Silent Farewell Part 2

Time ticked slowly by as Amara finished restocking a rather large bookshelf. She felt a little crabby after her orthodontist appointment. It wasn't much longer until her braces could come off so the orthodontist decided to tighten the wires. She took some aspirin for the pain and it was just starting to take effect.

"Take the register." Her mean looking heavy set boss said. Even though she had showed her no sympathy for what happened to her, she was pleased with that fact. For it made her feel like things were back to normal.

Pulling her hair into a pony tail she went to relieve the new guy from ringing up other's books. He thanked her and went on his break. Amara put on a smile for the elderly lady and picked up the book she wished to purchase. Sometimes if you paid attention to what type of book a person picked out, you could tell what type of person they were. Amara learned that her first day on the job.

"You look like such a lovely young lady. What is your name?" The older woman asked.

"Amara Hathaway." She pointed to her employee pin she wore.

"A pretty name for a pretty young lady. You remind me of my granddaughter Emma. She passed away not too long ago."

Amara felt sad for the old woman. "I'm sorry how long ago was it?"

"About a month. She looked to be your age. It was a plane crash that killed her. She was coming to visit me."

Amara finished ringing up the books and put them in a bag but not before looking at the last one. 'How to cope with a loss.' Despite what she just heard she smiled to the woman.

"Things will get better trust me I know. I recently lost who I thought were my parents and in turn I also lost an important piece of myself that I one day hope to find. Trust me, take it a day at a time."

She handed the woman her bag.

"Thank you young lady. You've been very helpful."

Amara watched the elderly woman leave.

"Nice job. Maybe you could make an appearance on Oprah." Her boss laughed at her own joke.

Amara rolled her eyes and took out a magazine which happened to have a count down of the sexiest men alive, from beneath the counter. Seeing as the store was virtually empty, she figured she would waste a few minutes staring at guys she had absolutely no shot at. It was fun to see how one magazine could entertain her on her work hours. While flipping through it, she paid no attention to the bell that jingled when you opened the door to the store or the person who walked up to her and leaned forward on the counter.

"Brad Pitt?"

Amara looked up. There was Legolas studying her magazine with her. She jumped feeling her heart race and stuffed the magazine behind the counter. With a deep crimson blush she rushed out a question. "What are you doing here?"

"It is near five and we have to make it to Brittany's house in an hour."

Amara slapped her hand against her forehead with closed eyes. She had almost forgotten about dinner with Brittany's family. She would have to hurry and change from her school clothes and into a nicer pair of pants, if she had them in her closet.

'An absentminded girl she is.' Legolas thought.

Amara took a look at Legolas before she took off her apron and put it away. He had on a black suit minus the tie, his jacket was open and the first three buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone.

'I don't remember buying him that.' She thought but let it go. She clocked out and announced her departure.

The evening sun set in as she walked down the street. The birds chirped for the late afternoon sun. It was now well into the afternoon and so far she was having a calm birthday. She expected everyone to make a big deal out of it but surprisingly they did not. Things were going exactly as she planned them to go and with some luck her birthday would pass quietly.

"Why are you all dressed up?" She asked the question that would be on anyone's mind. She didn't doubt that he was a sight to see. His hair sparkled in the sun and his tall form walked gracefully in that dashing suit was enough to make her melt. She held her composure and looked up at the sky instead of him.

"Didn't Brittany tell you?" Legolas' eyes looked down at the petite girl with humor.

Amara's face went serious and turned its gaze from the sky. "Tell me what?"

Legolas stopped walking and Amara stopped too wanting an answer. She didn't get one but was dragged into a store that she never noticed was there. Looking around it was a quiet atmosphere decorated in so many different pinks she didn't even know existed. Here and there were vases of Lilies and Daffodils which was enough to make her want to vomit. She looked at Legolas with disgust.

"Why the hell did you drag me here?"

Legolas wagged a finger in front of Amara's face. "Watch you language Aidulin."

"Okay." Amara tapped the side of her cheek with a finger. "Gee Legolas, what are we doing in a place like this?"

Another one of her questions went unanswered when a tall woman with golden skin walked up to them. "Hello may I help you?" She spoke like some highly wealthy woman whose mission was to help people less fortunate.

