EDIT: Hello all, I started this fanfic when I was a sophmore in high school, and now I'm a sophmore in college. But I kept wanting to finish this, and I will finally make that wish a reality. I welcome newcomers and old fans alike to come back and finish what we started together: the journey of Vanessa and the Fellowship of the Ring!

Chapter 1
The Secret Society

This Friday, the thirtieth of November, started like any other day. The only difference was that it definitley did not end the way it began. And nobody will ever know.

I, Vanessa Davis stood in the hallway of my emptying high school, St. Lenard's. I watched all the grades pass me while waiting for my four friends. We had gotten permission from the Dean (Head guy) to stay and use one of the classrooms for a study hall (At least that's what he thinks.)

But it was getting late and as usual, they weren't on time. I'm so impatient. Really, some of the kids passing me must have thought I had ADD, (Addicted to Drama Disorder) the way I kept tapping my foot, shaking my leg, or looking at my new watch every five seconds. My old reliable green Jansport, overflowing with the joys of homework, was sitting on the floor next to me.

I was saying goodbye to some of my fellow sophomore classmates, when I got a text from my ex, Mark. My green eyes looked at it hesitantly, not wanting to read what it said. Ever since we've broken up, he's been on the fence, being a real asshole about the whole thing. The temptation to read it was so strong…too strong.

I gave in and read it.

Hey V, guess wat? I made out with Delilah. Hate you, M.

I felt tears pinprick my eyes. Why did he have to be such a jerk? I don't deserve this! Quickly, I deleted it, along with five more of his unread hate-mails.

Suddenly, three of my closest friends walked over to me.

"Hey V! What's up?" They knocked into me, grinning.

"Oh, hey," was my reply. It sounded much more depressed than it meant to.

"What's wrong V?" asked Aleyna, my 2nd cousin. We were very close and understood each other. I couldn't hide my bitterness from her. I mustered up a small smile.

"Nothing's the matter. Really I'm fine."

Colyne looked at me. "You don't look fine. It's not my gaytard brother right?" She added, worriedly winding her already curly dark locks in her fingers. I laughed.

"No, really I'm OK! C'mon let's get to the classroom."

Without waiting to hear a protest, I grabbed my bag and stomped away. The girls followed after me: Lauren, my locker buddy, Aleyna, my popular blonde cousin, and Colyne, my best friend and also Mark's sister. We had all met freshman year, and became tight friends ever since- we did have similar interests, and a lot of fun together. Baking, dancing, writing, singing, watching fantasy movies, like Lord of the Rings, (my all time fave) and Star Wars made us bond closer together.

I walked past the open auditorium doors quickly, hoping not to be seen by the practicing cheerleaders- Delilah being the head cheerleader. Out of my peripheral vision I saw her though, a pretty, tall strawberry blonde girl standing on the pyramid's top. My stomach dropped. Mark got with her only four days after I broke up with him. So either they don't really know each other, or he had been cheating behind my back. Huh, I could believe the second choice. Just why did she have to be so flawless, so UN-me? At this point, I really couldn't care less if he dates Jessica Rabbit.

Passing the first floor girl's bathroom, I snuck a quick glance at myself. It wasn't like I was ugly or nerdy, I was average- I saw my button nose, dark green eyes, full lips, great teeth (but braces did that- I used to be called Bucky, no joke!) and my brown wavy hair was what my friends called "amazing." I call it "annoying frizz ball."

Oh no, the football JV team just came in. NoNoNo- not good. My friends all stopped to fix their hair and clothes, while I kept walking (or really, running.)

Of course, being the-oh-so-graceful person I am, ran straight into redheaded linebacker Bryan, who then knocked into gorgeous, tan, brown haired, blue-eyed Nick.

"Whoa! Watch where the hell you're going!" joked Bryan, who knew me from English class. I blushed red and mumbled sorry while hundreds of football players looked on. They were about to turn away when all my squeaking, giggling friends came up and said "Hi Bryan, hi Nick."

Nick smiled and waved but then said "Yo guys, let's go." They dutifully followed their star captain out. I watched Nick go, until he was out of sight.

Lauren and Aleyna sighed, "Wasn't that butt worth checking out?" I laughed at them, but secretly had been thinking the same thing. I hadn't seen Mark (thank God) but I knew he had been there.

"Where are we going?" Colyne asked, voicing all the girl's question.

"Right here." I said pointing to the first empty classroom opposite the auditorium. We all got inside, and locked the door. Checked the watch again- it was 3:30. We would have to get started soon. Lauren lowered the shades halfway, while Colyne and I pushed graffitied desks out to the way. We all sat, crossed-legged on the dusty tile floor.

"Uh, it's freaking cold." Lauren's teeth chattered.

"I know Laur," I gave her a hug, (which didn't help much considering I was just as freezing) and waited till everyone was ready.

