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The First Time: Seventh Grade
Galadriel strode down the sidewalk, eager to visit her friend. With the second year of middle school starting the next day, she wanted to talk to Elrond about his plans and coordinate their arrival at school.
Their neighborhood had the largest homes in the city, not to mention the prettiest. The tree-lined streets had perfectly landscaped yards, shiny cars adorning each driveway, and not a speck of trash to be seen.
A light breeze played with her loose locks, and she reveled in the sun that kissed her skin and turned her hair even more blonde. Sad as she was to lose summer, she was excited for school and new friends and classes.
She was almost to Elrond's home when she noticed that the house next door to his no longer had a FOR SALE sign out front. Curious about Elrond's new neighbor, she peeked over the white, picket fence and saw a boy close to her age with shaggy, brown hair.
He had just closed the back door of his car, giving her a look at the front of his black shirt, which showed a cool-looking sword on it. When he happened to notice her, she smiled and waved at him without thinking, and since he didn't scowl or run away, she walked up to the edge of his yard, leaning against the fence.
Sticking out her hand, she chirped, “Hi, I'm Galadriel, but everyone calls me Gal. I live a couple blocks from here. You just moved here, right? What's your name, and are you attending Lindon Academy this year?”
Raising an eyebrow, he cautiously stepped forward and shook hands with her. “I'm Halbrand. Yeah, just moved here.” He looked away at the other houses. “You're the first to say hi to me and my family. Why do you wanna know?”
His response was odd, but he was new and didn't know her, so she let it pass. She pointed at Elrond's house. “Because you live next door to my best friend, Elrond Peredhel, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me. I've lived in this neighborhood my whole life,” she replied, noting his black pants and chains connected to them. “They're really great people; I'm surprised that they haven't come to visit you yet. They probably didn't see your cool clothes choices, like that shirt. I really like your shirt; it reminds of the blades that my brothers use.”
He jerked his gaze up once more, surprised. When she continued to smile, he gave a hesitant smile in return. “Thanks. I like swords, too. And black, unlike you,” he said with a smirk, pointing at her flowy, white top and emerald green pants. He opened the fence's gate at the driveway, so there was no barrier between them. “I'm starting seventh grade at Lindon. My parents want to give me a ‘fresh start’, so here I am.” He put the two words in air quotes with a roll of his eyes, and she had questions why he would need one but tactfully said nothing. “How about you?”
“Awesome! Same here!” She had found another friend with similar interests, and she jumped up and down with excitement. “It looks like we're gonna be spending a lot more time with one another here and at school. I can't wait!” she said, grinning, causing him to smile bigger. “So…how much do ya know about swords and daggers? Do you know how to fence?”
“Yeah, I know a bit about swords and the like. I've done a lot of reports on them,” said Halbrand, smiling proudly. “I don't know how to fence, but I wanna learn. Do you know how to?”
“Yep!” she stated, moving into the pose she assumed to salute her opponents. “I'm receiving private lessons in fencing right now so that I can join the team at Eregion High, just like my brothers did. I practice every week with Elrond,” she said, tilting her head toward Elrond’s house.
“Who's better at it?” asked Halbrand with a sly look, and she laughed.
“Me, of course,” she said matter-of-factly. “I train every day. So if you ever wanna learn to fence, ask your parents for a blade and find me, or else come over to Elrond's house when we're practicing. You can borrow my equipment. We can all practice together, and I can catch you up with us. I'll teach you all I know.”
His face lit up. “That would be great! I'll definitely get one soon, and I can't wait to start practicing soon.”
“Me too! Fencing is so much fun and great exercise,” she said, dancing from foot to foot.
“I'm sure…I'm just surprised a girl is interested in this sort of thing. Most girls I've met like much more girly things like…dressing up and makeup,” said Halbrand, looking her up and down.
“Yes, most girls do, but I grew up around brothers, and we did everything together, including sports and playing in the tree house. I look up to them. They're the perfect brothers and sons, and I want to be just like them,” she said, nodding. “It's fun to do, and my parents expect me to be the best in academics and sports, just like my brothers. It's a pretty safe sport, too.”
He brought a hand up to his chin to think for a moment, and then he nodded. “That makes sense. It sounds like you've got a lot of expectations on you already. Are you worried about that at all?”
“No, not really. I think they're all very reasonable and easy to accomplish,” she replied with a shrug.
“Sounds like you have good parents, then. I'm jealous,” said Halbrand quietly.
“They're really great. I'll introduce you to them sometime this year since my parents spend time with Elrond’s parents as well. I think you'll like them, and they're sure to like you,” she said confidently.
“That'd be a nice change. Cool. Well, I have to get going, but I'll see you at school tomorrow,” he said, reaching out a hand to shake.
Instead, she surged forward and hugged him, showing him just how much she worked her arms. “Yes! I'm excited to talk more about swords at school.” She pulled away. “See you tomorrow, Halbrand!”
“Call me Hal,” he said with a shy grin.
“Sounds good. See you around, Hal,” she said, grinning and waving.
He stepped back. “See you soon, Gal.”
—----------~~~~~~~~~~------------
The Second Time: Eighth Grade
A year later, Gal's hair was a little longer, and she still loved green and other bright colors. Every now and then, though, she added a dash of gray or black since Hal said she looked good in it.
Mostly, she wore it when she practiced fencing, like that particular day as she walked past Hal's home yet again.
Putting her hands on either side of her mouth, she called, “Hal! Where are you? Did my parents scare you off or something? You going to practice with us or not?”
