A/N: Sorry that it took so long, but, hey, it's here so stop fussing! Don't
worry, all things will be explained in due time (however, if you don't
believe me, feel free to email). Power to the Hobbits! "Skater Boy" belongs
to Avril Lavigne. I'm gonna go pout. Enjoy the story!
Chapter Two - Gypsies and Jiminy Hobbits
"Derek, I don't mean to be rude, but could we hurry this today? I'm starving to death here!" Riley said as she picked up her bow and quiver of arrows and walked to the indoor practice range in the back of the Hunters Supplies shop.
Derek, a tall well-built archery instructor, grinned and teased, "Need to add more fat?"
Riley sucked in her stomach, rolled her eyes back, and said in a faint voice, "I'm wasting away. Soon there will be nothing left of me." Then she grinned evilly, pointed at Derek, and raised her voice menacingly. "And they'll all blame you 'cuz you kept me from eating dinner!"
Derek laughed and motioned for Riley to take her place next to the safety line on the floor. "Let's try a moving target. Okay, do your little 'Lord of the Rings' imitation," Riley rolled her eyes and strapped the quiver to her back, "and, for Pete's sake, Riley, lighten up on the poor ducks!" The first time Derek had said "for Pete's sake", Riley had naturally assumed that it was just a figure of speech. That was before she had met Peter Cushe, the guy in charge of the targets at the range.
After ten minutes of shooting fake ducks and avoiding the moving Legolas heads that some of the guys teased her with, Riley was shoved out the door and commanded to enjoy the rest of her birthday.
"I was enjoying it!" she yelled at Derek as he put up the "closed" sign to get her to leave. They both stuck their tongues out at each other, and Riley left.
The rest of her birthday was spent having dinner with Jeremy and relaxing in her apartment. She had just finished touring the U.S. and had decided to "settle" in Manhattan. So after a quick visit home and one last world-viewed concert for the fans, Riley would take a "break". Of course, who could call her "break" relaxing? Photo shoots and interviews and private performances would take up most of her time for the next two months, and in her spare time she was expected to write at least five new songs. After the two months were up, she went to work on her new CD. Fun.
"Hey, Ri, this guy's talking to you. It sounds like he knows you," Jeremy called from Riley's living room. He had her laptop open and was lounging on the couch.
"What's his screen name?" Riley asked, sticking her head out of her bedroom.
"Nightvulture07."
"Oh, yuck!" Riley exclaimed, running out of her room and jumping on the couch next to Jeremy. "This guy is such a jerk. He keeps talking to me and saying evil things." She shuddered.
"Have you blocked him; warned him?"
"Yeah! He just gets a new screen name and tries again!"
"Okay, well I'll talk to him and be really rude for you, okay?"
"K. I'll make coffee."
A few minutes later Jeremy laughed and called, "Ri, he says he's dead sure who you are and you've totally given yourself away."
"Who am I?" Riley sat down on the couch and handed Jeremy a Gilmore Girls-size coffee mug.
"Chelsea Clinton." Riley snorted and read the next line that Nightvulture07 sent.
And I know Elvish (you obviously love Lord of the Rings, since that's all you'll talk to me about). Wanna hear some, baby?
Riley laughed and instructed Jeremy to type, "The most simple Elvish word that I have ever heard is 'mellon'. What's it mean, Bird?"
Nightvulture07 immediately signed off. Riley shook her head. "I don't think he'll bother me anymore."
"Nope. So for your birthday, you wanna have a 'Lord of the Rings' marathon?"
Riley grinned and jumped off the couch to find the first movie.
***
"Shawn!" Riley yelled as she walked through the airport towards security.
Shawnna waved from behind the security barricade and Riley motioned for her to be let through. Riley dropped her backpack (which was retrieved by Dean) and raced towards her friend, wrapping her arms around her happily.
About thirty fans screamed from behind the barricade, and Riley waved as she walked towards them, arms linked with Shawn. After signing autographs and posing for pictures, Riley and her friends (Dean included) piled into Shawnna's Volkswagen Passat.
"So, Shawn, you haven't met the bestest bodyguard in the whole wide world, Dean. Dean, this is my best friend Shawnna."
