Disclaimer: Oops forgot last chappie. Anyways, I don't own Lord of the Rings, or I would be partying with the fellowship by now :b

Chapter 2
The Portal

The time soon passed and we began to quote our favorite lines from the movie like; 'you shall not pass!' Or 'there is a fell voice on the air.' We had a blast. Around 4:00, the football team left the field, came through the gym and passed the classroom. The predictable cheerleaders followed in a flurry.

Two people didn't come out though… Mark and Delilah. Well ok, Bryan or Nick either. God Vanessa, why do you even bother? I don't know why my brain loves to torture me. I looked back at the girls whispering to each other.

"What are they doing?" I tried to sound casual. Pshht. Sounded more like laryngitis.

"OW!"

Oops, I stepped on Aleyna's bigger foot while trying to get up quickly. She hopped up and down and rubbed it.

"How the hell would I know?"

"Let's go look." Offered curious little Lauren.

And so, like those sexy secret agents from a Bond movie, we tiptoed to the auditorium doors. They were there. All three of the guys, playing- no dueling, in a basketball game. From the looks of it, my ex was winning, but Nick was catching up fast.

Delilah, the popular caramel-haired gossip-starting bitch was on the sidelines, cheering them all on; teasing them as if she were the prize.

I swear I just threw up a little in my mouth. She had already been Nick's girlfriend, (not to mention the entire grades!) and had like two hookups with Bryan. Now she had to go after Mark too? But the game wouldn't last that long anyway.

Bryan was getting sloppy; knowing that he was losing… all he concentrated on was the ball and hoop. Nick actually looked like he was having fun. And Mark…was only in this for the prize… the little airhead of a trophy. He shot the ball. He scored, just like I knew he would. The game was over; you could just tell.

Sweating, Nick braced his hands on his knees.

"Good game, bro, good game."

Bryan nodded, but threw his Red Sox cap on the floor when no one (he thought) was looking.

Delilah was jumping up and down like a cheerleader possessed by a demon. She ran into Mark's arms who grabbed her and hoisted her over his head.

Sigh. I really couldn't just stand there and watch all that lovey dovey crap. I walked wordlessly away from everyone back to the classroom. Suddenly, the fun I had been having earlier ended. Maybe I should just go, call it a day and go home.

I was just about to reach for my iPhone when I saw a kind of glow behind me. Which, caused me to drop my beloved CTP (connector to people- duh.) One of the unopened Noble Collection wrappings was glowing an eerie Mars Red. Then it started levitating into the air. Like a frozen computer, my mind wouldn't work. Good thing my mouth did.

"Holy Crap!" I yelled. "Guys, come here! Guuyyysss!"

They were coming; I heard the sliding of their sneakers against the tile. The door was thrust open.

"What is it- oh my God!" They gasped at what I wish we all couldn't see.

No longer red, but turning a bright gold color, Elvish words formed on the room walls; The One Ring spinning in a circle so fast the letters became a blur.

Omigod. I'm so sorry I'll never badmouth anyone ever again. I'll do anything- even go to church more. Just please don't let something bad happen. I thought about my parents, and my sister- how would they react if something DID happen to me? One less kid, you know? Hahaha.

I can see it now in tomorrow's headline: "HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS FOUND DEAD WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE. COULD BE A GAS BOMB. COULD BE IN A CULT. WEARING LOTR FAN JEWLERY."

A terrible, malice-dripping voice repeated the words on the band over and over. The words we all knew.

The Ring turned sideways; its wrapping had been completely burned off.

I slowly grabbed the other packages and stuffed them all in my Jansport. Through blurry eyes, on my cell, I texted (what I thought was my final) message to home: Mom, dad, sis, I love you.

When I straightened up, I saw a blinding gold flash of light, then nothing.