Revenge: A Dish Served Cold

The results from 'The Battle of the Bands' had a huge effect over school. People would go through the halls chanting 'Dorks Rule!' No longer were Brittany, Amara or Nathan looked down on or anyone else that fell under their category even the nerds were considered equals. The barrier that separated groups from each other faded and people talked to others that a couple of days ago they wouldn't have even dared to. People would actually approach members of The Dorks and ask for their autographs. Some girls even took to copying the look Amara wore on stage.

Fluffy white skirts and dork shirts were all over the girls. More people took a liking to Amara and she found herself having to sit at a different lunch table every day. Since Carie lost her bet Brittany provided her with a nice purple dinosaur suit and after school she stood outside the school shouting in a non enthusiastic voice how big a loser she was. This brought laughs to everyone. The science club even tossed their lunches at her, all laughing and snorting while committing the act.

Things were finally turning around for the four eyed teenager or so she thought. There were still more serious things at hand.

The image of her injured self replayed over and over in her dreams like a broken record. Each time the surroundings got clearer but her attacker did not. This dream haunted her for weeks now and prevented her from a decent sleep but she kept this to herself. It was a silly dream that made no sense so why should she bother anyone else with it? Waking up at 3 am became a ritual for her, but despite her bad dreams she was glad that when she did wake and decided to watch the television down stairs, Legolas would come and join her.

Through this particular night the dream scared Amara to no end. This time it did not start off in a quiet forest but in L. A. on a street not too far from her house. Her skin felt chilly and rubbing her arms she felt the goose bumps which dotted them. The air stood unnaturally still and no one was insight. A noise alerted her that someone was behind her.

Slowly turning around there was that figure dressed all in black walking towards her. Amara took steps backward, but the space in between her and the figure seemed to be shrinking.

"Who are you?" She spoke in a shaky voice. The figure did not answer and there was no space between them anymore. A sharp pain went through her stomach over and over again. The figure abandoned her running off. Just before falling to the ground Legolas' face reached her eyes.

She woke up patting her stomach reassuringly. The morning light shined brightly on her face. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she got up and dressed not even noticing what she was putting on. Walking like a zombie down the stairs, Amara barely heard her mother ranting on about Legolas' hair.

"It's so beautiful, you should really think about cutting it."

Legolas smiled politely, "Thank you for the suggestion."

Mrs. Hathaway frowned as Amara walked by paying them no heed.

"Not like Amara's." She lifted up a few strands of her hair before she passed her by. Amara jerked her head back already annoyed with her mother. She was like a bad tick you couldn't get rid of. She was not in the mood for that type of thing.

She poured herself a tall glass of orange juice and pulled out aspirin from the cabinet. A drum was playing loudly in her head. It was Sunday which met to her dismay that everyone would be home. The serene atmosphere that usually floated through the home would be replaced by Sunday night football and the mindless jibber of her mother. Swallowing the aspirin down she jumped seeing Legolas in front of her.

Legolas studied the girl in front of him. She usually reduced herself to worrying about a different problem every week or thinking lowly of herself, if she wasn't watching television or scarfing down a different cereal every now and then. Today she looked as if she hadn't slept for months. There were dark circles under her usually vibrant eyes and her shirt was on backwards.

"You look terrible."

"Gee thanks." Amara downed the rest of her juice and hoped the aspirin would set in soon. He knew well of her sleepless nights. How she'd wonder downstairs to watch television and having nothing else to do he would join her. Never did he wonder why she got up at ungodly hours of the night and he hadn't asked her why she was not sleeping.

Amara stood there in a daze not noticing still Legolas was with her.

"Today I must meet with Brittany for a short while. Afterwards would you like to go to the park?" He asked referring to the park that she had shown him. They had been a few times, when he was not busy that is.

Snapping from her day dream she nodded. "Sure."

Legolas slowly turned from her. She usually tried to pry him for answers to where he was going but not this time. When he left, Amara went back to her room hardly noticing that luggage crowded around the door. Not caring about what the luggage was about, she sprawled across a sloppy bed and stared at the posters on her wall. Her body was sleep deprived and she desperately wanted a peaceful slumber to over take her body.

