I redid last chapter a bit. It needed to be reread and fixed. Anyways, if you don't like high school fix, don't review, because you shouldn't have clicked on my story if that's the case. And if the paragraphs don't come up like they're supposed to, be mad at my computer! I know this story has nothing really to do w/ LOTR except has the characters, but, I hope you like it that way! If you like a more LOTR based story, read 'love never forgotten'!



Okay, Emma is going into 11th grade. Just so you know.



Chapter 2

Comforts

I stared at my room. How boring. White walls, two plain white beds, a TV, love-seat couch, and tan carpet. You'd think that they'd look a little exciting, considering the halls and the outside of the buildings! Everything was plain about this room. I leaped on the bed and sighed. 'Things were going to be okay,' I assured myself. 'Nothing big to worry about.' I heard someone come through the door, but I didn't really care at first.

'Aragorn?' I wondered. 'Nah, he doesn't walk that softly.'

"Hello!" I heard a welcoming voice. I looked up to see a friendly face. She was a petite elven-girl with big blue eyes and short, black hair. "I'm Talim, your roommate! I'm from Mirkwood."

I stared at her for a moment. She was very beautiful and different from any girl I'd seen. I hardly ever saw girls with hair that short (chin length) and such different clothes. Her green mini skirt and peasant blouse was anything but fancy and ball-like, like my clothes, but almost immediately I liked her. She was different and exciting already! "I'm Emthiel," I answer, and I'm from Rivendell."

"Wow, we're from different backgrounds, aren't we?" she said with a laugh. She hopped on her bed and faced me. Her grin was perfect and warm. "That'd be so cool! Is it fancy there? Do you usually wear fancy, rich clothing? I would love to feel like a princess with fancy ball-room dresses!"

"Yes," I admitted. "But it usually feels so uncomfortable! Like everyone looks the same and the heels have always given me nasty blisters."

She nodded. "I love being in what's comfortable. In Mirkwood we cant leap around in the forest or do our chores in dresses."

Before I knew it, we were laying on our beds, swapping our life-stories. We talked for hours about our lives, boys, embarrassing moments...till we fell asleep.



I woke up and glanced over at Talim. I smiled. We had talked half the night away and I never even started decorating my room! Though the beginning of staying here was bad, she made it all feel better. All my friends at my old school hardly came to my mind.

I was startled by the knock on my door. Though it was soft, it disturbed me from my daydream. I tip-toed to the door avoiding too much noise. The door creaked open. "Aragorn?!"

He was shaved and all ready for the day and I was still in my green dress from the day before, with my long blond hair tossed around in tangles.

"Did you wear that dress yesterday?"

"Me and my roommate talked all night and I fell asleep in it. I just woke up."

He glanced in my room. "Oh no. You have a lot of work to do, I see," he says. My room hadn't even been touched and my bags are all over the floor.

"Come back later," I say.



(later)

Me and Talim went shopping and the clothes I bought were so...different. No pink frilly dresses. This was Gondor, not Rivendell! So Talim and me both got more casual clothes. And again, we 'forgot' to unpack our stuff! Hey, we'd be there for a school year! There was no hurry, right?

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Wow. What a difference. I was wearing a brown skort, yes, I repeat, skort, a long sleeved, white belly- shirt, and brown boots. My hair was up in a bun and I actually looked regular and like most high-schoolers...and not like my mom still dressed me.

Aragorn knocks. "Come down! The Mess-hall finally opened!" Yes, we had to go down to a coffee shop for food till the mess hall opened.

"YAY!!" Talim rushes out the door with me. Me, Aragorn, and Talim race towards the lunch room.

When we get there, Legolas already saved spots for us. "I'm glad we can just chill and not worry about having work today," Talim says.

Legolas opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, Aragorn slaps himself on the forehead and says, "Oh no! I forgot to finish my summer book- report on The Finding of Gondor!" We were asked to do a ten page book- report on either: the 'History of Quenya II', or 'The Finding of Gondor'. I had done History of Quenya since that was after all, my first language!

We all frown.

"I WOULD help you, Aragorn," I confess. "But I did the Quenya report."

"Me too," Legolas nods.

"I didn't!" Talim announces. "And I'll help you a little bit."

Aragorn sighs with relief and they both take off to the computer lab to finish the report.

I grab my food and sit back with Legolas. I shyly eat in silence, but he seems to be staring. "You don't look like the young lady I bumped into yesterday," he says. I look up from my sub. "I know," I answer. "I looked too much like I was going to a wedding. In Rivendell we usually dress very fancy. I feel a lot better now that I'm dressed casual." I take another bite of my sub.

He nods. "Yes, I've been there," he says shortly, but suddenly changes the subject to, "Is Aragorn your boyfriend?"

I suddenly feel that that sandwich doesn't want to go down. I start choking it down though. I feel my face turning red.

"Yes, he is. Didn't you know that?" I manage to say.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yes...anyways, didn't you know that Aragorn was my boyfriend?

"Well, I hadn't seen him all summer...Plus, I wasn't positive yesterday..."

"But you should have heard about me! We were going steady way before the summer! I heard so much about you..."

Legolas looked uneasy. "Oh...sorry, he never told me about you." I started looking angry, I'm sure. Aragorn didn't tell Legolas about me? At all? Did he tell anyone about me? "But Aragorn wouldn't tell me if he had a girlfriend unless I asked. I mean, we aren't very close friends."

I sighed with relief. Why was I getting paranoid? He seemed to be studying me. He looked at my hair, bunched in this bun with pieces hanging out in the front. Then he looked me hard in the eyes. His eyes were blue-white, like ice and they made me shiver. Everything about him made me fade into a dreamy-phase.

"Your beautiful, Emthiel. If I were in his place, your name would always be on my tongue..." he paused. The 'dreamy-phase' left me. I couldn't believe he'd said that! Aragorn never said anything like that to me though. Aragorn was mostly a football-watching, belching guy that was never sensitive like I was sensing in Legolas.

Legolas' cheeks started turning red. "I think I'm gonna go," he said, getting up from his chair. I grab him by the sleeve. "Don't. It's okay. I don't want to sit here alone anyways."

So we continue talking and I learned something about him, including: Legolas is a very sincere, loving person. And I'm so glad I met him.

"I think we're going to become great friends, Legolas," I say with a smile. He grins. 'Aww, how cute!' I feel like slapping myself for thinking those thoughts.

"Yea, me too," he agrees. "great friends," he repeats dreamily.

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hope you liked!!!

Lauren