24 Ch. 24 Reuniting

Myrddin walks into the gymnasium after getting changed for his last class of the day.

P.E.

He's wearing basketball shorts that barely reach his knee, before his shorts usually covered his knees. And a black tshirt.

He really needs to get some more diverse colors in his wardrobe. But he doesn't exactly want to go shopping or deal with having to match the colors of his clothes.

Anyway, he's standing against a padded wall on the side of the gym. He's wanting to see what he can do after what he just did on the lacrosse field. He tested his body out in the past. But that was it. Tests. And it's not like he really pushed himself to the limits. After having such a weak body he was used to a certain level and now being so much better… it's still unbelievable to him.

Girls are checking him out while the guys try and figure out why the girls are looking at him instead of themselves. What does he have that they don't? Quite a few things actually, but Myrddin doesn't really care. He's been stared at all day and he's ready to get his body moving and his blood pumping.

As the girls come out of the locker room he notices a girl with dirty blond hair tied into a pontytail. She has her hands behind her back and her eyes look down at the floor through her glasses.

"Once is luck. Twice is a coincidence. But us having the same gym class together, three times in a row? I think that's gotta be fate"

Erica looks up and her eyes widen when she sees some guy with the body of a muscular Olympian god yet slim at the same time. She thought it was Myrddin but this guys voice is too deep and smooth to be Myrddin's. This guy is probably just talking to some other girl around her.

She looks back down to the floor as she wonders what happened to Myrddin. She hasn't seen him at school today… then she realizes that he probably did end up moving after a year. And he didn't tell her he was leaving either…

As Erica walks away, Myrddin scratches the top of his head. "Cmon Erica, I thought that was a pretty good opening after not seeing eachother for basically 3 months"

"W-what? I…. You probably have the w… wrong person" Erica doesn't dare look up at the guy's face. The girls are already mean enough without her talking to a guy like this. She had to wait until most of the other girls left the locker room so she could change without being made fun of.

Myrddin quickly gets in front of Eric's after she turns around to try and walk away again. "Seriously, it's me. Myrddin Wyllt, but if you want you can call me Merlin"

"Myr?" Erica looks up at this guy's face and sees a friendly smile and his dazzling green eyes. A blush appears on her slightly pale face as her eyes tear up a little bit when she realizes Myrddin didn't just ditch her. "It.. really is you… What happened?! D-Did the government inject you with a super soldier serum?!"

Myrddin grins, showing off his teeth a little, as Erica references some comics he recommended her a while back. He puts his right hand on his forehead and shakes his head. "I wish! That would have actually explaining what happened to me much easier!"

Erica looks him up and down. "Well… what did happen to you??? And can it happen to me??? Where are your glasses? Can you even see right now?"

Myrddin slumps his shoulders. "That's the thing, can't really say what happened to me because not even I know. I don't need my glasses anymore, don't know how that happened. But I can see perfectly, and I can see you Erica. I think your already your best version of yourself. Now tell me, have you been taking your meds? Please don't lie to me"

Erica's blush reaches new levels when she hears Myrddin talking about her. And then she realizes that he knows she hasn't been taking her medication again. "I…." She hesitates to answer, afraid that Myrddin will get mad or stop being her friend…

"Hey, relax a little. I'm just worried about you. I know how serious your epilepsy is and I don't want to have to watch you go through another seizure or hear that you had a seizure" Myrddin rubs her left shoulder a little to calm her down.

Erica looks straight down at the ground. *Sniffle*

"O-oh shit… Erica. I.. if it's something I said…" Myrddin takes his hand off her shoulder and takes a step back.

Erica's tears trail down her face. "No… *Sniffle* … Y-you're fine.. I'm just *Sniffle* so happy…"

Myrddin puts a hand on his chest and looks up at the ceiling. "Phew…. Holy crap Erica… my heart…" He thought that he said something to upset her to the point of tears.

Erica takes her glasses off and wipes her tears away. "I… haven't… been taking them…."

Myrddinputs his left hand on his hip. "Since when? And have you had any seizures?"

