Somethin� was on my head. I could feel it, the pressure. It annoyed me.
I forced my eyes open, expecting the bright light of the morning to give me one of those brain ouches� but nothing happened. Oh boy.
It was dark� too dark for my likin�, and I couldn�t see a thing. Plus, there was something on my head!
With all my might, I pushed at the thing on my hand, trying to get it off. When it did fall off my head, I realized that it really WAS light outside.
�Ow�� I groaned, my hands flying to my eyes. �Too bright!�
After a few moments, I built up enough courage to open my eyes again. I giggled at what I saw.
Uncle Bobo was sprawled across the bed on his back, his mouth slightly open, and a small dribble of drool hangin� out the corner. He had obviously stolen Bert from me during the night, �cause my bear was safely tucked under his right arm. Uncle Bobo�s left arm had been what I had felt on my head.
Yawning, I slowly stood up on the bed, almost falling over �cause mattresses aren�t that sturdy. There was only one way you can wake up my Uncle Billy, by jumping on him.
So, that�s what I did.
The yell that escaped from Uncle Bobo�s mouth was hilarious! His eyes looked like they were popping out of his head as I turned myself on his stomach so that I was face to face with my uncle.
�Alex!� he cried, astonished. �I didn�t know you weighed so much!�
I thought about that for a second and shrugged. �I guess it�s your cooking.�
He grinned. �Or those chocolate chip biscuits you�ve been eating.�
Yeah, that too.
Uncle Billy stretched, scrunching up his face in the process. Sighing, he pushed me off his stomach and sat up. He was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday.
�Bobo? What time is it?� I asked.
He glanced over to his side. �Seven-thirty. Why?�
��Cause weren�t we supposed to be up at five-o-clock?� I asked, not understanding why Uncle Billy let us sleep in.
Uncle Billy�s eyes widened. �Bloody hell�� was all I heard out of him as he sprang off the bed, racing out of the room.
Well. That was strange.
�Dom! Wake up you git! We�re late!� I heard Bobo scream from the other room, then a loud thump and a string of curse words from Merry. I was learning lots on this trip, mum and dad will be proud!
I crawled out of bed and hurried down the hall to my bedroom, trying not to let my feet get too cold from the wooden floor. When I arrived at my destination, I was awfully surprised to see that most of the mess had been cleaned up.
I skipped over to my dresser and dug around for socks an� stuff. You know, clothes. I grinned when I pulled out the overalls mum had bought me for my birthday.
I sauntered back into the hallway, headin� for the bathroom when a flash whizzed by me and the only thing I saw, was the bathroom door slammin� shut. I frowned. Merry was a hog.
I sighed and headed back to my room to change.
Awhile later, I ventured out into the hall again, making sure Merry was out of the bathroom. I really had to go!
Good thing he was, so I scurried down the hall as fast as I could before Bobo had a chance to get in front of me.
I ran inside and slammed the door shut behind me, only to hear Uncle Billy start a rant from outside the door. He was yellin� somethin� about this bein� his house and that he should have the right to go to the bathroom before anyone. He went on for several minutes like this, and I tried my best to ignore him as I went about my business.
He was still ranting when I slowly pulled open the bathroom door. I gazed up at him and he suddenly became quiet.
�Can�t I go to the toilet in peace?� I asked, slightly irritated.
This set him off. �No! It�s by bathroom, mine you hear me? Mine! I pay for this house, the bills and all and I have to sacrifice my own bathroom for a scoundrel and a pip-squeak! This is an outrage a complete and utter outrage�� he rambled, heading into the washroom.
I frowned and skipped down the hall to find Merry. I wanted to know which one I was, the scoundrel or the pip-squeak. I think I was the scoundrel.
I found Merry in the livin� room with only half of his clothes on. I shrieked and quickly covered my eyes. �Merry!� I cried, �You forgot your shirt!�
I didn�t dare peek to check if he was puttin� it back on. No way.
�Alex? What?� I heard Merry�s voice.
�You�re indecent!� I cried, scrunching up my face in disgust.
I heard him laugh and a few seconds later he told me I could look again.
I slowly lowered my hands, peaking out to find he was in fact tellin� the truth. Whew! Did that ever scare me!
Merry grinned at my behaviour. �If you were older Alex, you wouldn�t be able to keep your hands of me, the Domster.�
The what?
