Disclaimer: Let's see, All Lord of the Rings stuff belongs to J.R.R. Tolkein. All original characters and stuff belong to me. And the song in this chapter.... IT'S ALL MIIIIINNEE! ^_^ *very pleased with self*
-For the song melody, think of a cross between Nickleback's "How You Remind Me", Hilary Duff's "Why Not", and throw in a bit of Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You." Kinda like that... o.O() I'll make the melody soon... I hope.
-Dance Dance Revolution, Karaoke Revolution, DrumMania, Guitar Freak, and Keyboard Mania all belong to Konami.
A/N: I'm SO sorry it's take so long for me to update anything, I wanted to get this chapter up after finals, but well, things got in the way.
-I made up that song when I was REALLY unhappy about my math final.... Yep, failed it... GRRR! I studied for hours! Till I had a headache X_X
-Ok, I decided that a week needs to pass in order to have Legolas' wounds heal because the fact that he has wounds hindered most of my ideas. With the shower thing, I figured that he had never seen a shower with a removable head or one at all and stuff. I'm sure they have bath tubs in Middle Earth, but I'm unsure about showers. *shrug* I figured he might freak out, but even if he wouldn't, I needed that added element for comedy ^_^
- I also figured Legolas was smart, so he can be a fast learner.
* * * * * * * * * * *
A week passed and Legolas started to become a bit more comfortable with his surroundings. Robin had ordered him to stay in bed, but whenever she left, the elf couldn't suppress his curiosity about the house and he would get up and wander around. Every night, Robin would check his injuries, put more salve on them, and then rebandage them. Since he stayed in bed while she was in the house, he would hear strange sounds coming from the downstairs or from a nearby room. One sounded like music, but he couldn't recognize the instrument and the other reminded him of rain, except it was inside. He discovered what the rain sound was one day when Robin forced him to take a shower, but when he knocked into the shower head, it fell off, which resulted in him freaking out and streaking through the house with nothing on and wet.
"LEGOLAS!" roared Robin, running after him with a pair of swim trunks she had bought for him, "Come back here! You need to take a shower!" She finally cornered him in a bedroom and she held out the trunks with one hand while the other was covering her eyes. "Put these on, now!"
Legolas looked down and realized how indecent he was. "Oh... I'm sorry!" He took the trunks and put them on. "Um... They're on..."
Robin looked at him. "Good... Now come here." She grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the shower. "Now that you have those, I can get you to take it. That shower head isn't going to hurt you!"
The girl pushed Legolas into the bath tub, turned the water on, and set up the shower. Robin showed him that the shower head was fine, but the demonstration got her soaked when he tried to use it and accidentally sprayed her with it. She threw a towel over his head and shoved some shampoo and conditioner in his arms before walking out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Legolas discarded the trunks and towel, washed his hair with the products and scrubbed himself clean, noticing that his injuries had healed, but were still a little tender and a few had scarred. Once he finished, the elf emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and he looked around for Robin. He found her in the room she gave him with a pair of pants, and a shirt.
Robin looked up at him and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "I see you're back... Uh..." Her eyes moved over his body as she stammered out some more words. "I mean... I washed your clothes and undergarments, but your... Umm... Costume is pretty much a goner at the moment. I found some pants that might fit you and the biggest shirt I have." She dropped them on the bed and gestured to the dresser and mirror. "There's a brush and comb over there." She quickly left the room. I can't believe I stared at him like that. He must think I'm a freak.
"I wonder why she was staring at me," murmured Legolas, shutting the door and dropping the towel. He pulled on the underwear, pants, and shirt, which was a bit snug on him. "This is a strange thing to wear." He brushed and combed his hair until all the tangles were gone. He heard a loud ringing go through the room and jumped in surprise. "What was that?" He heard the sound again and flung the door open to search for Robin when it cut off.
"Hello?" came Robin's voice from downstairs, "Oh! Hi, Mr. Keaton." There was a pause. "What?" Her voice sounded different. "What do you mean I failed? I studied all week for that test!" She sighed. "Yeah. Alright. I'll come in tomorrow and retake it..." She sighed again. "Yes, I know how important that test is... Ok? Bye." There was a clatter as she put the phone back on the receiver. "DAMMIT!!" There was a crash as she kicked something. "No matter how hard I try! I've come too far to fail this damn class now!"
Robin sat down on the stool to her drum set and grabbed her guitar, strumming a few notes and humming. These strange sounds brought a curious Legolas out of his room to peek down the stairs at her. The girl continued to experiment with the chords and notes until she seemed satisfied with the tune. She opened her mouth and started to sing with a melodic voice that was full of emotion. Legolas moved down the stairs to get closer, completely enthralled by the sound of Robin's voice and the expression on her face.
All through my life.
I've been told I wasn't good enough.
People put me down.
Just because I'm so different.
I've tried my best.
To show them that I can make it.
But now I see.
All my work's been in vain!
Robin stood up and started to play the guitar and sing with more vigor and zeal, adding movement as she played.