She refused to believe that her parents yelling at him recently had somehow made him want to stop hanging out with her or learn fencing. He got into trouble often, so why did it matter if they flouted her parents’ rules now? She didn't care and still wanted to be friends with him, so why would he care about their opinions? He said he didn't care about anyone's opinions.
When she didn't see him after a couple minutes, she yelled his name again. He still didn't appear after that, so she smirked and shouted, “I guess you just want to keep losing to Elrond. Suit yourself, softie! I'm just gonna keep kicking your butt at fencing forevermore!”
Moments later, Hal burst through his front door in grungy practice clothes, an old blade of hers in hand. “Not a chance, Gal! I'm gonna beat him…and you this year!”
She laughed, relieved that he was staying with her as he ran toward her. “We'll see about that! You haven't beaten Elrond yet, so I have my doubts.”
“There's a difference, though. I've been practicing at home, not just with you two loafers,” retorted Hal, causing her to shake her head as she waited for him to catch up to her.
As always, he gently placed his blade against the fence before placing his hands on the fence and hopping over it. In less than a minute, he was beside her, out of breath.
“You took a while there to get outside. Anything wrong?” she asked casually, and he narrowed his eyes at her.
“No, nothing at all, you know, besides your parents telling me I'm good for nothing and should stay away from you. But they're not the first ones, so I'm not too shocked. Why do you ask?”
She ruffled his hair playfully. “Good. Just checking. You always say you don't care what anyone thinks, so I assumed this would be no different.”
“Yeah, but I thought you'd feel or act differently toward me as a result,” he replied, making her jerk back in confusion.
“Why? Did you really think I would not want to see you again because they said so?” she asked worriedly, and he nodded.
“Yeah. You idolize your brothers and always listen to your parents. I'm just a troubled youth with a bad past and anger issues–”
“Which are super useful for fencing!” she interrupted, face drooping that he doubted her friendship.
“Which is beside the point,” he stated, putting his hands on her shoulders. “When compared to you. You're the literal golden girl of the Noldor family and Lindon Academy. Do you think you're going to have the best grades this year?”
“Of course,” she said nonchalantly, not concerned at all since she had no real competition for first place. “Classes are easy, and my family expects it of me–”
“Which is exactly my point! My grades are not good; I get sent to detention often. I'm good at sports, which is the only reason they haven't kicked me out yet. I'm bad news, and your parents said we shouldn't hang out.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Why aren't you listening to them now?”
She shrugged. “I think it's pretty obvious…you're my friend and fencing partner. I like hanging out with you. You're one of the few people who like fencing and swords besides me, and you get me…normally.”
“But what about Elrond?” he asked tightly, still not budging.
“What of him? He's my friend, too, but he's not you. You're cool and different.” She reached out a hand to him. “And if my parents took the time to get to know you, they'd like you, too. But since they refuse, we'll just hang out away from my parents for the time being. It'll be our little secret,” she said. “So, we good now?”
He paused, and it seemed to drag on forever. When he did respond, though, he smiled and took her hand. “Yeah, we're good. The fact that I've managed to make the golden girl of the Noldor family keep a secret from her parents is pretty big. I'll take it.”
“Alright. It's not that big, but whatever.” She shrugged and tried not to think about how big it actually was. “So, what class are you most excited for this year?” she asked, leading him toward Elrond's house.
“None of them. They're all going to be stuffy and boring. Let me guess: you're looking forward to math class most,” he said, and she shook her head.
“Nope! No way. I'm excited for PE, as I hear we get to do some fencing this year. It's going to be so fun!”
“Wait, really?” he asked, mouth gaping, and she nodded. “Cool! Then that may be my favorite class.”
“We'll get to try out a bunch of new sports, including everything offered at Eregion High. They start early with the prep and getting kids interested in it, which works in our favor,” she said, unsheathing her blade and fighting an invisible opponent on the sidewalk with slow, graceful strokes.
“I wish there was a class that taught us how to make a blade or any weapon for that matter,” said Hal as he gazed at her. “I really like your blade; it's so smooth and curves so naturally, just like your golden hair.”
“Thanks,” she said, accepting the compliment and turning to face him as he looked on in a sort of daze. “Do you want to hold it and try it out?”
“Sure! Thank you,” he said, taking it by the handle after she handed it to him. “I always wanted to try it out.”
“It was custom made for my brother. Thankfully everything he gets is well-made, so I don't mind receiving hand-me-downs like this,” she said, smiling as he made a sweeping motion and jabbed the air.
“Yeah, I see why you're willing to part with others as well. I'd be happy having something like this,” he said before handing it back to her.
As a memory came to her, she said, “You could, you know. Convince your parents to take you to the community college on the other side of town. If you go there, they have classes on blacksmithing, so you could learn to make your own weapon, not just using a hand-me-down like this.” She turned her head, and as the wind picked up just then, it blew her hair across his face. “With how good you are with sports and your hands, I bet you'd excel at blacksmithing.”
“That's a really great idea! Thanks, Gal,” he said with a smile, gently running his fingers along her hair before pushing it out of his face. “I want to craft true, beautiful art, just like this.”
“You can. I believe in you,” she said, meeting his soft, yet determined gaze. “Now, let's go practice, or I'll keep kicking your butt at fencing.”
“Not for long!” he cried, and they raced to Elrond's home.
—-----~~~~~~~~--------
The Third Time: Ninth Grade
A year later, Gal was rushing down the sidewalk, and Hal was already outside, gate open when she passed by.
“Is the golden girl running late for once?” Hal joked, and she elbowed him.
“Ha, hardly,” she said, shaking her head. “And stop calling me the golden girl. I'm not.”
