Family Secrets
"Rotten, stinking, piece of..." Artemis went on. He tapped the computer monitor a few times. The genealogy software was not working. It had, yet again, frozen up the computer. Actually, why don't we start from the beginning (since I'll bet this whole story will make a lot more sense).
Artemis had been curious for quite a while. He wanted to know about the rest of his family, since he had no knowledge of any aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. So he had begun research. He quickly learned that his mother had a sister who lived in the U.S. with three children, and what appeared to be one adoptee. His father was an only child. All of his grandparents had been. His mother appeared to be the only one with any siblings at all in his family.
Artemis finally unfroze the program, and promptly uninstalled it. He logged onto the internet. Then, out of the blue, he typed in his own birth date into the genealogy website. He found his hospital records, and then, looked at the children born that day. He found himself, and, oddly, a girl. She was about five minutes older, and born the same day, in the same hospital.
"Curious. I wonder who that is." He clicked on her name. Her name was Angeline Jessica Fowl, and it stated that she was one of a set of fraternal twins. He clicked on the information regarding her twin. It was himself. He sat in a shock for quite a while, until a knock awakened him from his stupor.
"Come in."
"Master Artemis, it's supper time."
"I'll be there in a minute, Butler."
~~
At dinner, Artemis was quiet.
"Arty, dear, is something on your mind? You're rather quiet, tonight."
"Hmm? Oh, well, yes, actually. Did I have a twin when I was born? I was looking up information for the family tree, and I found something." He broke off. His parents were staring at each other, worriedly.
"Artemis," His father sighed, "We've been debating for quite a while on when to tell you."
~~
A.J.
"Why did you wait so long?" Artemis asked his mother on the airplane to the U.S.
"Truthfully, we didn't know how you would take it." She replied. Artemis gazed out the window. They would be flying to Atlanta, and from there, connect to Los Angeles. Artemis began trying to picture his sister. He imagined her looking like a female version of him. She's probably as smart, too. She would most likely be wearing a knee length skirt, and a short-sleeved blouse, he told himself. Probably as willful and strong as Captain Short. He thought about that again. It had been three years since he last saw her, and he wondered about how she was doing. Odd thought, considering how they were supposed to despise each other.
~~
Unbeknownst to Artemis, Captain Holly Short's thoughts were drifting, too. She was in front of her mirror at home, thinking about Juliet. Odd how her thoughts went that way.
"I wonder how Artemis is." She murmured to herself. The thought caught her off guard. How old would he be turning, anyway? 15 next month, was it? It was very strange how thoughts went to places one had no control over.
~~
Artemis was suddenly woken by a nudge from Juliet, who was sitting behind him. He had fallen asleep.
"Hey, wake up. We land soon." Artemis stretched and yawned. Airplane seats were uncomfortable. He gathered his things, and the plane began its decent. Somehow, he hated this part of flying. They had already connected, and were just now touching down in California. As they exited the plane, his mother ran up ahead.
"Eliza! How wonderful to see you again!" She exclaimed, and embraced her sister.
"It's the same here, sister!" She cried. "Oh! This must be Artemis!" She said, approaching Artemis. He sighed, guessing this would be some sort of adult who underestimated him.
"How do you do, ma'am." He said, extending his hand. Aunt Eliza shook it, saying.
"Very well thank you. I take it you must be tired. Your cousins are at home. We'll meet them there."
~~
A short drive later, Artemis found himself in a small house in the heart of Los Angeles. His cousins and sister, although he bet she didn't know that, were on the front lawn. Three boys and his sister, Angeline. Upon leaving the car, the oldest of the boys jumped up.
"Hey! Mom's home with Aunt Angeline and Uncle Artemis!" He shouted.