Why can't I, Get a break from reality
What the hell,
Is wrong with me?!
I've pushed and pulled,
To get through the door.
To find a place,
Where I belong.
For many years,
I've worked my fingers to the bone.
For way too long,
I've strained to show how smart I am.
Now my hands are tired,
And my brain's ready to burst!
My heart has cracked.
And my body's ready to fall apart!
Why can't I,
Get a break from reality
What the hell,
Is wrong with me?!
I've pushed and pulled,
To get through the door.
To find a place,
Where I belong.
I've been a loner for so long,
All the good things are gone now.
People still try to push me around.
But I'm not afraid,
To push them back!
Why don't you,
Just get of my back!
I'll show you,
What I can do!
I have more potential
Than you think!
I won't give up so easily!
I'll just keep fighting back!
I won't fail!
Or let you drag me down!
I will prove!
That there's more to me!
Than what you see.
Robin stopped singing and put her guitar down, sweating a bit from all the movement and passion she had put into the song. She sat down on the stool with her face in her hands, crying and breathing hard. Legolas peered around the corner to look at her instruments and saw a poster on the wall with a picture of Robin and two other girls he didn't recognize. The name 'The Muses' was written across the top in various colors and each girl had their name signed next to their picture. His eyes moved back to Robin and found her staring at him open mouthed.
"How... How long have you been there?" she asked, sounding very embarrassed as a blush rose in her cheeks.
"Um... Not very long," answered Legolas, hoping not to anger her, "What are those things?"
"What these?" said Robin, gesturing to the drums, guitar, and poster, "Oh! These are the instruments and poster for the band I'm in."
"Band?" blinked Legolas as a confused look came over his face, "What's a band?"
"It's a group of musicians," replied Robin, laughing a bit, "C'mon over here and take a seat, I won't bite." She sighed. "I'm just in a bad mood."
"Who are they?" asked Legolas, moving over to sit in a chair and pointing to the poster.
"My two best friends Josie Turner," answered Robin, pointing at the redhead, "And that's Vera Anderson." She pointed at a girl with brown hair and leafy green eyes, but her hair had two blond highlights in it. "But we're better known by our band nicknames." She chuckled a bit. "I'm Siren, Vera's known as Cadence, and Josie, much to her vexation, has been dubbed Cha Cha because of her dancing." She smiled with a nostalgic look in her eyes. "We became well known because I played our music on the radio show I do."
"What's a radio show?" asked Legolas, looking away from the poster at the guitarist.
Robin quickly muffled her laughter to speak. "Man, you are a clueless one. A radio is an electronic device and sound comes out of it. A radio show is something that people do on it. Some are mainly music, some feature voice actors, and sometimes they're just talk shows."
"Voice actor? Talk show?" said Legolas, looking even more confused, "What are those?"
Robin burst out laughing at his expression and was about to answer when the doorbell rang, causing the elf to jump up in surprise and look for the source.
"Stop being so silly," chortled Robin, heading to the door, "That was just a doorbell." She opened the door to be greeted by Josie. "Hey girl!"
"Hey, Robin," said Josie, walking in and glancing around, "Haven't seen you all week. You've been hopping from school to here like crazy." She stopped when she saw Legolas. "Oh my god! Is that the same guy you hit with your car?"
"I didn't hit him!" cried Robin in defense, "He landed on top of the hood, and yes, that is him."
"Robin... He's wearing a pink shirt," said Josie, raising an eyebrow at her friend.
"Umm... So?" muttered Robin, shrugging her shoulders, "It looks pretty good on him."
"Robin... The word 'Girl' is written on it in black letters," stated Josie in a firm tone, "You haven't bought any clothes for him, have you?"
"Umm... So what?" said Robin in reply, looking at the ceiling, "The clothes that I've found in my closet fit him... Kind of."
"Stop being so cheap, girl," sighed Josie in an exasperated voice, "We're taking him shopping today and now."
Robin rolled her eyes at her friend. "Alright, but we'll have to go to one of those discount stores. I just got my paycheck and I need to pay the rent on this place."
"Don't worry," chuckled Josie, grinning at her, "I'll help pay if you need me to, but seriously, let's find him a better shirt." She ushered Legolas upstairs and found a plain black shirt for him to wear. "I must admit, his injuries have healed nicely since I helped you first bandage them, but there are some scars."
"I know," sighed Robin as she stuffed a wallet in the pocket of her cargo pants, "I was hoping the liquid I made would get rid of those." She grabbed her keys and the three of them walked out the door. "But I'm glad they healed." She locked the door and turned, running straight into Legolas, who was staring at the car. "Um... You ok?"
"What is that... Thing?" asked Legolas, pointing at the car.
"It's called a car," replied Josie, laughing, "Or automobile. There's nothing to be afraid of... Unless Robin's driving."
"Hey! I am not a bad driver," huffed Robin, frowning at her friend, "Let's just go." She shoved Legolas towards the car. "It's not going to bite you. C'mon!"