"Yeah, but everyone calls me Shawn. Pleased to meet ya!"
Dean said a bashful hello, and then the two girls chattered the rest of the hour that it took to get home.
At dinner that night, Riley found herself stuck once again in the familiar uncomfortable silence. In an attempt to start a conversation, Riley said, "The steak's great, Daddy. So are the mashed potatoes and Caesar salad, Mama. I still can't barbeque by myself. I have to go out or call Jeremy." The last part had been meant to be a joke, but all she got was two disapproving looks and polite "thank you"s. Riley picked at her potatoes, then asked, "So I was wondering if you were coming to Zip for my world-wide."
Her parents looked at each other and her mom asked, "What is Zip?"
"Well," Riley thought to herself, "it's a conversation," then aloud, "It's a club. Big flashy lights, good music. It's a hang out for the kids, since it doesn't serve alcohol."
Her parents looked at each other again before her dad said, "I think we'll be able to come, Riley."
"Really? Oh, awesome!"
After dinner, Riley excused herself and went to her room, immediately going to the window and climbing out.
She had only told Jeremy about "her" cove and how special it was to her. So Jeremy had tried his best to keep the cove hidden. That night, when she reached it, Jeremy was there, leaning against a tree.
"Hey, Emmy," Riley said, walking to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and laying her head tiredly on his chest.
Jeremy chuckled and stroked her hair. "If anyone else had called me that, I would have beat him to a pulp." He didn't bring up the fact that he had already guessed that dinner had not really gone well.
Riley giggled, then sighed and closed her eyes. "I love you, Bro."
"Love you too, Babe."
***
"So you guys have decided that you're siblings, and the reason that you are in different families is that.."
"Gypsies stole me," Riley replied to Shawnna seriously. Jeremy nodded. The three, along with Dean, were relaxing in a limousine on their way to the Zip for Riley's concert.
Shawn nodded and then turned to Dean, pointed to her head, and crossed her eyes. Dean chuckled and Shawnna giggled. And, since Riley could rarely help laughing when others were, she soon couldn't hold her own amusement in.
When they pulled up along the red carpet, Dean stepped out of the limo, quickly putting on his "I'm-big-and-strong-so-watch-your-butt" face. Riley was next, and the screams became deafening. Riley grinned and waved, then motioned for the crowd to quiet down. It took a couple minutes, but soon they were all watching her quietly, ready to hang on her every word. Banners fluttered in the slight breeze, and T.V. cameras focused on her.
Riley looked around, then yelled, "Y'all best get inside 'cuz it ain't gonna take me long at all!" The fans erupted into excited screams as they all pushed towards the doors.
Thirty minutes later, Riley was looking in a mirror at her hair, just about ready to go onstage, when she heard Jeremy call, "Hey, Ri, look who came knocking on your door!" Riley turned, careful to move slowly so that a tech worker could attach a wireless microphone to her shirt.
"Mr. Carroll!" she exclaimed.
William Carroll grinned at her. "Well if my favorite student hasn't gone and made herself famous."
Riley blushed and laughed. "How are you? And how's Amy? Oh," Riley's eyes glittered, "and when's she due?"
Mr. Carroll smiled proudly. "She's due in March, she's doing great, same here, and we're gonna have a girl named Erin Riley."
Riley squealed and hugged her teacher-of-the-past. Then she gasped. "Oh my word. After me?" William nodded. "Oh gee whiz, Will! Wait, did you know that my middle name is Erin?" Just then a crewman came running and announced that Riley had one minute until she was to be onstage.
Riley back away slowly, waiting for Will's answer. He laughed and called, "No, I didn't. But I'm glad. Amy and I love you to death, Ri, and she's really grateful that you were her friend in school!" Riley grinned and waved at her friends as she ran towards the center stage entrance.
***
Riley had five minutes to change and let the hair stylist twist her hair into some intricate braids that made her hair look like it was longer than it was. She quickly pulled on a pair of fitted dark khaki pants and a tunic-looking, dark green shirt. The shirt was partly covered by a dark blue vest with a hood.