“You so are. You're the best at everything, including fencing for the moment. I let you win this past year, but that's going to change soon,” he sassed, shoving her to the side in an effort to beat her to Elrond's house.
“Hey, no fair!” she cried, redirecting herself and pushing at him in return.
They continued trying to knock each other off-course until they reached Elrond in his backyard, and he was not amused, as usual.
“You know that's how you both end up being off the team for the whole season with an injury, right?” scolded Elrond, and Gal giggled at his seriousness.
“Oh, lay off, Elrond. It's not like we're trying to hurt one another. That's reserved for the actual epee fencing,” said Hal between laughs.
Elrond rolled his eyes, not impressed by their antics, but he never had been. That was one thing Gal really liked about Hal, his willingness to have fun and push boundaries. For her, it was fun and an effort to be the best, and Hal always encouraged her.
Elrond was kind, but too fond of the rules. He was against being friends with Hal because of Hal’s behavior and past, but since she insisted, he hid his true feelings for her sake. She suspected that Hal knew the truth since he had given her alone a metal friendship bracelet, but he insisted it was because he couldn't find a third one.
The only time Elrond allowed his feelings about Hal to show was when he fenced with Hal, and that day, Elrond was fierce because he didn't like being laughed at. Unfortunately for him, Hal had had a growth spurt, and he had grown stronger and faster amidst practicing more, so he was a much tougher opponent now.
It was at the end of their practice that Elrond and Hal were pitted against each other, and Gal wasn't sure who would win. The boys kept going at it, and she didn't cheer for either, just pointed out things for both.
Just as Elrond started to lose energy, his parents called out, “Dinner time! Elrond, get in here to wash up…now!”
“You heard them,” said Elrond, grinning as he stepped away. “We have to stop and call it a draw.”
“Dang it. I was going to beat you–”
“But you didn't,” said Elrond smugly to Hal.
“Still, it looks like you've got competition for joining the team, Elrond,” she said, and as he hugged her goodbye and shook his head dismissively, Hal was smirking.
After that, the pair left, and when they came to the front of Hal's house, he stopped instead of walking in. In response, she stopped and turned, wondering what was wrong. To her surprise, his face had lit up.
“Do you want to see something cool?” he asked in a whisper.
“Yeah! What is it?” she asked, and he took her hand, leading her up his driveway and into his garage.
Once he closed the door and turned on the light, she saw a new area covered in white blankets, and he yanked off the blankets with a flourish. In front of her lay an anvil and forge, and she was in awe, mouth and eyes wide open.
“What do you think?” asked Hal in a normal voice. “Pretty cool, right?”
“Cool? That doesn't even begin to describe this! This is so awesome! I love it!” she cried, glancing at him. “May I touch it?”
“Sure,” he said, looking proud.
She never thought she'd see a legit forge outside of movies or the community college, so she took her time and examined everything. Suddenly it all made sense why there had been so much construction on the garage for the past couple months, and it made her think of their friendship bracelet. It was simple in design, two strands interwoven, and she had always assumed that he had bought it.
Now as she remembered how it didn't shine like her other jewelry or was as polished made her wonder.
“Did you actually make these friendship bracelets?” she asked, meeting his eyes.
He nodded, smiling shyly. “Yes. They were my first real items I made while learning at the community college. I kept the worse looking one for myself. Now that I've learned and kept good grades, my parents agreed to let me have my own forge.”
“When did construction finish?” she asked, and he drew closer, a wrapped item in hand.
“Two weeks ago, and I've already made one item on it. It's for you,” he said, handing the item to her.
She lit up. “I'm curious what it is. I really like our friendship bracelet.”
“So do I. I hope you like this just as much,” he said as she unwrapped the long, slim item.
“No way,” she said in awe as a dagger was revealed. The handle was golden in color, and just like the bracelet, it consisted of two interwoven strands. When he grinned, she set down the dagger and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, oh, thank you, thank you so much!”
At first, he froze in her embrace, just as he always did. He had never liked being touched. After a moment, he melted into her, hugging her back with equal fervor.
“You're welcome,” he said in her ear. “I wanted to make it for you for a while because I appreciate you and our friendship so much. Now you have your own weapon, specially made for you and not a hand-me-down. Whenever you see it or use it, you can think of us and our friendship, how we're much stronger–”
“Together,” they said as one, grinning at one another.
That had been what he said when he gave her the bracelet, and she couldn’t agree more.
“Yes, we are,” she said, hugging him tighter, throat growing tight with emotion. “Thank you. This means the world to me.”
“You've been there for me and believed in me when nobody else ever did. You have no idea how grateful I am to have you as my friend. We can talk about anything,” he said.
“I'll always be here for you,” she said before letting go and pointing toward the door. “And we still have more to chat about. Let's get out of here.”
“To the tree house? Isn't your family home?” he asked, concerned.
She shrugged. “They are, but I have discovered other ways to sneak you in,” she said with a finger to her lips, “courtesy of my brothers and their late nights out partying.”
“I want to hear those stories on our way over,” he said, and she regaled him with midnight tales until they came close to her home.
At that, he walked silently on the other side of her, going to the other side of her brother's car and ducking until they made it to the gate to the backyard. At that, he knew his way around. He climbed into the tree house and set up the blankets while she grabbed leftovers from dinner.
Once she joined him, they ate and talked into the night, discussing his lessons at the community college, making the dagger, and more.
Elrond enjoyed talking on the phone, but not for long, as he liked going to bed early. She had never cared for early bedtimes (too much homework to do), and it was fun to break the rules in small ways on occasion, especially if she was with Hal. Hal made it fun and worth it.