When Josie opened the door for him, Legolas inspected every single detail of the car and how the hinges worked. Josie and Robin glanced at each other with a slightly amused, yet baffled expression on their faces. They finally managed to get the elf into the back seat and had him sit still while they buckled him up. The two girls got in the driver and passenger seats and pulled on their seat belts. When Robin slid the key into the ignition and turned the car on, Legolas jumped and looking around for the source of the strange noise. His fascination with the car and the simplest things that were normal for people on Earth made the two girls laugh.
Robin cruised down one of the main streets and made a turn, driving towards a large mall. She parked in an open spot and the two girls got out, retrieving Legolas from the back seat. Once the doors were closed, Robin pressed the lock button twice and the car honked once to signify that all doors were locked, which made the elf leap away from it. The girls laughed and led him towards the front doors, which slid open, surprising Legolas even more and despite his resistance, he was dragged inside. He stopped struggling and stared in awe at the huge space in front of him.
"Legolas, welcome to the mall," announced Josie, laughing as the girls steered him towards a nearby clothing store.
The moment they walked in the store, a woman with platinum blonde hair descended upon them with an enthusiastic look in her deep blue eyes. "Siren! Cha Cha! So good to see you again!"
"Why must people call me that," grumbled Josie, crossing her arms.
"Hello, Maureen," said Robin, smiling, "How's business?"
"It's been booming more than ever," replied Maureen, beaming at the girls, "Ever since your fans found out you shopped here, they've been coming here and looking for the same fashions." Her eyes fell on Legolas. "Ah! Who is this lovely boy?"
"This is Legolas," answered Robin, gesturing to the elf, "He needs some new clothes."
"Don't worry, darlin'," said Maureen, clapping her hands together, "We'll take good care of you." She grinned at Legolas.
The woman grabbed Legolas by the arm and dragged him off to find clothes for him. He threw a nervous glance back at Robin and Josie, but their attention had been taken by the clothing and they were rifling through the racks. For the next three hours, Legolas was shoved into the dressing room and tried on several different outfits. The two girls were also trying on clothing and every time they had a new outfit on, they would show it off to Maureen by walking down the runway that she had put in her store near the dressing rooms. Legolas was forced to model his clothing with the girls and Maureen was giving him directions and comments. A few times she shoved him back in the dressing room and said the outfit didn't work.
"Beautiful, darlin'!" praised Maureen, watching Robin show off an outfit of black pants and a light blue, bell-sleeved shirt, "Turn around." Robin did so and walked back.
"This is so much fun," giggled Josie, fashioning a red, sleeveless hoodie and jeans.
Legolas was shoved down the runway in a pair of khaki, cargo pants and a loose, green T-shirt while Maureen continued her praise. "This is odd."
The girls walked out with a few bags of clothes and Legolas had some as well, but they were bigger. The trio went to the food court to eat and Legolas was introduced to a meal called a Ramen bowl. He had a lot of problems using the chopsticks, so the girls gave him a fork and spoon. After their lunch, the three were wandering along a set of shops when something caught Josie's eye. She nudged Robin and nodded at an arcade, but then she pointed at a machine that two kids were dancing on and music was playing.
"Care to play a little Dance Dance Revolution?" asked Josie, grinning at her friend.
"Oh, yeah," replied Robin as a smile spread across her face, "Let's blow these kids away."
When it was their turn, the girls stepped up on the platform and selected their options. They did versus first with the songs on maniac and when they started dancing, the kids were cheering and clapping. The next setting they did was a unison setting, which had them coordinate their moves together because they were sharing arrows. During the unison setting the girls would switch sides and perform several freestyle moves which attracted a crowd. Josie and Robin both did three songs on double with the maniac setting. Legolas was watching with his mouth open as the girls danced, sometimes missing a beat or two, but always getting back on track.
"Oh, man, I'm beat," breathed Josie, plopping down next to Legolas, "Robin's still going. I may have the better moves, but she has the most stamina." She glanced at Legolas. "C'mon, Nature boy, go try it out." She gave Legolas a shove towards the platform where Robin finished her last run.
"Hey! Legolas, want to learn how to play?" asked Robin, smiling at him. She was sweating a bit and panting, but her adrenaline was in full gear.
"Um... I've never seen one of these before..." answered Legolas, eyeing the machine warily.
"Oh, it's easy," laughed Robin, pulling him up on the platform, "Just follow the arrows on the screen. When a left arrow hits the top, you stomp on it at the same time. Here, I'll show you the tutorial."
Robin spent a few minutes showing Legolas the ropes before they got into a song. They did a versus game for 'Boom Boom Dollar' and the girl did the basic setting to help him out a bit. When he got the hang of it, Robin kicked it up a notch and switched her setting as they did a new song. Legolas was surprised as to how easy it became once he started listening to the beat and ignored the people around him. After their three songs were over, people cheered as they exited the arcade with Josie and some were shouting their band names.
"That's always so much fun!" squealed Robin, jumping up and down, "We should come here more often."
"When we're not doing homework, jobs, or band stuff," started Josie, looking at Legolas.
