‘And let the whole class know?’
‘Gwen just heard it. I thought it was a secret?’ he argued.
‘Gwen’s not going to tell anyone,’ Arthur disputed. ‘Are you, Gwen?’ She didn’t seem to know how to react. ‘If she really wants to join she’ll have to ask Marvin herself. It’s not that hard.’
Obviously hurt, Gwenhwyfar pulled her eyes away and across the room. Arthur looked to Morgan and offered a smile. ‘So did you find something on the Fauvists? Without destroying anything, I mean.’
‘I managed,’ she said, glancing to Gwenhwyfar anxiously.
‘I’m sure Mrs Paisley was pleased.’ There was an awkward silence. Bedivere gave him a sidelong glance. ‘So I was thinking… are you up to anything tomorrow lunchtime?’
She fiddled with her pen. ‘I don’t think so. Why?’
Arthur shrugged. ‘I was just wondering if I could take you up on your offer. That is, if you’re not busy.’
‘Well, I was going to throw more shelf units on the floor, but I think I could give it a miss.’ She offered a quick smile, and lowered her voice to a diplomatic murmur. ‘Aren’t you doing something with Marvin?’
‘Not tomorrow. Besides, he’s probably getting sick of me by now.’ He glanced to Gwenhwyfar. She seemed to be staring at the other side of the room. ‘Shall we meet by the Art block?’
‘Sounds fine to me,’ Morgan enthused.
Marvin, finally prepared for the lesson, turned to them all with another great clap and began his monologue on the First and Second World Wars.
Bunsen Burners
Viola leant across the basin, eying her hair in the stained mirror. She’d worn it up that morning, but during the walk to school the wind had teased things out of place. Adjusting a few strands, she shouted to Gwenhwyfar. ‘So what did Arthur say to her, exactly?’
The toilet flushed, a lock sounded, and Gwenhwyfar joined Viola at the basins. ‘He asked her if she wanted to spend lunch together. Right in front of me, too. He’s going to ask her out, I’m sure of it. You remember what Emily said,’ she huffed. ‘I thought he didn’t even like Morgan? I thought he liked me.’
‘He does like you, Gwen. Why do you think he’s been so upset over this whole Hector thing? It wouldn’t have bothered him at all, if he didn’t care.’
‘Care—?’ she snorted.
‘Oh, you know what I mean. Why do you think he asked Morgan to lunch in History? Because you were there, because he wanted to make you jealous.’
‘You think?’ Gwenhwyfar went to dry her hands. The dryer didn’t work, so she vanished into one of the cubicles to get some toilet paper instead.
Viola leant against the sink. ‘And Emily was obviously making it up. Why would Arthur want to ask Morgan out? It’s obvious he likes you. He’s just upset about the prank.’
‘He didn’t even let me explain it to him,’ she despaired. They left the bathroom. ‘And now he’s sniffing around Morgan.’
‘We don’t know that.’
‘Well, Morgan likes him. It’s obvious. Surely he must know that, at least.’
They came to their classroom. Morgan was sitting in her usual seat, drawing in her sketchbook. As they sat down, Bedivere ambushed them.
‘Can I join you?’ he asked hopefully. Gwenhwyfar gestured to a chair. He moved it closer. ‘Thanks. I just couldn’t bear it. Morgan keeps pushing me to talk to Arthur, as if I’m the one ignoring him.’ He looked over his shoulder, and then turned back to them with a scowl. ‘You know, I used to think she was interested in me? But of course not, everyone only ever wants Arthur.’
‘I didn’t know you liked Morgan,’ Gwenhwyfar probed.
‘Me neither,’ Viola admitted. ‘What happened to Emily? Gwen told me that not so long ago you were dazzled by her.’
‘Let’s just say I’m now aware of her true colours.’
‘What, pink?’ Viola remarked.
‘Besides, I never said I liked Morgan. I just thought she liked me. And I was pretty certain Arthur liked Gwen.’
The lights cut out. There was a wave of excitement. Their tutor, Miss Ray, appeared in the doorway. Carrying her coffee she flicked the light switch on and off, and huffed.
‘Settle down!’ she demanded, coming into the room and shutting the door. ‘It’s just a power cut. Another one,’ she added under her breath.
‘Does that mean we can go home, miss?’ someone called from the back of the class.
