A/N: Hola. This is only my second real story. (Oneshots and songfics don't count) Please, I need all the critisim I can get. I know this chapter is a little fillerish, but it's just setting the stage for the fun stuff. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable.

Claimer: I own Hannah and Tara and the other characters soon to come.

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Hannah Masen was worried. Last night, her best friend Tara Lence had not shown up at her sweet-sixteen. Tara was loyal and dependable so she either had a very good excuse...or was hurt. Hannah fervently hoped it was not the latter.

Hannah crossed her room and studied a framed photograph of herself and Tara that was taken the summer beforehand. The two girls were polar opposites inlooks and personality. Tall, blonde, and beautiful as a supermodel, Hannah was easily identifiable in her pale blue baby-doll tee. Tara was more subtle. Pale with long, dark hair and an issue with height--or lack thereof--barely reaching five feet two, she was pretty in a real person way. Somehow, though, they were still the best of friends. Mostly, the two lived with their differences or just laughed them off. There was one issue they argued about constantly, though.

Their small town of Samden, Mississippi had just over twenty-thousand people. Hannah loved how you couldn't go to the Wal-Mart and not see someone you knew. Tara claimed that she would simply die if she had to spend the rest of her life in Surburbia.

"I want adventure!" Tara's words rang in her ears. Hannah dialed Tara's number and waited. Once the ringing stopped, Hannah hung up. She didn't leave a message. She had half expected it.

Tara, I really hope you're getting your adventure, Hannah thought to herself as much as to her friend.

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Hannah's day proceeded as normal. Sometimes, she could make herself believe that Tara was home sick even though she had never missed a day of school in her life. Sometimes. The normality, however, ended the moment Hannah walked through her own front door. Hannah started when she saw a woman sitting calmly in her father's favorite armchair. But then, stragely, she was soothed. The woman just had an aura about her.

The woman stood and walked to face Hannah. Her movements were fluid and graceful.

"Hannah," she said softly, almost a whisper, "Tara asked me to give this to you. You will understand soon." And with that, the woman moved past her and out of Hannah's home. Hannah stood stock still for a few moments, blinking slowly. Hannah realized that her fist was clenched around a small circular object. The memory of the dark, and beautiful woman in her mind, Hannah stared at the object lying in her open palm. It was a silver ring with a gray stone set in the center. Why would Tara want me to have this?

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That night, Hannah was awakened by flashing lights and music. Groggily, she opened her eyes, only to fall off her bed in shock. THe ring which she had placed on her bedside table had grown roughly to the size of a frizbee and was emiting some kind of strange light. A jumble of musical notes was pouring forth.

"Holy crap!" Hannah cried as she crawled backward, never taking her eyes off the spectacle before her. And just as suddenly as it came, the show was over. And lying next to the ring, was a stack of printer paper.

Gingerly, Hannah approached the ring and sheaf of papers. Nothing else strange happened, so she picked up the stack of papers. In the dim glow from the hallway light, Hannah thought she could see some sort of type on them. She switched on a lamp so that she could see more clearly. The paper was odd, not like regular paper. It was softer and more of a beige color than white. Hannah frowned and began to read.

"Hannah," she read softly to herself. "When I told you I wanted adventure, I never meant like this..."