"We're playing DDR or other games," finished Robin, grinning, "Mostly DDR though, that's how we've gotten so good at dancing to just about any beat. Vera's really good at playing DrumMania, which is the same thing, except you're using drum features."
"There's also Guitar Freaks and Keyboard Mania," explained Josie as the trio walked around the mall, "Though I don't know if they're in America yet, I've just read about them."
"I can't wait to get Karaoke Revolution," said Robin, laughing, "That's going to be very interesting."
"What kind of thing is all that?" asked Legolas as they wandered outside in the direction of Robin's car.
"They're called video games," laughed Josie, raising her eyebrow at the elf, "Haven't you ever seen them before?"
Legolas shook his head as Robin opened the trunk of her SUV and replied, "I've never heard of video games before... I've never seen such lights come out of a box."
Josie and Robin looked at each other as they piled their purchases in the back and then packed Legolas' stuff in before shutting the door.
"Um.. Is he joking?" asked Josie, looking at her friend.
Robin had Legolas get in the back seat of the car and went back to the red head. "No, he isn't." She glanced at the door to make sure it was closed and that Legolas couldn't hear them, but she didn't realize that the window was still open. "He said he's from some sort of other world called Middle Earth."
Legolas turned his head to peek out and listened closely as Josie answered. "Middle Earth? Is that some sort of bar?"
"That's what I thought," replied Robin, sighing, "But... Apparently not." She leaned against the car with her arms crossed. "There are so many things that he doesn't understand and doesn't know about... He can't be from Earth to have never heard of trains or cars. He's never even heard of America or the other continents."
"Hm... Could he have some sort of amnesia?" queried Josie, crossing her arms, too.
"I highly doubt it..." answered Robin, straightening up, "I think we should try to enroll him in the school and see if he can blend in. I just have this feeling that he'll need to blend in..."
"You've never lead me wrong before when you say that," said Josie, nodding to her friend, "We can tutor him on all we know about each subject and try to get him into lessons that he will be able to work in."
"He seems to be a quick learner," commented Robin, thinking about how well Legolas caught on to the DDR game.
"Let's set up tutor sessions with him and when he's ready, we'll get him enrolled," said Josie, holding out her hand, "Agreed?"
"Agreed," answered Robin, shaking her friend's hand, "This shall prove to be very interesting."
The two girls were unaware that Legolas had heard them, but instead of voicing his own opinion, the elf decided to stay silent. The idea intrigues me, he thought as the girls got in the car, Blending in might be the best thing to do. Those Dark Elves may figure out what really happened and come looking for me. If I can mix in with these humans, perhaps they won't find me. The trio went back to the house and the girls set to doing homework while Legolas went to his room to mull over what he had heard the girls talk about. Two hours later, he joined them for dinner after being called downstairs and once they had finished the meal, Josie left to go back to the dorm.
"If she's your friend, why doesn't she live here?" asked Legolas.
"Josie has a lot of early morning things and she didn't want to inconvinence me," replied Robin as she washed her plate, "She's going to move in at the end of the semester when they're over. Hopefully Vera will also be able to move in once she gets approval from the school." She chuckled a bit. "She's gotten in a bit of trouble in the past, so they wouldn't let her move into a house yet, but when they both move in it's going to be fun."
Robin finished washing the dishes and went upstairs to her room to study while Legolas went to his room and put away all his new clothes. An hour later he was finished and decided to ask Robin about the school situation, but when he found her, the girl had fallen asleep at her desk with her head resting on crossed arms. The elf smiled at the sight, She must've been very tired to have fallen asleep while doing work. He gently scooped her up from the chair and set Robin in her bed, pulling the blankets over her. Legolas brushed some black strands of hair away from her face and caught sight of the silver streak.
That's an odd color of human hair, he thought, moving his eyes to the tattoo, I wonder what that strange symbol on her skin means. His eyes roved down to the girl's hands, which were still bandaged. Her hands still retain the injuries... I'm still amazed that the knives didn't cut through her hands. I guess they're normal knives in this world. He stood up and turned off the lamp at Robin's desk before returning to his room. There's so many strange things in this world, yet I'm not frightened anymore... I'm... Curious. He changed into some loose-fitting pants and a loose shirt that he had gotten to sleep in. I'll ask Robin about everything in the morning... The elf got into bed and drifted off to sleep as the thoughts and questions still ran rampant through his head.
* * * * * * * * * *
Me being the lazy slacker that I am, I have not chosen any titles yet -_-() The contest still stands at the moment. (See the end of Chapter 1 for more details). Anyway, I thought Legolas would go from being freaked to being curious after a whole day out and about in the human world. ^_^ I've always wanted to write a story with a band in it. I'm thinking of giving Josie and Vera larger parts. Who knows, THEY might end up in the whole adventure as well. ^_^ hehehe.
SNEAK PEEK:
** Legolas walks in on Robin at the worst possible moment and discovers something that reveals something about her.
** To get off the subject of a revelation, Robin decides to call Josie and Vera over to have a tutor session with Legolas.