�All the girls love me you know? I am the most likable hobbit.�
I grinned at the mention of hobbits, but I think a girl would have to be insane, just like Kaylee, to love Merry.
�Come on Bobo!� Merry called, startlin� me a bit. �Kerryn and Carolyn are waiting! And you know how Peter One and Peter Two get upset when we aren�t on time for make up!�
At that moment, Uncle Billy sauntered around the corner. �The way I see it Dom,� Bobo began, �We�re all ready two hours late. I don�t think a few minutes is going to hurt.�
I had no idea who they were talkin� about, but I was pretty positive that I would find out.
Merry carried me out to the car as Uncle Bobo locked up the house. I don�t know why, but for the rest of my time with Uncle Bobo, Merry was determined to not let me out of his sight. Oh well, at least I had a permanent person that I could talk to.
The drive to the set took one and a half hours, far too long if you ask me. Bobo and Merry chatted at things I didn�t understand, so I passed the time humming Christmas carols. My dad had taught me new words to �Deck the Halls� and when I sang them to mum, she wasn�t too pleased.
�Alex?�
I continued to hum.
�Hey, runt!�
I stopped. �Yes Merry?�
�Would you knock it off please? I�m trying to drive.�
Oh. So that�s what he was doing.
�Do you really hate Christmas that much?� I asked. If Christmas carols annoyed him what was he supposed to do when everyone was singin� them?
�I don�t hate Christmas! I just hate hearing the same song over and over and over�� he trailed off. I guess he thought he made his point and ended the talk. He guessed wrong.
�But at Christmas Bobo is all ways singin� Silent Night an� no one gets bored of that.� I pointed out.
�Yes,� Merry continued, �But Bobo here sings it at the right time of year.�
Oh. Well if that was true, then I guess I should sing a happy song, since it was summer. After thinking for a few minutes, I decided on a new song. I like S Club &, they�re fun!
�Don�t stop, never give up, hold your head high and reach the top!� I bellowed at the top of my lungs. I was sure Merry wouldn�t mind S Club 7.
Uncle Bobo cringed a little, but what I thought was funny was Merry�s sudden death grip on the steering wheel. I�ve never seen someone�s finger turn all white before.
�Alex.� Uncle Bobo said surprisingly calm. �Do pick another song, please?�
I blinked. �But I don�t know any other songs.�
That�s when Merry put in his two cents. �How about we don�t sing and just watch the pretty flowers go by.� He suggested. �Look out there runt, it�s a cow.�
A cow?
�But I�m bored!� I whined, �Merry, you�re no fun!�
There was silence for a moment and it seemed that Merry was considering something. After a while he sighed.
�Bobo? You up for a two man rendition of The Song?�
Uncle Billy gasped. �No, not The Song.�
I was slightly confused. �What�s the song?� I asked.
Merry grinned. �The Song�� he said in a very weird booming voice, �Is a song that all hobbits must learn before they can become hobbits.
Hobbits?! I wanna be a Hobbit! Haw-Bit� I like that word.
�Oh pleeeeease sing it Uncle Bobo, pleeeease!� I whined, giving him my best cheesy smile.
Uncle Billy sighed. �I guess. But how about we do it at Rivendell, okay? That way it will sound better. Dom needs three other guys to help him carry a tune.� He winked.
�Hey!� Merry pouted.
I grinned. Payback is great.
For the rest of the trip, I taunted Merry about his inability to sing. I think I got him a little angry, but it didn�t matter. My Uncle Billy was sittin� right beside him the whole trip so Merry couldn�t touch me.
After what seemed like forever, we finally arrived at the place. I didn�t know where we were, but boy, it was beautiful!
There were great white buildings with really neat carvings! We were in the middle of some woods, so it looked even neater.
Uncle Bobo helped me out of the car and noticed my awe.
�Welcome to Rivendell kiddo.� He sighed, taking in the site of the place as well.
We headed closer to where a whole bunch of people were milling around, and I quickly spotted Orlie.
�Orlie!� I cried, running forward and clutching onto his leg. I looked up and my grin instantly turned into a look of horror.
This wasn�t Orlie.
Looking around me, I saw many people that looked like Orlie walking around. I gulped. This was not good, not good at all.
�Uncle Bobo,� I whispered. �I think I need to go back to sleep.�
He just nodded in agreement, but I could tell he was just humouring me.