The sun had set, rumbles and rapid movements went on throughout the house and Amara paid them no heed. It was as if she were dead to the world. Her phone rang and she looked at it blankly. Cursing to herself for buying the damn gadget she picked the phone and answered warily, "Hello."

"It's me Nathan. I was wondering if w-we could talk in person?"

Amara stifled the butterflies in her stomach and groaned into the phone. "Now really isn't the best time." She knew it would be about what he revealed to her of the battle of the bands. She liked Nathan as a friend but another part of her thought that there was maybe more to her feelings. Right now she didn't know and didn't need confusion to over take her brain.

There was a pause and Nathan stuttered. "A-alright could we talk sometime t- tomorrow?"

"I'd like that." Amara tried to sound cheery not wanting to hurt him.

"Cool, bye."

Amara hung up the phone and slumped on her bed. Just when she thought talking to people was done, her mother and father entered her room. Without knocking she noted. They stood in front of her bed. The smoke from her mother's cigarette spread through her room making her cough. She sat up and glared dangerously at her mother.

"We won't be here May 18th so here." Her father handed her a brightly colored envelope. Excepting it she looked between the two of them confused. "Where are you going?"

"To Chicago, some of our old friends there invited us to see there new house." Her mother took another puff of her cigarette. She shook her head not accepting this. May 18th was an important date for her. May 18th was the day when she turned an official adult. It was in a few weeks and was the only thing she looked forward to.

"You're going to Chicago on one of the most important days of my life?"

Her mother frowned, "Don't make it sound so dramatic. Turning eighteen is not that important."

'What do you mean it's not important? I suppose it's like all my school plays you've missed or my concerts I've played in or my award ceremony for making the honor roll. I guess those weren't important either!"

This quickly heated Amara making her forget about the dreams, Nathan and everything else. They were never there, no one was. Her whole life was just a cruel joke nobody cared about.

"This is not about us missing those things," Mr. Hathaway shot at her.

"Then what is it about?" She waited for an explanation and her father was quick to give her one.

"We never enjoyed the things you did nor took an interest."

What that statement had to do with why they wouldn't stay for her birthday she did not know but angered her more. "So it doesn't mean you couldn't be there for me." She clenched her fist in anger wrinkling the colored envelope her parent's had given her.

"You don't get it do you? You're not as bright as we thought." Her mother tossed her cig butt in the trash can looking highly pissed.

What was there to get, they were leaving like usual.

"You don't look like us; you don't act like either of us. You show NO resemblance to either side of our families," Her father crossed his arms staring at her with serious eyes that almost scared her. He continued talking in a stern voice.

"When the doctors brought you back after they had clothed you and what not your 'mother' held you in her arms and took one look at you and looked at me and said 'She has blue eyes.' You aren't our daughter. You never were. When you got pushed around at school, let other's get to you, we knew you weren't ours."

"Because our daughter wouldn't have taken that. There has been nothing but strong self esteem in our family," Mrs. Hathaway finished for her husband. "You were probably switched at birth because there is no possible way we could have produced a daughter like you."

Their words stung Amara to no end. So many emotions welled up inside of her. Staring blankly at the both of them, she stood unable to say anything and dropped the meaningless card to the floor and ran, ran from her room, from her house and from her 'parents' life.

Brad's P.O.V

(A/N: I know he's a jerk but I need to get into his mind for a minute.)

There is nothing left for me. My life is meaningless since I've lost everything. It's all because of her I have no girl friend, I lost my scholarship and the relationship between me and my parents is fucked up. I've lost everything and what's she lost? She is valedictorian, probably going to an IV league school and word has it she goes with that Adam. Her future is set and mine has crumbled in front of me.

Tonight, this night she will pay. Mark my words she will pay. Screw the consequences that I might have to face for what I'm bout to do. It won't matter cause I've got nothin' to look to in the future. I threw on a jacket and put gloves on my hands. The knife I had took from a friend's house, I slipped into the pocket of my jacket.