** Someone shows up at the house and Legolas realizes that there's competition for Robin's attention.
-For the song melody, think of a cross between Nickleback's "How You Remind Me", Hilary Duff's "Why Not", and throw in a bit of Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You." Kinda like that... o.O() I'll make the melody soon... I hope.
-Dance Dance Revolution, Karaoke Revolution, DrumMania, Guitar Freak, and Keyboard Mania all belong to Konami.
A/N: I'm SO sorry it's take so long for me to update anything, I wanted to get this chapter up after finals, but well, things got in the way.
-I made up that song when I was REALLY unhappy about my math final.... Yep, failed it... GRRR! I studied for hours! Till I had a headache X_X
-Ok, I decided that a week needs to pass in order to have Legolas' wounds heal because the fact that he has wounds hindered most of my ideas. With the shower thing, I figured that he had never seen a shower with a removable head or one at all and stuff. I'm sure they have bath tubs in Middle Earth, but I'm unsure about showers. *shrug* I figured he might freak out, but even if he wouldn't, I needed that added element for comedy ^_^
- I also figured Legolas was smart, so he can be a fast learner.
* * * * * * * * * * *
A week passed and Legolas started to become a bit more comfortable with his surroundings. Robin had ordered him to stay in bed, but whenever she left, the elf couldn't suppress his curiosity about the house and he would get up and wander around. Every night, Robin would check his injuries, put more salve on them, and then rebandage them. Since he stayed in bed while she was in the house, he would hear strange sounds coming from the downstairs or from a nearby room. One sounded like music, but he couldn't recognize the instrument and the other reminded him of rain, except it was inside. He discovered what the rain sound was one day when Robin forced him to take a shower, but when he knocked into the shower head, it fell off, which resulted in him freaking out and streaking through the house with nothing on and wet.
"LEGOLAS!" roared Robin, running after him with a pair of swim trunks she had bought for him, "Come back here! You need to take a shower!" She finally cornered him in a bedroom and she held out the trunks with one hand while the other was covering her eyes. "Put these on, now!"
Legolas looked down and realized how indecent he was. "Oh... I'm sorry!" He took the trunks and put them on. "Um... They're on..."
Robin looked at him. "Good... Now come here." She grabbed his arm and dragged him back to the shower. "Now that you have those, I can get you to take it. That shower head isn't going to hurt you!"
The girl pushed Legolas into the bath tub, turned the water on, and set up the shower. Robin showed him that the shower head was fine, but the demonstration got her soaked when he tried to use it and accidentally sprayed her with it. She threw a towel over his head and shoved some shampoo and conditioner in his arms before walking out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Legolas discarded the trunks and towel, washed his hair with the products and scrubbed himself clean, noticing that his injuries had healed, but were still a little tender and a few had scarred. Once he finished, the elf emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and he looked around for Robin. He found her in the room she gave him with a pair of pants, and a shirt.
Robin looked up at him and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "I see you're back... Uh..." Her eyes moved over his body as she stammered out some more words. "I mean... I washed your clothes and undergarments, but your... Umm... Costume is pretty much a goner at the moment. I found some pants that might fit you and the biggest shirt I have." She dropped them on the bed and gestured to the dresser and mirror. "There's a brush and comb over there." She quickly left the room. I can't believe I stared at him like that. He must think I'm a freak.
"I wonder why she was staring at me," murmured Legolas, shutting the door and dropping the towel. He pulled on the underwear, pants, and shirt, which was a bit snug on him. "This is a strange thing to wear." He brushed and combed his hair until all the tangles were gone. He heard a loud ringing go through the room and jumped in surprise. "What was that?" He heard the sound again and flung the door open to search for Robin when it cut off.
"Hello?" came Robin's voice from downstairs, "Oh! Hi, Mr. Keaton." There was a pause. "What?" Her voice sounded different. "What do you mean I failed? I studied all week for that test!" She sighed. "Yeah. Alright. I'll come in tomorrow and retake it..." She sighed again. "Yes, I know how important that test is... Ok? Bye." There was a clatter as she put the phone back on the receiver. "DAMMIT!!" There was a crash as she kicked something. "No matter how hard I try! I've come too far to fail this damn class now!"
Robin sat down on the stool to her drum set and grabbed her guitar, strumming a few notes and humming. These strange sounds brought a curious Legolas out of his room to peek down the stairs at her. The girl continued to experiment with the chords and notes until she seemed satisfied with the tune. She opened her mouth and started to sing with a melodic voice that was full of emotion. Legolas moved down the stairs to get closer, completely enthralled by the sound of Robin's voice and the expression on her face.
All through my life.
I've been told I wasn't good enough.
People put me down.
Just because I'm so different.
I've tried my best.
To show them that I can make it.
But now I see.
All my work's been in vain!
Robin stood up and started to play the guitar and sing with more vigor and zeal, adding movement as she played.
Why can't I, Get a break from reality
What the hell,
Is wrong with me?!
I've pushed and pulled,
To get through the door.