She ran out and stayed as still as she could for the hair-stylist, then raced back towards the stage. She stopped just out of view to catch her breath, and jogged out to center stage. Chants of "Ri-ley! Ri-ley!" filled the air, and the little red recording lights of cameras shown throughout the room. Riley waved happily. She could barely make out her parents in the crowd, but they were there.
The band began the song, and Riley sang, remembering to use her heart to fuel the words.
"He was a boy.
I was a girl.
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk.
She did ballet.
What more can I say?
He wanted her,
She'd never tell.
Secretly she wanted him as well.
All of her friends
Stuck up their nose.
They had a problem with him baggy clothes.
He was a skater boy
She said, 'See you later, boy.'
He wasn't good enough for her.
She had a pretty face,
But her head was up in space
She needed to come back down to earth.
Five years from now,
She sits at home.
Feeding the baby, she's all alone.
She turns on T.V.
Guess who she sees.
Skater boy rockin' up MTV.
She calls up her friends.
They already know.
And they've all got tickets to see his show.
She tags along.
Stands in the crowd.
Lookin' up at the man that she turned down.
He was a skater boy
She said, 'See you later, boy."
He wasn't good enough for her.
Now he's a super star
Slammin' on his guitar.
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?
Sorry, girl, but you missed out.
Well tough luck, that boy's mine now.
We are more than just good friends.
This is how the story ends.
Too bad that you couldn't see.
She the man that boy could be.
There is more than meets the eye.
I see the soul that is inside.
He's just a boy.
I'm just a girl.
Can I make it any more obvious?
We are in love,
Haven't you heard,
How we rock each other's world?
I'm with the skater boy.
I said, 'See you later, boy."
I'll be back stage after the show.
I'll be at the studio.
Singin' the song we wrote
About the girl you used to know!"
The end of the song was rather spectacular. The band played the last few bars in a crescendo, and then made the last note as loud as they could. Riley followed the crescendo, and sang the last word as loudly as she could. Fireworks shot off on both sides of the stage as Riley threw her head back and reach one hand up. Per the norm, her eyes were closed when the song ended.
But all the screaming disappeared and was replaced by the quiet sounds of wind over grass, crickets, and little children playing in the distance.
Riley's eyes snapped open and went wide. "Jiminy Hobbits, am I where I think I am?"
Chapter Two - Gypsies and Jiminy Hobbits
"Derek, I don't mean to be rude, but could we hurry this today? I'm starving to death here!" Riley said as she picked up her bow and quiver of arrows and walked to the indoor practice range in the back of the Hunters Supplies shop.
Derek, a tall well-built archery instructor, grinned and teased, "Need to add more fat?"
Riley sucked in her stomach, rolled her eyes back, and said in a faint voice, "I'm wasting away. Soon there will be nothing left of me." Then she grinned evilly, pointed at Derek, and raised her voice menacingly. "And they'll all blame you 'cuz you kept me from eating dinner!"
Derek laughed and motioned for Riley to take her place next to the safety line on the floor. "Let's try a moving target. Okay, do your little 'Lord of the Rings' imitation," Riley rolled her eyes and strapped the quiver to her back, "and, for Pete's sake, Riley, lighten up on the poor ducks!" The first time Derek had said "for Pete's sake", Riley had naturally assumed that it was just a figure of speech. That was before she had met Peter Cushe, the guy in charge of the targets at the range.
After ten minutes of shooting fake ducks and avoiding the moving Legolas heads that some of the guys teased her with, Riley was shoved out the door and commanded to enjoy the rest of her birthday.
"I was enjoying it!" she yelled at Derek as he put up the "closed" sign to get her to leave. They both stuck their tongues out at each other, and Riley left.
The rest of her birthday was spent having dinner with Jeremy and relaxing in her apartment. She had just finished touring the U.S. and had decided to "settle" in Manhattan. So after a quick visit home and one last world-viewed concert for the fans, Riley would take a "break". Of course, who could call her "break" relaxing? Photo shoots and interviews and private performances would take up most of her time for the next two months, and in her spare time she was expected to write at least five new songs. After the two months were up, she went to work on her new CD. Fun.
"Hey, Ri, this guy's talking to you. It sounds like he knows you," Jeremy called from Riley's living room. He had her laptop open and was lounging on the couch.