"A little while ago. Not more than a week or two. And I haven't had a seizure… lately. I had two or three over the summer though…" Erica puts her glasses back on and sees Myrddin's serious face looking right into her very soul.

"I can drive you home after school so you don't need to take the bus" Myrddin offers.

"You have a car?" Erica is a little shocked and she tries to keep her blush down. She doesn't know how Myrddin can change this much in only 3 months.

Myrddin waves that question away. "Yeah, but that's not important right now. Are you being picked up or do you need a ride?"

Erica blinks the tears away. "M-my mom is picking me up today. She said she wants to spend a little bit of time with me…"

"That's good" Myrddin looks at the clock at the other side of the room. "So, did you read anything interesting over the summer?"

"N… Yes. But no. And not particularly" Erica quietly responds.

That…. Myrddin didn't know what that was. To him, that was a lot of mixed signals. "S-"

*Loud Whistle*

"Ok! Everybody, come and check yourself in! I'm not even gonna try to remember your names today so just write your initials directly in the small box next to your name!" A man with a huge gut shouts and sits down in the chair that still has to suffer beneath his weight.

There is a clipboard on a chair beside him and students gather around to sign in.

Myrddin looks over at the huddle of at least 39 kids. "I'd say we wait for that to die down a little, what about you?"

"Yeah… I think there's only one pen over there anyways" Erica turns away from Myrddin and looks at the other students.

She can see some girls eyeing up Myrddin and sending glares her way like they were trying to jinx or curse her as they whispered to one another.

"Are you planning on participating? If you feel light headed or y'know…. like you're about to pass out, just let me know. And does the teacher know about your condition?" Myrddin folds his arms across his chest as he sees the girls glaring at Erica.

The dirty blond haired girl, who's hair looks between the lands of healthy and nearly messy, rubs her left elbow. "He should know. There should have been an email to all my teachers informing them about my epilepsy. And… thank you for… worrying about… me…"

Myrddin nods. "It's the least I can do"

The two chat a little more before going and signing in and going back to the outskirts of the gym.

"Erhem!" The fat man clears his throat as his booming voice once again can be heard around the gym. "We're gonna start off nice and easy today. However, tomorrow we will be recording your base line for your fitness. I hope you guys improve by at least a smidgeon by the end of this class, but I'm not expecting much. So for today, start off with a 5 minute jog around the gym! After that, you can 'shoot some hoops' or throw around whatever you find in the cart! Now get a move on!"

Some music starts playing, Flo Rida's Club Can't Handle Me, and the students begin jogging around the gym.

Myrddin and Erica begin jogging at a relatively slow pace.

She isn't feeling the best and she doesn't like that she's forcing Myrddin to be slow too. Nearly everyone in the gym is passing them. "Y-You don't have to jog with me"

"Alright" Myrddin says as he looks behind himself and at the small group of people, mostly girls, just jogging behind him and Erica.

Erica looks to her side, she wasn't expecting him to agree so easily. But then she sees him just move farther to the right as he runs almost against the wall. "W-what are you doing?"

"You said I don't have to jog with you. So I'm no longer jogging 'with' you" Myrddin says as he can feel his muscles complaining about going so slow when they can be going so much faster.

Erica looks back in front of her as she continues running quietly.

As Myrddin continues running he can feel the stares of some people. He looks over his shoulder and sees a few girls looking at him, but he notices their eyes are looking a little lower than his back.

When the girls see that he sees them they wave or do something to try and draw his attention. But a few just continue to enjoy the view. The ones that look at his face notice he gives a wink before facing forward again.

Erica can hear the girls behind her. And they're talking about Myrddin and giggling every now and then.

After they finish jogging the music stops and people get some balls out of the cart that the teacher brought out. There are basketballs, volleyballs, kickballs, soccer balls, and a few other miscellaneous ones.

Myrddin goes to one of the padded walls and slides down it until he's sitting on the floor next to Erica. His left leg is outstretched and his right leg is bent with his right elbow resting on it. "Wish I had brought a book now"

"You don't want to participate?" Erica asks as she wipes her forehead with the back of her left hand.

