St. Bartlebey's School For Gifted Young Boys, Dublin, Ireland
Artemis sat curled on his bed on his side of the dorm, again caught up in a book, this time it was fairy tales. In recent months, Artemis had found such fantasies soothing as well as amusing. No apparent reason for the recent infatuation, but it seemed to calm his mind from the problems at hand.
Ever since Artemis's father had returned Fowl Manor seemed to be filled with more cheer than humanly possible. It almost made Artemis glad that he didn't have to spend most of his time there, with his parents making eyes at one another every second of the day. It was disgusting.
However, St. Bartlebey's was not the greatest place on earth either. The computer labs were ancient. The science labs were grossly under stocked and all of the Technology Education Teachers were worthless, not knowing more about a computer other than how to turn it on, and even at that they could barely operate them. But, the possibly worst thing that could happen to Artemis was happening this very moment.
He had to socialize with the other students of his economic standing. This was incredibly mind numbing since, all they ever blathered on about was how they were running off with the girls of St. Josephine's Academy, (which shared a boundary with St. Bartlebey's), and how much money each of them had stored up in various accounts around the world.
Returning home from Spring Break was particularly horrible since, each one of the boys was spouting macho stories and talking about how many girls they had done over vacation. Artemis highly doubted any young woman would touch the slobbering testosterone driven pigs.
This is why Artemis had locked himself up in his room over lunch, no idiots to contend with. That is until McGayle bust in with a slutty cheerleader slobbering all over him. They pushed their way noisily over to Artemis's side of the room. He cleared his throat loudly.
"I do believe that your side of the room is over there..." He stated in a loud tone. McGayle looked up, lipstick smeared on his face, from his kinky games.
"Shove off Fowl, it's not like you'll ever get a gal to give you a second glance."
Artemis's gaze sharpened shooting darts his way. It wasn't that this boy was just Scottish, that was enough to make Artemis distrust him. He was damn annoying.
"I don't care what women think of me right now in my life so I have no problem telling this young lady that you were just making out with her sister yesterday and telling her how much better that she was than the girl standing in the room with us at this very moment."
The Cheerleader looked back at him with an angry gaze.
"Is that so?" She said. She slapped McGayle hard and marched out of the room.
"Gabby w-wait, Fowl only tells lies-- I swear-- Come back!" McGayle turned out of the room in an attempt to follow her.
It was only in vain and McGayle turned on Artemis once more.
"I was that close Fowl!" He said pinching his fingers together. "That close! You only get that close with Gabby once, and you blew it for me. Your gonna pay you bet... You better sleep with one eye closed from now on!"
McGayle's eyes bulged out of his head like a bugs. This was why he was on the rugby team. He looked crazy and if you knew anything about staying away from guys you stayed away from two types, crazy and big. McGayle was a crazy type. These rules, however, did not apply to Artemis.
He had no fear of any roommate he had been put with and he always outsmarted them. Always.
Artemis waved him off like a fly.
"I do not care to hear your complaints again, Steven. I don't care if you pummel me to a pulp. However, I'm sure that the Butlers will..."
McGayle backed off. Artemis Fowl the pale kid with a mouth on him was one thing, but 6 foot 3 of pure muscle was another.
"You got off easy this time," he muttered.
'Good grief...' thought Artemis, as he rolled his eyes at the stupidity of some.
***
"St. Josephine's Academy for Gifted Young Ladies... Sheesh even the name is lame...Name, Lame. I'm a poet and didn't know it!" Giggled a girl with an American accent.
She stood in the front of the brick building, staring it down as if it killed her childhood pet and she had a vendetta. Then again, Mia had always been like this. Hyperactive, impatient, clumsy, and fucking nuts were some common words used to describe her--
--and those were the words her teachers used.
