A brightness shot open my eyes as the morning sun's rays beat down on me. My body sore and nose stuffed from the hysterical sobbing, I leaned up from the ground. Oliver stood proudly as he looked down at me. I pressed my palm to my throbbing head as I tried waking up some more.
"I'd ask you what time it is, but you're a horse so that sucks," I mumbled to Oliver as my hand stroked his mane. Oliver neighed in response and my face leaned beside his.
"What do you say? Should we go back or travel elsewhere?" I asked my horse friend. He neighed in response.
"I'll just take that as traveling elsewhere then."
Just as I went to climb onto Oliver's back, something wrapped around me and pulled me back. I was launched back down to the ground when before my very eyes stood an orc. Oliver freaked out and started running off.
Bastard. Leaving me alone to die.
I screamed as he raised his sword to chop me up like Patrick Bateman when an arrow suddenly shot through the orc's head. His body made a thud upon hitting the ground.
"Felicity! Are you alright?"
Legolas.
He ran towards me, kneeling in front of me. His hands patted around me, searching for any wounds. Once seeing I was unharmed, he drew a long sigh. His blue eyes fixated on me.
"I believe it is not wise to be traveling elsewhere without a weapon or myself," Legolas stated.
"Oh…you heard that."
"Yes. I have been keeping an eye on you since I found you sleeping last night."
My posture straightened up as my head cocked back. "You stalked me while I was sleeping? Wait…oh my god, I-. I thought elves don't sleep?"
"Sometimes when their body weakens, they can rest," Legolas explained. He softened in his body and face. "You needed it very much after last night's events."
My eyes fell to the floor. Last night, I could very much say, was the worst night of my entire life. I would never forgive myself for what I caused to not only myself but to everyone else. The only question left was…well, was I still in a coma or dead?
"Look what I've found wandering off," a voice chirped. There was Tauriel holding Oliver by the reigns and a smile on her face. Her eyes looked to me and to Legolas. Legolas and her stared at one another before Tauriel nodded and led Oliver back to Mirkwood.
"Perhaps a walk?" Legolas suggested holding out his hand. I nodded, my hand clasping to his.
"Do you…are you aware of what happened to me?" I asked as we walked. Legolas nodded.
"Galadriel showed me what she had shown you. It was moments after you left. Tauriel had known because when I had to speak with her privately yesterday, it was because Father returned early with Elrond. They wanted Tauriel to know everything so that she was able to help you. She and you are alike when it comes to using weapons based on wounds from the past."
"Oh."
Silence fell between us shortly then. What more was there to say? Could Legolas even understand what he had seen? My eyes wandered around the forest as we kept walking along. My shoulder felt heavy and my stomach was filled with discomfort.
"That boy," Legolas brought up after a moment. "What happened with you two?"
"Eric," I started with a long sigh," and I met the year before. I had just transferred to the school and he was in one of my classes. He was extremely popular, excellent athlete, smart, and not so bad to look at. The first couple weeks of class he'd tease me because I didn't talk a whole lot. It wasn't anything harsh, more playful than anything else. One day his friend made a snide remark to me and before anyone could say anything to him, Eric whipped his head to him and said,'No one fucking asked you.' The next day he came over and sat next to me and that's when we started talking."
I was about ninety-nine percent sure Legolas couldn't understand most of what I was saying, but he kept nodding his head and listened to me as I went on. It was as if all of a sudden I was telling him my life story.
"Last semester, I think it was October, Eric told me he'd had a crush on me. He said he liked me since last year. Trust was I liked him back but never acted on it because almost every girl in school wanted him. I didn't find myself different from them at all. Anyway, after one of his games…".
I had to stop there, taking some time to process the next bit of the story. Legolas glanced at me and stopped walking.
"What happened?" he asked facing me.
My feet stopped moving and my eyes met Legolas's. "Nothing completely serious happened, but…well, we made out." Legolas's confused expression explained to me that I needed to be more precise. This was not fun and beyond uncomfortable. "When you make out with someone, it's just a lot of kissing and touching and yeah. It can go farther but it didn't that night. Anyway, he didn't talk to me after that night. I had kept it a secret until I confided in Sam. Even though we weren't as close of friends as we used to be I still trusted her. She'd swore she would keep it. Days passed and eventually Eric started talking to me again. He and I didn't talk for a month after what had happened. I took it hard but moved on. Things seemed to be going well, almost back to the way they used to be."
This was the part of the story I couldn't bring myself to hold on to. A warming sensation started up in my eyes and made it's way down my face. I went on," About a three weeks before…you know…I found out Eric and Sam slept together. Do you know what I mean, Legolas?"
"I believe so," Legolas nodded.
"I can't even begin to tell you how angry…hurt I was. I trusted Sam and I trusted Eric. How could I have been so stupid? Where were the signs that this had happened?"
My feet shuffled a bit as my eyes watched them. "You know what the worst part about it was? Around the time I found out, all my friends slipped away into their own lives so my chance at popularity followed them away. I know it sounds selfish and I'll hate myself for it for as long as I live, but, it was nice waking up, driving into the school parking lot, seeing my friends there, goofing off in classes, people watching me as I walked by…".
Tension filled me as my hands turned into tight fists and heavy feeling rested on my shoulders. It was the mixture of embarrassment and self-hatred that I was too aware of.
"Everything was so goddamn perfect for once," I clenched my teeth. "I'd spent years being rejected, laughed at, ignored, and alone to where for just a few months it all went away and I felt as if I actually was worth something. It's amazing how one little thing can just take it all away from you."
I looked up at Legolas. "Legolas, be grateful you never had to experience high school."
A long silence followed. Legolas kept his eyes on me as I eased myself and wiped the tears. Slowly but surely I found that bit of normalcy I had left in me.
"May I say something?" Legolas broke the silence. I nodded. "Felicity, if I may, you need to learn to grow up and to stop making others the reason behind your misery."
I nodded my head. "Ok, I deserved that."
Legolas then smiled half-heartedly and added," But at least you can admit your faults. The only thing left is for you to put them into something else?"
I cocked my head to the side and furrowed my eyebrows. Whatchu talkin' about Legolas?
That's when Legolas motioned to my sword that everything became clear.
A second chance.
I know, I know. I know I'm BEYOND late and I am so sorry everyone! When school started back up everything became fucking chaotic and then I had college auditions for drama schools, family drama, and then we had a fucking ice storm in which I had to spend time catching up from a missing a week because of college auditions.
Note to all high school students, don't ever leave school for a week. It's a living nightmare.
Thank you guys so much for your feedback not only on past chapters but especially on chapter 10. I wanted to open up not only a part of my life that I was and had gone through in that storyline but to also let others out there who are going through that you aren't alone and that you are worth more than you believe you are. Again, if you guys ever need someone to talk to I am always here for you. I love each and every one of you. You guys have been there for me and I'm always here for you 3
Danielle