She wasn't perfect, and while he joked about her being so, he was very understanding when she told him anything, the good and the bad. She liked that a lot about him, how he didn't assume or judge her. He accepted her as she was, and he enjoyed breaking the rules with her in whatever way she was ready.
Toward the end of the night, as they lay on their backs and stared up at the stars – as they often did on summer nights – he asked, “Are you excited to start at Eregion High?”
“Oh yes,” she said, grinning wider. “I get to see Finrod every day. I want to make him and my family so proud and continue the family legacy. There will be better classes and more challenges, more ways to show my family how much I'm ready to do.” She glanced at him and saw how he frowned. “What?”
“You shouldn't have to earn or prove your love for your family. It should just be given both ways.”
“It is,” she said, not understanding. “They love me; they just also expect me to perform well.”
“But that's, oh never mind,” he said, and she let it drop, knowing he wouldn't want to discuss it further once he said that.
“So are you excited to start high school?” she asked, and his eyes and face twitched with anxiety.
It was a small thing that not many noticed, but now that she knew him better, she saw the little things. In these instances, she paid close attention so as to help assuage any fears he had.
“Yes, but I'm worried about being new and a freshman,” he said, and she placed a hand on his arm.
“You have no need to worry. Just stick by my side, and it'll be our year. We have a lot going for us between classes and fencing,” she said, giving him a hopeful smile.
With Miriel and Elrond as her other best friends, she had loads of support. Together, they could help keep Hal on the right path.
He perked up at that, reaching across to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I think so, too. Thanks, Gal. I feel better knowing I have you by my side. Together, we are unstoppable,” he said, squeezing her hand.
“Yep! The best of friends,” she said, and his smile lessened as his hands dropped.
“Right. Friends.”
—---------~~~~~~~---------
The Fourth Time: Tenth Grade
Walking by Hal's house a year later, Gal could definitively say it had not been their year.
Before, Hal had been keeping up good grades so that he could have his forge. Now, he had no reason, so once Melkor and his sidekick entered the picture, Hal started skipping classes.
As expected, she, Elrond, and Hal made the fencing team as freshmen. She was the best girl in her class at epee, and Hal had been the best in his year at epee…until the coach criticized his form halfway through the season, at which point, his attendance dropped off.
Elrond happily took the best spot and shined.
As the season went on, it was him and her who became well-known because they kept winning. Finrod and her whole family came to every bout to cheer her on, and at first, she had felt bad for not cheering on Hal more at those tournaments. Once he stopped going, she didn't feel as bad.
What had gone wrong? Why had Hal stopped hanging out with her?
As she looked up at Hal's dark bedroom window, she kept replaying various moments from last year in her head.
They walked to classes and fencing practice together. She replied to his notes, and she laughed whenever he pulled certain stunts early on in the year…before Melkor.
Something changed once Hal met Melkor. He canceled on her for certain outings, started getting into trouble more often, started smoking some things that she and her family really didn't like, and became more distant.
Where had she gone wrong? Had she not told him how great he was, spent lots of time with him? Did she not text and call him?
Whenever she asked those questions, though, Elrond's voice cut in with his normal set of questions. Why was it her job to text and call? If Hal wanted to, he could, but chose not to. Why hadn't he ever congratulated her when she won bouts? If he wanted to improve, why choose Melkor, a known troublemaker? Why hadn't he been happy for Gal when she got elected to Student Council, joined the debate team, was best at cross-country, or announced to be best in the class?
The only time he had ever publicly said he was her friend was at fencing practice as he bragged about being the best. Was that a coincidence?
She'd like to think not, but she didn't know what to believe anymore. He had never returned the blade he borrowed from her. He kept doing things that she told him not to do; how could she stop him? How could she acknowledge him as her friend now that she was so well-known at school? Talking to him would reflect badly on her, and it would get back to her parents, which she didn't want.
What hurt the most, though, was that he associated with Melkor and Adar, both of whom openly mocked her in class. It was never in the same classroom as Hal, but all the same…why didn't he stand up for his friend? Why associate with people who didn't like her?
“I don't know what's going on with you, my friend, but I miss you,” she said softly, clutching her dagger and friendship bracelet. Just touching those items made her feel like he was there, looking at her, but she knew he wasn't. “I wish you'd come back to me and choose better things, but until then, I have to play it safe for the sake of my family and reputation. I know you get it since I'm the golden girl and all that.”
She looked away with a frown at the memory of that name. He had been using that nickname a lot more with her, and she didn't like it.
But there were a lot of things she didn't like about him right now, and if this was what he chose, then she would make her own choice…to avoid him for the time being.
Even if it felt like a dagger to her heart.
She didn't know why it hurt so much to walk away from him, but it did. It was as if she was stabbing her own heart with his dagger.
She glanced back up at his window. “Take care, my friend. Don't be a stranger for much longer. I miss you.”
She turned her head and kept on her way to practice with Elrond. What she didn't know was that even as she looked at him, he had been looking at her with a sad expression in his eyes, their yearly tradition no more.
Any emotion quickly disappeared as she entered Elrond's backyard, though, and he brought out his cell phone to make a phone call. “Hey, Melkor. Yes, I can make it after all. My other thing fell through. See you soon.”
—---------~~~~~~—-----
The Fifth Time: Eleventh Grade
With the passing of another year, Gal wondered where she had gone wrong.
Her friendship with Hal could barely be called that anymore, and she missed him. She missed their late night talks, their fencing bouts, his little smirks when he was right, and just him talking to her in general.