The school uniform of a plaid skirt and white blouse was unfitting to her athletic figure. In fact, anything with a blouse with puffy sleeves was unfitting to her taste and her style. Unless it was smeared with mud, or paint or motor oil or...well you get the picture. In fact, it had taken her father dragging her in true military father style to the building, and even then she fought him to go onto the building property. Then by nine o'clock she'd run home, and he had yet again dragged her kicking and screaming into the building
That was just this morning.
Mia had now given up. He threatened her with the typical military father punishments; pushups, scrubbing the whole base with a toothbrush, and even the whole "you'll sleep outside in the rain" bit.
This scene was not new to her or to her father by any means. This happened to her wherever she went. That is because she was a military brat by default and no amount of force would keep her from disobeying.
"Rebel by nature, can't beat the spirit out of her with a really big stick."
General Worthington had always said. He always had been a grandfather figure to her, since her dad moved around with him, whenever he was transferred. Sergeant
Daniel Prince first class, was one of his few students who had not retired yet, as well as his close and personal friend, ever since Eve, Daniel's wife had passed when Mia was only 5-years-old.
Mia clunked all the way up the steps to the main office, making the little cubby bespectacled secretary jump. I guess that's what you get for wearing combat boots that weren't tied.
"May I help you?" She asked shaken a little from the loud thundering.
"Yeah, I'm lookin' for..." Mia glanced at her schedule, "Technological Studies, Building 10E ..."
The secretary straightened her glasses and took a deep breath.
"Well, young miss, that is on the boy's campus." Mia rolled her eyes.
"No duh! Where is it? Can I get a map or something?" Her mouth clamped into a frown and gave Mia a disapproving glance.
"Here is a map of the campus buildings. You should walk down this hall take a left, go out those doors and head down the path to the building however if you wish to be on time—"
Mia already was hurrying away.
"Thanks, see ya later, bye!"
The secretary shook her head, "Damn American transfers," she muttered to herself.
***
Artemis now had technological studies. He already was in a poor mood from being interrupted at least a dozen times by McGayle, and his pathetic chatter.
The tech class would not help either. St. Bartlebey's computers were eons behind the technology that they had at Fowl Manor. The class was useless as well as pointless, since Mr. Michikawa knew less about computers than a rock.
He sunk into a seat at the back of the class, hoping he would go unnoticed by the other students since he was sure that they would pester him with their useless questions about common computer elements. The bell rang, and a flood of students poured through the door at last minute.
"Welcome back! I am pleased to see all your smiling faces once again." Artemis rolled his eyes. He was going to be sick.
"As you know we are beginning once more on building our hardrive from scratch, and our goal for the computer to play a simple version of pong. Now I just wanted to –"
There was a loud pounding at the door.
"Hmmm... I wonder who would be so tardy to their studies?" Mr. Michikawa opened the door with a swift motion.
There stood a girl.
It was rare to see a girl in a Tech class since, the cooking class offered at St. Josephine's was much less challenging. Even when a rare female did appear, she was not usually this attractive or—shocking.
Her hair was bright pink; she was chewing a large wad of bubble gum. Her uniform was anything but freshly pressed, and it was covered with patches of bands like the Sex Pistols and Green Day. Not only was she breaking dress code with her hair, she was wearing combat boots! She strolled into class with all the guys tongue tied over the pretty little number in fishnets.
"So, I'm guessing that this is the tech class?" Mr. Michikawa nodded, unable to speak because of her blatant disregard for the rules. He soon regained use of his voice.
"Miss—"he paused in hope of a name.
"Prince, Mia Prince." She answered.
"Miss Prince, you are 15 minutes late." He said straighten his tie.
"Yeah and?"
"You are 15 minutes late! You will be spending ½ an hour with me after school to make up for that time. There is no gum chewing at St. Bartlebey's or St. Josephine's. Plus, you are breaking dress code. We do not allow our young ladies to wear fishnets or combat boots and your hair—"
"Yeah, what about it?" she repeated in her heavy American accent.
Mr. Michikawa cleared his throat.
"It is pink. We do not allow perms or dyed hair. Your hair must be its natural color."
She smirked at him.
