A couple of days later with my face burning, I stepped out of my dorm and headed to the parking lot. It was Saturday and I had been cooped up in my room on Nurse Parvey's orders. Do you know how hard it is to keep preoccupied when you can't sleep? Very.
Luckily, Beca had some of the same classes and brought my assignments to me. She also turned in my English paper for me. The only class we didn't have together was Trig. The face she made at me when she brought the notes and assignment in was priceless. I laughed so hard I cried, then paid the price when my face started hurting.
I finished my homework late Friday night and slept in a little on Saturday. Drew woke me up by texting me to say they were meeting for lunch at Broken Arrow's most expensive restaurant for his birthday. I got up and dressed, trying my best to hide the bruising with makeup. I still had a bruise on my ribs from where Casey had kicked me and my face was black.
My car was a little black Honda Civic. It was a two door and the right size for me. My father got it for me after I turned sixteen. He figured I would ask for a much more expensive one later, but I didn't. I loved my little car.
I got onto the road that led into town. Broken Arrow was a small town. I understood why they wanted to build a school here. They had the lake and enough space for one. It was also secluded, even more so since they had built a wall around the campus. So the town got some of the tuition from the land taxes. It kept Broken Arrow alive.
The most expensive restaurant was called Kirby's. It was a fine dining type of place. It served everything from French cuisine to Japanese with the chefs to prove it. I had only been there once and that was for Beca's randomness. She wanted to go and I couldn't say no.
They were waiting on me when I parked in the freshly plowed parking lot. Beca was all smiles as she held on to her boyfriend's arm. Bruce Larson was there with Bianca. He was red headed with green eyes, which is how you told him and Drew apart when they're together. That and Drew was a lot nicer than Bruce. Bruce had the don't-mess-with-me attitude that got him in trouble.
As I looked around, I noticed Darren and I were the only ones who hadn't brought anyone with us. Did they think we were going to go with each other? Okay, I like Darren but it would be too presumptuous to think that way.
"Glad you could make it, Maddie," Drew said. He was smiling as I joined the group.
"I almost didn't. I knocked my pain meds under the bed and it took me forever to get it out." I said.
"Is your face still hurting?" Darren asked as we walked in.
"Only when I eat. Then it only throbs dully. I keep these with me just in case."
He nodded distractedly.
I didn't have time to think about it as Drew ushered us to a table. Naturally it was in the V.I.P. section. The other four talked jovially throughout the wait for our drinks. Darren, I noticed, was introverted. It was that moment I wished I could see what he was thinking.
"Maddie, what are you getting?" Beca asked. She was all cuddled up against Drew in the corner of the booth.
"I'm thinking of sushi. It's cold and it doesn't irritate my face," I replied unhappily. I really like French cuisine but most of it was too warm for me to eat at the moment.
She looked as if she was going to say something to go along with the mood but Darren beat her to it. "I guess I'll have the same. I haven't had sushi in a while."
I was dumbfounded. He hadn't said two words to me in that many days. I wasn't worried about the number of days. I was worried he had made a mistake in kissing me goodnight and now was regretting it. I hadn't asked him to do it. He did it all on his own. I had been asleep.
My heart hammering in my chest I stood, thankful I was on the outside. "Sorry, Drew, but I've got to go home."
"Are you okay?" he asked as he rose to see me out. It was kind of difficult to do since Beca was hanging on him.
My breath shook slightly as it came out. I nodded. "Yeah, I've got to go. I'll see you back at the dorm, Beca."
"I'll bring you sushi!" she called. I waved over my shoulder on the way out. Vaguely I heard her berating Darren. How she knew it was him I didn't know but I had to get out of there.
I parked my car back in its usual spot and hurried to the dorm. Why was I acting like this? Never in my life had I acted so childishly. In all honesty I hadn't cried since my mother died. I had matured because my father needed me, although he'd never admit it. No boyfriend I ever had had made me cry like this.
But Darren wasn't my boyfriend. So why were the hot tears pouring down my face, making it hurt all the more? It didn't make any sense to me but I wasn't very sensible at the moment.