He wasn't outright hostile toward her like Melkor and Adar were, but he pointedly ignored her.
And she hated it.
Maybe it was because she had always been showered with attention as the youngest, or was used to the spotlight for all the good that she did, but she had never liked being ignored. She was popular; she was student body vice-president for a reason, jokingly referred to as their queen. Everyone knew and loved her.
But not Hal.
She knew she shouldn't care about him or his opinion, as Elrond and her family kept commenting on all his bad behavior, reminding her of what he really cared about, but it didn't matter.
She didn't want to be ignored by Hal. She just wanted to talk to him.
If she did, she had a lot of questions, but the biggest burning question was related to the end of last year. She needed to meet his gaze and ask him if all of it had been real like she thought. He couldn't have been using her all this time, right? There had to be a good reason why he had been caught and used her name to get out of trouble at school, right?
As she passed by his house, she wished that she wasn't running late for fencing practice with Elrond, as she knew she ought to talk to Hal. Between her prior engagement and the words of her family ringing in her ears, though, she rushed past Hal's house.
Four quick bouts later, though, Elrond asked, “Gal, is something on your mind? I've never seen you so distracted that you've lost four times in a row. Do you want to talk about something?”
And that was the moment that she knew she needed to talk to Hal. She needed to go home and think about how to approach this. Biting her lip, she replied, “I appreciate your concern, but it's with nothing you can help me. I have to speak to someone else. Do you mind if I cut things short today?”
His face drooped, as he clearly wanted to know more but knew she wasn't ready to share. “No, I don't mind. I think it's better for us and the team if you do. We'll walk together to school tomorrow, right?”
“Of course,” she said, hugging him. “Just as we always have. Thanks for understanding.”
“Anytime, and good luck.”
She let go slowly. “Thanks. I'm going to need it.”
After a quick change, she started walking home, hair loose over her sweaty body and green clothes, but as she passed Hal's house, she worried if she would still have the courage to come back later. Making a snap decision, she changed her direction, marched over to Hal's house, and knocked briskly on the front door. Usually this was when Hal had dinner, so he ought to be home.
The door opened, revealing Hal in a black hoodie and sweatpants. His face paled at seeing her, and he started to close the door on her face.
As soon as she realized that, she reacted on instinct: she shoved a foot in the doorway and leaned against the door.
“Hal, why won't you talk to me? I deserve that at least. You don't even know why I'm here.”
He raised an eyebrow at her statement. “I can take a guess: you want me to rejoin the fencing team. Don't waste your time; I'm not interested anymore,” he said, causing her to flinch.
Their coach had said that he had given that reason for why he quit last year, but she had refused to believe it. A small part of her had held onto hope that he would admit to liking it in front of her, but it was not to be. Now that she could no longer deny that truth, sadness and anger took hold of her.
If he wasn't interested in fencing anymore, was he also not interested in her or their friendship? What did she mean to him? Was their past friendship worth nothing now? The thought of that infuriated her.
“I'm well aware of that,” she replied evenly, glad that no emotion showed. “You made your feelings known last year, and that was why I advised the coach not to send others after you in the wake of your announcement. So no one asked you to come back.”
He coughed, trying to hide a hurt look in his eyes. “That explains why you didn't try,” he sneered. “I thought you of all people would care enough to say or do something, but now I see that I'm not even worth the effort to you anymore.”
“What? No!” Gal cried, waving her hands in front of her. “That's not true! Knowing you as I do, I knew you had made your decision and wouldn't go back. Your decisions are final. You've told me that time and again. Why would you have reconsidered that?” The possibility of hope dangled in front of her, and it was impossible to resist. Her face softened. “Are there things you would reconsider?”
“It doesn't matter about fencing. That time and reason has passed,” he answered, trying once more to close the door, only for her to drop her stuff and force herself inside the house.
His parents’ car wasn't in the driveway, so they shouldn't interrupt this conversation.
“Fine. Whatever about the fencing, Hal, but that still doesn't account for your recent behavior toward me.” She glared at him, hiding her hurt with anger. “Why haven't you spoken to me in so long? Why have you pointedly ignored me?”
“Oh, so now the golden girl herself deigns to talk to me…after how many months of not talking to me? No, that's not how this works!” he yelled, hands balling into fists. “You don't know me anymore; how can you if you haven't publicly, let alone willingly, spoken to me in over a year?”
As she flinched, he smirked, but that didn't last long. In a moment, he was in her face, fury in his eyes. “Nor do you get to call me Hal! You don't deserve that honor anymore, nor am I really Hal now. I've changed. I go by many names–”
“They're not your real name, nor do any of the others reflect the real you, Halbrand,” she interrupted hotly, poking his chest. “They're just what Melkor uses to manipulate you–”
“No!” He advanced and pushed her back, and she almost bumped into the floor lamp. “Don't even bother with your attitude and what you've heard during your high and mighty gossip with friends and family. I don't care what they think, nor what you think!”
It was a dagger to her heart, and at some level, she knew she deserved it. She really didn't know much about him and what went on. It was all gossip and hearsay. Maybe he was the one who wanted to do all those things, not Melkor.
He pushed his advantage. “You're not involved in this friendship, nor are any of them, so they have no real concept of what goes on between us. You gave up your chance to be involved a while ago, golden girl, and I don't need you anymore.” Her heart went cold; had he really been using her all this time? She froze. “You should go back to your yes men, queen of the student body.” He clasped his cheeks in mock horror and said in a high voice, “What would your public think of you for talking to the Great Deceiver himself?”
