South Ithilien High School

I hoped she could find this restaurant. It was on the opposite side of the river of
most of the shops. It was well hidden, across an old, pretty bridge. I had found it during the summer while I was a ranger. The food was good, but the view of the river was even better. I was sitting at a table outside, waiting for Arwen to arrive. I had just relaxed in my chair, enjoying the sun, when a polite cough made me sit back up.

"Arwen! You found it," I smiled and pulled her chair out for her. "How was
shopping?"

"I found my dress!" she smiled, sitting back down. "Oh, I also ran into your friends,
Eldarwen and… the new girl… Isilwen? They were shopping for homecoming too. I wasn't aware they were going," she said. I shrugged.

"Eldarwen always hangs with the hobbits." We ordered our lunch. As we waited,
Arwen looked around curiously.

"This restaurant was a little hard to find, but the view is wonderful. How did you
find this place?" she asked curiously.

"During my summer job as a ranger, I was stationed in this town. There's an Inn here too, so I stayed for a while," I explained as they brought us our lunch. "A nice place for a picnic, too." She smiled.

"It's beautiful." She admired the scenery, and chatted and laughed with me as we ate. I
thought the date was going well, but I couldn’t help the nagging in the back of my mind, making me think of Legolas. Arwen was, of course, very beautiful, but somehow everything she did or said made me think of him, and I found myself longing for his company instead.

“...Strider?” she looked at me concerned.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry. What was that? I was spacing out for a minute there. Long night, lots of
homework...”

She smiled. “I was just saying we should go for a walk! There is such a lovely garden over there,” she pointed. Without waiting for an answer, she took my hand and pulled me along.

I followed her and hid my displeasure. It’s not that I have anything against gardens, of course. I just have terrible allergies and the conflicting scents made my nose itch. She leaned over a particularly odorous bush and I had to turn away to cover up my sneeze. She straightened and smiled. “I love azalea...” she said, taking my hand and walking over the bridge to look down at the water. “I’m glad I’m here with you,” she said, smiling up at me. My heart thudded heavily as her eyes sparkled.

“Me too,” I said softly, setting my hand on her cheek. As I leaned in and captured her lips with my own, I couldn’t help but picture her as Legolas. I pulled away and smiled at her, stroking her cheek with my thumb. She blushed and took my other hand, walking back to the restaurant. To my horror, Legolas was standing on the road with wide eyes and tears streaming down his cheeks. I met his eyes, guilt stricken. Before I could say a word he had run off, leaving me with my arm around Arwen’s waist and my heart in my throat.