"You think I even know my own natural color?" She laughed at him. Outright laughed at his face.
"Natural hair color. That's a good one, I'm gonna have to look out for you!"
She walked to the back of the room and slid into the seat next to Artemis.
Mr. Michikawa turned red with anger. The rest of the class tittered at his defeat from a pink haired girl.
"Well, you know what to do class." He stomped from the classroom and the chatter began all over again, unquiet from the lack of a teacher.
"That was pretty cool back there!" Said David from across the lab table.
"Eh, it was nothing. My pop is a man from the American Military base in Dublin; you should have seen him when I first dyed it. He went nuts!" The boys around the table laughed at her little antic dote.
Artemis snorted critically.
"What's the matter with you vamp boy? Haven't you ever seen a teacher mad before?"
"Don't waste your time on him, that's just boy genius Artemis Fowl. He doesn't like many people."
Mia was intrigued with the fact that he didn't like her, since most guys did.
"So you don't like me?"
Artemis raised his cold eyes to her.
"I don't waste my time on pathetic foreigners, especially ones who cause trouble by mouthing off and breaking rules."
Mia nodded.
"Okay. I respect your opinion." Mia leaned away giving him a look like a cat would give a canary.
"Hey! Look! Mr. Michikawa is smoking outside!" All of the students gathered around the windows except for Artemis and Mia.
She leaned towards him, the scent of spicy flowers poured over him.
"I also know that you are a wanted criminal..." She hissed softly into his ear, her warm breath fanning into his ear.
It was unnerving to hear a fellow student disclose such information without even so much as an explanation.
This Mia Prince was more than a female troublemaker.
She would be his enemy.
*** Artemis sat in his dorm room plotting. Ever plotting. McGayle sat across the room, pumping weights up and down, up and down. Artemis sat, fingers in a steeple, plotting.
"Whatcha doin' Fowl?" McGayle grunted. Artemis's mouth twisted sourly.
"I am thinking. A concept I'm sure you would find difficult to grasp."
McGayle's eyebrows furrowed, he was sure of an insult, but unable to find it.
McGayle smiled.
"How about that pretty little chick in our tech class. Pretty sweet, huh?"
Artemis stood quickly, a frown over taking his face.
"She is neither pretty nor sweet. She spits poison from her fangs and worms her way into the heart of another victim. I suggest you stay out of her way, for she's going to kill you when you are not looking, and use your carcass as a handbag!"
McGayle stopped for a moment. He sat up and dabbed off his head.
"Well, I dunno about that. What did she do to you?"
Artemis smoothed out his hair and sat himself back on his bed, ignoring the question.
"What'd she do?" McGayle asked crossing the room to gaze down at Artemis.
Artemis again ignored the question.
"Oh I get it..." McGayle smiled and sat back down on his side of the room.
Artemis sat up. McGayle had started to lift weights again.
"What do you—get?" Artemis questioned, the words awkwardly rolling off his tongue.
The room was silent except for an odd grunting noise from McGayle. Artemis awaited his answer with bated breath.
"She's a bad girl. You're a bad boy. You don't want your rep to get ruined by miss prissy pants."
Artemis's brow furrowed.
"For some odd reason your words make sense?" Artemis began to pace nervously. "Why am I so concerned over this young miss that is so thoroughly like myself?"
McGayle added to Artemis's monologue.
"Maybe you think she's hot."
Artemis stopped dead in his tracks.
"So I think that Mia Prince is...hot?" Artemis asked himself.
"Well, yeah, it'd make sense. Think about it. You're annoyed at her, and she is your type. Computer geek, Pops is in the Military..."
Artemis smirked like a Cheshire cat.
"Fathers in the military?"
"Yeah, what else? Well she's an American chick and we all know what that means..." McGayle chuckled to himself.
"What? What does that mean?"
McGayle raised an eyebrow.
"Well, It means—"McGayle motioned for Artemis to come closer. Artemis leaned in and his face expression went from curious to embarrassed.