Amara shook her head so hard her sloppy ponytail swung around wildly. Legolas ignored Amara and stepped forward. After looking through the girl's closet he found Brittany to be right. She had nothing but pants in there, save for a white fluffed out skirt. He couldn't believe her choice in wardrobe but then again it was Amara after all.

She would have the most disgusting belch matches against Brittany while she studied advanced chemistry. It would make the dead turn in their graves to hear such noises and if she wasn't belching rudely she was scarfing down as much cereal as she could stuff into her mouth which was quite a lot. Amara would pick her teeth in front of others or do the most bizarre tricks but all of those qualities were what Legolas liked about her.

"Yes, my friend is in need of a dress."

Amara's eyes bugged out. 'He dragged me here to buy a dress! Well I'll be good and dead before I put it on.'

The woman smiled and motioned for the two to follow her. She paid more attention to Legolas than to Amara. They stopped at a huge rack filled with light colors. The woman eyed Amara up and down. There was a snobbish air wafting through the whole store that made Amara want to run from the store and never look back. She couldn't even believe that she was standing in a store like this one for this long. 'What was this elf up to?'

"Look I don't need a dress. Why do I need a dress when I'm just eating at Brit's house?"

"Brittany failed to mention to you that the dress is not casual."

Amara grinded her teeth. It was her birthday, hers and not anyone else's. Why should she wear a dress if that wasn't what she wanted? Why should she let this elf stand here and let some woman play doll with her? Just because today she was suppose to leave childhood behind did not mean that she now had to dress like an accursed adult. She couldn't go down like this without a fight.

"It's MY birthday and last time I checked it wasn't anybody else's. And since it's MY birthday I am not wearing a dress. YOU can not make me wear one!"

Amara crossed her arms and nodded her head satisfied. She had proven her point and no one was getting her into any of the threads in the store. She would love to see someone try. If Mrs. Hathaway couldn't get her to wear a dress when she was five what made Legolas think he could get her into one? Brittany should know that dress weren't in her vocabulary let alone her closet.

Thirty Minutes Later…

'I can't believe I'm in this.' Amara thought with terrible anger. She looked at her reflection in the long mirror that was conveniently placed in the dressing room. A light orange dress hung loosely off her body. At the hem of the dress that reached her knees were pink frills.

There was no way she was going to actually walk out into the eyes of others that happened to be in the store in this moo-moo of a dress. She wondered how she got talked into trying the retched thing on in the first place but then it hit her. Legolas threatened to tell everyone she still slept with her stuffed bear she had gotten as a toddler. With that she followed the sales woman around the store with a frown as she picked out the dresses.

'Stupid elf. How dare he threaten me with Mr. Binky?'

The sales woman and Legolas both waited outside of the dressing rooms for Amara to come out. 'This so far is indeed no easy task.' The elf thought that Brittany was exaggerating about Amara but apparently she was not. This was being to get nerve racking. If they did not hurry they were going to be late. This was just like her.

"Amara are you quite done yet?"

"Yes." Amara said through the dressing room door. "But there is no way I'm coming outta here."

The woman gave a sigh. "If you need further assistance please just ask. I'll be by the counter."

Legolas nodded somewhat irritated. The woman walked off giving a sideways flirtatious look at Legolas. The prince did not notice though, too busy with trying to get the girl to come out of the dressing room.

"Amara you must come out."

"I must not."

"If you do not come out I will come in."

Amara flopped down in a chair with crossed arms. "You would not."

Legolas felt like screaming and pulling his hair. 'Why must she be so difficult?' Not being able to take anymore frustration he waltzed into her dressing room. There was a surprised look on the girls face. Legolas looked at Amara who was dressed in what appeared to be a ridiculous orange dress with pink frills at the hems.

The dress was so loose she periodically had to pull up the straps to keep from exposing herself. Legolas tried his best to subdue the laughter that threatened to spill but it was no use. Amara glared her anger rising once again. 'How could he drag me here, force me to try on silly dresses and then laugh at me?' She walked slowly and made her way towards the elf prince.

Legolas did not notice Amara and her glares until she jumped onto his back trying to strangle him.

"I should kill you!"

The customers in the store stopped what they were doing to look at the elf who laughed and was trying to peel Amara from him. The girl was red with anger and continued to try and choke Legolas. The woman who had been helping them rushed over to the two.

"What is wrong? What is wrong?" She asked repeatedly.

Amara stopped and slide down Legolas' back. She stomped back into the dressing room and slammed the door behind her. The sales clerk now looked to Legolas for an answer.