I knew where I was going but I kept my head down so no one could see my makeup running down my already battered face, I obviously wasn't paying attention because I ran into someone. We both went sprawling into the snow, groaning in pain and at the sudden jolt of coldness.
"Maddie? Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going," the person said above me.
I opened one eye to look up. It was Parker. He was soaked now that the snow had melted, but his hair was still flecked with the powdery white precipitation. He was very good looking with bright green eyes and light brown hair. Why he was with Casey was beyond me. He could certainly do better.
"Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling in the snow when I didn't get up.
I cleared my throat and took his pre-offered hand so he could pull me to my feet. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"My face hurts is all."
He didn't look convinced but he didn't question me on it. "I'd like to walk you back to your dorm just to make sure."
I couldn't stop myself before I asked, "Won't Casey be mad?"
Parker shrugged. "I really don't care what she says. I knocked you over. It's only fair to make sure you're safe."
That was logic I couldn't argue with so instead I led the way to my third floor dorm in Nathanial Hall.
We were silent as we walked. Thoughts swirled dangerously in my head. Why was Parker near the junior parking lot? Why was he distracted so much that we had collided? What was going on between him and Casey that had him so riled?
I turned the corner on the third floor and walked to my door. Something was wrong. I reached for the handle to find it unlocked. Without opening the door, I turned to Parker. It suddenly made sense.
"What did she do?" I asked, noticing my voice was slightly hard.
He looked contrite. "I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen. I was on my way to call Darren when I bumped into you."
Frowning, I turned back around and pushed the door open then stood there staring in shock.
My room was trashed. My bed was flipped, clothes were strewn all over the room, and all my trinkets were smashed. I walked into the room utterly speechless. All my stuff was either dirty or destroyed. The floor was wet from my smashed snow globe collection. My heart clenched. They had all been from my mother.
"What was she looking for?" I asked breathlessly as I dropped to my knees.
"I don't know. It could have been just out of spite. She did it to Darren's room as well," he replied.
"Do you know if she found a jewelry box by any chance?"
"Not that I know of, no."
I stood and walked to my closet. Rummaging around, I found the box of unpacked items still where I had put it. I opened it and pulled out my small jewelry box I've had since I was ten. Scared it wouldn't be there, I closed my eyes to ease the pain of it missing.
When I opened them I sighed happily. Silver and in the shape of a sword, my mother's necklace lay sparkling against the blue satin. The ruby, sapphire, and emerald glinted in the light. I pulled it out and slipped it over my head, holding it securely to my chest.
When I turned around, Parker was standing so still I thought he'd pass out. Then without warning, he fell to his knees. I was so confused.
"Parker?" I said as I looked down at the kneeling man.
He bowed his head and put his fisted right hand over his heart. When he spoke, it was formally and very calculated. "If you would have me, I will be your knight for as long as we both live or until you release me. This is my oath as a knight and I am bound by it."
His words slammed into me like a ton of bricks. Something hung in the air between us like thick smog over a city. He stayed kneeling with his head bowed, waiting for my answer.
The words formed on my tongue and before I could rein them in, I spouted, "I accept your offer. Rise, my knight, as Sir Lancelot du Loc."
Parker rose slowly and it was then I recognized him from the dream. He was the exact replica of Lancelot, just like Darren was King Arthur.
We stared at each other for what seemed like a lifetime. There was something there that I couldn't quite pinpoint. It was poignant and I swear the sudden tension could have been cut with a knife. It was that thick.
"Maddie, we're back!" I heard Beca call from down the hall. Suddenly she popped up, her brother and boyfriend behind her. Her face dropped when she looked at the room. "What the hell happened?"
"Casey destroyed our room," I said, thankful for the distraction so I could look away from Parker.
"Why?"
"I don't know." My chest hurt not to necessarily tell the truth. I didn't know why she
had done it but I had a good idea and it was hanging about my neck, resting cool against my skin.