"Oh—Oh my..."
Artemis sat blushing to himself for a while at his words.
***
"So, this is my dorm?" Mia asked. Girls were applying lipstick, chattering and running down the halls with little on.
"Yeah, this would be the dorm." Said a girl next to her.
"Aw man... I can see I'll never get any sleep. I wish I were back in California or even Australia. At least it was quiet there..."
"Australia? You've been to Australia?" Said the girl next to her. She had short red-brown hair and blue eyes. A dusting of freckles was sprinkled across her nose.
"Yeah, but there were a ton of bugs! Uh, you wouldn't believe how many grasshoppers they get there in the summer! The funniest thing was when the drill sergeant got a really big one in his mouth. Then he closed it!"
"Eww!" The girl giggled. "Really?"
"Yup."
"What's your name?" She asked." I'm Maggie."
"Mia Prince."
"It's nice to meet you, so why are you in Ireland?" Maggie asked as the two proceeded down the hall trying to look out for flying underwear and quarreling girls.
"Well, Dad had to move again 'cause General Worthington was transferring again. We've always followed him around."
"Is he your grandfather?"
Mia shook her head. "Nope. Just a friend."
"Why are you here? You seem like a pretty good kid."
Maggie's cheeks flushed red and she started to stare at the floor.
"Well, last time I was going to a Catholic school. I got a little mad at Mother Superior so I uh... flushed a cherry bomb down the toilet right above her office." Mia smirked.
"You could've fooled me." She chuckled.
"Here's my room." Mia said pointing off at a corner door.
"Oh, hey mine too. I was wondering when they would fill that spot."
Maggie said as she unlocked her room. On one half, there were stuffed toys and little shelves full of tiny trinkets. On the walls were posters of bunnies and beads hung down in rainbow bands. The desk was covered in Hello Kitty trinkets and little pictures like the ones you get in a photo booth. On the other side was virtually empty except for a bed and a desk.
"That can be your bed. I apologize if you don't like girly junk."
Mia dropped her suitcase onto the bed.
"Oh, I don't mind anymore. I lived in Japan for 4 years, so I got pretty used to it."
Maggie's eyes grew to the size of saucers.
"Japan? Oh, I've always wanted to go to Japan! I love anime and all the cute little furry things they sell and... Oh, it would be wonderful to go to Japan!"
"I've got a scrap book at the base. I'll have my dad mail it to me."
"That would be wonderful!" Mia began unpacking. She pulled out black clothing, filled with safety pins and spray paint. Some were military hand me downs, and others yet were colored brightly. Maggie looked a little surprised.
"Your wardrobe is a little mismatched, huh?" Mia shrugged.
"Whatever. I don't really care what I wear, except for this stupid uniform." She grumbled. Maggie giggled a little.
Maggie changed into her pajamas. They too were pink with ruffles.
Mia began pulling out her underwear and stuffing them into a drawer.
"You dropped these." Maggie held out a lacy black thong with studs around some of the edges.
"Hee-hee... Thanks..." Mia nervously shoved them into the drawer.
"So I hear you're the only girl in your Tech Class. Typical. All the other bimbos in this place take Home Economics 'cause Mrs. Grady can't see 2 feet in front of her face."
Mia shrugged again. She was now setting up record covers and taping up posters onto the walls.
"I don't care. Hey, do you know a guy named Artemis Fowl?" Maggie thought for a moment, and then sighed heavily.
"Yes. He is so cute, but he can't think of anything but scheming to drive the Principal mad with rage."
Mia giggled to herself as she reached for the topmost corner of a 'The Clash' poster.
"Does he ever go outside? He looks like he lives in a dungeon." Maggie shook her head.
"I don't know but he's not one for fun or outside." Mia grinned to herself. "I guess he took the phrase 'Chicks dig scrawny pale guys' to a new level!"
They both started laughing madly.
"Hey, are you up to be a Juvenal Delinquent?"
"Ready and willing." Maggie replied.