Easily I walked from the front door with no notice from my parents. My destination being where ever the one who ruined my life was. My life was gone and so would hers.

End of Brad's P.O.V.

Amara walked briskly through a familiar street, not caring where her feet took her. Tears slid freely from her eyes and she let them fall one after the other. She figured maybe she would end up walking to the place where she often went when she needed to be by herself, her special park. When her 'parents' said those harmful things she felt her identity slip between her fingers. If she wasn't Amara Hathaway who was she?

She was unwanted.

—Even on a day like this when you're crawling on the floor,

Reaching for the phone to ring anyone who knows you anymore,

It's all right to make mistakes, you're only human,

Inside everybody's hiding something—

People pushed by the unwanted girl paying no regard to her tear stained face. 'I'm alone,' she thought. 'Who am I?' She never really acknowledged the fact that she didn't look like her parents but what they said brought everything to light. Amara turned a corner, easily breaking from the crowd of people and walked down a secluded sidewalk thinking that her whole life was a shame.

Footsteps echoed behind her but she paid no attention lost in her brain. It was until they got faster did she turn around her teary eyes met the dark figure from her dreams, though this time the face was visible.

"B-Brad," she chocked out.

"You ruined my life."

Amara took steps backward getting scared. He moved quickly so there was no space between them. Amara turned to run but Brad grabbed her arm and jerked her roughly back. It was evident that being a jock paid off for his muscles. His free hand pulled out a nice sized knife. Opening her mouth she attempted to scream but her covered her mouth with a dark gloved hand.

—Staring at the same four walls,

Have you tried to help yourself?

The rings around your eyes they don't

hide that you need to get some rest.
It's alright to make mistakes you're only human,
Inside everybody's hiding something,
Take time to catch your breath and choose your moment,
Don't Slide—

Struggling, kicking and biting she tried to free herself from Brad's grasp but nothing worked, he dragged her into a dark alley. Her mind feared the worst. He pressed her against the cold wall, looking fondly at the knife he held.

"I lost everything, my chance to go to college to impress my parents, my spot on the football team. Can you imagine the way coach looked at me when he found out my grades were slipping?" He pressed her more against the wall a chilling glint in his eyes. Amara shook her head desperately trying to pry Brad's hand from her mouth.

"Didn't think so. You messed up everything for me and all you had to do was let me COPY your work!" He left out the fact he had her writing his term papers and any other assignment.

It was all going to end here, her life which became a puzzle to herself. Not willing to let her life go so easily, she pushed Brad to escape but he pushed her back pinning her again to the wall.

"Goodbye," was his last word to her before he stuck the knife into her. He muffled her screams with his hand. Tears slid from her eyes once more. No sympathy or remorse was held in Brad's eyes as he stabbed her repeatedly. He enjoyed the feeling of sliding his knife in and out of various parts of her stomach. Brad had gone mental, taking on the acts of a mad man.

Fighting to stay conscious she brought her hand to Brad's wrist and dug her finger nails as hard as she could into his flesh. First he didn't notice but the breaking on skin causes anyone pain.

"Son of a bitch," He yelled abandoning his knife which was still inside his victim to examine his hand. Amara took this time to yell as loud as her lungs allowed her to. In a panic, looking from the alley's entrance to the girl who held her stomach on her knees, he bolted not knowing what to do.

Struggling to breath and holding on to the knife still stuck into her, she crawled slowly from the alley. The bricks on the building helped her get a grip and stand.

"Help!" She managed to scream before her lungs gave up and she collapsed but not before seeing the shocked face of Legolas.

Coming back from Brittany's house Legolas realized that he had told Amara he would accompany her to the park. He rubbed his temples completely forgetting, which was rare for an elf. Today she had looked the most horrible he had ever seen her. The lack of sleep had proven to him that it began to take its toll on her. Figuring out a shortcut among the vast city, the elf walked down an unusually quiet walkway, until a fearful voice met his ears.

"Help!"

Quickly breaking from his thoughts, he looked up to see Amara fall to the ground. Breaking from shock he rushed to her. The crimson liquid spread to his fingers as he gently lifted half her body onto his lap. Her breathing was raspy and he could tell just doing that was hard for her.