"Um… the dress was too large. How about another?" He gave a striking smile that made the woman forget about what just happened and walk quickly to another rack.

Amara tried on countless other dresses. One after the other they all started to appear the same to her. If they weren't too big they showed too much of her pale skin and if they weren't either they were a nasty color that made her resemble some made up Barbie. She walked out of the dressing room after putting on a blue dress with spaghetti straps that looked as if you could salsa in it. Both the sales clerk and Legolas smiled thinking that they had found the perfect dress, but their smiles quickly disappeared when they looked down to see her wearing her old beat up pair of Chuck Taylors.

"What?!"

Legolas shook his head feeling like this was impossible.

"What happened to the shoes I gave you?" The sales clerk asked, on the brink of having an ulcer.

Amara shook her head. "My feet aren't parting with these sneakers." She went back into the dressing room and Legolas groaned closing his eyes. Never had he meant such an impossible girl. The saleswoman went into the back of the store striking an idea.

Last month the store recently got the wrong shipment of clothing and they never bothered to return them. Rummaging through a box, she pulled out a black halter top dress she had deemed as not appropriate for the store. The hem that was not at all that long had pieces of thread hanging from it and it seemed perfect for this girl who quite frankly was getting on her nerves. She rushed back and handed the girl the dress from the opposite side of the door. Amara accepted wearily.

She put the dress on and tied the string of the dress behind her neck and dared a look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing. This dress suited her well. It even harmonized with her sneakers. She slowly opened her dressing room door ready to face the public.

She nodded her head looking at the floor. "I guess I could work with this."

Legolas smiled. Finally she had found something agreeable, though the dresses on Middle Earth that the woman wore were much more conservative. The sales clerk sighed with relief, happy that this ordeal was over.

"So would you like me to wrap it up for you?"

Legolas shook his head. "No that won't be necessary."

The thing Amara forgot to remember suddenly popped into her head. How was she going to pay for the dress? She didn't get paid until next week and Legolas didn't have any money. This dress certainly couldn't be paid with the lint from her pockets. Looking at her watch they would be late if they didn't hurry soon.

"Legolas how are we gonna pay for this? I haven't got any denero on me." She whispered. Legolas didn't respond but went up to the counter where the woman told him the price and pulled out a fat roll of money. Seeing that much money come from one being almost made her choke on the very air she was breathing.

'Where did he get that lute?'

The sales clerk held a look that plainly said 'why are you spending money on a girl like that?'

Amara noticed, but didn't really care. She had encountered her fair share of snobs before. She steadied her mind back to what was more important.

She walked to Legolas dumbfounded. "Where'd you get all that cash from?"

Legolas put his money back into his pocket and turned to her. "It is not important where the money came from. Come before we are late."

Amara rolled her eyes and followed Legolas from the store. She didn't pay much attention to where they were actually walking. She was more hung up on putting her hair into a more presentable ponytail and thinking about the money in Legolas' pocket. 'Where did it come from? Maybe all those times he had to be somewhere he was gambling or worse robbing banks.' She ruled that last thought out because then something like that would have been all over the news.

She dropped her hands to her side satisfied with her hair. As she walked by a man looked her up and down. "Keep walking you creep!" She yelled to him. This is exactly why she stuck to plain clothes. She didn't at all want to draw attention to herself.

Legolas walked silently. He was surprised she had not noticed that they were not at all heading toward Brittany's house. Now that the tough part had passed things were heightening in excitement, though the girl was still oblivious to what was going on. He knew that her mind was more wrapped around trying to figure out where he obtained that obscene amount of money. Amara at times could be so simple minded.

Amara looked around. This was not the familiar way to her friend's house. 'Maybe Legolas is lost.' It was starting to get a bit dark, which made her nervous after what happened. Legolas' presence helped a lot though.

"Leggles you know this isn't the way to Brittany's house, right?"

Silence.

"Legolas this isn't-'"

"Can you not walk in silence?" He snapped, making Amara immediately shut up. She was being lead to god knows where now by an irritated as it seemed elf. Could this night get any stranger?

Legolas stopped outside an abandoned club and started to go in.

"Wait what are you doing?"

Legolas left Amara behind, disappearing through the dark doorway of the club. Amara tapped her foot. Should she wait for him to come out or follow him? She didn't like the idea of her standing out her alone. So she made the most reasonable decision. She went in.