To find a place,
Where I belong.
For many years,
I've worked my fingers to the bone.
For way too long,
I've strained to show how smart I am.
Now my hands are tired,
And my brain's ready to burst!
My heart has cracked.
And my body's ready to fall apart!
Why can't I,
Get a break from reality
What the hell,
Is wrong with me?!
I've pushed and pulled,
To get through the door.
To find a place,
Where I belong.
I've been a loner for so long,
All the good things are gone now.
People still try to push me around.
But I'm not afraid,
To push them back!
Why don't you,
Just get of my back!
I'll show you,
What I can do!
I have more potential
Than you think!
I won't give up so easily!
I'll just keep fighting back!
I won't fail!
Or let you drag me down!
I will prove!
That there's more to me!
Than what you see.
Robin stopped singing and put her guitar down, sweating a bit from all the movement and passion she had put into the song. She sat down on the stool with her face in her hands, crying and breathing hard. Legolas peered around the corner to look at her instruments and saw a poster on the wall with a picture of Robin and two other girls he didn't recognize. The name 'The Muses' was written across the top in various colors and each girl had their name signed next to their picture. His eyes moved back to Robin and found her staring at him open mouthed.
"How... How long have you been there?" she asked, sounding very embarrassed as a blush rose in her cheeks.
"Um... Not very long," answered Legolas, hoping not to anger her, "What are those things?"
"What these?" said Robin, gesturing to the drums, guitar, and poster, "Oh! These are the instruments and poster for the band I'm in."
"Band?" blinked Legolas as a confused look came over his face, "What's a band?"
"It's a group of musicians," replied Robin, laughing a bit, "C'mon over here and take a seat, I won't bite." She sighed. "I'm just in a bad mood."
"Who are they?" asked Legolas, moving over to sit in a chair and pointing to the poster.
"My two best friends Josie Turner," answered Robin, pointing at the redhead, "And that's Vera Anderson." She pointed at a girl with brown hair and leafy green eyes, but her hair had two blond highlights in it. "But we're better known by our band nicknames." She chuckled a bit. "I'm Siren, Vera's known as Cadence, and Josie, much to her vexation, has been dubbed Cha Cha because of her dancing." She smiled with a nostalgic look in her eyes. "We became well known because I played our music on the radio show I do."
"What's a radio show?" asked Legolas, looking away from the poster at the guitarist.
Robin quickly muffled her laughter to speak. "Man, you are a clueless one. A radio is an electronic device and sound comes out of it. A radio show is something that people do on it. Some are mainly music, some feature voice actors, and sometimes they're just talk shows."
"Voice actor? Talk show?" said Legolas, looking even more confused, "What are those?"
Robin burst out laughing at his expression and was about to answer when the doorbell rang, causing the elf to jump up in surprise and look for the source.
"Stop being so silly," chortled Robin, heading to the door, "That was just a doorbell." She opened the door to be greeted by Josie. "Hey girl!"
"Hey, Robin," said Josie, walking in and glancing around, "Haven't seen you all week. You've been hopping from school to here like crazy." She stopped when she saw Legolas. "Oh my god! Is that the same guy you hit with your car?"
"I didn't hit him!" cried Robin in defense, "He landed on top of the hood, and yes, that is him."
"Robin... He's wearing a pink shirt," said Josie, raising an eyebrow at her friend.
"Umm... So?" muttered Robin, shrugging her shoulders, "It looks pretty good on him."
"Robin... The word 'Girl' is written on it in black letters," stated Josie in a firm tone, "You haven't bought any clothes for him, have you?"
"Umm... So what?" said Robin in reply, looking at the ceiling, "The clothes that I've found in my closet fit him... Kind of."
"Stop being so cheap, girl," sighed Josie in an exasperated voice, "We're taking him shopping today and now."
Robin rolled her eyes at her friend. "Alright, but we'll have to go to one of those discount stores. I just got my paycheck and I need to pay the rent on this place."
"Don't worry," chuckled Josie, grinning at her, "I'll help pay if you need me to, but seriously, let's find him a better shirt." She ushered Legolas upstairs and found a plain black shirt for him to wear. "I must admit, his injuries have healed nicely since I helped you first bandage them, but there are some scars."
"I know," sighed Robin as she stuffed a wallet in the pocket of her cargo pants, "I was hoping the liquid I made would get rid of those." She grabbed her keys and the three of them walked out the door. "But I'm glad they healed." She locked the door and turned, running straight into Legolas, who was staring at the car. "Um... You ok?"
"What is that... Thing?" asked Legolas, pointing at the car.
"It's called a car," replied Josie, laughing, "Or automobile. There's nothing to be afraid of... Unless Robin's driving."
"Hey! I am not a bad driver," huffed Robin, frowning at her friend, "Let's just go." She shoved Legolas towards the car. "It's not going to bite you. C'mon!"
