Teaching Her

Heaving heavy breaths, her legs carried her as fast as they could go. Clutching the thick manila envelope to her chest she dared not to look back. Lungs filling like they were about to explode she quickly turned a corner and rested against the wall of a building. Her chest moved up and down in quick motions. Squeezing her eyes shut she hoped to disappear but that was not going to happen.

"There she is get her!"

Snapping back Amara took off again. 'Every time this happens no one ever seems to be around,' she thought. Her backpack added more weight making it harder to run.

"Get back here dorkwad," Brad shouted.

Soon Amara's legs could carry her no more. She slowed and turned around to face what awaited her. Her dark blue eyes held no emotion but just stared at the pack of boys coldly. She held the envelope tighter her knuckles turning white.

"How come I got a D on the science paper you wrote for me?"

Amara didn't answer just glared at him. Brad walked up to her, his brown eyes flashed with anger. He grabbed Amara's shirt.

"You do this on purpose?"

"Maybe."

Brad growled. "You bitch, you cost me a spot on the football team." With a nod to his two friends came fourth, both of them holding one of her arms. The manila envelope dropped to the ground and went unnoticed to the boys. They had more important things at hand. Amara tried to wrench her arms from the boys but they were too strong.

"When will you ever learn?" Brad asked shaking his head. Her body tensed knowing what was to come.

Limping home Amara grasped the manila envelope loosely in her hand. Twisting the knob and entering the house she let the straps of her backpack slide down her sore arms. This was a regular for her. She went up to the bathroom and took a long shower, letting the water drip across her hurt face. Standing there she did nothing but think about how much she hated her life.

Finally Amara stepped out of the shower, dried off and got dressed. She took a moment to look at herself in the mirror. Her lower lip supported a cut and the bruise under her eye began to turn a dark color. Pulling her hair into a ponytail she sighed and left to go downstairs. She tugged the algebra book from her backpack and sat at the kitchen table mulling over solving equations.

As she furthered with her homework drops of blood made their mark on her paper. Amara put down her pencil and felt her lip. Looking at her fingers blood was spread on them. Silently cursing she made a move to get a tissue but didn't have to. In front of her face was the tissue she desired and a certain elf holding it.

Legolas saw the blood on Amara's lip as he entered the kitchen and hastily grabbed a tissue. Amara couldn't bring herself to look up at him but took the tissue and gave him a whispered thank you.

"What happened?" He asked.

She could here the concern in his voice. Amara shook her head and after wiping her lip resumed her homework. Legolas sat across the table from her. She tried to ignore him; she tried to ignore the feeling of frustration that ebbed inside of her. She dropped her pencil and the sound of it hitting the table echoed within her ears.

A battle played in her, a result of taking years of abuse from Brad. He was partly the reason for her problems. Grabbing her hair in aggravation she snarled deeply. Legolas just sat there. He had taken it upon himself to settle his blue orbs upon Amara, silently waiting.

She squirmed in her chair feeling his eyes on her, she looked up.

"Tell me what happened. What bothers you so?"

Amara managed an answer that came out muffled.

"Excuse me?" Legolas asked patiently.

"I get beat up a lot okay? It's no big deal."

"By whom?" He saw the bruise under her eye and concern grew within him.

"Brad," she answered in a whisper.

Legolas remembered the boy who Amara hid from in the mall. He was much bigger in size than Amara.

"He is the one who caused this?"

Nodding, Amara got up and retrieved the ice pack she kept handy in the fridge and pushed it to her eye.

"And what did you do? Did you fight back at all?" Legolas asked standing.

"You're kidding right? You've seen Brad he's twice the size of me. Plus it's kinda hard to do anything when you have two boys pinning you down."

Legolas shook his head. "I've seen my share of bullies Amara and the only way to take care of a bully is to fight them back."

Amara sat back down and lifted the cold ice pack from her eye. Putting her glasses back on she looked at Legolas as if he had gone crazy.

"Legolas stop fooling. If I went up against Brad you'd be scrapping me up from the road, besides I can't fight...I don't know how to."

The reason she took all this abuse Legolas knew, was because no one had ever bothered to care for her.

"I will teach you."

Amara looked at him surprised.

Brittany sat on her friend's lawn chair. Amara's red headed companion had come over for help with her homework but instead got to watch a rare show which began to unfold right in front of her.

'A hot elf teaching my best friend how to fight could this get any better?' She thought. Brittany snacked on popcorn amused as she watched Legolas show Amara a fighting stance. Personally, she thought her friend would never be able to pull this off, she was too clumsy. The sun glistened down on them, it was another warm afternoon.

Amara couldn't believe she was out in her backyard learning how to fight.

