Chapter 6: The Mall Part Two

A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating yesterday, I was really busy, I apologize, it won't happen again. Anyways this chapter was so much fun to write, trying to figure out every one's modern day style. Some were random (not many), most were based on their personalities, and a couple were based on a picture from deviantART. Now maybe, just maybe, I'll draw the Fellowship modernized from this story, including Diana and Andrew :) When it's posted I'll post a link in the authors note of the chapter that I'm writing at the time. Also, I don't know about you guys, but personally I have been dying to write a chapter in Merry's P.O.V and I just wanted to let you guys know, it will happen, I'm waiting for the opportune moment :) So I hope you enjoy the chapter, it's in Boromir's P.O.V. By the way, so anyways ya enjoy!

We all walked into the mall, and gasped. There were hundreds of people walking around, hundreds. The building looked huge from the outside, but inside... it was the size of any castle I had ever seen, bigger even.

At first I wasn't too excited at the idea of buying 'modern' clothes. I didn't want to build any roots here, this was temporary, as soon as we could we would be back in Middle Earth, destroying the ring, doing what we were supposed to be doing. But as time passed, about a week, I began to realize that there were so many opportunities here, we could stay a while, couldn't we? The one thing though, that I couldn't stop worrying about, was Faramir. What was happening back home? There was nothing to worry about though, Faramir is very capable of handling himself, I'm sure he would be fine...

The halflings were all very excited, running back and forth, looking at everything. Everybody was, except me. I was excited of course, but I couldn't let it show after a week and a half of brooding and sulking about this, it just wouldn't do. I had to smile though, seeing everybody like this- it was wonderful.

Diana led us into the first store, she said it was called 'Aeropostale'. We all looked around, I didn't see anything that appealed to me particularly, but the others did. Sam was looking at short sleeved shirts, in bright colours, blue and green. Legolas was holding up a pair of what Diana said was called 'skinny jeans' and asking Gimli what he thought of them. Pippin and Merry seemed interested in sweaters that zipped up, with hoods, they were called hoodies I think. Frodo was on his own in a different corner of the store, looking at pictures on the wall of people wearing lots of black, chains as jewelry and rings in their noses, lips and ears. Some of them were even wearing makeup. I thought it a very odd style, but I asked Frodo about it.

"You seem very interested in the way these people dress, are you not?"

"I am, I like it actually. They dress differently from others obviously but they don't let that stop them from wearing what they want." From the way he spoke you could tell he had been studying the pictures for some time. He wandered off into the store, and while he didn't find many things, he did seem to like a pair of black jeans, skinny jeans. A couple of black shirts, and something I had never heard of, a paint for your nails, Diana was telling him. He seemed to like the black paint so he took it and dropped it in his basket.

Everyone seemed ready to go so we followed Diana to the front of the store, and she used something called a credit card to pay for everything, it was her mother's apparently.

We walked out of the store and those who had gotten things seemed very excited with them. Diana took us into another store. "Aragorn, Boromir, you two in particular may find things here that you like," she said with a smile on her face. I doubted it, but followed the rest of the group in anyways.

Any doubts I had about this store immediately vanished from my mind the moment I walked in. Another side of me had an instant attraction to these clothes. Back home in Middle Earth, clothes were mostly functional, the only ones who had any style were those of higher born families. But these...

There were pants, black and smooth looking that appealed to me instantly. White button up shirts with collars, and black jackets, as smooth as the pants. I instantly grabbed everything in the store and calmly walked into the change room. Everyone was waiting outside, they wanted to see what I looked like, and I realized something, why do I even bother acting bored and brooding? I walk out of the change room with a huge smile on my face and everybody cheered. I got lots of compliments and I decided I liked how I looked, I changed out of the clothes and went around the store gathering more clothes that I loved, and Aragorn also found clothes he liked. Khaki pants and button up shirts as well, but much more casual, sleeves rolled up and in a few more colours. I left the store surprisingly excited about this new life.