‘Miss, I think we should leave early,’ another girl shouted from her small group of friends.
‘Hattie’s afraid of the dark, miss,’ Charlotte teased, giggling.
‘It’s light outside,’ Miss Ray declared curtly, her honey-dyed hair up in a small bun. She put her mug down and began to search through the papers on her desk. ‘Look, you know we have a generator. It’ll be on in a few minutes. A bit of natural light never hurt anyone.’
‘I’m so sick of this,’ Viola complained. ‘I swear it’s happening more often.’
‘It is,’ Bedivere murmured. ‘The New Nationals aren’t making enough to power the country. The rural areas go first, then houses in the slums. Then it’s towns and residential neighbourhoods. Hospitals go last.’
‘I don’t think they’ve ever had to cut power to a hospital,’ Viola observed. ‘Not yet.’
‘But we have a generator?’ Gwenhwyfar asked.
Bedivere nodded. ‘Courtesy of all the rich parents.’
‘We have blackouts all the time in Wales. You’re right about the rural areas.’ She sighed. ‘How long do they last here?’
‘A couple of hours. Longest one I had was four days. I went completely insane. No Internet, no telly, no oven. Nightmare.’
‘I hope the power’s still on at my house,’ she fretted.
‘That depends on where you live.’
The lights came back on. There was a murmur of disappointment. Miss Ray looked up with a wave of her arms. ‘See? What did I tell you? Two minutes.’ She settled in her chair and proceeded to take the register.
* * *
‘Where were you at break today?’
Marvin watched Arthur expectantly as he came into the room, shutting the door behind him.
‘Outside. I bumped into a friend,’ he said, sitting on one of the tables.
‘Oh?’ Marvin sounded pleasantly surprised. ‘Someone I know?’
‘Just Morgan.’ He unzipped his bag and rummaged inside for his lunchbox. ‘She’s actually really nice. We’re spending lunch together. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Of course not.’ Marvin hooked both hands behind his head, and stretched back into his chair. ‘How did she take to our offer? About joining the club?’
‘She’s in. She came up with loads of suggestions for names.’
‘And Bedivere?’
Arthur frowned. He’d never really confirmed either way. ‘He didn’t say.’
Marvin sighed. ‘I know you two have had a bit of a falling out. It’s hard not to notice, with the way you’ve been behaving.’
Arthur turned his gaze out of the window. ‘We’re not friends anymore.’
‘Why ever not?’
‘It’s complicated.’
‘I see.’ Marvin rested his chin on the bridge of his hands. ‘This wouldn’t have anything to do with that party on Friday night, would it?’
‘How do you know about that?’
‘I overheard Mr Hall talking to Agnes Brolstone in the corridor this morning. Apparently Gwen was involved in some sort of incident.’
‘You could say that,’ Arthur muttered.
‘What do you know about it?’
‘Just that I was the subject of a rather nasty practical joke. And that Gwenhwyfar and Hector are now an item.’
‘Are they?’ Marvin’s eyebrows furrowed. ‘That’s not what I heard.’
‘What did you hear?’
‘I heard that Gwen was assaulted.’
Arthur paled. ‘What? When—?’
‘On Friday at that party. Someone c
ame forward on Tuesday and told the principal. The school wouldn’t have known about it otherwise. She wasn’t hurt, thank goodness. One of our students clouted Hector. If there was a practical joke involved, Gwen was the victim, not the perpetrator.’
Suddenly, Arthur felt queasy. ‘So you’re telling me—what—that Gwen was set up, and that Hector…?’
He couldn’t finish. Marvin nodded. ‘I’m afraid that’s rather what it sounds like.’
Arthur retreated behind his own hands. How could he have been so blind? Of course Gwenhwyfar had nothing to do with it! Of course this was the work of the Furies! Even Bedivere had been innocent. He, just like Gwenhwyfar, had been manipulated, and they had all been made fools of in the process.
‘Arthur?’
He expelled a loud groan. He couldn’t make amends now; he didn’t know how. ‘Why hasn’t Hector been expelled? Or arrested?’ He buckled over and snarled at his own stupidity. ‘I’m a fool, Merlin, a fool!’
‘No Arthur, you are not a fool,’ his History teacher countered, solemn. ‘How are any of us to know such things? The important thing is, you know now. It’s not too late to fix this.’