"Now your feet have to be a bit apart." Legolas instructed.

Amara looked down at her feet and spread them apart, "Like this?"

"Yes perfect."

"Now what?"

"Okay pretend that I am Brad what would you do?"

Amara turned around and ran. Laughs came from the deck where Brittany was.

Legolas rubbed his forehead with a hand. 'This is going to take awhile,' he thought.

"Amara come back," he beckoned.

Amara resumed to her spot and looked at Legolas with a shrug.

"Never run from your enemies it shows that they have power over you."

Nodding Amara said, "Don't run got it."

"Now hit me," Legolas said confidently.

Amara gave him a look of confusion, "Huh?"

"Hit me right here." He tapped the side of his jaw with a finger.

"Are you sure?"

"He needs to see what he's workin' with hit him already! But not too hard!" Brittany shouted comfortably from her seat.

She balled up her fist and prepared to swing. Legolas stood calmly waiting for the blow to come. Right in the middle of her fist moving in motion towards the elf's face she dropped it.

Shaking her head she said, "I can't do this."

"Amara you will never know unless you try. You can not hurt me."

"But what if I do?"

"Trust me," he smiled. "You will not."

"Alright," she shrugged and threw a punch at him.

Skillfully Legolas dodged the through and grabbed Amara's arm forcing it behind her.

"I told you, you would not harm me"

"Okay ow this kinda hurts." She writhed under his form grasp. Legolas quickly let go of her.

"I have a lot of work to do and little time to do it in," he said to himself as he saw Amara back away and began to stare into outer space. Legolas observed Amara like she was his prey. Amara dug her shoe into the ground, her thick pony tail clouding her face. She smacked on a piece of bubble gum Brittany gave her, knowing that they were bad for her braces. She absentmindedly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

Amara had a problem with trying and he was going to push her until she didn't. They worked all afternoon. Legolas teaching Amara how to correctly fight without a weapon even though Amara begged for him to show her how to use his elven knives. He refused saying it was too dangerous.

When ever she made a mistake Legolas made her run laps around the spacious backyard. Legolas tripped her as she ran towards him in attack. He looked at her sternly as she struggled to catch her breath on the ground.

"That was a dirty trick!" She yelled out of breath.

Run was his only word to her.

Her face screwed up in confusion. "What."

"Run. Ten laps around the perimeter."

Amara laughed. "You're kidding right?"

The look on Legolas face told Amara he was far from kidding. Grumbling she got up and started to run. Legolas stood on the deck watching Amara struggle to go around.

"And you're making her run laps because…?" Brittany asked taking amusement in watching her friend suffer.

"To build strength."

Brittany nodded understanding.

Finally after an hour Amara managed to get through the laps it was time to work on her swing once more.

"Put all your strength and anger into this one punch." Legolas instructed.

"I don't know if I can."

He understood what she meant. She wasn't angry enough to throw a real punch. She needed prodding in the right places. Legolas nodded and walked around her. Amara felt strange having the elf study her.

"We need to find a point, a point which triggers your anger. Could it perhaps be Brad and how you allow him to take advantage of you?"

Amara's eyebrows creased.

"Could it be that he makes your life so miserable that every morning that you wake you wish you would just fall back into the slumber from whence you came?"

Anger rose in Amara. This elf is really starting to piss me off, she thought.

"Or could it be as simple as no one caring?"

Brittany scooted to the edge of her chair. It was getting dark so she could barely make out the two in the yard but what she could make out was that her best friend was getting very angry.

"Holy shit she's gonna clock him," she whispered.

Her chest moving up in down and with the anger blinding her, her hand curled up. Without thinking she hit Legolas square in the jaw. Quickly as it came she snapped out of her daze and shook her fist that burned with pain.

Legolas rubbed his jaw, "You pack quite a punch." He smiled briefly complimenting her.

"Oh I'm sorry Leggles," she said using the nickname that had grown on her for him. "I didn't hurt you too bad did I?"

"No not too much."

"Good then you can carry me inside I'm beat."

At saying that Brittany was up. "Not before me."

The two girls sat in their pajamas giggling over a magazine and a tub of ice cream. Legolas sat on Amara's bed in a shirt and pajama pants. He held his bow in his hands and was looking over it.

"Anyone could look good in those jeans," Brittany ranted.

Amara seemed to be more interested in reading the articles than looking at the pictures.

"God Amara, I swear you're such a book worm." Brittany said crossing her arms.

"And you're a science nerd," she countered. "Oh that reminds me." Amara spun around in her chair and opened a drawer in her desk. A manila envelope she held in her hands. She pulled a thick stack of papers from the envelope and bounced on her bed making Legolas look up from his bow.

"Guess what I've got."