“That's not your name!” she cried, stomping a foot like she did in an appel during her bouts.
She was proud of all she had accomplished in high school in such a short time; she had earned her crown of fame and popularity. How she spoke and acted right now would likely shock everyone, but she didn't care when he made fun of her like that.
“But you act like it!” Hal shouted, gesturing vaguely at her. “You never even tried to ask me how I was doing or if any of it was true…you just assumed!”
The golden crown she wore became black, falling off, only to be twisted by him into her heart like his dagger. This time, though, she was ready with her counter-attack to push it right back where it belonged.
“Because you never answered my earlier texts! Why would you answer those later ones if you couldn't be bothered with the earlier ones?” she retorted, stepping forward, blocking the light from the lamp, long hair flying about her shoulders.
There was barely a hand between them. With heavy breaths and dark eyes between them, she was surprised to see his eyes soften and follow her hair for just a moment. His right hand darted up.
Just when she thought he'd touch her hair, she realized her error. That had all been a feint; now he lunged forward, caging her against a wall.
“Go, Galadriel. Leave. It's useless. You can't smile and win me over like everyone else,” he said, making her shake with anger. “Go back to your so-called friends, the safe ones chosen by your family, and do what's expected of you. I've grown to expect it and know you'll never acknowledge me as a friend. I'm too dangerous and honest. Go.”
If he wanted her to leave, then why did his body try to keep her there?
That thought was ignored in the next moment as she was too furious and offended to do anything but react.
“An honest friend would have confronted me and asked me why I didn't speak to him, not ignored me like a coward, or responded to my earlier question.”
His jaw clenched, and he pulled back, as though slapped.
“But clearly you've decided to listen to Melkor's lies and believe in your illusions about me to rationalize your behavior.” She walked to the door. “Fine. Destroy your life and our friendship if that's what you want. This was me trying to prevent it,” she said, walking out.
He opened his mouth to retort, but she spoke faster.
“I've tried multiple times to reach out, told you what kinds of behaviors I wouldn't tolerate, and even vouched for you when Elendil came to me and told me that he hadn't reported you to the principal at the end of last year because you mentioned my name. Clearly, you never cared about me or our friendship; it was all a lie. You just use me when convenient to get ahead, whether in fencing or when caught red-handed, and I refuse to be used anymore. Goodbye, Halbrand.”
At that, she turned and fled, running as fast as she could with all her equipment. She cried the whole way home, but as her brothers listened and comforted her, she focused on her anger and vowed to harden her heart against The Great Deceiver and his lies.
All the same, she still clutched a certain dagger and metal bracelet in bed that night, and on later nights when alone. She knew she should stop carrying them around, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
They were all she had left of her dear friend, Hal.
—--------‐~~~~~~~------------
The Sixth Time: Twelfth Grade
Elrond thought she was crazy for doing this, but she didn't care. Somewhere, the Hal she cared about was in there, and she had to stop him from actually ruining his life by getting jail time while getting tried as an adult.
Which was why she was running toward his house two nights before senior prom.
She only hoped she wasn't too late.
Just a couple days before, Elrond had asked her to attend prom with him as friends, and she had hesitantly agreed. She hadn't understood why at first that she didn't want to go with her best friend, as he had been loyal to her since the beginning.
For whatever strange reason, she couldn't stop thinking of Halbrand, even though it had been over a year and a half since they had argued and stopped being friends.
In that time, he had been suspended twice and almost suspended several more times, and the most recent suspension was due to something that got him community service hours when brought to court.
She was being torn apart. Outwardly, she referred to him as Sauron and said he deserved all his punishments, but inwardly, she refused to accept that he was anything but Halbrand, her misguided, deluded friend. He just wanted someone to believe in him and accept him, unlike his parents and teachers, and her psychology class talked about cries for help. All of the behavior seemed like louder and louder cries for help.
–Flashback–
“But why do you keep thinking of Halbrand now and worrying about him?” Elrond asked pointedly when she explained as they walked home from school. “Why in relation to prom?”
“I don't know,” she admitted, defeated. She stared at the ground. “He's just constantly on my mind.”
A car sped past them, and she looked up in time to see Halbrand talking and smiling with Melkor and Adar.
White-hot fury came out of nowhere. “Why does Halbrand smile for them and not me? Why won't he even talk to me anymore?”
“Gal, breathe,” coaxed Elrond, patting the fist she had made without thinking. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she answered, still incensed. “I'm upset about Halbrand and thinking about him.”
“I can tell since you're still touching his dagger gift,” observed Elrond, stepping in front of her. “Are you upset because you want him to ask you to prom?”
“Yes,” she replied without thinking, gasping when she realized what she said. When she looked down, she saw that she was grasping her dagger. She blushed and rushed to add, “I, I'm not sure what I was thinking–”
“It's alright, Gal.” He patted her shoulder. “You don't need to justify your feelings to me; I've seen them for a while now.”
She stared at Elrond, trying to figure out if he actually did know or was guessing, but he was so resigned that there was no question about it.
“How?” Gal burst out. “How did you know?”
“Well, for starters, you two were really close before high school. You were the only one he ever opened up to and gave gifts to, and despite the fact that you stopped being friends, you still carry his gifts on you at all times,” explained Elrond, glancing at her wrist and friendship bracelet. “Tell me I'm wrong.”
“You're right. I can't. I refuse to let go of these items,” she confessed, staring at her precious bracelet and dagger.
“Because you like him, right?” Elrond prodded, rubbing her shoulder.
“Maybe,” she hedged, “and I resent Melkor and Adar for poisoning him against me and taking him from me.”
