The Once and Future King

A week and some change later, El finds herself on the phone with her mom confirming plans. “I understand… Serene is fine with it… Yes… Do you want to talk to her?” Her voice was a mix of annoyance and tired; they’ve talked about this for the last week. “I will see you tomorrow… Wait, is Misha in bed?... Can I talk to him for a second?” She waited as her brother was placed on the phone. “Hey Mi Mi, is there a dress code for tomorrow or are we going as ourselves?... Okay, I can do that. I’ll see you bright and early. Love you… Sweet dreams…. Night, mom.” Before heading to bed, El picked out her outfit for the next day and then flopped into bed.

The next morning El found herself dressed in dark brown cargo capris with a lighter brown ribbon criss-crossing a few inches up the leg, brown boots, a white tank top, and a blue hoodie with what looked like frost interwoven on it. Today she was Jack Frost, although her hair was the same red it always was. With her book bag slung over her shoulder, she waited patiently outside her apartment for her younger brother. Although old enough to go to school, like her Misha was homeschooled. He most likely still would be until high school unless he fought to attend a primary school. Personally El thought he would.

Right on time, her mother’s van pulled up. “Hello, my beautiful daughter.” Sam greeted as she kissed El’s cheek. “Misha is very excited to spend the night with you.” She looked down as her son climbed out of the car. Today he was dressed as Merlin from the BBC series which he was currently obsessed with. He was definitely his mother’s child.

“Lyna!” Misha yelled jumping into her arms.

“Mi Mi, how have you been?” El gave her brother a bone crushing hug causing him to laugh.

“Good. I get go to school wif you?” His eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Yes you do. Say bye to mum then we can walk to school and our adventure can begin.”

“Okay!” Misha turned and ran into Sam’s outstretched arms. “Bye mommy! See you tomorrow!”

“Good-bye my beautiful baby boy. I shall see you tomorrow. Be good for your sister and Serene.” Sam kissed his cheek half a dozen times before one last big kiss. “Good-bye El. Keep watch and have fun.” She kissed El’s cheek and then went back to her car. The siblings watched as their mother pulled away before beginning the walk to the college.

“Is coach be mad at me for you not going?” Misha asked as he skipped beside his sister while swinging their hands.

“Why would you think that?” She let her hand swing wildly as she kept her eyes not only on her brother but the street around her.

“Because you misseded being leader of the team.”

“Coach is aware that I had to pick you up this morning. I do have to work this afternoon however and if you’d like to join you may. Serene also said she would look after you if you wish not to stay.”

“No, I go. I wana see you be awstum!” El chuckled at her brother’s enthusiasm, but nodded. Like usual she did not see anyone except Issy, who was barely talking to her, in her morning classes. Misha loved being in her classes and was not hesitant to ask questions whenever they arose in his head.

At lunch El found herself in the quad playing a game of make believe with Misha while many of her friends met in the lunch hall. “Hey Issy, where’s El?” Serene asked since both had just come from a biology class.

As he placed some pasta on his plate, he replied, “I believe she and her brother went outside to eat.”

“Her brother?” Lance asked. “Is that why she missed practice?”

“Yeah.” Serene smiled before greeting her boyfriend with a kiss on the cheek. “He’s such a cutie. I vote we eat outside!”

“It’s still cold out though.” Drustin whined.

Serene gave him a look, “Barely, stop being lame and get your ass outside.”

“Yes ma’am.” With a pout Drustin paid for his meal and dragged his feet towards the door.

“Why’s Drustin looking crestfallen?” Will asked slinging his arm around Jen’s shoulders.

“Because we’re eating outside. Don’t give me that look Mr. Will.” She glared. “Get your food and then march that cute butt of yours outside with the rest of us.”

“Cute butt?” Gareth asked a little annoyed.

“Yeah.” Serene answered offhandedly. “I’ve seen his naked ass and it’s definitely very nice.” Knowing her boyfriend was going to get mad, she bopped his nose and continued. “I’ve seen basically all of our guy friend’s asses at one point or another. We’ve been skinny dipping and you guys don’t like to keep your clothes on when you’re drunk.” She patted his cheek with a grin as her voice dropped an octave seductively, “But only yours is the one I will willingly look at over and over and over-“

“We get it!” Lance, Issy, Jen, Will, and Kayden cried.

“I’m only saying.” She laughed before spotting the siblings playing. “Found them!” The small group watched for a moment as Misha chased El with a stick until he ‘stabbed’ her causing her to dramatically fall to the ground. “Having fun?”

“Yeah!” Misha gave a toothy grin.

“He stabbed Serene, he stabbed me with a sword. How weird is that?” El lifted her head with a fake sad face before dropping it back down.

Misha frowned, “You no Mr. Universe.”

“I sure hope not.” Drustin snorted.

“He means from Serenity. Isn’t that too old for you?” Serene smiled before crossing her legs and sitting on the grass.

“Daddy and me watch it. Mommy don’t know.” He giggled and then pounced on El. “Wake up, food time.”

“Is it now?” She gave a breathy laugh. Easily cradling him, she sat up and placed him in her lap. “Alright, what do we have today?”

“PB&J!” Misha bounced excitedly as he leaned over and pulled the lunch boxes to them.

“Dude, you have PB&J!?” Drustin’s mouth dropped. “No fair. El I’ll trade lunch with you.”

With a raised brow El replied, “What do you have?”

“Mac and Cheese, a banana, apple, this salad wrap thing, and whatever this is.”

“What do you think? Is he worthy of mum’s sandwich making?” She looked down at her brother who already had jelly and peanut butter smeared all over his face.

