(A/N: The reason for this story is that I ran into some writer's block with my other one, Finding Again. I was laying in bed one night, then this whole storyline just exploded into my head. There was so much, in fact, that I wrote 6 pages in one night. Also, the working alone experience in the third paragraph is straight out of my life.)
DISCLAIMER: I only own this story. Eoin Colfer owns everything else.
Chapter 1: Work just got harder
"2 for 6 Whopper for Anthony!"
Andrew Fowl was working at Burger King in Athens, Georgia. It was rush hour, and stress levels were peaking. It was just him and Amelia, his coworker and friend from church, and there had to have been at least 40 people waiting for their orders. At least it isn't my other job, he thought. I was alone, and there were 60 people to take care of. This is nothing. At least we won't run out of forks this time.
Said "other job" was Andrew's summer job, working at a store that sold shaved ice. One day, he had been alone working the day shift, 4 hours of boring, typical work, then rush hour. Andrew had been reading at the time when he noticed a customer drive into the parking lot. The customer's order was nothing unusual, just a small with some coconut flakes. He had been making the customer's order, when he turned around and saw at least 20 people that had turned up in the 30 seconds it had taken him to shave the ice, then 30 more customers came in the next half hour. Long story short, he was very, very stressed. It hadn't helped that Andrew had run out of spoons halfway through.
But I'm rambling; back to current matters. Andrew and Amelia had just finished and were cleaning up from rush hour when there was a huge BOOM! from the parking lot behind the building.
"What was that?" Amelia cried.
"I don't know, but I'll check it out." Andrew said. Amelia knew enough about Andrew to know that when he set his mind to something, nothing short of a direct order from his boss would stop him. He noticed her look and said, "If it makes you feel any better, I'll have my knife out."
"Like heck you will, Andrew" Amelia retorted. "Anybody who sees you will think you'll stab them."
Andrew grinned, something that told Amelia that something was not right about this kid. "Hopefully, nobody will see me then." And he left to check out the scene. There was still dust in the air when Andrew got to the "blast zone", so he squinted through it as best he could. As he looked, he saw the hazy figure of… a child? No, the figure was moving, just barely. Any child would have been instantly killed by that impact, and even then, the figure's arms and legs were all bent at odd angles, so Andrew knew immediately from his First Aid training that they were broken. While he surveyed the damage, something incredible happened and he gasped in surprise. Blue sparks had started to wind themselves around the tiny frame, apparently mending the broken bones before his eyes. The blue sparks stopped, and the figure was still. Andrew tenderly picked up the body, seeing that the stature was similar to that of a young woman. Small woman, blue sparks… Pointy ears? oh no. Everything my brother told me was true.
*Director* Wait, wait, wait. We haven't told them why Andrew is the main character! We don't even have much of a background yet!
*Narrator* You're right! I'll do that now.
Andrew Fowl was a normal young man, though brother to the (in)famous Artemis Fowl. Artemis had told him and him alone the tales of his adventures, but Andrew has yet to believe him. Andrew looked somewhat like Artemis, and that was it. Artemis was a mastermind, Andrew was of "above average" intelligence. Andrew was athletic, Artemis was not. Artemis had dealt with The People, Andrew had not.
Yet.
*Narrator* That good for you?
*Director* Yeah, yeah, just get on with the story, would you?
*Narrator* Okay, fine.
Andrew carried the fairy to the kitchen, where Amelia was cleaning. She shrieked when she saw the tiny woman in Andrew's arms, and immediately took her from him, setting her on the counter and looking her over. Andrew noticed her gaze stop on the fairy's ears, and her eyes widened. "What is this?" she almost screamed.
Andrew sighed and rubbed his fingers against his temples. His knife was safely back in his pocket. "Amelia," he said.
"Yes?" The young woman asked, frightened, looking up from the woman on the counter.
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes." she said, too quickly.
"No, Amelia. You don't understand. This is a secret that could potentially jeopardize life as we know it." He hadn't taken his fingers off his temples. "You can't even tell your family."
"I promise."
"Good. Now listen, this is going to take awhile to explain."
After they had both taken a seat, Andrew said, "Amelia. My brother, Artemis Fowl, told me about a secret community known as "The People". They consist of several species, including Elves," he motioned to the Elf laying on the counter, "Dwarves, Pixies, Goblins, a few Centaurs, and Trolls. Their biggest city is somewhere in Ireland, called Haven. It is several hundred kilometers below ground, and Artemis and his bodyguard, Butler, are the only humans ever to see it and remember."
Amelia was dumbstruck. She had essentially just been told, with living proof, that everything her parents and friends told her was false. "This is going to take awhile to process. In the meantime, what are we going to do with the Elf?" Amelia sounded oddly calm, and Andrew noticed.
"You're calm for somebody who was just told their entire life was literally a lie," he said.
"So are you," she noted.
Andrew shrugged. "True, but you must note, that I have been doubting for a long time now."
"No surprise there," Amelia laughed. "So, what are you going to do with the Elf?"
Andrew was stumped for a moment before deciding, "I'm going to take care of her. I'm leaving right after I call Eli and tell him a watered down version of what's going on, right after I talk to the reporters that are ordering news with a side of gossip. Keep her hidden, in fact-" Andrew was going through the elf's pack now. "Ah, found it." He held up a sheet of some strange material, and noticing Amelia's confused look, said "Cam foil. Keeps her invisible to human eyes, but won't stand up to cameras. Artemis told me about it." Amelia knew better than to ask further.
The two laid the fairy in a nook between the fryer and the sink and covered her with the sheet, and not a moment too soon, because just then, Andrew's boss, Eli, came running through the door.
"What in the world happened in the parking lot?" he yelled over the blare of the sirens that filtered through the walls.
"I don't know, I was just going to go home. There were, ah, unforeseen complications having to do with my family," Andrew lied easily. It was just something that came natural to him.
"What sort of complications?" Eli questioned, sounding concerned.
"Very personal ones. My mom just called and said I needed to get home immediately."
"Okay. Either way, you're both dismissed. Police are blocking off this building."
"I'm fine with that, I'll just have to get some stuff and then I'll be gone. From the other side of the reporters, of course. I don't want my picture all over the internet. Amelia, can you help me?" Andrew asked as Eli left, presumably to talk to the reporters that were now banging on the windows.
"Yeah, sure." Amelia came over to the sink to help Andrew with the foil. "Are you going to tell?" she whispered nervously.
"No," Andrew replied shortly.
"You didn't even ask who I was talking about."
"I didn't need to. I'm not telling anybody." He was quiet for a second before saying, "Except Artemis. He'll want to know about this."
A few minutes later, the Elf was curled safely in Andrew's backpack, with Andrew carrying the binder and two books that had previously been in there.
"Do you need a ride?" Amelia asked. "I can drive you home if you need."
Andrew thought about it, then said, "Yeah. The risks are too great if I walk home."
"Great," Amelia said. "I'll drive, you give directions."
Andrew sighed in anticipation. "Get me home as fast as possible, just be careful not to hurt the Elf."
"Don't worry, I'm always careful."
A/N: Please review! 5 reviews or every other day (Tue, Thu, Sat, etc.), a new chapter goes up.
Happy reading!