“So why not do something about it?” Elrond asked.
Her eyes grew wide as saucers. Was Elrond going against his past advice?
“Are you seriously asking me that question after all the reasons you've given me to not trust him?”
He laughed. “That's fair.”
She pursed her lips. “You, my friends, and my family all have a long list of reasons why I should dislike and distrust Halbrand.”
“And yet, those seem to have had no effect on you,” he commented wryly. “Tell me, have you heard the rumor about what he, Melkor, and Adar plan to do for prom?”
She bit her lip. “No. What is it?”
–End of Flashback–
If Halbrand participated in that prank, she couldn't live with herself. She had to do something, which after much reflection led to this moment.
“Please be home, please be home, please, please, be home,” she begged under her breath as she sprinted, glad his parents were out yet again.
When she got to the door, she banged as loudly as she could, and not long after, Halbrand yanked the door open.
“Whatever it is, I–” All his words died when he saw her. “No.”
He tried closing the door, but she was faster. “Yes. Please, just hear me out.”
“Why? I thought we weren't friends anymore,” he said, hands going to his hips.
“I thought that was the case. You tried to make it happen, but you failed in the end. I still care about you, Halbrand,” she said softly, causing his breath to catch. “You say you were once my friend. If you have any of those feelings of friendship toward me still, please give me one last chance to speak about you, me, and Melkor.”
She took his hands in hers, eyes big and pleading, and she waited. It was a good sign that he didn't immediately shake her off, but for a time, he just stood there and stared intently at her. Long minutes in silence passed, and she waited for her opening.
She was willing to do whatever it took. He was worth it, worth fighting for, and she knew it now.
She had done this before in middle school, and she would do it again. He may have refused to tell certain secrets to teachers or others, but when she sat with him in the tree house alone, giving him time and space, he opened up.
His body always spoke before he physically said something, and this time was no exception. He stared into her eyes as though reading her mind, trying to figure out why she was there. When the stare wasn't enough, he glared daggers at her, but they were harmless. Her feelings for him were too strong; she couldn't stand by and let him do this to himself.
She had heard his cries for attention and finally figured out what his body had told her during that fateful argument, and now she refused to give up. He wanted her to keep chasing after him and show him that he was worth something.
When his glare didn't work, his face went blank. He wasn’t ready yet, so she smiled and squeezed his wrists tighter, telling him she was patient and willing to wait. A few more minutes passed, and she felt his body start to relax.
First, it was his shoulders. Then his back. Finally, his hands as they unfurled. Still, she didn't force him to take her hands, so she did something she had been itching to do for a really long time: she rubbed tiny circles into his wrists. His skin had always been so soft there, and somehow, it still was.
Without thinking, she exhaled and smiled, comforted by the familiarity, and as she moved to make another circle, he firmly clasped her hands in his, grimacing as pained, fearful eyes revealed themselves.
That was it. That was her opening.
“I'm sorry, Halbrand. I'm sorry I prioritized my image over our friendship.”
Just from that alone, he gripped her hands tighter and pressed them against his chest. His green eyes still showed so much pain, fear, and hurt. She pushed on.
“I'm sorry I didn't chase after you when you clearly wanted me to. I didn't know, and even when I did, I was too angry and had too much hurt pride. I'm sorry I chose to be safe. I don't want to be anymore.” His mouth gaped, and he openly doubted her. “But if I do, I want it to be with Halbrand. Not Sauron or anyone else. Just you.”
He let out a long breath and shook his head.
She nodded in response. “Halbrand is still there. I know he is. He's misunderstood, sure, but he's an artist and fighter, someone who loves to create. Tell me: when was the last time you made something in your forge? Have you ever made anything for them?”
Regret filled his face. “I can't remember. It's been so long. I showed them once, and they said it was geeky and stupid,” he admitted, eyes sad. “I stopped mentioning or using it after that.”
She cringed internally and squeezed his hands tighter. That was what his parents always said about his interests, stupid or useless. His friends doing the same made it all the worse.
“I'm sorry. That is not how friendship should be. They should be doing things you like and are interested in, not just their stuff. Friendship is a two-way street. What about other things?” Gal asked gently, stepping toward him, and he led her inside. “When did you last use a blade?”
He pressed their hands against his chest. “When I quit the team. They had been telling me to do it for a while because it took time away from them,” he explained, eyes pleading with her to understand.
And she did. She knew how much he had longed for acceptance, for people to seek him out, and these two had given him exactly what he wanted: time and repeated requests to spend time with them. Because of it, he trusted them and went along with whatever they wanted to do.
“I see. When did you last do an activity with Melkor and Adar that you suggested?” she asked, sliding her hands up until the back of one touched his face.
He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. “It's…been a while. After a certain point, I stopped questioning it and accepted that all friendship would be like this.” Opening his eyes, he gave her a pleading look. “At first, I wanted to be accepted. Then, I wanted to be so bad that you'd never approach me again; I thought it'd be the perfect revenge on you. After the latest incident, though, I just didn't care.”
His grip loosened, so she took advantage of it to cup his jaw. “Were you really going to pull that prank of stealing Melkor's dad's concrete mixer truck and dump it all over school and our prom?” she asked, no judgement, just curiosity in her voice.
“At first, I didn't want to, but once I heard you were going…I did,” he confessed, looking away.
“Why?” she asked, hoping she knew why.
But he was not ready for that yet. He jerked out of her reach. “It doesn't matter. Why are you here?”
“I already told you,” she said, letting him hear the hint of annoyance in her voice. “I'm your friend. I care about you and your future.”
