Chapter 2

She gasps to the sound of her alarm clock. Her hand quickly shuts of the burning noise of waking her up. Getting out of her comfy covers, her toes reach the cold wood floor. Her feet slip into her slippers and she speed walks to her bathroom. She turns the hot water on high to start creating the steam. Hopping inside, the water feels good on her slim frame. In this world, she doesn't have as good of a build and her attitude is completely different. She stands there and tries to get the knots out of her muscles. Once everything is in order, she shuts the water off. She grabs the towel off the rack and runs into her room. It is warmer in here than it was 15 minutes age and in an old house, heat is lacking. In her closet, she picks out a golden shirt and grabs her favorite red skinny jeans. Then turning to her hair and face, she quickly blow dries it and grabs her curling iron. After half an hour, her head was full of bouncy curls. Her makeup today consists of gold eye-liner and mascara. Satisfied with her appearance, she grabs her backpack and runs down the staircase. She walks to the kitchen where her mother is preparing breakfast.

"Hey mom."

"Hi sweetie. How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully. You?"

"Good I guess. Can you please make your brother's lunch please?"

"When do I not?" I smile.

"Good point."

"So what's on the menu for breakfast today?"

"Omelets. Inside is potatoes, sausage, spinach and cheese. Just how you like them."

"Mm. Today is my lucky day then."

"And there is leftover lasagna for your lunch in the fridge."

"Do you know how much I love you?"

"A lot."

They sit in silence as she makes the lunches and her mom prepares breakfast. They both were finished as her little brother bounded down the stairs, in his pajamas. He sat at the table waiting for his food.

"Josh! You come here and get your breakfast instead of sitting there like a waiting duck."

"Yes mother." He murmured.

He takes his plate and walks to the table. Being a 3rd grader, he still has to eat at the table. I got out of that rule when I became a freshman in high-school. Josh is lucky because he gets to go to school later than she does. She checks the time on the stove. It reads 6:45 am.

"I have to go. See you later!"

I walk into the front room to grab my car keys. Outside was her navy blue punch bug. She opens the driver's side door and shoves her bag into the passenger seat and set the car in motion. She pulled out and drove to school. The drive was not that long in normal time but with the snow, it took twice the time it would normally take.

Finally she pulled into the student lot. She parked at her designated spot and walked up to the front doors. Inside was a swarm of students, congregating. She walked straight to her locker and of course there are people making out in front of it. Pulling her locker quickly open, grabs her binders needed for her morning classes and leaves. First period is English and she walks quickly to get there on time. Once she gets there, she slips into her seat, unnoticed by anyone. All until he came in. The boy had raven black hair, deep blue eyes, and a confident smile. No. No it can't be. Merlin cannot be here. Not now. He turns and faces her. In his eyes he has a flash of recognition but it quickly went away. She put her head down and got out the book that they have to read for class, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. In the beginning of chapter 17, a throat was cleared. She looked up at Merlin.

"Do I know you?" He asks.

"No. We have never met before." In this time.

"Sorry, you just look like a girl I used to know."

"Sorry to disappoint you. And is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A good thing. She was one of the best people I have ever known."

"Ah. And her name?"

"Her name was Kathrine."

"Was?"

"Yes. She died when I was younger. Her and my mother were very close friends."

Oh no, oh no, oh no.

"Yes, well, what is your name?" I ask.

"Merlin. You?"

"Hayden. Nice name by the way. Very Arthurian."

"Yeah. My parents had a slight obsession over the legends. And their favorite was Merlin because he was the most kind."

"I could see that. But, I also see that the actual Merlin was not in fact old but rather 18 and a prat at the same time. Don't you agree Merlin?"

He took a few shock steps away from me.

"So you are…"

"Kathrine. Yes that is my name in that time. And trust me, deception is a lovely game. I have known all about how you are a sorcerer, Arthur dies at Camlann, and that is as close as the legend comes to the prat of a king."

He huffed. "Finally! Someone who understands how terrible the legends make us look. Me as an old man, Arthur as a boy, Uther accepting magic, Lance as a noble, Gwen cheating on Arthur, Mordred as Arthur's son, and Morgana was not really even mentioned! Then Percival and Gwaine have their own stories! So many times have I wanted to come out and say that the legends are fake and these are the real facts. Unfortunately, then United Nations would take me and use me as a weapon of mass destruction. I do not want to take any more lives than I already have took."

"How old are you?" I ask.

"About 1,413."

"So you can probably do all of this learning with a flick of the wrist. Wish I could do that."

"What? Wish you could do what?"

"Do everything as easily. See I, unlike you, live in two times and I get the histories mixed up."

"I could teach you."

"Teach me what?"

"How to keep your head straight."

"And I guess that requires magic?"

"When does it not when it comes to me?"

"True. Merlin, I want to know your whole story. From Ealdor to in this classroom. Not now but soon."

"Do I have to?" he whines.

"Yes. After all I can do that to you since I am now the first lady knight."

"I was going to ask what day it was in Camelot. And I did follow you, using magic."

"Why? To find my room?"

"No, so you got there alright. I still can't believe that he knew of the service stairwells."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not now. Later."

"Okay. Hey, let me see if we have any more classes together."

He takes out his form for his schedule and hands it to her.

"Hmm, Social Studies, Lunch, Science, and the Lab slash Gym 8th period. And don't worry, today is lab."

"Thanks."

And then the teacher called us to order.

"Ugh, that was utterly boring." I complained.

"Hey! That was nothing compared to those council meetings. Standing in the shadows, the prices of grain, punishments, etcetera, it lasted for hours on end."

"True. By the way, in social studies we are on the Revolutionary War."

"Really? I loved George Washington. Sure I wanted Albion to win but these people were being treated poorly and they deserved to be their own state."

"So you were there?"

"Of course I was. The shift in power was vibrating all throughout the whole Old Religion. I was a doctor at Valley Forage. It was as disgusting as people picture it now. I actually saved George Washington's life that winter."

"Yeah? Anything else fun and interesting I need to know?"

"One thing. Duck!"

They duck their heads as spitballs were flying across the hallway at them. I wanted to go all knighted out but I couldn't because I am too well trained for a group of high-school thugs. Merlin on the other hand had another idea. I turned towards him as his eyes glow gold. Instantaneously, time slows down.

"Really? You had to do that? You know that in modern times that the nerd gets picked on!"

"And I am guessing you want to get revenge but can't because you will be suspended and they can have severe injuries."

"Yes. That factor I already established one day in the woods. Now, unfreeze them!"

"I will, once we pass them."

They walk past the attackers and time turns back to normal. Immediately, there were loud sounds in and out of her ears. She flinches and the noise dies down. Merlin's eyes had leftover gold in them. I glare at him. Then, I had a feeling on the back of my neck causes me to turn around to see no one there. This sometimes happens when in Camelot there will be an intruder, theft, or attack. Knowing that Merlin was standing next to her, she says,

"Merlin, my other body is calling me back. You have to bring me to a secluded place so I, can. be.. safe…" and she was out cold.

What she couldn't see or hear was Merlin calling her name as she fell into his arms. And him teleporting the both of them to the country house he calls home.