In a false girlie Delilah-ish voice, unlike her own husky voice, Aleyna laughed, "So, let's like get like started!"

Pulling out my backpack, I unzipped it and dumped out the contents.

"The Lord of the Rings fangirls Club is now officially opened." I announced excitedly. My friends all clapped. Picking up what we had all saved our money for, the girls and I tore open the bubble wrappings of oh, eight or so LOTR memorabilia from the Noble Collection.

Last weekend my bffs and I went to the Noble Collection Shop, hoping to look around and visit the faire carnival that was being held in Briar Woods, 20 minutes away from my house.

The shopkeeper was like this little deflated punching bag of an old man, with brown bushy hair round the ears and a bulbous nose. He smiled comfortably when he saw us looking at the merchandise. He even beckoned us to take a closer inspection. It was really beautiful stuff, all of it. If I had enough money to buy Arwen's sword, Hadahafling, or Legolas' bow, I totally would. When that man finally spoke up, I was pulled from my reverie.

"Ah my dears, I know exactly what you needsss…jewelry right?" Cracking up, he walked to the back and lifted out the last box on the shelf; it was the most ancient lead box I've ever seen. It made an eggshell look strong! He blew on the cover, and layers of thick dust flew in the air.

"ACHHOO!" Colyne wiped her nose.

"Sorry, dust mak- ake- achoo!" She didn't try to finish saying "Me sneeze." Lauren, who was like her unofficial little sister, patted her back. Carrying the cloth wrapped objects as if they were queens' jewels, he walked back to us. Intrigued, we leaned closer together, as if we were all sharing some strange secret.

"Now, I haven't shown thessse particulars in several years. So you're in for a bargain ladiesss. His crafty blue eyes were shining with glee. I backed away a little bit. He was really freaky. Like Gollum freaky.

But obviously, I was the only one that thought this.

"How much?" I asked hurriedly.

He looked at me and laughed openly, wheezing.

"I'll give it all to you for $50 bucks."

We gasped. The Noble Collection never sold prices that low! It was either fake, or too good to be true.

"Can we see them un-wrapped?" asked smartie-pants Aleyna.

He violently shook his pinkish head.

"No. Not allowedsss."

I rolled my eyes. Of course not.

"Ok, Ok. Deal." We threw our crumpled hard earned tens and twenties together. He took the combined $50 and we took the cloth bag with the individually wrapped whatevers and ran to check out the rest of the festival.

"Wow, wasn't he creepy? I was waiting for him to be all like 'my preciousssss' on us." I confessed later that day. "Yeah" was everyone's response.

"Actually, I thought he was a total hottie," joked Lauren.

I shook my head. "No, don't even say that. Just don't."

My mind back at school, I picked up the wrappers and sliced the first one open gracefully with a scissor. With a cry only LOTR fangirls can imagine, we began trying on the stuff we bought, noting how beautiful, and of what fine craftsmanship they were. They looked so authentic…so real.

Lauren squealed in her high pitched voice when she saw her piece. "Oh, it's just so amazing!" Her brown eyes lit up in delight. She quickly pinned the Fellowship Brooch to her white tank and light green deep v neck shirt.

"Model it! Model it!" We egged her on, so she got up and twirled like a ballerina. We cheered and clapped. It was the same with everyone else.

Aleyna had gotten the Elvish Ring of Water- Nenya, which was one of the most like, coveted rings. Though it had looked much bigger than her finger, it fit perfectly when she slipped it on. She modeled next, placing her hands on the sides of her face. Aleyna's polished blonde hair and light jade green eyes were glowing like a High Princess.

Colyne tried on hers next- the gold and sapphire flower earrings of Eowyn. Like bright living flowers, the earrings snaked onto her earlobes as if they belonged there. To me, she looked like a walking/talking garden, with her dark brown curls for vines, cascading down. She could have modeled, but she wanted to wait till I opened what I had bought.

With eager, trembling fingers, I opened mine- (hoping it would be the Evenstar; the necklace of the elven princess Arwen,) to my big fat disappointment whatever it was wasn't even featured in the movies! It was a flat, shiny, silver disc of a pendant, with Elvish script scrolled around the edges. It hung on a chaste black suede cord.

"Well, this sucks." I said. But I managed to laugh it off and the girls joined me. Though I can speak a couple of lines and words in Sindarin, and Quenan, the script was too small for me to understand. "Oh well, that's my luck for you." It was true.

My friends understood my pain. "Open the other ones!" "It's alright." I shook my head. "No, that was the rule. That we paid for the one we opened." They knew I was right. Aleyna tried to change the subject.

"I wonder what's in the other ones?" They shook their heads in agreement.

"We can't open them. At least not yet." I repeated firmly.

WWOOO! Shouts and cheers came up from the auditorium.

"Oh, shut the hell up already!" I shouted back, louder than I had meant to. My voice cracked.

The cheering stopped.

I sulked.