"What happened?" He asked masking the worry in his elven voice. Amara paid no attention to the question but the knife prodding from her. She touched her blood soaked shirt and brought her fingers to her eyes. Seeing her own blood she began to panic.

"Calm down Aidulin, calm down." Legolas saw her eyes grow big and she began to move within his hold.

"It hurts L-Legolas. I-It hurts."

"Shh," he soothed while stroking her hair. He grasped the handle of the knife and pulled it out. Her chest moved quickly up and down. He saw more blood gush from the wound, more blood than usual. Lifting up her shirt it was revealed to him multiple stab wounds across her belly.

"We need to get you to some type of healer."

Amara barely heard his word for she was leaving; her mind was being enveloped by darkness.

—Even at a time like this when the morning seems so far,

Think that pain belongs to you but it's happened to us all,
It's alright to make mistakes you're only human,
Inside everybody's hiding something
Take time to catch your breath and choose your moment
Don't Slide—


Legolas saw her slipping from consciousness. "Amara you must stay with me!" Her eyes closed and she shook her head. A noise caught Legolas' ears. Hesitating he looked up from the girl. A shop owner came from his store and was looking at them with wild eyes.

"Could you help us?" Legolas asked urgently. The man nodded his head.

"I'll call 911." Legolas supposed that meant he would contact a healer. Though his long fingers held her blood on them he continued her stroke her hair to try to bring some comfort to her.

'Who would commit such an act,' he pondered.

This type of action was gruesome, even though he had seen worse protecting the borders of Mirkwood. Amara was young and deserved to be happy not lying here bleeding all over the ground. Legolas gently paced a hand over Amara's chest to make sure her heart was still beating. It was but faintly. The shop owner returned outside, this time approaching them.

"Aidulin who has harmed you?" He whispered looking at her pale face that held a look of pain.

"An ambulance is on its way. What happened here?" The old man asked looking at the poor girl. Legolas shook his head, "She was stabbed. I need to stop the bleeding. Do you have any cloth?"

Quickly thinking the man took his jacket off and gave it to Legolas. Ignoring Amara's constant squeezes on the blue jeans he wore, he lifted her shirt and applied pressure to her injuries until sirens could be heard rushing down the street.

Legolas looked up as two people took out a stretcher from the back of the ambulance.

"What happened here?" One of the paramedics asked the shop owner while the other checked Amara's wounds while also speaking to Legolas.

"Seems the girl got stabbed a bunch of times," the shop owner said every now and then looking back at the girl who struggled for her life.

The paramedic checked her vitals and Legolas placed her gently on the stretcher. In her state of semi-unconsciousness she grabbed his hand as the two paramedics began to push her towards the ambulance.

"Will you be riding with her?" one of the medics asked. Legolas nodded squeezing her hand back and following.

"Thank you." He shouted to the store owner before the doors of the ambulance were closed shut.

The sirens were back on and the paramedics were doing their best to keep Amara stable. Legolas held onto her hand silently asking the Valar to let her be okay.

"Brad." Amara kept whispering over and over. 'What does she speak of?' He wondered then it dawned on him. It was Brad who caused his Aidulin to be in great amounts of pain. He pushed away the up rising anger away and focused on holding her hand doing all he could for her right now. All the while Amara kept muttering his name.

When they arrived at the hospital, they wheeled Amara into the E.R. She still held onto Legolas. More and more doctors began to crowd around her making it hard for Legolas to hold on to her hand. He felt her small fingers slip from his grasp and could only watch as the doctors turned a corner rushing her into a room.

—You brought this on yourself and it's high time you left it there
Lie here and rest your head and dream of something else instead.
Don't Slide
Don't Slide...—

Legolas stood and imagined Amara there, as if she were right in front of him and nothing about her was hurt. She was happy like he wanted her to be. She had done so much for him, helped him when he knew no other, she did not deserve this. A petite nurse stood reassuring him that she was in good hands and that he shouldn't worry. But how could he not Amara, small bird he had deemed her was on the brink of death, his small bird.