"Parker, what are you doing here?" Darren asked as he came further in the room, bringing more tension with him.
"I was on my way to call you about this when I ran into Maddie. You might want to check your room as well," Parker replied as he turned his back on Darren and moved around the room as he helped Beca clean up.
Darren left the room rather quickly, leaving Drew to stare after him then help with the clean up. The red head was silent as he picked up the broken glass of my snow globes. It was something I never seen. He was glaring at Parker with something akin to hatred. I wasn't certain if I liked that look at the moment.
A few minutes later, which actually seemed like an hour with all the hostility in the room, Darren came back seething. He raked us over with a hard gaze. When that gaze landed on me, I wanted to shiver but I held it in. Something in his eyes told me there was something he wasn't telling us. Then I remembered an important part of the Arthurian legends.
Lancelot had been Arthur's best friend, first knight, and confidant. Arthur had given him the life of a king. Then Lancelot had betrayed him. Arthur had trusted the knight with everything, including his wife. That trust had betrayed him. Arthur had sent Lancelot away and embarrassed his wife by letting her live that she moved to a nunnery. If I remembered correctly, Arthur hadn't recovered from that betrayal.
Sometime during my zone out period, Darren's gaze had slid from my face to watch Parker. Oh, yeah. He definitely wasn't over it even in this lifetime. I had to do something to keep him from lashing out.
"Hey, Parker?" I said levelly, keeping my eyes on Darren as I spoke.
"Yeah?" He turned to me when I said his name. I noticed he refused to meet Darren's face. Obviously, he remembered what had happened as well.
"Beca and I can handle the rest of this. Why don't you go on back to your dorm?"
His brows furrowed at my request, not quite happy with it. "Are you sure?" I nodded then smiled so he knew I truly meant it. "Okay. I'll see you later." As he walked past me, he slipped a folded piece of paper in my hand.
I sighed. We had just dodged one bullet but I knew I was about to open a new can of worms as I turned back to Darren. His eyes were dilated as he centered on me. Once again we stared at each other.
"Why do you hate him so much?" I asked.
He made a tsking sound with his tongue. "I don't hate him."
"Then what is it?"
"We don't trust him," Drew said. His voice was rough as he tossed shredded paper into the trash can.
"Why?"
Just like I thought, they both clammed up. Even Beca didn't say anything, which meant she knew what was going on. Obviously they didn't think I knew who they were. Well, I knew one and was planning on finding out who the others were. At the moment it was a good idea to remain tight-lipped.
"Guys, why don't you let us finish cleaning up and we'll see you tomorrow?" Beca suggested, effectively breaking the tension.
Drew knocked Darren in the shoulder as a signal for them to leave. The latter took a few moments to look between us before he turned and stalked from the room. The former smiled briefly then followed his friend.
I was about to sigh in relief to the tension disappearing. That was before Beca slammed the door, locked it, and then stalked over to me. She stared me down with such intensity I swore she was Darren. Oh, yeah. She was his sister after all. I watched her gaze slide to the chain about my neck then lower.
"Let me see it," she said.
"Excuse me?" I replied slightly shocked. The chain was long enough that the sword rested between my cleavage, which I thought she was looking at.
"The sword. Let me see it."
I didn't argue. I pulled on the chain until the sword slid out from under my shirt. Beca's eyes widened fractionally as she stared at it. Her knees gave way and she fell before me, much like Parker did.
With the same fist over the heart movement, she said, "I give my life in your service if you have me. I swear to protect you with my life until I die or you release me. This is my knight's code to which I am bound."
Once again, I couldn't stop my response. "Your offer has been accepted. Rise now as Sir Alymere."
As Beca stood, she looked extremely happy. I held up my hand as she started to speak. I needed time for all this to sink in. As we continued cleaning, my head was reeling.
I had a girl who probably wanted to kill me. There was a guy who was protective of me yet very mysterious even though I knew who his best friend was (I'm talking about Drew here). I had a wicked cool sword necklace and now I had two knights I could call on for help, one of which was my best friend.
What the hell was going on?