When Josie opened the door for him, Legolas inspected every single detail of the car and how the hinges worked. Josie and Robin glanced at each other with a slightly amused, yet baffled expression on their faces. They finally managed to get the elf into the back seat and had him sit still while they buckled him up. The two girls got in the driver and passenger seats and pulled on their seat belts. When Robin slid the key into the ignition and turned the car on, Legolas jumped and looking around for the source of the strange noise. His fascination with the car and the simplest things that were normal for people on Earth made the two girls laugh.
Robin cruised down one of the main streets and made a turn, driving towards a large mall. She parked in an open spot and the two girls got out, retrieving Legolas from the back seat. Once the doors were closed, Robin pressed the lock button twice and the car honked once to signify that all doors were locked, which made the elf leap away from it. The girls laughed and led him towards the front doors, which slid open, surprising Legolas even more and despite his resistance, he was dragged inside. He stopped struggling and stared in awe at the huge space in front of him.
"Legolas, welcome to the mall," announced Josie, laughing as the girls steered him towards a nearby clothing store.
The moment they walked in the store, a woman with platinum blonde hair descended upon them with an enthusiastic look in her deep blue eyes. "Siren! Cha Cha! So good to see you again!"
"Why must people call me that," grumbled Josie, crossing her arms.
"Hello, Maureen," said Robin, smiling, "How's business?"
"It's been booming more than ever," replied Maureen, beaming at the girls, "Ever since your fans found out you shopped here, they've been coming here and looking for the same fashions." Her eyes fell on Legolas. "Ah! Who is this lovely boy?"
"This is Legolas," answered Robin, gesturing to the elf, "He needs some new clothes."
"Don't worry, darlin'," said Maureen, clapping her hands together, "We'll take good care of you." She grinned at Legolas.
The woman grabbed Legolas by the arm and dragged him off to find clothes for him. He threw a nervous glance back at Robin and Josie, but their attention had been taken by the clothing and they were rifling through the racks. For the next three hours, Legolas was shoved into the dressing room and tried on several different outfits. The two girls were also trying on clothing and every time they had a new outfit on, they would show it off to Maureen by walking down the runway that she had put in her store near the dressing rooms. Legolas was forced to model his clothing with the girls and Maureen was giving him directions and comments. A few times she shoved him back in the dressing room and said the outfit didn't work.
"Beautiful, darlin'!" praised Maureen, watching Robin show off an outfit of black pants and a light blue, bell-sleeved shirt, "Turn around." Robin did so and walked back.
"This is so much fun," giggled Josie, fashioning a red, sleeveless hoodie and jeans.
Legolas was shoved down the runway in a pair of khaki, cargo pants and a loose, green T-shirt while Maureen continued her praise. "This is odd."
The girls walked out with a few bags of clothes and Legolas had some as well, but they were bigger. The trio went to the food court to eat and Legolas was introduced to a meal called a Ramen bowl. He had a lot of problems using the chopsticks, so the girls gave him a fork and spoon. After their lunch, the three were wandering along a set of shops when something caught Josie's eye. She nudged Robin and nodded at an arcade, but then she pointed at a machine that two kids were dancing on and music was playing.
"Care to play a little Dance Dance Revolution?" asked Josie, grinning at her friend.
"Oh, yeah," replied Robin as a smile spread across her face, "Let's blow these kids away."
When it was their turn, the girls stepped up on the platform and selected their options. They did versus first with the songs on maniac and when they started dancing, the kids were cheering and clapping. The next setting they did was a unison setting, which had them coordinate their moves together because they were sharing arrows. During the unison setting the girls would switch sides and perform several freestyle moves which attracted a crowd. Josie and Robin both did three songs on double with the maniac setting. Legolas was watching with his mouth open as the girls danced, sometimes missing a beat or two, but always getting back on track.
"Oh, man, I'm beat," breathed Josie, plopping down next to Legolas, "Robin's still going. I may have the better moves, but she has the most stamina." She glanced at Legolas. "C'mon, Nature boy, go try it out." She gave Legolas a shove towards the platform where Robin finished her last run.
"Hey! Legolas, want to learn how to play?" asked Robin, smiling at him. She was sweating a bit and panting, but her adrenaline was in full gear.
"Um... I've never seen one of these before..." answered Legolas, eyeing the machine warily.
"Oh, it's easy," laughed Robin, pulling him up on the platform, "Just follow the arrows on the screen. When a left arrow hits the top, you stomp on it at the same time. Here, I'll show you the tutorial."
Robin spent a few minutes showing Legolas the ropes before they got into a song. They did a versus game for 'Boom Boom Dollar' and the girl did the basic setting to help him out a bit. When he got the hang of it, Robin kicked it up a notch and switched her setting as they did a new song. Legolas was surprised as to how easy it became once he started listening to the beat and ignored the people around him. After their three songs were over, people cheered as they exited the arcade with Josie and some were shouting their band names.
"That's always so much fun!" squealed Robin, jumping up and down, "We should come here more often."
"When we're not doing homework, jobs, or band stuff," started Josie, looking at Legolas.