"What's his screen name?" Riley asked, sticking her head out of her bedroom.
"Nightvulture07."
"Oh, yuck!" Riley exclaimed, running out of her room and jumping on the couch next to Jeremy. "This guy is such a jerk. He keeps talking to me and saying evil things." She shuddered.
"Have you blocked him; warned him?"
"Yeah! He just gets a new screen name and tries again!"
"Okay, well I'll talk to him and be really rude for you, okay?"
"K. I'll make coffee."
A few minutes later Jeremy laughed and called, "Ri, he says he's dead sure who you are and you've totally given yourself away."
"Who am I?" Riley sat down on the couch and handed Jeremy a Gilmore Girls-size coffee mug.
"Chelsea Clinton." Riley snorted and read the next line that Nightvulture07 sent.
And I know Elvish (you obviously love Lord of the Rings, since that's all you'll talk to me about). Wanna hear some, baby?
Riley laughed and instructed Jeremy to type, "The most simple Elvish word that I have ever heard is 'mellon'. What's it mean, Bird?"
Nightvulture07 immediately signed off. Riley shook her head. "I don't think he'll bother me anymore."
"Nope. So for your birthday, you wanna have a 'Lord of the Rings' marathon?"
Riley grinned and jumped off the couch to find the first movie.
***
"Shawn!" Riley yelled as she walked through the airport towards security.
Shawnna waved from behind the security barricade and Riley motioned for her to be let through. Riley dropped her backpack (which was retrieved by Dean) and raced towards her friend, wrapping her arms around her happily.
About thirty fans screamed from behind the barricade, and Riley waved as she walked towards them, arms linked with Shawn. After signing autographs and posing for pictures, Riley and her friends (Dean included) piled into Shawnna's Volkswagen Passat.
"So, Shawn, you haven't met the bestest bodyguard in the whole wide world, Dean. Dean, this is my best friend Shawnna."
"Yeah, but everyone calls me Shawn. Pleased to meet ya!"
Dean said a bashful hello, and then the two girls chattered the rest of the hour that it took to get home.
At dinner that night, Riley found herself stuck once again in the familiar uncomfortable silence. In an attempt to start a conversation, Riley said, "The steak's great, Daddy. So are the mashed potatoes and Caesar salad, Mama. I still can't barbeque by myself. I have to go out or call Jeremy." The last part had been meant to be a joke, but all she got was two disapproving looks and polite "thank you"s. Riley picked at her potatoes, then asked, "So I was wondering if you were coming to Zip for my world-wide."
Her parents looked at each other and her mom asked, "What is Zip?"
"Well," Riley thought to herself, "it's a conversation," then aloud, "It's a club. Big flashy lights, good music. It's a hang out for the kids, since it doesn't serve alcohol."
Her parents looked at each other again before her dad said, "I think we'll be able to come, Riley."
"Really? Oh, awesome!"
After dinner, Riley excused herself and went to her room, immediately going to the window and climbing out.
She had only told Jeremy about "her" cove and how special it was to her. So Jeremy had tried his best to keep the cove hidden. That night, when she reached it, Jeremy was there, leaning against a tree.
"Hey, Emmy," Riley said, walking to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and laying her head tiredly on his chest.
Jeremy chuckled and stroked her hair. "If anyone else had called me that, I would have beat him to a pulp." He didn't bring up the fact that he had already guessed that dinner had not really gone well.
Riley giggled, then sighed and closed her eyes. "I love you, Bro."
"Love you too, Babe."
***
"So you guys have decided that you're siblings, and the reason that you are in different families is that.."
"Gypsies stole me," Riley replied to Shawnna seriously. Jeremy nodded. The three, along with Dean, were relaxing in a limousine on their way to the Zip for Riley's concert.
Shawn nodded and then turned to Dean, pointed to her head, and crossed her eyes. Dean chuckled and Shawnna giggled. And, since Riley could rarely help laughing when others were, she soon couldn't hold her own amusement in.