"Transfer papers?"

Amara frowned, "How did you know."

"I read the title Amara," Legolas said no expression on his face.

She nodded, "Right they're transfer papers."

"What are you up to?" Brittany asked eyeing her friend.

Amara shrugged an innocent look on her face. "I just planned on having Leggles here go to our school."

Brittany chocked on her ice cream. "You can't do that to this poor elf." She said rushing over to Legolas and motioning towards him.

"Surely school can not be as bad as you make it to be Brittany." Legolas put his bow aside to pay more attention to the conversation.

"It is and trust me you won't like it."

"What is so bad about it?"

This simple question sent Brittany into answering in hysterics. "The awful slop they serve for lunch. The homework that lasts for-"

Amara covered her friend's mouth. "You don't want to spend your whole time on Earth in my washed up house do you?"

Legolas frowned deep in thought. "I suppose this could be something to experience."

"Yes yes something to experience." Amara wagged a finger agreeing.

"Is there an echo in here?" Brittany asked still angry that her Amara shut her up.

"And you could meet new people but please only stick to meeting people on the chess and or math club."

"I think I will go along with your idea." Legolas confirmed.

Happy that Legolas was going to go along with the scheme, she rested her head on her pillow.

"Do you mind getting the hell out of my room now? I'm kinda tired from all those freakin' laps you made me run."

Legolas took one look at Amara and couldn't contain his laughter.

She held on tight to the straps of her backpack after coming from the office of her school to turn in Legolas' transfer papers. The sidewalks were quiet and the only thing to keep her company was her own shadow. Amara knew soon they would be following her, especially since she didn't redo his science paper. Nerves racked her insides as she sensed a presence following her, and then came the cat calls.

He followed her in the shadows watching her every move. He could tell that she was nervous. Her eyes were cast down to the cracks in the sidewalk. He made sure he was well hidden from her view. To see him could change what she had to do. He saw the group of five tormenting Amara and knew how much it had to hurt, but with all the lessons Legolas gave her he hoped she would try.

"Hey Amara, you geek ya didn't redo that paper like I asked!" Brad called a heavy frown own his face.

Amara kept walking at a steady pace. Her brain trying to ignore the insults being thrown at her.

"Why don't you stop walking?" A boy called.

"You scared? That's it guys she's scared." Brad laughed.

Gathering up her nerves she turned around to face them. Brad shot a smile towards his friends and walked towards Amara. He looked at her like she was a piece of trash.

"Now I can't even turn that damn homework in and it's all your fault." He shoved her a bit and Brad's friends stated to laugh.

Remember always try to avoid a fight by first talking

Legolas' words echoed through her mind as she desperately tried to remember them.

She cleared her throat, "Well maybe...maybe you should start doing your own homework."

Brad nodded. Amara almost let out a sigh of relief.

"I should start doing my own homework. I DON'T THINK SO!"

The boys all laughed.

"Why do my own homework and fail when I can have you do it and pass?" He shoved her again.

Legolas watched the scene before him with baited breath. "Try Amara. Stand up for yourself."

Amara stood her ground not running like she usually did. She held her eyes on Brad not daring to move.

"Great just stand there it'll make pounding you more easy." Brad gave a nod and the usual two boys came forward to pin her down.

"No."

The two stopped in their tracks.

"What did you say," asked Brad.

"I said no, I'm not gonna let you beat me up anymore."

The boys ignored her and continued to advance. Both boys grabbed each one of her arms.

"You're gonna wish you did my homework right." Just as Brad started to aim his round fist at her stomach Amara elbowed one of the boys holding her in the ribs. He quickly let go to hold his rib cage. Quickly, she turned to the other boy and kneed him in the crotch.

Legolas frowned from his hiding spot still watching his pupil. "I never taught her that."

Amara almost laughed as the boy grabbed his family jewels falling to the ground. Brad stepped in fuming with anger but he never had a chance to touch her. Amara channeled all her anger towards him all those years she let him pick on her and it was that one punch that sent Brad stumbling backwards and his friends running.

"I'll get you!" He screamed mockingly holding a bloody nose.

Smiling to herself she dusted off her hands. The feeling of accomplishment and triumph spread throughout her whole being. Finally she had stood up to Brad who had tormented her for too long. The sound of someone clapping came from across the street.

Looking over a clouded figure caught her eye. 'Legolas,' she thought and smiled even brighter.

'I knew she could do it,' he thought looking at the frizzy dark haired girl before him.

All Amara could do was mouth a soundless thank you to the elf. All because of him she tackled one of her fears. She saw him mouth a 'you're welcome' back with a bright grin. She then walked home feeling as weightless and bruise less as any cloud in the sky.