‘It’s too late for me. How is what I accused Gwen of forgivable?’ His head snapped up, turmoil in his eyes. ‘I thought she was a part of it.’ He shook his head violently. ‘What are they doing about it?’
‘The principal’s been holding meetings with parents this week, that much I do know. I should imagine that he’s reluctant to go to the police because of bad press concerning the school.’
‘And Hector? What about him?’
‘Hector? His surname’s Browne, as is the principal’s cousin’s. Now that may not mean much, but I’m fairly certain the two are connected. It may explain why this hasn’t been officially announced in the staff room yet. It’ll be suspension, at the very most, for Hector. Gwenhwyfar’s parents will demand that, at least.’
‘Sounds like Ravioli has quite a dilemma on his hands,’ sneered Arthur.
‘I don’t understand why Mr Hall isn’t being more discreet. Granted, Agnes is Hector’s tutor, but I’d have thought this sort of thing should be kept highly confidential, at least until a resolution and plan of action is found. Particularly given how much Agnes likes to talk.’
The two fell silent.
‘I’m sorry if this has upset you, Arthur, but I thought you’d want to know. It won’t be long until the entire school is discussing it.’
‘I know.’ He looked to the clock, and sighed. ‘I should go.’
‘Where to?’ asked Marvin, concerned.
‘Morgan. I was supposed to meet her five minutes ago.’ He stood, and slowly hoisted his bag. How was he going to rectify this? Gwenhwyfar wouldn’t forgive him easily, and why should she? Bedivere and Viola both deserved an apology, too.
‘Then you’d better hurry!’ exclaimed Marvin, trying to lighten the mood. ‘Maybe it’ll take your mind off things? Being outside for a while.’ He picked up the day’s paper, flicked it out, and began to read. ‘Tell her to keep thinking of names for our club.’
Arthur nodded, wished Marvin a good weekend, and then vanished through the door.
* * *
Lunchtime passed with a strong gale that bowed trees and flattened grass. Inside, the rustling branches could be heard through the closed windows, which whistled in the darkening corridors. Gwenhwyfar stared up at the bruised clouds through the window opposite her Science room. Just one more lesson, she thought, and then she would be granted respite. The laboratory door opened and she found her seat in silence. Their teacher, Mrs Watson, announced that they would be working in pairs and then shouted them out to the unsettled class.
‘Jo, Max; Rupert, Jack; Sue, Lucy; Arthur, Gwen…’
Her head shot up. Scowling, she turned her eyes to Arthur, who hesitantly rose to his feet and wandered over, reclaiming his temporary seat for the first time in days. As the list of pairs continued, Gwenhwyfar kept her eyes fixed on the chalkboard at the other end of room.
‘How’s Morgan?’ she bristled.
He gazed at her, wide-eyed. ‘She’s fine.’
‘Did you enjoy your lunch date?’ About them, the rest of the class played an ad-hoc game of musical chairs.
‘It wasn’t a date,’ he told her.
‘No?’ She shot him a sharp look. ‘So what was it?’
‘We just had lunch together, that’s all.’
Mrs Watson called for their attention.
‘Test tubes are in the back cupboards, Bunsen burners by the sink. Remember, we’ll be looking at the reactions of carbon with metal oxides when heated. The carbon is here at the front with the magnesium, copper and iron oxides. Don’t forget the heat resistant mats or your goggles, please.’
Gwenhwyfar jumped to her feet. As she began to gather the apparatus Arthur hurried to follow.
‘I wanted to apologise,’ he said, cramping her. ‘I’ve made a terrible mistake.’
She moved to the supply cupboard, snatched up the test tubes and then crushed them into his hands.
‘We need a magnet. And the chemicals.’
‘Gwen, please. I’m trying to talk to you.’
‘Well, now you know how it feels, don’t you?’ She left to get the last few necessities, and soon she was back at their desk.
Arthur tried again. ‘I know, I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have ignored you, especially not when you tried to explain things to me.’
She began to set it all up. ‘No, you shouldn’t.’
‘I shouldn’t have shouted at you either,’ he added. She slapped the heatproof mat onto the table, and then slammed the Bunsen burner on top. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Where does this go?’ The rubber tube from the apparatus was choked in her hand. Arthur took it off her.