When they pulled up along the red carpet, Dean stepped out of the limo, quickly putting on his "I'm-big-and-strong-so-watch-your-butt" face. Riley was next, and the screams became deafening. Riley grinned and waved, then motioned for the crowd to quiet down. It took a couple minutes, but soon they were all watching her quietly, ready to hang on her every word. Banners fluttered in the slight breeze, and T.V. cameras focused on her.
Riley looked around, then yelled, "Y'all best get inside 'cuz it ain't gonna take me long at all!" The fans erupted into excited screams as they all pushed towards the doors.
Thirty minutes later, Riley was looking in a mirror at her hair, just about ready to go onstage, when she heard Jeremy call, "Hey, Ri, look who came knocking on your door!" Riley turned, careful to move slowly so that a tech worker could attach a wireless microphone to her shirt.
"Mr. Carroll!" she exclaimed.
William Carroll grinned at her. "Well if my favorite student hasn't gone and made herself famous."
Riley blushed and laughed. "How are you? And how's Amy? Oh," Riley's eyes glittered, "and when's she due?"
Mr. Carroll smiled proudly. "She's due in March, she's doing great, same here, and we're gonna have a girl named Erin Riley."
Riley squealed and hugged her teacher-of-the-past. Then she gasped. "Oh my word. After me?" William nodded. "Oh gee whiz, Will! Wait, did you know that my middle name is Erin?" Just then a crewman came running and announced that Riley had one minute until she was to be onstage.
Riley back away slowly, waiting for Will's answer. He laughed and called, "No, I didn't. But I'm glad. Amy and I love you to death, Ri, and she's really grateful that you were her friend in school!" Riley grinned and waved at her friends as she ran towards the center stage entrance.
***
Riley had five minutes to change and let the hair stylist twist her hair into some intricate braids that made her hair look like it was longer than it was. She quickly pulled on a pair of fitted dark khaki pants and a tunic-looking, dark green shirt. The shirt was partly covered by a dark blue vest with a hood.
She ran out and stayed as still as she could for the hair-stylist, then raced back towards the stage. She stopped just out of view to catch her breath, and jogged out to center stage. Chants of "Ri-ley! Ri-ley!" filled the air, and the little red recording lights of cameras shown throughout the room. Riley waved happily. She could barely make out her parents in the crowd, but they were there.
The band began the song, and Riley sang, remembering to use her heart to fuel the words.
"He was a boy.
I was a girl.
Can I make it any more obvious?
He was a punk.
She did ballet.
What more can I say?
He wanted her,
She'd never tell.
Secretly she wanted him as well.
All of her friends
Stuck up their nose.
They had a problem with him baggy clothes.
He was a skater boy
She said, 'See you later, boy.'
He wasn't good enough for her.
She had a pretty face,
But her head was up in space
She needed to come back down to earth.
Five years from now,
She sits at home.
Feeding the baby, she's all alone.
She turns on T.V.
Guess who she sees.
Skater boy rockin' up MTV.
She calls up her friends.
They already know.
And they've all got tickets to see his show.
She tags along.
Stands in the crowd.
Lookin' up at the man that she turned down.
He was a skater boy
She said, 'See you later, boy."
He wasn't good enough for her.
Now he's a super star
Slammin' on his guitar.
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?
Sorry, girl, but you missed out.
Well tough luck, that boy's mine now.
We are more than just good friends.
This is how the story ends.
Too bad that you couldn't see.
She the man that boy could be.
There is more than meets the eye.
I see the soul that is inside.
He's just a boy.
I'm just a girl.
Can I make it any more obvious?
We are in love,
Haven't you heard,
How we rock each other's world?
I'm with the skater boy.
I said, 'See you later, boy."
I'll be back stage after the show.
I'll be at the studio.
Singin' the song we wrote
About the girl you used to know!"
The end of the song was rather spectacular. The band played the last few bars in a crescendo, and then made the last note as loud as they could. Riley followed the crescendo, and sang the last word as loudly as she could. Fireworks shot off on both sides of the stage as Riley threw her head back and reach one hand up. Per the norm, her eyes were closed when the song ended.
But all the screaming disappeared and was replaced by the quiet sounds of wind over grass, crickets, and little children playing in the distance.
Riley's eyes snapped open and went wide. "Jiminy Hobbits, am I where I think I am?"