We continued to walk around the mall. Everybody got more things, Legolas was really into the skinny jeans and v-neck t-shirts. Merry and Pippin loved the hoodies, baggy jeans and shirts with pictures on them, Pippin even got a really brightly coloured hat. Frodo got lots of black shirts, black skinny jeans, chains, a pair of shoes called converse, and a set of headphones and a small music player, he was really seemed to like modern music I guess. Gimli had a whole different style, leather jackets, ripped denim vests, leather, black and regular denim pants, he was really into it. And I got a pair of sunglasses that looked amazing with my new style.

Diana suggested that we stop for lunch, and she had a suggestion for what to do after. The food court was busier than the rest of the mall, if that was even possible. We all got something different, I got a Teen Burger from A&W and one of their so called 'famous' root beers, and fries which were apparently some form of potato. The food was actually really good and addicting, the minute I finished I wanted more. The halflings all ordered and shared what was called a pizza, which is some kind of bread, topped with cheese and a sauce made of tomatoes, and then various other things that they could choose to put on it. It actually looked really good and Diana promised that we could all try it sometime.

After we all finished eating, Diana pulled her computer out of her bag and told us to gather around. She showed us pictures of people with piercings, holes in their bodies that jewelry could be inserted into.

"While we're here I was wondering if any of you were interested in getting a piercing, is anybody game? In case you haven't noticed I have one in each ear." Diana pulled back her hair to reveal a small silver hoop hanging from each ear. I had to admit to myself that I was intrigued, not in anything fancy, maybe just one, in my ear. But I wasn't sure.

Frodo said quietly, "I think I might want a few piercings." I saw that coming, he was looking at the pictures of the people in the store with piercings.

"What kind of piercings did you have in mind Frodo? Ear lobes? Cartilage? Lip, nose, eyebrow? Belly button?"

"Maybe a lip piercing, and a couple of ear piercings," he replied.

She smiled, "Awesome, anyone else?"

Legolas, Gimli and Merry volunteered. I still couldn't decide. We all walked over to a place in the mall where piercings could be done. As we walked in I figured, what the heck, why not? I spoke up. "Hey Diana, I think I want a piercing in my ear."

She gave her famous smile, "Cool."

Frodo went first. He picked out a silver ring for his lip and two small fake diamonds for his ears. I watched as the needle went through his lip and his eyes closed and he winced. The ring went into the new hole in his lip and he smiled when he saw it. The same process for his ears passed and he hopped off the chair with a grin on his face that I had never seen before.

Legolas got a bigger fake diamond in his left ear. Gimli got a stud in his nose. Merry got a small fake diamond in each ear, and a small hoop higher on his left ear. Everybody seemed fairly pleased with their brand new piercing(s). Then it was my turn and I felt slightly nervous as I sat into the chair. I choose the earring and told the girl that I wanted it into my right ear. She asked me if I was ready and I nodded. She held something to my ear, I felt a pinch and she said it was over. Incredible. It felt like nothing and when I looked into the mirror I was incredibly pleased.

Diana called her mother on the phone, to tell her to bring the car back. Her mother drove up and asked who all was going first. I wanted to stick around for a while so I let the others volunteer first.

Eventually her mother came back for the last time. I climbed in the front seat and did up my seat belt, Merry and Diana went in the back talking and laughing about something unknown to anyone else but themselves. It was obvious that Merry had feelings for the girl, he made it quite obvious. I wondered if she felt the same. I looked back, unbeknownst to them. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed and he was blushing lightly. When she turned to look out the window I saw her blush as well as smile, not her smile that she gave us all, one that was smaller, and portrayed happiness. I couldn't help but smile when I turned around. Diana's mother made eye contact with me and nodded her head towards Diana and Merry and smiled, which I smiled back to.

We got to the house and I rushed upstairs to change into my new clothes and I had a good feeling about this place.

A/N: How did you guys like it? That was the most fun chapter to write so far, it was cool to write in Boromir's POV. It was hard to decide who was gonna get what piercing, I didn't know if I was gonna do that part at all but I figured why not? Tell me how you liked it, cause I love this chapter. I was gonna do haircuts, but then realized that I couldn't bear to cut anyone's hair, especially Legolas :) I've got this awesome idea for another chapter, probably the chapter after the next one, so just wait, it'll be awesome :) So anyways please review if you liked, if you didn't tell me what you would like changed, and I'll do my best to fix whatever :)