"Put on some black clothes."
***
Artemis sat curled on his bed on his side of the dorm, again caught up in a book, this time it was fairy tales. In recent months, Artemis had found such fantasies soothing as well as amusing. No apparent reason for the recent infatuation, but it seemed to calm his mind from the problems at hand.
Ever since Artemis's father had returned Fowl Manor seemed to be filled with more cheer than humanly possible. It almost made Artemis glad that he didn't have to spend most of his time there, with his parents making eyes at one another every second of the day. It was disgusting.
However, St. Bartlebey's was not the greatest place on earth either. The computer labs were ancient. The science labs were grossly under stocked and all of the Technology Education Teachers were worthless, not knowing more about a computer other than how to turn it on, and even at that they could barely operate them. But, the possibly worst thing that could happen to Artemis was happening this very moment.
He had to socialize with the other students of his economic standing. This was incredibly mind numbing since, all they ever blathered on about was how they were running off with the girls of St. Josephine's Academy, (which shared a boundary with St. Bartlebey's), and how much money each of them had stored up in various accounts around the world.
Returning home from Spring Break was particularly horrible since, each one of the boys was spouting macho stories and talking about how many girls they had done over vacation. Artemis highly doubted any young woman would touch the slobbering testosterone driven pigs.
This is why Artemis had locked himself up in his room over lunch, no idiots to contend with. That is until McGayle bust in with a slutty cheerleader slobbering all over him. They pushed their way noisily over to Artemis's side of the room. He cleared his throat loudly.
"I do believe that your side of the room is over there..." He stated in a loud tone. McGayle looked up, lipstick smeared on his face, from his kinky games.
"Shove off Fowl, it's not like you'll ever get a gal to give you a second glance."
Artemis's gaze sharpened shooting darts his way. It wasn't that this boy was just Scottish, that was enough to make Artemis distrust him. He was damn annoying.
"I don't care what women think of me right now in my life so I have no problem telling this young lady that you were just making out with her sister yesterday and telling her how much better that she was than the girl standing in the room with us at this very moment."
The Cheerleader looked back at him with an angry gaze.
"Is that so?" She said. She slapped McGayle hard and marched out of the room.
"Gabby w-wait, Fowl only tells lies-- I swear-- Come back!" McGayle turned out of the room in an attempt to follow her.
It was only in vain and McGayle turned on Artemis once more.
"I was that close Fowl!" He said pinching his fingers together. "That close! You only get that close with Gabby once, and you blew it for me. Your gonna pay you bet... You better sleep with one eye closed from now on!"
McGayle's eyes bulged out of his head like a bugs. This was why he was on the rugby team. He looked crazy and if you knew anything about staying away from guys you stayed away from two types, crazy and big. McGayle was a crazy type. These rules, however, did not apply to Artemis.
He had no fear of any roommate he had been put with and he always outsmarted them. Always.
Artemis waved him off like a fly.
"I do not care to hear your complaints again, Steven. I don't care if you pummel me to a pulp. However, I'm sure that the Butlers will..."
McGayle backed off. Artemis Fowl the pale kid with a mouth on him was one thing, but 6 foot 3 of pure muscle was another.
"You got off easy this time," he muttered.
'Good grief...' thought Artemis, as he rolled his eyes at the stupidity of some.
***
"St. Josephine's Academy for Gifted Young Ladies... Sheesh even the name is lame...Name, Lame. I'm a poet and didn't know it!" Giggled a girl with an American accent.
She stood in the front of the brick building, staring it down as if it killed her childhood pet and she had a vendetta. Then again, Mia had always been like this. Hyperactive, impatient, clumsy, and fucking nuts were some common words used to describe her--
--and those were the words her teachers used.
The school uniform of a plaid skirt and white blouse was unfitting to her athletic figure. In fact, anything with a blouse with puffy sleeves was unfitting to her taste and her style. Unless it was smeared with mud, or paint or motor oil or...well you get the picture. In fact, it had taken her father dragging her in true military father style to the building, and even then she fought him to go onto the building property. Then by nine o'clock she'd run home, and he had yet again dragged her kicking and screaming into the building
That was just this morning.
