AN: Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that when I converted Fili and Kili's ages to human years, I found that they would be very close, probably only 18 months apart. So for the sake of this piece, Fili is a senior in high school and Kili is a junior. Also, I'm a member of Junior Olympic Archery Development as well as an archery Coach, so please don't critique my archery scenes. I've lived in Kili's world for pretty much my entire life. Thanks! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit. All work belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. However, I do own my OC Cassandra and this work. Please respect my ideas and do not copy her or this story. Thanks!

Chapter 1

"Cassandra?" the guidance counselor popped his head into the main office to see a small girl look around. Sitting with one blue ballet flat tucked under the other and blonde hair dragged into a tight French braided bun, the girl had been too absorbed in a novel to notice the admiring gazes of teens shuffling in and out of the office. When she looked up, there was a small smile of recognition before she slipped the novel-he glimpsed the title of A Tale of Two Cities-into a pale blue backpack. Rising to dainty feet, she smoothed her blue and white floral skirt and took the papers from his hand. "I'll walk you to your first class," he assured her, watching her scan the map and schedule.

"Thank you," she nodded, following him up down the hall to the social studies wing. She started her day with Advanced Placement Government and sighed. The military discipline with her school work instilled by her father had earned her a schedule of six AP classes out of eight periods.

"You'll get all of your syllabuses today, but I want you to come and see me during your lunch period and after last bell," he requested, stopping to knock on a door. As the noise level in the room dropped, the door opened to reveal a tall, young teacher with a lopsided grin. "New student for you, Mr. Szuksta," the counselor explained, and the teacher nodded.

"Come on in. We're just getting to the syllabus," he opened the door enough for the girl to slip inside, closing it behind her before he led her to his desk. Handing her two slips of paper, he gestured to an empty seat beside an elegant boy in a green polo. As she crossed the room, she raked her eyes over his long form and found the only words for him were European posh. He wore rolled skinny jeans in dark brown, boat shoes, and a fancy watch. Sleek silver blonde hair was styled in the latest preppy fashion away from the glass blue eyes that flicked up to watch her sit. He nodded to her, reading through his syllabus as Mr. Szuksta resumed introducing himself. On the other side of him, one behind the other, were two identical brunettes. Both wore navy Bermuda shorts, tan boat shoes, and tan belts. The one in front had on a white short-sleeve button down, the other a silvery gray.

As the students around her packed up their papers before the bell, Cassandra looked up from her schedule to meet the brightest pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen. She found herself captivated, and then he grinned. Fire exploded across her cheeks and she ducked her head, tearing her eyes away from his dimples. The silver blonde beside her muttered something that sounded like "Dumb jock," as he rose to his full, lithe height. Cassandra glanced up as he towered over her, and he offered his hand. "Legolas Greenwood," he told her with a charming smirk. "These two are Elladan and Elrohir Finwe," he added, and the twins gave her devious grins as they shook her hand. Even their gray eyes were identical. The difference was the sideways sweep of Elladan's hair and the short spike to the front for Elrohir.

"Cassandra Mason," she murmured, slipping a tiny hand into Legolas's. His long fingers covered hers to the point of hiding them, and she was unsurprised to find his hand smooth and cool to the touch before he released her.

"I presume you've just moved to the city? You were not a student here last here," he remarked, one sleek eyebrow arching as she stood. She nodded, feeling eyes boring into the back of her head. "Good luck, Cassandra," he added as the bell rang, and she leaned over to pick up her backpack. When she straightened, the same ocean blue eyes were watching her, all traces of his grin gone. He lingered by his desk until a number of boys called for him from the hallway, and she watched from the corner of her eye as he strode out the door.

