Liz Walker
Throughout Arcadia Oaks High, the school bell rang, signaling to everyone that it was the end of class. Liz sighed in relief that the school day was over, not that she wasn't glad to be there since she would rather be in actual school than being homeschooled, but because she was exhausted. She had a dream last night that left her exhausted the following day. Every time she sleeps nowadays, she always finds herself in a dream, only to wake up the following day feeling drained and remembering some of her dreams. As for last night's dream, the boy came to mind with his name, Jimmy.
As everyone around her got up, Liz stayed seated and stared out the window on her left, thinking about her connection to this little boy. Now that she thinks about it, the name Jimmy seems similar to...
Suddenly, a tap on Liz's right shoulder interrupted her thought. She turns to see a dark brunette with blue streaked side-bangs and dark brown eyes wearing a light purple turtleneck shirt with a darker pink skull and the word "HAMLET" under a short dark purple jacket, a short blue skirt, gray leggings with black shoes, and a lot of colorful barrettes in her hair. The girl before her smiles. "Hi, I'm Claire Nunez."
With a smile of her own, Liz introduced herself. "Nice to meet you, Claire. I'm Elizabeth Walker, but you can call me Liz. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Claire brings out a flyer from her bag and hands it to Liz. "We're currently looking for people to audition, and I was wondering if you would like to audition for the school play."
Liz examines the flyer and looks up at Claire. "This sounds interesting, but I'm afraid I don't seem to recognize the story, Romeo and Juliet?"
Claire's eyes widen, and her jaw slacks. "You never heard of Romeo and Juliet, the most famous tragic love story in history?!"
Liz quirks an eyebrow and tilts her head slightly. "Umm, no. I don't believe so. I'm not much of a romantic, you see." She's more of a fighter than a lover if you ask her.
Claire shakes her head in disbelief. "We have to fix that. Tell you what, you should come over to my place! I'll gladly explain the story to you; perhaps we can get to know each other better. I'll also give you all the details about Arcadia Oaks High and the best hotspots in town. What do you say, Liz?"
Liz blinked. She did not expect this to happen to her, but the thought of making new friends made her smile. She hardly has any female friends her age since she has been surrounded by males her whole life. So far, there have only been a few, but each had their own lives to live. It's nice to make new ones, at least. Liz nods with a smile. "That sounds great. I would love to, Claire."
Claire grinned in excitement. "Perfect! Let's go!"
***
Liz has to admit she enjoyed herself after hanging out with Claire. Claire was adamant about teaching Liz about Shakespeare's famous tragic love story. Liz found it more entertaining seeing how Claire perceives this timeless piece than learning the story itself, but she wouldn't tell her that.
The night was approaching Arcadia Oaks as Liz exited the Nunez Estate with her skateboard. Liz glanced up at her new friend from the sidewalk. "I had a great time, Claire. Thanks for introducing me to Romeo & Juliet. And for the tips about Arcadia Oaks High and the local hotspots. I'll be sure to stop by the Bluff as well." She had frequented it many times at night when she was younger, but again, Claire doesn't have to know that.
Claire leaned against the doorway. "You're welcome. It is always a pleasure to share one's passion. We should hang out again sometime. Oh, and don't forget to come to the audition. I think you have potential."
Liz chuckles. "No promises, but I'll come anyway."
Claire glances at the darkening sky, then stares at Liz in worry. "Are you sure you don't need a ride? My parents will come home soon and happily give you a ride."
Dropping her skateboard on the paved road and placing her foot on it to stabilize it, Liz reassured Claire. "I'm sure. Not to worry, Claire. I'll see you next week at school. Enjoy your weekend!"
Liz waves and skates away from the estate as Claire shouts behind her. "You too!"
Skating down the street, Liz makes a detour, and a certain blue boy comes to mind.
A moment later, Liz finally pulls up in front of the Lake Residence, kicking her skateboard into her hand. She steals a glance behind her at the green house before facing forward. She walks around the side of the house, hopping over the backyard fence with ease and peering through the windows. She catches Jim cutting a red tomato precisely, setting the slices onto three sets of sandwiches, and twirling a knife like a show-off before throwing it into the knife block. Sure, he has some knife skills, but she wonders what he's like with a sword.
As Jim finishes the rest of the sandwiches, he pauses, feeling like someone is watching him. He quickly turns to the window but sees nothing out of the ordinary. Luckily for Liz, she ducked in time. She sighs in relief, not wanting to be caught like some weird creeper. That sounds bad on her record.
Liz slowly peers through the window again, seeing Jim grabbing his bag and heading through the back door. She moves towards the back and settles herself behind a large boulder, peering at Jim from behind. A woman nearby calls for her dog as Liz watches Jim analyze the Amulet of Daylight. Then, her eyes widened as she heard Jim read the incantation out loud. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command."
At that, the wind starts to pick up, leaves flying in the wind, and the wooden fence behind Liz swaying against the slight force of nature. Liz tries to keep her hair out of her face as she squints to see a ball of light from the amulet, followed by several more, entering Jim's chest where his heart is. Then, he starts to float in midair with swirls of blue light encompassing his figure. Pieces of armor appear around him and shift into place all at once. The weight of the armor suit suddenly pulled him back on the ground, but the original size was too big for his slim figure, making Jim yelp. Liz covers her mouth with her hand, trying to keep herself from giggling at the sight playing before her.
Then, the armor suit gradually shrinks, fitting into Jim's slim figure like a glove. He starts posing with fists on his hips like a hero, and more balls of light emerge from the amulet embedded in his armored chest, landing on his dominant hand where a massive sword manifests itself. Again, like the armor suit, it was too big for him, and he tried to lift it to no avail. Again, Liz struggles to keep herself from laughing out loud at the scene.
Eventually, the sword shrunk to accommodate Jim's size. He starts playing with the sword, swinging it around until he accidentally gets it stuck on a rock behind him. Liz shakes her head in disapproval but continues watching Jim struggle to get it out. Once he finally got it out, the sword's weight got stuck on another rock nearby. Liz slaps her forehead with her palm and shakes her head. She looks back again to see Jim struggling to get the sword from the rock. The scene before Liz reminds her of old tales told by Blinky of a young man who once pulled the sword from the stone, making him king and then becoming a legend.
And like the story of legend, Jim successfully pulls out the Sword of Daylight and proudly holds it high above him, with Liz as his sole witness.
From that moment on, everything they knew was about to change.
Edited: 8/29/2024
[End of Episode I - Becoming: Part 1]
Yay! We're finally at the end of Episode 1!
Yikes. I just realized we have much more to go, but it's about the journey ahead!
Readers' Question: Who watched BBC's Merlin? If you did, who is your favorite character?
If you like this chapter, please remember to vote or comment. I would love to hear what you think. Happy reading!
- Miss_Nightingale