Mia had now given up. He threatened her with the typical military father punishments; pushups, scrubbing the whole base with a toothbrush, and even the whole "you'll sleep outside in the rain" bit.
This scene was not new to her or to her father by any means. This happened to her wherever she went. That is because she was a military brat by default and no amount of force would keep her from disobeying.
"Rebel by nature, can't beat the spirit out of her with a really big stick."
General Worthington had always said. He always had been a grandfather figure to her, since her dad moved around with him, whenever he was transferred. Sergeant
Daniel Prince first class, was one of his few students who had not retired yet, as well as his close and personal friend, ever since Eve, Daniel's wife had passed when Mia was only 5-years-old.
Mia clunked all the way up the steps to the main office, making the little cubby bespectacled secretary jump. I guess that's what you get for wearing combat boots that weren't tied.
"May I help you?" She asked shaken a little from the loud thundering.
"Yeah, I'm lookin' for..." Mia glanced at her schedule, "Technological Studies, Building 10E ..."
The secretary straightened her glasses and took a deep breath.
"Well, young miss, that is on the boy's campus." Mia rolled her eyes.
"No duh! Where is it? Can I get a map or something?" Her mouth clamped into a frown and gave Mia a disapproving glance.
"Here is a map of the campus buildings. You should walk down this hall take a left, go out those doors and head down the path to the building however if you wish to be on time—"
Mia already was hurrying away.
"Thanks, see ya later, bye!"
The secretary shook her head, "Damn American transfers," she muttered to herself.
***
Artemis now had technological studies. He already was in a poor mood from being interrupted at least a dozen times by McGayle, and his pathetic chatter.
The tech class would not help either. St. Bartlebey's computers were eons behind the technology that they had at Fowl Manor. The class was useless as well as pointless, since Mr. Michikawa knew less about computers than a rock.
He sunk into a seat at the back of the class, hoping he would go unnoticed by the other students since he was sure that they would pester him with their useless questions about common computer elements. The bell rang, and a flood of students poured through the door at last minute.
"Welcome back! I am pleased to see all your smiling faces once again." Artemis rolled his eyes. He was going to be sick.
"As you know we are beginning once more on building our hardrive from scratch, and our goal for the computer to play a simple version of pong. Now I just wanted to –"
There was a loud pounding at the door.
"Hmmm... I wonder who would be so tardy to their studies?" Mr. Michikawa opened the door with a swift motion.
There stood a girl.
It was rare to see a girl in a Tech class since, the cooking class offered at St. Josephine's was much less challenging. Even when a rare female did appear, she was not usually this attractive or—shocking.
Her hair was bright pink; she was chewing a large wad of bubble gum. Her uniform was anything but freshly pressed, and it was covered with patches of bands like the Sex Pistols and Green Day. Not only was she breaking dress code with her hair, she was wearing combat boots! She strolled into class with all the guys tongue tied over the pretty little number in fishnets.
"So, I'm guessing that this is the tech class?" Mr. Michikawa nodded, unable to speak because of her blatant disregard for the rules. He soon regained use of his voice.
"Miss—"he paused in hope of a name.
"Prince, Mia Prince." She answered.
"Miss Prince, you are 15 minutes late." He said straighten his tie.
"Yeah and?"
"You are 15 minutes late! You will be spending ½ an hour with me after school to make up for that time. There is no gum chewing at St. Bartlebey's or St. Josephine's. Plus, you are breaking dress code. We do not allow our young ladies to wear fishnets or combat boots and your hair—"
"Yeah, what about it?" she repeated in her heavy American accent.
Mr. Michikawa cleared his throat.
"It is pink. We do not allow perms or dyed hair. Your hair must be its natural color."
She smirked at him.
"You think I even know my own natural color?" She laughed at him. Outright laughed at his face.
