The Once and Future Geek

by Mari Mancusi

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it,” she muttered as the crowd parted, allowing her entrance to Arthur's inner cafeteria sanctum. She could feel the eyes of the other, way more popular girls burning into her back, as if wondering what garnered little old her special treatment with their newfound idol.

  “Hey, Sophie,” Arthur said as she approached. “What are you doing here?”

  “Um, I live here. What's your excuse?”

  His face flickered with guilt. “Um, you know, just . . . chilling . . . with the gang.”

  Geez, he was here for two days and he'd already picked up twenty-first-century slang? Sophie didn't even know where to start, especially with half the school listening in. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off to the side of the caf. Tristan tried to stop her, but Arthur waved him off. That was something at least.

  Once they were alone, Arthur turned to her, his eyes shining with excitement. “Sophie, this place is amazing!” he cried. “No wonder you like it here! I've been staying with Lucas and his family and you wouldn't believe all I've learned. Turns out the world isn’t flat at all, but round, like a ball, and it revolves around the sun once a year. Of course, the teacher had no idea the real purpose of Stonehenge. So I let him know that it was once used for—”

  “Arthur!” she cried, waving her hands in front of his face, unable to take his babbling a moment longer. After all, they didn't have much time before Tristan and his goons returned. “Listen to me!”

  He shut up and stared at her with a confused expression on his face. Again she reminded herself that he didn't know what he'd done by coming here. He didn't know about the sword and the stone. About the fact that he'd put her best friend's life in danger.

  She drew in a breath. “Look, I know the twenty-first century is really great,” she assured him. “I mean, I'm a big fan of it myself. But Merlin's freaking out. He needs you back, like yesterday. It's really important. You need to come with me. I can show you how to get home.”

  Arthur dropped his eyes to the floor. “I don't know about that,” he replied slowly. “To be honest, I was . . . thinking of staying here.”

  Sophie's stomach dropped. “Wait—what do you mean you're staying here? You can't stay here.”

  “Why not?” Arthur asked stormily. “What have I got to return to? An empty life as a kitchen boy? The girl I love marrying another man?”

  “But—”

  “Look, if you're worried about the scabbard, don't be. You're welcome to take it back to Merlin if you want. I'll just have to give it to you after school,” he added. “They have a zero tolerance policy here and I don't want to get in trouble while I'm trying out for the football team.”

  She stared at him. This was not good. So not good. She had to tell him the truth, and now. Despite the whole prophecy thing. “Look, Arthur, there's a lot you don't know—”

  “Hey, Arthur!”

  Sophie whirled around, her eyes widening as they fell upon none other than Ashley Jones, skipping over in their direction. The head cheerleader swept in, slinging a possessive arm around Arthur's waist. Sophie bristled. Football and cheerleaders? She had to hand it to the guy; he'd accomplished more in two days than most people did in their entire high school experience.

  “Hey, girl! I see you've met Arthur!” Ashley leaned in to kiss Arthur on the cheek, and the once and future king blushed bright red. Ashley giggled, then turned back to Sophie. “Isn't he just too adorable?” she cooed. “Arthur, this is my bestie, Sophie Sawyer.”

  Wait a second. What? It was all Sophie could do to stop her mouth from dropping open. Bestie? As in best friend? As in best friend of Ashley Jones, head cheerleader at Sacred Mary High? Was this some kind of crazy joke?

  Ashley didn't wait for an answer. “Arthur has agreed to take me to the Snowflake Dance on Friday,” she announced. “Maybe we can double!”

  Okay, this was seriously too weird. Sophie found herself glancing around the room, wondering if someone had planted hidden cameras to punk her. Because she could think of no other reason on earth why head cheerleader and embracer of all things pink, Ashley Jones, would ever want to double-date with a gamer geek like herself.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tristan approaching. Great. Her audience with his majesty was evidently almost up—and she didn't know when she'd be able to get a second chance to speak to him alone. She turned her attention back to the runaway king, giving him her most pleading look.