"Matt, shut up!" Angeline Jr. shouted back. She was quite different than Artemis expected. She was a good foot taller than he and her dark hair was sun-bleached from the California sun. She was very tan and muscular. She was wearing cut-offs and a green halter-top. Artemis was surprised. She was far different than what he thought she would be on the plane. She walked up to him. "Hi, you must be Artemis the Second. I'm AJ." She extended her hand. Raising himself to his full height, although he was still shorter, he shook her hand.
"Please, call me Artemis."
"Sure thing. Do you wanna change and meet my friends or something? I take it you won't have much in common with that lot." She said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder toward the boys, rough-housing in the grass.
"I would think not." He replied.
"Okay then. I'll show you where you'll sleep. You'll be sharing a room with Matt. He's actually the best of the three." She said, leading him down a staircase to a furnished basement. A voice shot out from behind them.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he's the only one of the three of you who's IQ is somewhat higher than his shoe size, Allan!" She shouted back. Artemis chuckled a little. "They can be pretty dumb, but you get used to them. I mean, it could be worse."
"How?"
"They could all be jocks."
~~
A short while and a change of clothes later, Artemis found himself crossing the lawns to meet AJ's best friend, a boy named Ed. AJ knocked on the door. A boy with blond hair answered.
"So this is the cousin you called practice off to meet?" He asked.
"The one and only. Ed, this is Artemis. Artemis, Ed."
"Charmed." Artemis said, holding out his hand.
"Didn't AJ tell you? I don't believe in hand shakes." He said, pulling Artemis into a bear hug.
~~
Ed had turned out to be quite enjoyable, making jokes at every turn. Artemis was doubled over with laughter in minutes. After leaving, the two found it was getting dark out. Artemis decided this was the time.
"AJ, there's something I really need to tell you."
"Yeah? Go for it. Just don't tell me you're in love with Ed or something cos then I'll have to hit you." Artemis laughed again.
"Actually, it's something a little weird. I found out about you a short while ago doing some genealogy. We're twins." AJ stopped dead.
"You're kidding me, right? Right? Tell me you've spent too much time around Ed already. He does this. Really he does."
"I'm dead serious."
"Oh my GOSH!" She shouted.
"Rotten, stinking, piece of..." Artemis went on. He tapped the computer monitor a few times. The genealogy software was not working. It had, yet again, frozen up the computer. Actually, why don't we start from the beginning (since I'll bet this whole story will make a lot more sense).
Artemis had been curious for quite a while. He wanted to know about the rest of his family, since he had no knowledge of any aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. So he had begun research. He quickly learned that his mother had a sister who lived in the U.S. with three children, and what appeared to be one adoptee. His father was an only child. All of his grandparents had been. His mother appeared to be the only one with any siblings at all in his family.
Artemis finally unfroze the program, and promptly uninstalled it. He logged onto the internet. Then, out of the blue, he typed in his own birth date into the genealogy website. He found his hospital records, and then, looked at the children born that day. He found himself, and, oddly, a girl. She was about five minutes older, and born the same day, in the same hospital.
"Curious. I wonder who that is." He clicked on her name. Her name was Angeline Jessica Fowl, and it stated that she was one of a set of fraternal twins. He clicked on the information regarding her twin. It was himself. He sat in a shock for quite a while, until a knock awakened him from his stupor.
"Come in."
"Master Artemis, it's supper time."
"I'll be there in a minute, Butler."
~~
At dinner, Artemis was quiet.
"Arty, dear, is something on your mind? You're rather quiet, tonight."
"Hmm? Oh, well, yes, actually. Did I have a twin when I was born? I was looking up information for the family tree, and I found something." He broke off. His parents were staring at each other, worriedly.
"Artemis," His father sighed, "We've been debating for quite a while on when to tell you."
~~
A.J.
"Why did you wait so long?" Artemis asked his mother on the airplane to the U.S.
"Truthfully, we didn't know how you would take it." She replied. Artemis gazed out the window. They would be flying to Atlanta, and from there, connect to Los Angeles. Artemis began trying to picture his sister. He imagined her looking like a female version of him. She's probably as smart, too. She would most likely be wearing a knee length skirt, and a short-sleeved blouse, he told himself. Probably as willful and strong as Captain Short. He thought about that again. It had been three years since he last saw her, and he wondered about how she was doing. Odd thought, considering how they were supposed to despise each other.