"Natural hair color. That's a good one, I'm gonna have to look out for you!"
She walked to the back of the room and slid into the seat next to Artemis.
Mr. Michikawa turned red with anger. The rest of the class tittered at his defeat from a pink haired girl.
"Well, you know what to do class." He stomped from the classroom and the chatter began all over again, unquiet from the lack of a teacher.
"That was pretty cool back there!" Said David from across the lab table.
"Eh, it was nothing. My pop is a man from the American Military base in Dublin; you should have seen him when I first dyed it. He went nuts!" The boys around the table laughed at her little antic dote.
Artemis snorted critically.
"What's the matter with you vamp boy? Haven't you ever seen a teacher mad before?"
"Don't waste your time on him, that's just boy genius Artemis Fowl. He doesn't like many people."
Mia was intrigued with the fact that he didn't like her, since most guys did.
"So you don't like me?"
Artemis raised his cold eyes to her.
"I don't waste my time on pathetic foreigners, especially ones who cause trouble by mouthing off and breaking rules."
Mia nodded.
"Okay. I respect your opinion." Mia leaned away giving him a look like a cat would give a canary.
"Hey! Look! Mr. Michikawa is smoking outside!" All of the students gathered around the windows except for Artemis and Mia.
She leaned towards him, the scent of spicy flowers poured over him.
"I also know that you are a wanted criminal..." She hissed softly into his ear, her warm breath fanning into his ear.
It was unnerving to hear a fellow student disclose such information without even so much as an explanation.
This Mia Prince was more than a female troublemaker.
She would be his enemy.
*** Artemis sat in his dorm room plotting. Ever plotting. McGayle sat across the room, pumping weights up and down, up and down. Artemis sat, fingers in a steeple, plotting.
"Whatcha doin' Fowl?" McGayle grunted. Artemis's mouth twisted sourly.
"I am thinking. A concept I'm sure you would find difficult to grasp."
McGayle's eyebrows furrowed, he was sure of an insult, but unable to find it.
McGayle smiled.
"How about that pretty little chick in our tech class. Pretty sweet, huh?"
Artemis stood quickly, a frown over taking his face.
"She is neither pretty nor sweet. She spits poison from her fangs and worms her way into the heart of another victim. I suggest you stay out of her way, for she's going to kill you when you are not looking, and use your carcass as a handbag!"
McGayle stopped for a moment. He sat up and dabbed off his head.
"Well, I dunno about that. What did she do to you?"
Artemis smoothed out his hair and sat himself back on his bed, ignoring the question.
"What'd she do?" McGayle asked crossing the room to gaze down at Artemis.
Artemis again ignored the question.
"Oh I get it..." McGayle smiled and sat back down on his side of the room.
Artemis sat up. McGayle had started to lift weights again.
"What do you—get?" Artemis questioned, the words awkwardly rolling off his tongue.
The room was silent except for an odd grunting noise from McGayle. Artemis awaited his answer with bated breath.
"She's a bad girl. You're a bad boy. You don't want your rep to get ruined by miss prissy pants."
Artemis's brow furrowed.
"For some odd reason your words make sense?" Artemis began to pace nervously. "Why am I so concerned over this young miss that is so thoroughly like myself?"
McGayle added to Artemis's monologue.
"Maybe you think she's hot."
Artemis stopped dead in his tracks.
"So I think that Mia Prince is...hot?" Artemis asked himself.
"Well, yeah, it'd make sense. Think about it. You're annoyed at her, and she is your type. Computer geek, Pops is in the Military..."
Artemis smirked like a Cheshire cat.
"Fathers in the military?"
"Yeah, what else? Well she's an American chick and we all know what that means..." McGayle chuckled to himself.
"What? What does that mean?"
McGayle raised an eyebrow.
"Well, It means—"McGayle motioned for Artemis to come closer. Artemis leaned in and his face expression went from curious to embarrassed.
"Oh—Oh my..."