  “Please, Arthur. You have to listen to me.”

  But Arthur just shrugged. “Sorry, Sophie,” he said apologetically. “But what you're asking me to do . . . well, I just can't.”

  “That's it. Your time's up,” Tristan interrupted, reaching them. “Arthur's got places to go, people to see.” As if on cue, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The cafeteria exploded in activity as everyone started making their way to the exit.

  Panic gripped her as Tristan started shuffling her away, while Ashley and the other football players led Arthur off in the opposite direction. “Arthur!” she cried, straining her neck to try to get his attention from behind the burly football player. “You have to go back! You don't understand what's at stake!” She realized people were staring at her, but she no longer cared. This might be her last chance to save Stu. “You're supposed to be king! You're supposed to pull the sword from the stone!”

  But she was too late. The football players had whisked Arthur out of earshot and her cries were in vain. “Let me go!” she screamed at Tristan. The football player raised his hands in innocence, freeing her from his grasp.

  “Dude, get a grip,” he scolded, shaking his head. “I know he's cute and all, but really. Have some freaking pride.”

  Sophie gave him a scowl, then pushed past him, dodging students and running toward the cafeteria exit as fast as her legs would carry her, hoping to catch up. But when she burst into the hallway, she found it almost empty, with only a few stragglers still making their way to class. She slumped her shoulders in defeat. Great. She'd had her chance and she'd blown it. Stu would be so disappointed in her.

  Dejected, she shuffled down the hall, deciding she'd better head to her own class. She could always find Arthur later, she told herself. He couldn't be surrounded by football players twenty-four seven, right? There had to be some chance to get him alone. To tell him about his destiny. Though how she was going to get him to believe her, she had no idea. If only she had some kind of proof to show him.

  Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice a tall figure step into her path. She stopped seconds before slamming into him, looking up in surprise. It was Lucas. Stu's stepbrother.

  “Sophie! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you.”

  Oh great. He was going to ask about Stu's whereabouts, wasn't he? How was she going to explain why his brother was missing—at least without Lucas thinking she was completely insane. She wondered if his parents had called the police, filed a missing person's report. Sure, she, herself, had gotten away with being gone one night. Cammy had gotten home late from hanging out with her friends and assumed she was in bed, asleep, and her father was still away. But if Arthur refused to go back, that meant Stu was going to be stuck playing medieval times for the foreseeable future. And his family was going to be freaking out worried about him.

  “Look,” she tried. “I know what you're probably thinking. But I can assure you, Stu is fine. He's safe and not hurt. I can't explain where he is, but I promise you that—”

  She stopped babbling for a moment as she caught Lucas's puzzled look.

  “Who's Stu?” he asked.

  “Um . . . “ She stared at him. “You know, Stu! Your stepbrother!”

  “What?” Lucas scrunched his eyes up, looking genuinely confused. “I don't get it. Is this some kind of joke?”

  “What are you talking about? Why would it be a joke?” Okay, something was really weird here.

  “Hmm, I don't know. Maybe because I don't have a stepbrother? Maybe because my parents are sti
ll married to each other and I'm an only child?”

  Oh no. Sophie swallowed hard, her whole body trembling with fear. First Ashley Jones's weird behavior and now this. Something was seriously wrong.

  “So you . . . don't know anyone named Stu?” she asked, her voice quavering as Merlin's words came racing back to her.

  History will spiral off onto an alternative track.

  Was it already happening? Had placing Stu on the throne as a fill-in Arthur not been enough to satisfy historical record? Had he done something wrong? Stepped on a bug he shouldn't have stepped on, thus setting off a crazy chain reaction that led to a future where she was best friends with a cheerleader and Stu’s own brother didn't know him from a hole in the wall?

  A horrible thought struck her cold. What if Stu was really gone? What if in this new world he didn't exist? If, for some reason, he'd never been born? Her throat tightened at the thought and she felt her eyes misting with tears. She thought about how she'd left him, standing alone in the castle courtyard, after what should have been a glorious victory. She'd been angry—jealous, maybe. She'd lied to him and hadn't even answered his goodbye. What if that was the last time she'd ever see him? What if she never got a chance to say she was sorry?