Legolas found Brittany pretty easily. She was by the bowl of punch waiting for him. She looked up and didn't wait for him to make his way over to her.

"Where is she?!" She asked hurriedly

"Outside. I suggest you get ready."

Brittany gave the thumbs up to Nathan from across the club and he hollered in his loudest voice for everyone to hide. The club full of eager teens and Brittany's parents, the only chaperones, ducked under anything that was bigger than them. Once everyone was properly hidden, Nathan hit the lights.

Amara walked slowly into the club and had a look around. Everything was dark. Too dark for her liking.

'Where has that elf gotten to?' She desperately hopped he wasn't trying to scare her in some kind of crude joke. She walked further inside which scared her more.

"Um… if you're trying to play some kind of stupid joke on me Leg-"

Lights flickered to life and a bunch of colored balloons fell from the ceiling. What seemed like a million people to her jumped out from behind stools, chairs, tables you name it they jumped from behind it. She felt her heart stop or what felt like her heart stop. She opened her mouth to let out a scream but nothing would come out. Everyone came running up to her laughing. She covered her mouth with her hand as she was engulfed with hugs.

The DJ, off to the side of the dance floor shot music from the speakers. The crowd around Amara began to part.

Brittany giggled uncontrollably. "So how do you like it?"

Amara was lost for words. What could she possibly say? Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, Brittany's folks wished her a happy birthday before they went to harass couples of dancing too close. Brittany still awaited an answer from her.

"I-It's… I can't believe you did all this for me."

"More like us. It's our last year together and I wanted it to be fun, so why not have fun on your b-day? Besides it wasn't just me who helped."

Legolas walked up to her with a delightful smile. Amara grinned as well. "You! You knew all along and didn't tell me?"

"Hence the surprise part."

"Legolas here got a job to help me pay for the surprise party. That's why he was always unavailable." Brittany explained her master plan bursting with excitement.

It suddenly hit Amara. 'Him always leaving, all the dough in his pocket. But what kind of job supplied him with that much money. She hoped he didn't…'

"Please tell me you didn't have a job helping someone rob a bank."

Legolas' brow wrinkled. "What? No!"

"You didn't become a male stripper did you?"

Brittany laughed and Legolas elbowed her. "I had a job teaching Archery to younger children. Some kind of way more and more woman found out and I had to take on more people than the norm."

Amara nodded. So that was why every time she went somewhere with him women came up telling him they had a nice lesson. At first something else came to mind.

"That would explain everything. Thanks you guys. I can honestly say that this has been the best birthday. Except the part of the elf trying to get me into not cool dresses."

Amara reached up and pinched Legolas' cheek before grabbing Brittany and dragging her to the dance floor to do the robot.

The party was a success. Amara forgot about hating to dance and partied to the fullest. Legolas didn't much enjoy the music that was played. He sat back and watched Amara dance with Nathan to a particularly slow song. There was a smile on both their faces and Legolas could sense the start of a romance.

The dullness in his heart pounded. He knew that it was time. Amara was here smiling, living the life she was suppose to and when Nathan kissed her innocently on the lips he knew she was on track. Someone already cared deeply for her which is what she needed, not some elven prince that could only offer her riches. He wanted to know why he was feeling sad when his friend's life was where it was suppose to be? He should be happy.

The call of returning to Middle Earth, his home revisited to the void inside. Looking at the girl he knew his job here was done. She was in need of his help no longer. A magnetic pull began to tug at him and his eyes pulled away from watching Amara. Instinctively he followed where the pull directed him to. The DJ put a stop to the music and spoke into his microphone.

"Something tells me it's time for some cake!"

Clapping went through the air as loud rambunctious teens hollered out. Amara stopped her dancing and Nathan parted from her and went to help Brittany carry in the cake. The crowd began to part for Brittan and Nathan. The two carried a gigantic vanilla cake in the shape of a Volkswagen. It was lit up with eighteen candles waiting for her to blow them out. All her classmates crowded around the cake she even spotted Carie but didn't care.

An out of tuned Happy Birthday was being sung in her honor but she didn't see the one who was partly responsible for all this nor did she notice that he was missing.

Hastily she made a wish and blew out the candles. A cheer went out and Nathan and Brittany handed over the cake to Brittany's parents. They started to deal out pieces to already hyper teens. Nathan spotted Carie flirting with some boy in the corner.

