Red (The Hobbit Fan Fiction)

2. Paying a Visit

2. Paying a Visit

            I figured it’d be best to visit Bilbo during the day. I was sure he wouldn’t appreciate a wakeup call from me. When I first rose—I’m an early riser—I debated on whether or not to stop by Cecelia’s and offer her to tag along. After spending a few good hours watching the sun rise over the Shire and leaning against Remy’s shaggy cheek, I decided it was best if she didn’t come along with me. There was a wound that I doubt would ever heal in my sister, and seeing Bilbo would most likely make it bigger.

            “You remember Bilbo, don’t you, boy?” I whispered to Remy. “You saw him a few times.”

            As the sun rose higher in the sky, I reminisced back to my younger years, when I was a teenager.

~*~

            “You really want to challenge me?” I laughed, smirking at Bilbo, who had just foolishly challenged me to climb the tallest tree he could find. It was like he didn’t know me at all; I had no fear of heights.

            We were in the boundary of the woods, far away from my parents’ sight. If they saw us together, they wouldn’t be very happy. For all they knew, I was out with Cecelia roaming Hobbiton, enjoying the fresh air. Thank goodness for Cecelia covering for me, though it would have seemed more plausible if she had actually joined me.

I couldn’t believe the nerve of my parents, to actually dictate who I could see and who I couldn’t! They acted as if though Bilbo and I were together or something. That would never be the case between us, I considered him too much like a brother.

“I see that to be no challenge at all.” I folded my arms across my chest. “I say let’s raise the stakes: let’s race to see who can climb the highest.”

At this Bilbo blanched. I snickered, already knowing that my friend would lose the competition.

“You can’t alter the challenge,” Bilbo stammered, craning his neck up to gaze at the tree that made us Hobbits feel even smaller than we already were. “I’m sure that’s against the rules.”

“What rules?” I scoffed. “You’re scared!” I stuck my tongue out at him. “Come on, where is the Bilbo I know? He wouldn’t back down; he’d take this opportunity as an adventure!”

“Climbing a tree isn’t exactly an adventure, Lily.”

“Of course it is! There’s a risk that either of us can fall or hurt ourselves.”

“I’m glad that’s all you said.” Bilbo let out a nervous laugh.

“Come on, will you do it or not?” I pressed impatiently, pressuring him under my intense gaze.

“All right, all right. Fine, I will.”

He latched onto the tree like a squirrel and scampered up. My mouth fell open in shock.

“No fair!” I called, tailing after him.

“I never dictated when we were to start, nor did you voice your opinion on the matter.”

My jaw clenched. Curse loopholes!

The competition was clean, neither of us wanted to play dirty—the consequences would be too severe should we decide to get aggressively competitive. Bilbo had the edge on me for a while until he got stuck on a thick branch. That’s when I took my chance to take the lead.