~ Chapter 2 ~

Yeah, me again. I LOVE that song by Boomcat- The Reckoning. 'S the coolest. Oh, hang on. Eminem's 8 Mile, and Linkin Park's Somewhere I Belong are pretty sick too.

Sorry. Just listenin' to the radio.

NEWA, enjoy!

*

Saraman the White looked over his work and smiled with satisfaction. His work for Sauron was almost complete. The orcs were strong, and would serve their master (and his) well.

"No," said a young voice from behind him. "It won't work."

"What?" Saraman whirled around to face a girl of foreign origin. She stared back evenly, and repeated, "It won't work."

"What do you mean?" demanded the wizard, testily. He was an old man, and did not approve of being told that his ideas wouldn't work by a girl barely into her teens.

"That ladder over there," explained the girl patiently, waving a hand loftily at the construction below. "It's far too big to lean against a wall at that angle. I'm not saying that you should discard your idea altogether, but you may have to make a few changes to it in order for your ladder to work."

Saraman's scowl grew deeper. "How dare you!" he shouted. "Who are you to tell Saraman the White that his ideas will not work?"

"My name is Angeline," said the girl, extending a hand, "pleased to meet you, Mister Saraman."

"What are you doing here?" he demanded, ignoring the hand she was offering.

"I don't know," shrugged Angeline. "I was reading my dictionary as usual, and then I realised that I hadn't seen my friends for a while, which accounted for the unusual tranquillity of the room. I then went to look for them, and found them playing handball in the courtyards. Michelle hit the ball far too violently, and it went flying into the bushes. Naturally, she swore and leapt into the bushes after it, whereupon she vanished. My other friends ran in after her, without thinking over what might have happened, despite my warnings of a danger that could have been lurking in the vegetation. In fact, I think they went in faster after that." Angeline stopped for breath, frowning at the memory. "Well, of course, THEY disappeared as well, leaving me alone. Therefore, I went in after them after a few minutes, and....well....here I am."

Even as Angeline was explaining her story to Saraman, her....ahem. 'Friends' were telling their own tale to the Fellowship.

"See, Angeline was nagging as usual, and then we went into the bushes in the hope that some kind of deadly beast might be lurking in there so it would kill us quickly, so we wouldn't have to listen to her anymore," finished Rachel. She smiled. "And here we are!"

"That's a pretty long sentence," said Victoria.

"What? And here we are?" Rachel looked puzzled. "Poor, deprived child. Who taught you English?" She shook her head sadly. "I pity thee, for thou art too stupid to-"

"SHUT UP!" screamed Victoria. "YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN GET IT RIGHT!"

"She is very loud, is she not?" asked Legolas, eyeing Victoria quizzically.

Catching the elf's eye on her, Victoria blushed and hastily shut her mouth.

*Why does it seem like the whole WORLD of females is in love with Orlando Bloom/Legolas? I mean, I know he's cute, but....seriously. Ah well. By the way, does anyone know how to spell Saraman? I don't*

"Get what right?" asked Rachel. "Y'mean the thing about the posters of-"

"GO AWAY!" squeaked Victoria. "YOU'RE SO ANNOYING!"

A murmur of agreement ripples around the circle, as the others nod.

"Merci."

"Ugh." Victoria rolled her eyes skywards. "You're hopeless."

Another murmur of agreement rises.

"Je suis la reine."

"What?" Sue stared.

Steph began to giggle. "Huh?"

"I dunno where that came from," grinned Rachel, sheepishly. "By the way, how're we meant to get back?"

"We're going back already?" asked Victoria, looking disappointed. "So soon?"

"NO! I'm not going!" sniffed Christina. "I'm staying with Legolas."

"Two timer," scolded Stephanie. "What about Harry?"

"Huh?"

"Harry Potter."

"Oh. Him." Christina shrugged. "He's not so cute anymore, but-"

"Dawson," murmured Rachel. "Yeah, yeah, Dawson!"

"Oh shut UP, Rachel," sniffed Christina.

*We've got this thing going now, about Christina and Dawson from Dawson's Creek. Halfway through her debating speech which was about the Simpsons, she started talking about Dawson's Creek. Now we're obsessed with the idea of Christina with Dawson. We've even got a song! Hee hee. Sad*

"Note, that is about the fifth time they have told me to shut up?" asked Rachel, looking hurt. She spread her arms, palms-upward. "Why?"

"Shut up," said Pippin. He grinned. "Hee hee. Shut up. I like saying that. What does it mean? Shut up, shut up, shut-"

THWACK!

Rachel's hand connected with his face. "YOU shut up," she said to the startled hobbit. "Go home."

"It means 'be quiet' in a rude sort of way," explained Stephanie. She patted the hobbit on the shoulder. "You shouldn't say that to Rachel until you're big enough to face the consequences."

"Hey!" protested Victoria. "Being big doesn't mean that you can solve the world's problems!"

Rachel frowned. "Are you suggesting that I'm one of the world's problems?" she demanded indignantly.

Stephanie nodded. "Right up there with Saddaam and Bush," she said, kindly.

"Aw...." Rachel's shoulders drooped.

"Anyway," continued Victoria. "Little guys can do big things!" She beamed and planted her hands akimbo. "Like me!"

*

Howzat?