"Not really. I have some books that I'm behind on" Myrddin thinks about how much time he spent on just trying to get the basics of his magic.

Lots of time.

"How can you be behind? Did a class require you to read a book?" Erica knows Myrddin used to spend the majority of his time reading. She wonders what he's been doing besides that, but looking at his body she has a few guesses.

Myrddin puts his head back against the wall. "I'm just behind where I want to be"

——————

Erica walks out of the woman's locker room and sees Myrddin still in his gym clothes at the other side of the gym.

She walks up to him with her bag on her shoulder. "Why haven't you changed?"

"I've been scouted by coach Finstock for the lacrosse team. After I walk you to your car I'll be heading towards the field so there's no point in changing. Is your mom here?" Myrddin asks as he opens the door for both of them.

"Yeah, she texted me she was at the front" Erica takes her phone out and double checks the message.

They both follow the mass of students exiting the school.

"I'll see you tomorrow Erica" Myrddin says after they exit the school and stand on the sidewalk.

"S-see you tomorrow Myrddin. Good luck at practice" She waves to him as she gets in her moms car.

Myrddin waves at Erica and her mom. He can see Mrs. Reyes asking Erica questions and glancing between her daughter, Erica, and Myrddin.

After a few seconds Erica hangs her head and hides her face in her backpack.

Mrs. Reyes waves at Myrddin before driving off.

Now Myrddin makes his way over to the lacrosse field. He wonders how his mom would react if she knew he and Erica were friends. She already teases him from time to time for being 'friends' with Lydia. Moms just really enjoy messing with their kids. Myrddin wonders if it's revenge for having to change their kid's diapers and putting up with them when they were growing up.

On the practice lacrosse field Myrddin already sees no small amount of players getting ready. And the small bleachers at the practice field already have some people waiting to watch the first public practice of the season.

Myrddin spots Finstock already on the side of the field next to a bench. So he makes his way over. "So how is this going to work?"

Bobby turns his attention away from his clipboard. "First thing first is your equipment. You'll be borrowing a stick and a helmet. I'll be giving you your jersey as well. And I'd reccomend you get yourself a pair of cleats sooner rather than later. And this is a pay to participate sport, but you'll have about a week until you need to pay. If you don't pay by the first game I can't have you touch the field. Now try these on and pick the one that fits best"

Myrddin looks at the three different helmets on the bench. "Uhh coach?"

"What is it? Need me to score your goals for you too? Hurry it up, it's a good thing you're here early" Bobby walks away and starts yelling at someone who may or may not deserve to be yelled at.

Myrddin has only read the rules of lacrosse a year ago basically. "At least this will be interesting"

He finds a helmet that doesn't make his skull feel like a squished grape. But it also isn't loose either.

*Smack!*

Bobby smacked his clipboard against the back of Myrddin's helmet. "Lookin good. Now take this and I want you to run around the field until practice starts. And if you drop this ball…"

"Got it coach. Don't drop the ball or my ass is grass" Myrddin takes the lacrosse stick and scoops up a ball before running.

Finstock sees Myrddin take off and cups his right hand to the side of his mouth. "Slow down you idiot!"

But Murddin just kept going. He wasn't sprinting, but he wasn't jogging either. He wanted to get the hang of running with a stick in his hands. It was new so he wanted to get used to it before the practice actually started. Having to rock the stick side to side to keep the ball in the mesh wasn't too bad. But he wondered how it would be when he was actually having to focus on the other players on the field.

His running shoes didn't like some of the muddier parts of the field from the previous nights rain.

*WHISTLE*

After 10 minutes Bobby blows his whistle and Murddin makes his way over to coach.

"What now coach?" Murddin asks. His breath barely even affected.

"Jesus. You didn't slow down at all and you aren't even out of breath? Go in line with the others and score some goals before we actually start" Bobby nods towards the line of players.

Murddin jogs over to the line and stands behind a random guy. He looks at the goalie and raises an eyebrow. "Scott?"