  What if she had to live the rest of her life without her best friend?

  She realized Lucas was speaking and tried to focus on his words. “Well, there's Stu Mallory, of course,” he replied. “The freshman class president? That's the only one I know of and I can promise you, he's not my stepbrother.”

  Sophie let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Okay. Stu still existed in this crazy new reality. That was something at least. And it sounded like he was doing quite well, being student class president and all. But the thought didn't make her feel a whole lot better. Sure, these changes were small—almost inconsequential—but she knew that these slight ripples in time would soon turn into tidal waves of epic proportion if she didn't get Arthur back where he belonged, and soon.

  The future—your future—may no longer exist. Meaning you may no longer exist.

  She realized Lucas was still staring at her. “Um, right, sorry. I must have been confused,” she stammered, not knowing what else to say. She started back down the hall, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. To try to figure out a game plan.

  But, to her surprise, Lucas put a hand on her shoulder, preventing her escape. “You haven't answered me yet,” he reminded her. “About what I asked you Friday?”

  She stared at him blankly. What now? What could Stu's stepbrother have possibly asked her on Friday? Lucas laughed nervously.

  “Wow, I guess I made a major impression, huh?” he asked, pausing. Then he added, “About the Snowflake Dance, Sophie. I wanted to know if you'd be my date.”

  And here Sophie thought she couldn't have been more taken aback if she tried. Lucas Lake was asking her to the Snowflake Dance? In this strange new reality she actually had a date to the dance?

  Two days ago, it would have been a dream come true; after all, Lucas was cute and popular and actually very nice, even if he was one of the jock kids. But today, it seemed more of a nightmare. Just another sign that the world was changing right before her very eyes. Today she was best friends with a cheerleader and the star football player wanted a date. What would tomorrow bring, if she couldn't find a way to send Arthur back? Would she suddenly find herself voted Snowflake Queen? Or the victim of a worldwide zombie apocalypse? It could pretty much go either way.

  “So what do you say, Sophie?” Lucas asked, looking into her eyes with his own intense blue ones. “Will you go to the dance with me?”

  She squirmed, dropping her gaze to the ground. What could she say? While the offer was tempting, she knew in her heart there was no way she could go through with it. By doing so, she'd be as bad as Arthur, choosing personal satisfaction over her own destiny. She was the only one left who could make things right again and that meant she had to cling to the old reality with both hands and resist all these changes—even if that did mean missing out on a date for the dance.

  Not to mention, she was pretty positive Stu wouldn't be all that pleased about the idea of her dating his brother. Even if he wasn't technically his brother in this particular new world.

  She groaned. It was all too much to deal with.

  “I'm . . . it's just . . . I'm not sure if I'm going or not,” she stammered at last, realizing she had to give Lucas some kind of answer. “Can I let you know tomorrow?” Maybe by then she'd have figured this whole thing out, gotten Arthur back to where he belonged, and set history straight once and for all. And Lucas would once again be going to the dance with Ashley Jones, as someone like him should be.

  Lucas's face fell. He actually looked disappointed. It was surreal to say the least. After all, before now, the football player had only thought of her as his brother's geeky little friend, always hogging the computer and playing their dumb medieval videogames.

  That was it! The idea struck her like a lightning bolt to the head. The proof she needed to show Arthur his future was all in the Camelot's Honor videogame. If he played the game, he'd learn everything he needed to know about his illustrious destiny. His rise to fame, his legendary battles, his beautiful wife. Surely then he'd be more willing to go home. Once he knew his future went far beyond scrubbing dishes in the castle kitchen.

  Of course getting him to play was easier said than done. She couldn't get him alone for five minutes, never mind find the opportunity to have him play a videogame. But Lucas, on the other hand . . .

  “Listen, Lucas, can you do me a favor?” she asked, her breath in her throat.

