Writer's Note: This is my first fanfiction. I own nothing that has anything to do with Tolkien's universe. I created Elle and that's really it. I'm hoping to weave the LOTR storyline throughout this fanfiction, but it won't be the main thread. Please review for me. I'll read them all. Thanks for giving this story a shot. :)

"Great. Just great," mumbled Elle. She shrugged her shoulders and tossed her head forward. Prom. Not just another prom, but SENIOR PROM. Elle had been absolutely dreading this moment since her freshman year. The morning announcements brought her fear to the front of her mind.

"Hahaha ohmygod!" Some girls across the room giggled. They were talking about her probably. Elle scrunched up her face and tried to ignore them. They didn't mean anything. They were stupid, childish girls who would get what was coming to them eventually. One day, Elle would be a professor at a big university and they would be working at Burger King or Subway or something.

Elle sighed only slightly loud enough that even she could hear it.

Those girls were the bane of her existence. Sometimes it felt like they lived just to make fun of Elle. One of the girls, Kylie, used to be Elle's best friend. Past-tense.

Elle shook the memories away. This is not what she needed right now. She had her AP exams to worry about. She HAD to do well on her AP Government and AP Literature exams. Those were her focus right now. She was going to Columbia University in New York, after all.

*BRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG*

The bell rang ending homeroom. Elle got up with her bag just quick enough to get ahead of the Bitch Brigade and out the door. She would be fine after homeroom. She wouldn't have to see them again today. None of them had AP classes and Elle ate lunch by the football field, so she almost never saw them after homeroom.

The rest of Elle's day went by normally enough, except for the new hype about prom. Elle went through the day alone mostly. She had a few kinda-friends, but no one close. Jessica from Calculus did eat lunch with her though. That was kinda nice, Elle guessed.

She walked home without incident. Some sophomore boy who lived in her apartment complex walked next to her. Jabbering away like always.

"Yea, so… like… I did pretty well on that Chemistry test I told you about. I got an 87% and that's not too bad, right?" questioned the boy.

"Yea, Mason. That's great. It's a good thing you studied." Elle couldn't wait to get home and away from him. He had too much energy for her.

The two continued much in this same way for as they walked up Freemont St and took the elevator up to Elle's floor. She lived on the 6th floor and Mason lived on the 8th.

The doors opened on the 6th floor. "Finally," breathed Elle almost silently.

"Oh, Goodbye Elle. I'll see you tomorrow morning!" smiled Mason. God why did he have to be so happy all of the time?

Elle shuffled into her apartment and shut the door softly. Another deep breath.

Elle walked into her bedroom and tossed her old, green World War II era paramedic side bag onto her yellow armchair. She then pulled off her favorite green hoodie and tossed that on top. Elle walked into the bathroom and splashed some water on her face and looked into the mirror. Her green eyes stared back at her. Elle smiled. She liked her eyes. It's the thing she liked best about herself. She knew she wasn't too tall or too fat. She was maybe 5'5" and 120 lbs. Not a size 0, but normal. Her eyes were the best thing, she thought.

Elle went back into her room and pulled out her textbooks. She began doing her homework until she got hungry. Then she got some Mountain Dew and Nutella on toast. Her mom always kept her favorite snack stocked. Elle continued her homework until she finished, then she read a little until her mom got home at 6:30 like always. The two had dinner and talked a little. Then Elle took a shower and watched America's Next Top Model and went to bed.

"HEY ELLE! YOU HAVING A GOOD MORNING?" It seemed to Elle like Mason was shouting.

"Uh.. yea Mason. It's been alright I guess." Elle tried to sound nice for him.

"Awesome!" Mason then went into a story about something that happened on his video game the night before.

The two were walking back up Freemont Avenue to James Madison High. Mason talking and Elle ignoring him, mostly. They were just crossing the street to get to school when Elle felt something hit her right side. Hard.

The next thing Elle knew, she was lying on the concrete. They sky seemed very bright. Mason was over her. Shouting something, but she couldn't hear. He looked like he was about to cry. His brown eyes were already red in places.

Her head fell to the side. She saw black tire marks on the road. A car? Was she hit by a car? Elle couldn't think straight. She felt her heart climb into her throat and she couldn't help but shut her eyes, it hurt so badly.

Blackness.

Sunlight through trees. Elle couldn't concentrate her vision to a normal view. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted up. She closed her eyes. The pain had found her again. She managed to flick her eyes back open for a split second. She saw the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen.

And the darkness enveloped her again.