"We're playing DDR or other games," finished Robin, grinning, "Mostly DDR though, that's how we've gotten so good at dancing to just about any beat. Vera's really good at playing DrumMania, which is the same thing, except you're using drum features."
"There's also Guitar Freaks and Keyboard Mania," explained Josie as the trio walked around the mall, "Though I don't know if they're in America yet, I've just read about them."
"I can't wait to get Karaoke Revolution," said Robin, laughing, "That's going to be very interesting."
"What kind of thing is all that?" asked Legolas as they wandered outside in the direction of Robin's car.
"They're called video games," laughed Josie, raising her eyebrow at the elf, "Haven't you ever seen them before?"
Legolas shook his head as Robin opened the trunk of her SUV and replied, "I've never heard of video games before... I've never seen such lights come out of a box."
Josie and Robin looked at each other as they piled their purchases in the back and then packed Legolas' stuff in before shutting the door.
"Um.. Is he joking?" asked Josie, looking at her friend.
Robin had Legolas get in the back seat of the car and went back to the red head. "No, he isn't." She glanced at the door to make sure it was closed and that Legolas couldn't hear them, but she didn't realize that the window was still open. "He said he's from some sort of other world called Middle Earth."
Legolas turned his head to peek out and listened closely as Josie answered. "Middle Earth? Is that some sort of bar?"
"That's what I thought," replied Robin, sighing, "But... Apparently not." She leaned against the car with her arms crossed. "There are so many things that he doesn't understand and doesn't know about... He can't be from Earth to have never heard of trains or cars. He's never even heard of America or the other continents."
"Hm... Could he have some sort of amnesia?" queried Josie, crossing her arms, too.
"I highly doubt it..." answered Robin, straightening up, "I think we should try to enroll him in the school and see if he can blend in. I just have this feeling that he'll need to blend in..."
"You've never lead me wrong before when you say that," said Josie, nodding to her friend, "We can tutor him on all we know about each subject and try to get him into lessons that he will be able to work in."
"He seems to be a quick learner," commented Robin, thinking about how well Legolas caught on to the DDR game.
"Let's set up tutor sessions with him and when he's ready, we'll get him enrolled," said Josie, holding out her hand, "Agreed?"
"Agreed," answered Robin, shaking her friend's hand, "This shall prove to be very interesting."
The two girls were unaware that Legolas had heard them, but instead of voicing his own opinion, the elf decided to stay silent. The idea intrigues me, he thought as the girls got in the car, Blending in might be the best thing to do. Those Dark Elves may figure out what really happened and come looking for me. If I can mix in with these humans, perhaps they won't find me. The trio went back to the house and the girls set to doing homework while Legolas went to his room to mull over what he had heard the girls talk about. Two hours later, he joined them for dinner after being called downstairs and once they had finished the meal, Josie left to go back to the dorm.
"If she's your friend, why doesn't she live here?" asked Legolas.
"Josie has a lot of early morning things and she didn't want to inconvinence me," replied Robin as she washed her plate, "She's going to move in at the end of the semester when they're over. Hopefully Vera will also be able to move in once she gets approval from the school." She chuckled a bit. "She's gotten in a bit of trouble in the past, so they wouldn't let her move into a house yet, but when they both move in it's going to be fun."
Robin finished washing the dishes and went upstairs to her room to study while Legolas went to his room and put away all his new clothes. An hour later he was finished and decided to ask Robin about the school situation, but when he found her, the girl had fallen asleep at her desk with her head resting on crossed arms. The elf smiled at the sight, She must've been very tired to have fallen asleep while doing work. He gently scooped her up from the chair and set Robin in her bed, pulling the blankets over her. Legolas brushed some black strands of hair away from her face and caught sight of the silver streak.
That's an odd color of human hair, he thought, moving his eyes to the tattoo, I wonder what that strange symbol on her skin means. His eyes roved down to the girl's hands, which were still bandaged. Her hands still retain the injuries... I'm still amazed that the knives didn't cut through her hands. I guess they're normal knives in this world. He stood up and turned off the lamp at Robin's desk before returning to his room. There's so many strange things in this world, yet I'm not frightened anymore... I'm... Curious. He changed into some loose-fitting pants and a loose shirt that he had gotten to sleep in. I'll ask Robin about everything in the morning... The elf got into bed and drifted off to sleep as the thoughts and questions still ran rampant through his head.
* * * * * * * * * *
Me being the lazy slacker that I am, I have not chosen any titles yet -_-() The contest still stands at the moment. (See the end of Chapter 1 for more details). Anyway, I thought Legolas would go from being freaked to being curious after a whole day out and about in the human world. ^_^ I've always wanted to write a story with a band in it. I'm thinking of giving Josie and Vera larger parts. Who knows, THEY might end up in the whole adventure as well. ^_^ hehehe.
SNEAK PEEK:
** Legolas walks in on Robin at the worst possible moment and discovers something that reveals something about her.
** To get off the subject of a revelation, Robin decides to call Josie and Vera over to have a tutor session with Legolas.
** Someone shows up at the house and Legolas realizes that there's competition for Robin's attention.