  Stu's stepbrother brightened. “Sure, what's up?”

  “Um, Arthur's staying with you, right?”

  “Yeah . . . “

  “Do you think you could show him how to play Camelot's Honor?”

  Lucas stared at her, as if she'd suddenly sprouted three heads. “Um, what?”

  She swallowed hard. Maybe he didn't have it, now that Stu wasn't living at his house. Maybe, for all she knew, the game no longer existed in this world.

  “The videogame?” she replied hopefully.

  “I know what it is,” Lucas replied, looking at her strangely. “Though I didn't think you did. The only videogame I've ever seen you play is Karaoke Jam.”

  Sophie forced herself not to make a face. Seriously, the new “her” was so lame. Stu would be appalled.

  “Well, yeah,” she stumbled over her words, thinking fast. “I just thought Arthur might like it. I heard he's really into the whole medieval thing.”

  Lucas laughed knowingly. “You can say that again!” he agreed. “You should have seen what he was wearing when I first met him.”

  Sophie let out a sigh of relief. Maybe this would work after all. “Exactly,” she agreed. “So can you show him the game tonight?”

  Lucas smiled smugly. “Under one condition. You tell me tomorrow afternoon whether you'll go to the dance with me. No more excuses.”

  “It's a deal,” she replied firmly, throwing him her most confident grin. After all, if things went according to plan, tomorrow afternoon everything would be back to normal and she'd never have to have that conversation. “Tomorrow afternoon it is.”

  Lucas grinned. “Till then, m'lady,” he said with a small bow. Evidently Arthur's chivalry was wearing off on him. And with that, he turned and headed down the hall. Sophie watched him go, her heart still pounding in her chest. Praying he'd keep his promise to show Arthur the game. Praying that Arthur would recognize himself in the game and realize his destiny.

  All before the world, as they knew it, changed forever.

  Chapter 25

  Morgan Le Fay leaned against a nearby oak tree in twenty-first-century America, exhausted. Time travel spells were brutally complicated and physically exhausting and she was now suffering the aftereffects of her major cast. In fact, at the moment, she was so drained of magical energy, she found she barely had enough spark left
to even cast the tracking spell on her brother, to help pinpoint his exact location.

  But she knew she couldn't afford to rest. It might take her a week to fully recharge her magic after casting such a large spell. And she didn't have time to spare. If she didn't find Arthur now—if she didn't manage to kill him before he went back to his own time and back to Merlin's protective embrace—she would likely lose her opportunity altogether.

  And she wasn't about to let that happen.

  Where was he? The tracking spell had led her here, to some kind of large building surrounded by a black field of metal carriages, but it couldn't pinpoint her brother in the crowd and now she was on her own. The sign read SACRED MARY HIGH, which led her to believe it was a monastery or nunnery of some sort. Yet she saw no priests or nuns—only scantily clad children walking to and fro. Perhaps some kind of religious orphanage?

  Morgan knew about orphanages all too well. She'd been sent to live in one by her stepfather, High King Uther Pendragon, in the months after Merlin took baby Arthur away. She'd tried to protest, insisting her place was by her mother's side in their Cornwell castle of Tintagel by the sea. But Uther was on a mission—to rid the castle of any reminder of his wife's first marriage, and that included her daughter. And her mother, so in love with her new husband, refused to speak out in her defense.

  So Morgan was sent away—to live in poverty and squalor—while her mother took the throne as high queen of the land. As her mother attended great ceremonies, dressed in silk gowns dripping with jewels, Morgan was starved, beaten, and otherwise abused. Each night, as her mother would curl up in a great bed piled with sumptuous furs, Morgan would shiver in her cold, dark cell, vowing revenge on the man who killed her father and took her mother away.

  And now she would finally have it. She had killed Uther and now she would kill his son—before he ever had a chance to rise to his father's throne. Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther, would not pull the sword from the stone and take his father's place as high king. Instead, he would die here, a stranger in a strange land. Ending the Pendragon lineage forever and tearing Britain apart.