‘Even if you had kissed Hector, that would have been up to you, and I had no right to treat you the way I did.’ Gwenhwyfar remained still, listening, but not looking. ‘I was just under the wrong impression.’
‘I was under the same impression as you,’ Gwenhwyfar responded. ‘And I didn’t kiss Hector. I would have told you, if you had let me. He kissed me.’
She sat down and tried to light the Bunsen burner. Arthur turned it on.
‘I know, I’m sorry. I was just… upset. I was stupid, really stupid. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Gwen.’
Gwenhwyfar heard the sincerity in his words. As she glanced across to him, she saw it in his eyes, too.
‘And… and I’m really sorry about… when I shut the door, I had no idea. Had I known what was going on, I would’ve… would’ve…’
How did he know about that? Scowling, she blinked back tears and stared at the dancing flame. ‘You weren’t to know.’
‘I should have known that Emily and Charlotte would do something like this. I just didn’t know they were that evil. I hope they get expelled.’
‘They won’t. Their parents give too much to the school. I don’t know about Hector, though. He might go.’ Gwenhwyfar finally felt sturdy enough to look his way. He still seemed troubled, but sent her a tentative smile. She turned back to their work, donning the oversized goggles that were much too big for her head. Arthur did the same.
‘I like you, you know,’ he ventured. She jerked her dark eyes to his. ‘I do.’
‘And what about Morgan? She fancies you, you must know that.’
‘Don’t be silly.’
‘She does,’ she insisted. ‘It’s obvious. Even Bedivere knows. She wouldn’t stop blithering on about your little lunch date.’
‘It wasn’t a date!’
She sent him a narrowed stare. ‘Does she know that?’
‘Look, I’ve just spent the past half hour talking to her about how I should apologise to you. She even knows I like you. I told her.’
She stopped what she was doing. ‘You told Morgan about this?’
‘It won’t be long until the whole school knows, Gwen. Marvin overheard Mr Hall talking to Mrs Brolstone in the corridors abou
t it. He suspects that he’s been discussing it more carelessly than he should.’
The temperature of her face seemed to skyrocket and suddenly she was rendered speechless. It was as if a noose had tightened around her throat. ‘He does?’
‘I’m sorry.’
She felt a sickening twist of rage and mortification. ‘Bydd fy'n nhad yn wallgo,’ my father will be furious, she hissed.
Arthur gazed at her anxiously. ‘Gwen, I really am sorry.’
‘I know, I know you are.’ She adjusted the flame to make it hotter, and then recorded the reaction of carbon with iron oxide in her exercise book. ‘I’m just angry. I can be angry, can’t I?’
‘Of course you can.’ He watched her for a while as she worked in silence, and then began to write some of their findings down.
‘You should talk to Bedivere, you know,’ she said after a while. ‘Emily took advantage of him to get to you. He had no idea what was going on.’
‘I’m going to talk to him about it this weekend.’ There was a moment’s silence. ‘What are your plans?’
‘Viola’s got a photo shoot. I might be going with her to that,’ she lied.
‘A photo shoot?’
‘Yes. You can’t tell anyone, though. She doesn’t want people knowing. She might become a model.’
‘A model?’ He shrugged. ‘Good for her. You’ll have to tell me how it goes. I can’t say I agree with the whole thing, though.’
‘No?’
‘My grandmother’s always going on about it. Every time she sees an advert or a fashion spread, she says: They should have used me! It would have been more of a challenge for them to make me look vapid.’
‘She sounds interesting, your grandmother,’ Gwenhwyfar observed, amused by his impression.
‘She is. I think she’d like you. Maybe you should come and meet her, sometime.’
Gwenhwyfar offered him a growing smile. ‘I’d like that.’
He grinned at her, and for a moment she forgot they’d ever fallen out at all.
Free Countries
‘Gwen? Is that you?’
Her mother spied her from the kitchen, and resumed the preparations for supper. The smell of home cooking filled the house, and as Gwenhwyfar closed the door she realised that she was standing on the day’s post. She stooped to gather it up as Llew whined her a welcome, padding up to her side. After an affectionate hello to her old friend, Gwenhwyfar sorted through the letters. Nothing much of interest or import was posted anymore, yet despite this they still received a New National leaflet detailing what had been done for their local community each week.
The Future King: Logres Page 13