"Guess who crashed the party," he said. Brittany followed his stare and frowned.

Without a word she went to go kick Carie out of the club. Nathan looked at Amara. He couldn't believe his luck. The girl of his dreams had accepted his kiss. She picked him over the handsome Adam but why? What was so special about his self?

He cared not to wonder about things like that but bask in the moment.

Amara didn't know what compelled her to accept Nathan's kiss. Maybe it was the atmosphere or all the excitement in the air? All she knew was that she liked Nathan a lot. His goofy grin, his brown companionate eyes, his stale jokes, she liked everything about him. The feeling her stomach got whenever Legolas was around could only be a school girl crush; it could never be something more.

Legolas was a prince from a story. The best archer in all Middle Earth, admired by many. She bet everything she owned that every female in his kingdom swooned every time he walked by and he could have anyone of them. Why would he pick a mortal girl? Why would he pick her?

She melted into the feeling she got when with Nathan. There was no use chasing after something delusional, something she could not have. She smiled at Nathan and took his hand.

"Help me open some gifts?"

It seemed as if Brittany had invited half the school, therefore there was a table full of gift bags and wrapped boxes. Nathan responded by placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Smiling madly, she took a seat by the table packed with gifts. Many began to crowd around while they consumed cake. She took the present Nathan passed her which was Brittany's.

She tore the paper off the thin box and it was a picture set in the fanciest of frames. It was both of the girls standing by a big yellow school bus, holding the fish they had caught the day they went to Lake Clearfalls. They were in their freshmen year of high school and Brittany was holding a huge mammoth of a fish while she held a small gold fish looking one. Both appeared like little kids breaking from their tweens. Amara chuckled.

"Thanks Brit! I'll put it in my college dorm next year."

Brittany had just managed to kick Carie from the club. Heaving a heavy sigh she gave her pal a thumbs up.

Nathan had given her a bunch of cds and explained she would have new music to drown out her parents with. After about the twentieth gift which was a Super Soaker from the class clown Raymond, she picked up the last gift which sat alone on the table. It was wrapped in soft green paper. Since it was the final gift, the crowd departed from her and the music started back up. Nathan and Brittany watched their friend unwrap the paper to reveal a velvet box.

With a sweaty hand she opened it to reveal a delicate chain that held a silver bird pendant.

"There's a card," Brittany said handing it to her.

A feeling of dread went through her as she opened the card. Inside was neat writing.

Dearest Aidulin,

You have over come a lot in the time I have been here. Right before my very eyes you have grown from an insecure girl to a lovely young woman. You have freed my mind from the perils of this Earth and the stress of getting back to my own. I fear that my time here is limited and I have felt it for sometime. I was sent here, I believe, to help you and it is now that you no longer do you require my help. Keep shinning even through the darkest hours.

Happy Birthday,

Legolas

She let the card flutter from her hands. Amara looked around and saw no sign of Legolas. The newly acclaimed adult went in search of the elf with still her necklace and card she picked up in hand. Brittany and Nathan looked at each other, not knowing what was happening.

'He could not have left without a goodbye.'

When she figured out he wasn't anywhere in the club she snuck out. Something told her to go to the park that she held secret with Legolas. Amara held his gift to her tightly in her hand. Tears began to fall from her eyes because of the wind. Her legs took to running to the park.

She refused to believe it. She never really thought about Legolas returning to Middle Earth. She always figured that he would be here, but a part of herself knew he would have to leave. She pushed passed people walking on the street and almost was hit by a few cars. Curses were thrown at her but her mind was focused on one thing like a train running on only one track.

Legolas walked through the calm park, his quiver attached to his back along with his knives and he clutched his bow. He was once again in his normal garb that he had entered this world in and was walking deep into the park. It was time to say good bye to this world. He breathed in and proceeded to travel through the wood. The magnetic pull that had called him there had now turned into a magical air. With each step he felt himself leaving the world and leaving behind a close friend.

Amara heard her own footsteps pounding against the park's ground and stopped when she entered the middle of it. She scratched her bare arms and looked around. The air around her felt supernatural and an echo in her head told her something she did not wish to hear. It was too late. She took the small necklace Legolas had given her from the box and clasped it around her neck.

Looking into the distance she whispered what she never wanted to say. "Good bye."