench, opened her bag and withdrew her class schedule.

''Hello, you must be the new student. Rose right?'' A girl said sitting next to her.

''How do you know my name?'' Rose asked tucking her schedule sheet back inside bag.

'' Well I'm the principal's daughter Phillipa Caerleon though everyone calls me Pippa that is why I pretty much know everything and everyone in this school. ''

''Oh, '' was all Rose could say. Clearly she wasn't impressed.

'' So what are you starting with now?''

'' French, with mister Du Lac.''

''Good, me too! We better go now. The bell is going to ring soon'' Pippa got up grabbing her new friend's hand scurrying her to the French local.

" Bonjour Monsieurs du Lac !'' Hello mister Du Lac .

'' Bonjour Mademoiselle Caerleon,'' the tall browned haired well-dressed man replied turning his head slightly from the blackboard to look at his pupil.

" This is Rose. She is new here,"

" Oh well, welcome at Abbey Dawn Rose," Lancelot Du Lac smiled.

" Merci," she muttered. Thank you

" So you speak French?"

" Un peu"

"That's good. You can sit next to mademoiselle Morgan. Right here," he indicated the third desk in the second row.

Rose's first morning at Abbey Dawn went really well. Everyone was nice to her and she quickly made some new friends thanks to Pippa who introduced her to her own pals.

At twelve thirty, the bell rang announcing the lunch break. The girls all headed quietly to the cafeteria were they patiently waited in line for their food, but for Phillipa it was different. She didn't need to wait since she was the principal's daughter.

" I don't think it's fair for all the girls who are still waiting while you-''

" Relax Rose. I have the right to do it. My mother is the principal, remember?" Phillipa explained grabbing two meal trays handing one to Rose.

"Thanks," she sighed.

"Look, this is miss Watson. She's really cool," Pippa pointed at the lunch lady. She was young, appeared to be in the thirties. Little blonde hair escaped from the hair net she was wearing.

"Hello Miss Caerleon. Here enjoy your meal," the lunch lady said handing her a plate a of roasted chicken breast and steamed vegetables.

" Thank you, oh and this is my friend Rose. She's new.''

The lunch lady glanced at Rose. Curiously, the girl reminded her of someone she knew, but she couldn't remember whom.

°O°°O°°O°°O°°O°°O°

Arthur, Merlin and Leon were having lunch at a little café near the bank. They sat outside in the terrace where the wind was blowing slightly.

"Wow! That's quite a story Arthur," Leon said after hearing the story of the teenager Arthur was now taking care of.

" I know," Arthur sighed.

" So have you thought about adoption?" Leon asked taking a gulp of his coke.

"No!" he exclaimed," I mean not yet. I'm too young to be a father anyway. I'm still thinking about what I am going to do next"

" Did you tell your father?" Merlin asked still chewing his sandwich.

"No and I don't plan on telling him anytime soon. He's already pressuring me enough with work if I tell that I am fostering a teenager… I know my father and he's not going to like it and I'll never hear the end of it"

" You're probably right," Leon nodded.

°O°°O°°O°°O°°O°°O°

" Gym class right after dinner. That's just great," Phillipa sighed pulling a cloth bag out of her locker.

"How are we supposed to digest properly!'' Rose added gathering her hair into a ponytail.

The two of them made reluctantly made their way to the locker room and both changed into a pair of cotton shorts and a white t-shirt with the words Abbey Dawn Sports written on it.

Ten minutes later, they appeared in the football field where the other girls were jogging.

'' Pippa you're late,'' the young gym class teacher said walking towards them. He wasn't really tall. He had long brown hair and a small beard.

'' I was with Rose mister Patrick. My mother convoked her to office and she didn't where it was so I offered my help. Right Rose?"

"Yes, she did. It's actually my first day here,'' Rose acquiesced.

"Fair enough. Rose I'm sure you must have heard this a thousand times today. Welcome at Abbey Dawn. I'm Gwaine Patrick"

" Thank you mister Patrick, can I be exempted since it's my very first class. Maybe I could just sit on the grass and watch how everything works,'' Rose tried.

Gwaine laughed, a humorless laugh. " Nice try Rose, but no. Now run'', he shoved her lightly towards the field.

°O°°O°°O°°O°°O°°O°

At three twenty, Arthur parked his car in front of Rose's school. He got out of the car and waited for her. A few moments later, Rose emerged from the establishment waving goodbye to her new friends. She spotted Arthur and he smiled at her.

" I see you had a lot of fun today Rosie,''

'' Indeed Artie,'' she teased back.

Arthur chuckled. '' Come on, let's go home''

They stopped at a Japanese restaurant where they ordered sushi takeaways. They arrived home and ate. Rose told Arthur about her day and he listened laughing at the part where she asked her gym class teacher to be exempted, surprised at the fact that she had french classes.

The doorbell rang.

" I'll go get it,'' Rose said standing.

'' And I'll clear the table,'' Arthur sighed.

" Gwen!'' Rose exclaimed opening the door.

'' Hello Rose, how are you today?''

'' I'm good, come in''

Gwen entered and Rose closed the door behind her. They sat in the living room chatting a bit.

'' Rose I thought we could bake… Guinevere,'' Arthur said suddenly as he saw her.

"Hi Arthur,'' Gwen smiled shaking his hand.

'' Hello Guinevere,'' he replied gazing at her.

'' So you were planning on baking me,'' she teased.

'' What! No, I meant baking cookies. Not you, obviously''

Gwen chuckled.

'' I'd love to bake cookies,'' Rose declared.

'' Do you know how to do it?'' Arthur asked.

'' No,'' she shrugged.

'' Me neither ''

'' I could help,'' Gwen offered.

'' Oh well, you don't have to-''

'' I insist. Besides it's not that hard. You two can easily learn how to do it.''

They managed to bake the cookies without making a big mess in the kitchen. Arthur laughed at how ridiculously easy it was. Rose poured herself a glass of milk and took the cookies' plate to the living room leaving Arthur and Guinevere in the kitchen, cleaning.

'' Guinevere you have some flour on your cheek,'' Arthur said pointing her right cheek. He had been observing her for a while and he quite enjoyed the view.

''Oh,'' she reached up to wipe her cheek.

'' Here let me help you,'' he said grabbing a nearby towel. He leaned towards her. She was close, so close to him. Her heart began to beat fast, so fast. He slowly wiped the flour on her cheek and leaned in closer until their lips were almost touching. Arthur brushed away a curl from her lovely face. It was like they were under a spell.

You are so beautiful.

'' What is going here Arthur?'' Vivian exclaimed hands on her hips.

Arthur pulled away from Guinevere tossing the cloth in the counter.

''Vivian, what are you doing here?'' he frowned

'' I came to see you and Rose,'' she explained walking towards her boyfriend then wrapping her arms around him.

He has a girlfriend… why do I feel so disappointed.

'' I-I should go,'' Gwen said exiting the kitchen quickly.

'' Guinevere, wait!''

'' Arthur, my love I'm here and you haven't even kissed me yet,'' Vivian said looking up at him.

Arthur looked away angry with himself.

Guinevere…

A/N: Rose's uniform was highly inspired by my own school uniform! I apologize for the wait. Thank you for reading don't forget to review.