With a serious face he replied, “Tavasty if he no knows mommy’s cooking.”

“Wise words.” Her golden eyes snapped back to her friend. “You have been found worthy.”

“You two are strange.” Drustin laughed as he passed his tray of food and took the lunchbox. “Are you sure you’re from this era? You talk like the books we read in class.”

“Our mother is a scholar.” El smiled as she ate some mac and cheese.

“And daddy scitist. He likes ice.” Misha grinned. “He use big words. Lyna’s first word was…” He frowned. “What it?”

“Precipitation… Or Okta. I forget which.” Her friends stared at her as if she had four heads. “My mum was on Sabbatical around the age I was learning to speak thus my dad was my primary caregiver at the time. He’s a climatologist and used that sort of vocabulary on a daily basis.” She shrugged as is it was no big deal.

“What was your first word?” Lance asked half expecting a word just as complicated.

“Knight.” Misha grinned proudly.

“We are pretty sure it is knight as in Knights of the Round Table, but it could have been the other night.”

“Why don’t you think it was night like the time of day?” Jen asked.

“Daddy in Anarica.”

“Antarctica, Mi Mi.”

“Do your parents ever end up home at the same time?” Drustin asked before he got smacked upside the head by Jen. “Hey!”

“That was rude.” She scolded.

“It is fine.” El smiled. “For a while they switched who was home, but they do it less often especially since Misha is so young. They stayed home or brought me along when I was younger. Once I was a pre-teen dad started going back on expositions again or mom would go on long trips if I was in school. When Misha was born they slowed down again. With the exception of a few times my parents are usually in the house together.”

“Cept when you and daddy go see Santa.”

“Yes, but he shouldn’t be going on anymore long expositions anymore.”

“Where is he now? If you don’t mind me asking.” Jen smiled interested in El’s unique family.

“Presenting on his findings.”

“Interesting.”

“Lyna, all done! I need bafroom pease.” Misha smiled up at his sister with food all over his mouth.

“Alright. We’ll be right back.” She gracefully stood once Misha was off her and together they walked back into the building towards the bathroom.

“He’s a cute kid.” Issy commented as he watched them leave.

“Agreed, but what are they wearing?” Drustin asked.

“El is Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians and Misha is Merlin from the BBC series I think. That’s what El said anyway.” Serene replied cuddling into Gareth.

“El always seems so uptight, like she doesn’t quite know how to be a young adult. It surprised me to see her with Misha.” Jen smiled. “She’s so much more… animated.”

“Reserved is how I’d describe my loveable roommate.”

“And astronomically independent.” Will added.

“Here, here brother.” Lance raised his can of soda in Will’s direction.

“Can be kind of a put off.”

“Rude, Will.” Jen glared.
“I don’t mean it’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s just…” Will paused to think his words through. “She doesn’t hesitate to clash with people.” Issy took an aggressive bite from a carrot. “She doesn’t hesitate to take on situations on her own.” Jen opened her mouth to object to that being a down side, but Will kept going. “Which usually isn’t bad except she doesn’t call for help.”

“When has she been in a situation where she needed help?” Serene looked at him pointedly.

“Doesn’t matter, but her attitude about taking on the world alone isn’t safe. There is independent like most of the females in our group, then there is dangerously independent. If there is danger I have a feeling she won’t ask any of us to help.”

“Sounds like you speak from experience.”

“I don’t.”

“But I do.” Will gave Lance a sharp look before nodding. “Just watch her.”

“Going to elaborate?” Serene asked expectantly. “As her roommate I should know if she’s in trouble.”
Lance shrugged as he took a sip from his drink. “She’s fine for now, just keep an eye on her.” Serene nodded but didn’t say anything. As she took a sip from her own drink she smiled, the group was finally accepting El even if she was a little strange. A few minutes later the group turned to see the siblings returning with Misha skipping and singing and El smiling behind him.

“I went to animal fair. Birds beast there. Big baoon by light of moon was combin’ his arburn hair. Monkey got drunk, sat on eliphahnt trunk. Eliphahnt hachooed and fell on knees. That end of monk, monk. That end of monk!” Mish sang at the top of his lungs until he came to the group. “Hi!”

“Hey.” Serene smiled. “What were you singing?”

“Um, Animahl Fair.” Then he started hopping around only stopping when a bug distracted him. Suddenly his face lit up and he spun towards the group. “You on team right? With sis?”

“Yeah. We play, she does everything else.” Drustin grinned and El glared back with little heat.

“When would I have time?” Her eyes slid to her brother's as she shook her head. “They are a hopeless bunch and need my help just to function properly.” She bent down and pulled her brother to her, whispering loudly, “If it wasn’t for me they wouldn’t know where anything was… Like their socks!”

“Would trolls take them?” Misha asked with wide eyes.

“Only the left ones.”

“Isn’t that from a movie?” Serene asked feeling like she had heard that recently.

“How to Train Your Dragon.” El stood up while swinging her bag onto her back. “Alright Misha, time for more learning.”

“Yay! Learning. Learning. Learning!” He sang while running around. “ByE!” He yelled before dashing off towards the main building.

“Mish!” El called. “Bye guys, see you later. Mish! Wrong building!” She yelled to her brother and pointed to the farther building to their left. With a laugh her brother changed directions and continued running around, never straying too far from his sister. The small group watched in interest as the pair wandered off to El’s next class.

“Well, isn’t he adorable.” Lance chuckled. “No wonder she can put up with Drustan.”

“Hey!” The other man pouted as the rest laughed.