a/n: Again, sorry for the wait on the chapters but yeah, you don't want excuses. Thanks to Vix and Elfin Child for being my two faithful reviewers.
Chapter 5: Life's Lessons
A huge cheer filled the air as an impressive display of fireworks lit up the sky and sped across the lake. From my spot at a table, I could see almost everything going on, from the giant birthday cake with 111 candles that was being carried in, to Gandalf dancing around, towering above the heads of the hobbits. I sat with Sam, whom I'd met earlier that day, clapping and laughing as the hobbits danced, ate, drank and were merry. I noticed Sam watching a hobbit girl with curly brown hair and a purple dress, who I could only assume was Rosie. I leaned over to him.
"Who's that?"
Sam jumped slightly, "Who's who?"
"The girl you're looking at."
"I wasn't looking at anyone," he said, his voice squeaking slightly. I just smiled at him; Sam was so sweet. I looked over at Rosie again and saw Frodo dancing nearby doing what my friends and I call the "Frodo chicken dance". I started laughing really hard, to the point where Sam tore his eyes off of Rosie to stare at me, obviously thinking I had lost my mind. I tried to gasp out an apology but was laughing so hard that I couldn't. I could see that Sam was starting to become worried about me, so I forced myself to choke out that I was fine.
Eventually Frodo stopped making me laugh like an idiot and came over to sit with us. Rosie looked over at us as Frodo came over, and Sam hid his face in his empty ale mug. Rosie and I smiled at each other, but she was quickly approached by another hobbit and had to turn away.
"Go on Sam, ask Rosie for a dance"
"No, I think I'll just have another ale," Sam replied, trying to sneak off. Frodo looked at me and smiled.
"Oh no you don't," he said grabbing Sam by the shoulders and pushing him out, almost into Rosie. He had no choice but to begin dancing with her. I held up my hand to Frodo, strangely thinking that he would give me a high five. When he just stared at it strangely I lowered it, feeling slightly embarrassed. I looked over towards the band, where I noticed Pippin playing the "hobbit ukulele", smiling and laughing. He waved me over so I excused myself and went over to see him; instead of talking to me, he grabbed my arm and yanked me up on stage.
"Pippin!" I shrieked.
He handed me an instrument that looked like one of those reed things that you run a stick over to make it make noise.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, starting to panic.
"Have fun!" he replied, playing his ukulele.
I stared at the other hobbits in the band, completely lost. I didn't know this song, I didn't know how to play this instrument, and worse, I was starting to hyperventilate. I'm not exactly comfortable being on a stage in which everyone is a head shorted than me, not knowing what in Elbereth's name I'm doing, and being stared at by a hundred hobbits! Pippin, however, found this utterly hysterical and began calling out,
"Look everyone, Brooke's playing in the band! Brooke's playing in the-OW!"
He didn't get to finish his sentence, because I had just stomped on his foot, my face beet red with embarrassment. I guess he realized then that I was so scared.
He just smiled innocently and said, "Just have fun. That's what it's all about."
I guess I needed those words of encouragement, and what he said was true. No one here really cared about if I played well or not; they were all here just enjoying themselves. I could learn a lesson from them. I took a deep breath and listened to the music, soon I found it was easy to catch the rhythm of the song and I began to play. Pippin smiled at me and I smiled back; at that moment I knew, somehow this mischievous hobbit had just taught me one of the most important lessons I could ever learn.
Yeah I know, that chapter was really short, I'm sorry. I'll try and get into the story quicker, I've just got horrible writer's block.