“It's already ruined by this most recent incident; I've got community service to my name,” he said, eyeing her.
“That will be sealed in your juvie record since you just turned eighteen, don't think I forgot,” she said, making him blink in surprise.
She wondered if the others had said anything based on the fanfare the other two received and him getting nothing.
“Did they even celebrate your birthday?” she asked, annoyed.
“Of course,” he said way too quickly, only to pause, “not.” He cleared his throat. “But stop changing the topic!”
“There's no need to shout,” she reprimanded, folding her arms across her chest. “I'm asking a legit question here. They consistently show that they don't care about you based on how you've answered all these questions. What do they do for you beyond make you do lots of uncomfortable things for the sake of being accepted? Nothing. They're taking advantage of you. They're not your friends. They don't care about you or your future–”
“That's rich coming from you,” he sneered, folding his arms across his chest. “Just because you come now and apologize does not make you any more my friend–”
“Then give me another me chance!” she demanded, stepping forward.
He stood his ground. “No. I'm beyond hope or help. I'm broken–”
“So am I! We can heal and be stronger toge–”
“No.” He put a finger to her mouth, his eyes on her wrist. “Never say that again. Go back to your perfect boyfriend and family. They'll never approve of this–”
“I don't care about their approval! I already told you I'm tired of being safe and feeling like I'm living a double life,” she said, almost pouting before she grew quiet and serious. “But more importantly, I'm not dating Elrond; I never have. He's my friend, and I was going to prom with him as my friend since the person I wanted to ask me…didn't.” She gave him a significant look, and she cleared her throat. “And Elrond has known it for some time. He knew long before me.”
“He knew what?” he asked, body alert and stepping closer.
“He knows that I like you, no, care deeply about you,” she said with emotion as he looked taken aback. “I've never stopped carrying your dagger and wearing our bracelet.” She traced the bracelet and smiled. “I've touched this bracelet so many times that I think it's smooth now. I couldn't let go of you, of our friendship, even when I was furious with you.” She glared at him. “I held onto it and sobbed so many nights over you because I didn't want to lose you–”
He placed a hand on her. “Go to prom with me.”
“What?” she asked, blinking and trying to make sense of what he just said. “Could you repeat that?”
Could he really have asked it? And why now?
“Galadriel, I'm sorry for letting jealousy and assumptions come between us.” He rubbed the back of his head, and she smiled faintly, joy rising within her. “I'm sorry I stopped talking to you. I've missed you…so much. You've been my only true friend, but the thing is, I want more. So much more with you. I want to be more than friends with you, and I've wanted it for some time.”
“I didn't know my own feelings until recently. That was why I came here now,” she said softly. “I wish I had known sooner, or that you had feelings for me. I…would have acted differently.”
“Then here's your chance. I want you to cause the biggest scandal ever and attend prom with me. Will you go to prom with me?” he asked, taking both of her hands in his. “As my girlfriend?”
“Yes!” she cried without hesitation, looping her arms around his neck. “I want to so much. We'll eat in my kitchen with my family, dance super close all night, and stay up late in the tree house–”
He laughed, a full belly laugh, even as he clutched her closer. “You've given this some serious thought. You want to scandalize everyone in one fell swoop; I like it,” he said, smirking. “I can't wait to go back to the tree house. What color is your dress?”
She grinned. “Well, I have a green one and a gray one–”
“Gray it is,” he said, looking pleased. “I'll get you flowers tomorrow.”
“But how can we go to prom together if it is full of concrete?” she asked, letting go of him to fold her arms across her chest.
“It won't be. In fact,” he said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at the time, “if you were to call the cops and mention how they ought to show up at Morgoth's Construction in less than an hour, then the mixer truck may not even escape.”
“You don't say,” she said, pulling out her phone. “Let me do just that.”
A few minutes later, the police were alerted, and they left to meet up with the cops. Soon after they arrived, Melkor and Adar showed up, and once they started driving the truck off the site, they were arrested.
The next forty-eight hours happened very fast, but after a couple visits to the police station since Melkor's father pressed charges, Halbrand went so far as to let loose what other plans were in the works, which was enough to get both Melkor and Adar charged as adults with jail time as a distinct possibility.
Whatever stress Halbrand felt, though, was nothing compared to the moment Gal let him into her home. While Finrod welcomed him, everyone else was as cold as politeness alllowed. She was going to be grounded for a month, but it would be worth it. Her conscience was clear at long last.
Better yet was walking into prom together. Gal had been a little nervous about what people would think of her, but seeing Halbrand all dressed up and smiling made her forget about everyone else. She had never been happier or prouder, and everyone complimented her on how radiant she was, even Elrond. And once the initial chatting was done, she tugged on Halbrand's arm.
He grinned and offered her his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
“Yes, all night long with you,” she said, and he smirked. She forgot how much she loved his little smirk.
He led her to the dance floor. “Good. I'm not letting you out of my arms for a very long time.”
She nodded. “You better not since we're dating now, boyfriend.”
“Say it again,” he requested quickly, twirling her before pulling her in close. “Who am I?”
“You're Hal, my boyfriend,” she said, and she had never seen him smile so much.
“That's right, and I'm going to make sure every last person here knows it,” he said proudly as she laughed. “Have to make up for lost time you know,” he said glibly as he dipped his head down.
“Yes. You're going to be busy,” she said archly. “I'm glad we'll be together for all of it.”
“Yes, here, not in jail,” he said. “Thank you. Thank you for fighting for me when it matters most.”
“I always will. You're worth it,” she said as their foreheads touched. “Because we're stronger–”
“Together.”