~~
Unbeknownst to Artemis, Captain Holly Short's thoughts were drifting, too. She was in front of her mirror at home, thinking about Juliet. Odd how her thoughts went that way.
"I wonder how Artemis is." She murmured to herself. The thought caught her off guard. How old would he be turning, anyway? 15 next month, was it? It was very strange how thoughts went to places one had no control over.
~~
Artemis was suddenly woken by a nudge from Juliet, who was sitting behind him. He had fallen asleep.
"Hey, wake up. We land soon." Artemis stretched and yawned. Airplane seats were uncomfortable. He gathered his things, and the plane began its decent. Somehow, he hated this part of flying. They had already connected, and were just now touching down in California. As they exited the plane, his mother ran up ahead.
"Eliza! How wonderful to see you again!" She exclaimed, and embraced her sister.
"It's the same here, sister!" She cried. "Oh! This must be Artemis!" She said, approaching Artemis. He sighed, guessing this would be some sort of adult who underestimated him.
"How do you do, ma'am." He said, extending his hand. Aunt Eliza shook it, saying.
"Very well thank you. I take it you must be tired. Your cousins are at home. We'll meet them there."
~~
A short drive later, Artemis found himself in a small house in the heart of Los Angeles. His cousins and sister, although he bet she didn't know that, were on the front lawn. Three boys and his sister, Angeline. Upon leaving the car, the oldest of the boys jumped up.
"Hey! Mom's home with Aunt Angeline and Uncle Artemis!" He shouted.
"Matt, shut up!" Angeline Jr. shouted back. She was quite different than Artemis expected. She was a good foot taller than he and her dark hair was sun-bleached from the California sun. She was very tan and muscular. She was wearing cut-offs and a green halter-top. Artemis was surprised. She was far different than what he thought she would be on the plane. She walked up to him. "Hi, you must be Artemis the Second. I'm AJ." She extended her hand. Raising himself to his full height, although he was still shorter, he shook her hand.
"Please, call me Artemis."
"Sure thing. Do you wanna change and meet my friends or something? I take it you won't have much in common with that lot." She said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder toward the boys, rough-housing in the grass.
"I would think not." He replied.
"Okay then. I'll show you where you'll sleep. You'll be sharing a room with Matt. He's actually the best of the three." She said, leading him down a staircase to a furnished basement. A voice shot out from behind them.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he's the only one of the three of you who's IQ is somewhat higher than his shoe size, Allan!" She shouted back. Artemis chuckled a little. "They can be pretty dumb, but you get used to them. I mean, it could be worse."
"How?"
"They could all be jocks."
~~
A short while and a change of clothes later, Artemis found himself crossing the lawns to meet AJ's best friend, a boy named Ed. AJ knocked on the door. A boy with blond hair answered.
"So this is the cousin you called practice off to meet?" He asked.
"The one and only. Ed, this is Artemis. Artemis, Ed."
"Charmed." Artemis said, holding out his hand.
"Didn't AJ tell you? I don't believe in hand shakes." He said, pulling Artemis into a bear hug.
~~
Ed had turned out to be quite enjoyable, making jokes at every turn. Artemis was doubled over with laughter in minutes. After leaving, the two found it was getting dark out. Artemis decided this was the time.
"AJ, there's something I really need to tell you."
"Yeah? Go for it. Just don't tell me you're in love with Ed or something cos then I'll have to hit you." Artemis laughed again.
"Actually, it's something a little weird. I found out about you a short while ago doing some genealogy. We're twins." AJ stopped dead.
"You're kidding me, right? Right? Tell me you've spent too much time around Ed already. He does this. Really he does."
"I'm dead serious."
"Oh my GOSH!" She shouted.