Releasing a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, Cassandra slipped into the stream of people in the hallway. One hand closed tightly around the strap of her backpack as the other held the map and schedule in sight. A few people in front of her she caught sight of the blue eyes as he looked at the boy next to him, and she swallowed as she followed his cropped short blonde head towards her next class. When his group of friends leaned against the lockers and the wall next to the door she allowed herself to be jostled aside and ducked through the door. Slipping into a seat by the teacher's desk, she waited until everyone settled into seats around her before she looked up.

The blonde stared at her from across the room, silent in the midst of chatting friends. Girls and boys alike vied for his attention, except for the group around Legolas and the twins. Cassandra was relieved to find herself at the far edge of Legolas's click. Sitting next to the teacher's desk had provided some peace. When the teacher appeared, there were barely muffled groans. It seemed she'd gotten lucky with a fun teacher in government. Mrs. Claude was an old droning lecturer, which made AP Calculus all the more difficult.

Third period AP physics provided another older woman, but this time, Mrs. Inerbitzen was a quick witted, sharp eyed hawk. The blonde edged closer, though he remained across the room. Her fourth period AP Spanish found him absent, and she was able to enjoy another teacher with an easy smile. Senora Paulo spoke only in Spanish and quickly changed the pronunciation and spelling of Cassandra.

Fifth period brought about her lunch period, when she was able to buy a sandwich and milk before slipping back out of the crowd. Most seniors left through a backdoor to eat at the picnic tables, a privilege enjoyed only by seniors and a select few underclassmen. Her guidance counselor lent her a chair in his office as he asked her about the first half of the day. She answered in a few soft words between bites of her lunch. Mr. Wells had only good intentions, she was sure, but finding a place to eat lunch for the rest of the year had just become far more difficult by missing the first day.

The blonde reappeared in her sixth period AP chemistry and seventh period AP literature. Since he had yet to make any move to introduce himself, Cassandra found herself content to sit at the edge of Legolas's click and keep quiet. Though the quiet part was nothing new. "Where were you at lunch?" Elrohir asked as the twins caught her in the hallway between classes.

"Counseling," she sighed, and they had to lean down to hear her.

"Are you always so shy?" Elladan questioned, and she flushed. "I'll take that as a yes," he laughed. Cassandra ducked her head, tucking a blonde curl back into her bun, only to look up as the twins stopped on either side of her. Then they were gone, leaving her alone to find their classroom.

As it turned out, she was only one room away, but she had to slip through a crowd of dolls to get there. "Oh look, new girl," one said, raking her eyes over Cassandra as she passed.

"For a military brat, she has good taste in clothes," a bottle blonde smirked.

"Probably just has that one outfit. Watch, she'll be in camo and cargo pants tomorrow," another sneered.

"Poor thing, can't afford good brands either. Those are cheap."

Laughter followed Cassandra as she escaped into the classroom, face red and knuckles white where they gripped her backpack. Finding a seat near the back, she covered her face with her hands and tried not to cry. 'What did you expect? They're all rich kids. None of them had to take tests and write essays to get a scholarship here. Daddy paid for it and their dyed hair,' she thought. When her face finally felt cooler, she wiped at her eyes and looked up. Empty seats surrounded her, and a few people were staring and laughing.

But as she went to move her backpack, a folded piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Inside was the dark script of a well-written boy. "Don't worry about them. I think you're beautiful." Another blush worked its way up her neck and she glanced at Legolas and the twins. None of them were looking at her, but they'd been the only ones nice enough to speak to her all day. Now they sat across the room, in the midst of their crowd.

Her escape came in photography, her last period elective. In a class full of artsy hipsters and nerds, she was able to breathe. "You're new," a gentle voice drew her from looking around the art studio, and she turned to find another girl at her side. "I'm Sigrid Bowman," the brunette said, offering a pencil smudged hand.

"Cassandra," the first smile of the day was presented to Sigrid, who kept hold of her hand and dragged her to one of the stools at the four person tables. The younger girl sat beside her as two friends of hers claimed the seats across the table. Sigrid leaned over as the teacher entered to whisper, "Welcome to the Academy of Middle New York."