My Boyfriend Merlin
Read My Boyfriend Merlin Online
Authors: Priya Ardis
My Boyfriend Merlin
Priya Ardis
Table Of Contents
CHAPTER 8 THE MOST FAMOUS WIZARD
CHAPTER 16 A CHRISTMAS PARTY TO REMEMBER
CHAPTER 18 THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
My Boyfriend Merlin. Copyright
2011 by Priyanka Ardis
.
Cover illustrations by Claudia McKinney, Phatpuppy Art. Cover design by Kat Baldwin, Ink Lion Books.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the author's express written permission. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without permission is prohibited.
This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real people or real locations are used fictitiously. Any references to historical events are used fictitiously. Characters, names, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual incidents or persons is coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Ardis, Priya (2011). My Boyfriend Merlin. Young Adult Fantasy Romance. Ink Lion Books.
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ISBN: 978-0-9848339-0-0
Version 2012.04.02
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my family and friends. This book has been truly a community effort and I am grateful for all their support, encouragement, and numerous—not to mention often repetitious—“first reads” over the years. I would like to thank the writing organizations that do their best to encourage every writer to climb out of the basement once in awhile. I dedicate this book to them and a great English teacher, Mrs. P., who let me know when something sparkled or it was only so-so.
In addition, I would like to thank my editors, ER and WM. Thank you to CM at Phatpuppy Art for giving me such a gorgeous cover picture. Thank you to KB, a real life fairy godmother, for pulling the cover, book, everything else together.
CHAPTER 1
THE WORLD CHANGES
I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news…
I’d always heard the phrase from older people. They remembered they’d just ordered a cup of coffee when JFK died. They remembered they’d been folding their leg warmers when the Challenger shuttle blew up on take-off on national TV or that it was a Tuesday when terrorists crashed a plane into the twin towers…
I’d heard about such life changing events, but like anyone I didn’t really believe it would happen to me.
I was sitting in school when the story broke. A text message made my phone vibrate in my pocket. Making sure the teacher’s back was turned, I snuck out the phone.
RYAN, WE NEED TO TALK. It blinked with a number I recognized even though I’d deleted the name from my contact list.
Matt
. I felt his eyes boring into the back of my head. I refused to look.
I drew my sweater around me. A line of windows across the top of the basement classroom did nothing to retain warmth. Our school district may have been well funded but you couldn’t tell from the bland grey floor, whitewash walls and standard-issue combination desk-chairs.
My name is Arriane Morganne Brittany DuLac—you can imagine why I went by Ryan instead. I doodled on my notepad and tried to concentrate as our Advanced European History teacher droned on about Queen Elizabeth. It was hard to be interested when I knew more about the subject than she did.
“With one decision, she changed the course of history. Her ships defeated the Spanish armada—Ryan, what year did the Spanish armada try to invade England?”
I blinked at her. Switching off the phone without replying, I snuck it back into my pocket but I was pretty sure Ms. Bedevere saw me. I said quickly, “August 8th, 1588. The fleet was stopped in the English Channel near a place called Gravelines.”
Ms. Bedevere slowly nodded. “Near northern France—”
“Actually, it was part of the Netherlands—”
The door to the adjoining classroom flung open. We all snapped to attention.
“You’ve got to see this.” Mr. Hainey, our bald munchkin-sized Physics 2 teacher, burst inside with a wild look behind his round glasses. “They’re showing it on every channel.”
Hainey housed a permanent TV in a closet in his classroom that he called the “lab.” He grabbed Ms. Bedevere by the hand. “You have to see. You’ll never believe it.”
“Peter, I can’t leave the classroom. What’s happened?”
Everyone knew Hainey had a crush on the petite redhead, ever since he’d convinced the Principal that the empty biology room down the hall from his classroom would be the best spot for our history class after an unfortunate pipe leak orphaned us.
“This is a once in a lifetime chance. You’re a history teacher. History is happening now.” He hurried her to the door. “If you don’t see it, you’ll never forgive yourself.”
Ms. Bedevere’s eyes fixed on me. “Ryan?”
Feeling the other kids’ eyes on me, I squirmed, but nodded.
Someone coughed. “Kiss-ass.”
“Class, stay put until I get back. No matter what.” She tossed the words over her shoulder as she left. A sudden gust of wind slammed the classroom door shut.
Grey Ragnar stretched, drawing attention to the broad shoulders under his football letter jacket. He sauntered over and sat on my flimsy student desk making it sink. Model-like brown hair emphasized a chiseled jaw. “Hey, DuLac, I have two words for you—
casino prom
.”
Grey’s buddies hollered enthusiastically.
I resisted a groan. “I’ll bring the idea to the committee.”
Grey smiled broadly. “I knew you and I would be on the same page, Ry.”
I was saved from answering as a muted vibration made the windows shake. A boy stood up to go to them.
His name was Matt. Matt Emrys. He’d started school just this fall, a month ago… long enough for every girl in the class to fall in love with him—not that I knew why. Okay, I knew why. He was hot. Six foot, lean muscles, pretty face, and he rode a shiny new yellow-black Ducati motorcycle that had more curves than I did. He was a little eerie, a little dangerous, and a lot irresistible.
Who wouldn’t be in love with him? I thought his dark amber eyes were his best feature. The rest of him looked seventeen, but his eyes looked grown-up… as if they’d seen lifetimes.