Artemis sat blushing to himself for a while at his words.
***
"So, this is my dorm?" Mia asked. Girls were applying lipstick, chattering and running down the halls with little on.
"Yeah, this would be the dorm." Said a girl next to her.
"Aw man... I can see I'll never get any sleep. I wish I were back in California or even Australia. At least it was quiet there..."
"Australia? You've been to Australia?" Said the girl next to her. She had short red-brown hair and blue eyes. A dusting of freckles was sprinkled across her nose.
"Yeah, but there were a ton of bugs! Uh, you wouldn't believe how many grasshoppers they get there in the summer! The funniest thing was when the drill sergeant got a really big one in his mouth. Then he closed it!"
"Eww!" The girl giggled. "Really?"
"Yup."
"What's your name?" She asked." I'm Maggie."
"Mia Prince."
"It's nice to meet you, so why are you in Ireland?" Maggie asked as the two proceeded down the hall trying to look out for flying underwear and quarreling girls.
"Well, Dad had to move again 'cause General Worthington was transferring again. We've always followed him around."
"Is he your grandfather?"
Mia shook her head. "Nope. Just a friend."
"Why are you here? You seem like a pretty good kid."
Maggie's cheeks flushed red and she started to stare at the floor.
"Well, last time I was going to a Catholic school. I got a little mad at Mother Superior so I uh... flushed a cherry bomb down the toilet right above her office." Mia smirked.
"You could've fooled me." She chuckled.
"Here's my room." Mia said pointing off at a corner door.
"Oh, hey mine too. I was wondering when they would fill that spot."
Maggie said as she unlocked her room. On one half, there were stuffed toys and little shelves full of tiny trinkets. On the walls were posters of bunnies and beads hung down in rainbow bands. The desk was covered in Hello Kitty trinkets and little pictures like the ones you get in a photo booth. On the other side was virtually empty except for a bed and a desk.
"That can be your bed. I apologize if you don't like girly junk."
Mia dropped her suitcase onto the bed.
"Oh, I don't mind anymore. I lived in Japan for 4 years, so I got pretty used to it."
Maggie's eyes grew to the size of saucers.
"Japan? Oh, I've always wanted to go to Japan! I love anime and all the cute little furry things they sell and... Oh, it would be wonderful to go to Japan!"
"I've got a scrap book at the base. I'll have my dad mail it to me."
"That would be wonderful!" Mia began unpacking. She pulled out black clothing, filled with safety pins and spray paint. Some were military hand me downs, and others yet were colored brightly. Maggie looked a little surprised.
"Your wardrobe is a little mismatched, huh?" Mia shrugged.
"Whatever. I don't really care what I wear, except for this stupid uniform." She grumbled. Maggie giggled a little.
Maggie changed into her pajamas. They too were pink with ruffles.
Mia began pulling out her underwear and stuffing them into a drawer.
"You dropped these." Maggie held out a lacy black thong with studs around some of the edges.
"Hee-hee... Thanks..." Mia nervously shoved them into the drawer.
"So I hear you're the only girl in your Tech Class. Typical. All the other bimbos in this place take Home Economics 'cause Mrs. Grady can't see 2 feet in front of her face."
Mia shrugged again. She was now setting up record covers and taping up posters onto the walls.
"I don't care. Hey, do you know a guy named Artemis Fowl?" Maggie thought for a moment, and then sighed heavily.
"Yes. He is so cute, but he can't think of anything but scheming to drive the Principal mad with rage."
Mia giggled to herself as she reached for the topmost corner of a 'The Clash' poster.
"Does he ever go outside? He looks like he lives in a dungeon." Maggie shook her head.
"I don't know but he's not one for fun or outside." Mia grinned to herself. "I guess he took the phrase 'Chicks dig scrawny pale guys' to a new level!"
They both started laughing madly.
"Hey, are you up to be a Juvenal Delinquent?"
"Ready and willing." Maggie replied.
"Put on some black clothes."
***