So after posting multiple Harry Potter stories, I've decided to (gasp) post an Artemis Fowl story! This takes place after the 6th book and is set during Artemis's school year. I wrote this from a paragraph from the sneak peek chapter of Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex, a new book that will be dropping later this summer!
Also, the "football" mentioned in this story refers to European football, or soccer as it's known in the US (I'm American myself, so I just wanted to clear this up for any readers like me). Since Artemis lives in Ireland they would obviously call what Americans think of as soccer, football.
Review? :D
-Jackie
Left Foot Fowl
An Artemis Fowl Story
Chapter 1: Physical Discrimination
Physical Education. Who had come up with such a name? In Artemis's opinion it was more like Physical Discrimination; the strong boys picked each other and left the weaker ones to fail by themselves. Unfortunately for Artemis, he always belonged to the second group.
Not only was he scrawny in comparison to the other Saint Bartleby's boys, but Artemis was almost vampirishly white, making him stick out like a tritone in a harmonious chord; it was just awful. The other boys recognized his situation and gloatingly took advantage of it, deciding that even if Artemis's grade point average put theirs to shame, comfort could be found by watching the athletic-inept boy make a fool of himself at sports.
"Once you're done changing, meet me outside for today's assignment," the hulking Coach Monroe called as the boys entered the changing locker. Artemis set his gym bag in the darkest corner of the room, which was bare save for lockers and a large sink. This was his least favorite part of class; he detested changing before all of his peers.
"This is such a crude practice," he thought bitterly as he took of his blazer. "Not of the usual standard of Saint Bartleby's. If I want to be treated as a caveman, I can do so at any public school without paying tuition." He began writing a letter to the dean within his mind in order to calm his shaky hands as he undressed himself.
Artemis heard a few boys snicker from behind after he had quickly changed from his uniform trousers into school-issued gym shorts. He turned around to see Cormac Gallagher and his two friends Ryan Tully and Seamus Monroe, the son of the coach, laughing at a picture on Cormac's phone which was pointed in Fowl's direction.
"That'll look good on Facebook, don't you think?" Gallagher joked to his friends. "I think I'll caption it something like the great mystery as to whether Artemis Fowl wears briefs or boxers has been solved; full view for evidence." A couple other boys in the locker room laughed at his words, but Artemis turned back towards the lockers and ignored them. Cormac liked to believe he had as much money as Artemis simply because he was heir to the Gallagher Hotels and Suites fortune. In the full scheme of things, however, Fowl knew he was of no importance.
He finished his dressing and sealed his bag with a fingerprint reader. It wasn't his best anti-theft device, but it would suffice for his gym bag. Before leaving he slipped in reflective contact lenses and sprayed UV block on his skin; if he was going to suffer from his peers, he wouldn't suffer from the sun as well.
Soon all the boys were changed and waiting outside for the coach, the grueling midday sun beating down mercilessly on them from above. Artemis took cover in the poor shade of a frail tree, his white legs and arms not looking quite as pale in the shadows. He crossed his arms as he waited, and talked to nobody. Unfortunately, Cormac had other plans.
"You play many sports, Fowl?" He asked, crossing over to the tree with Monroe and Tully in tow. "And before you answer, I don't consider chess a sport." His friends sniggered at the comment, but Artemis kept a straight face; Gallagher was a mere bully, hardly anything to be considered worthy of his time and words. Artemis did wish, however, that Butler hadn't been expelled from school grounds. He smirked at the thought of his bodyguard sneaking up behind Cormac and cracking his knuckles; then it would be time for Artemis to take a picture or two himself. Coach Monroe spared him from having to answer by finally showing up, a clipboard in his hand.
"After I call your name off this list, you're going to head to the track and give me four laps," he announced with his gruff voice. Artemis felt relief wash over his mind as the other boys groaned. Though running wasn't enjoyable to him, nor was he very good at it, he knew that so long as he mentally paced himself he could easily knock out four laps.
"Once you're done, I want you to meet up in the center of the track and we'll play some football." The whole class cheered at the coach's words except for Artemis. He felt the dread of Physical Education set back in as the thought of running around chasing and trying to kick a football filled his mind. He knew intelligence would help, as it does in all games, but that was only if he could keep from tripping over his feet first. Cormac squeezed Artemis on the shoulder, much to his disliking, and started towards the track.
"See you on the field, Fowl," he said threateningly as Tully and Monroe followed after him. He lingered in the shade of the skinny tree, thinking of plausible ways to avoid playing football; but first he had to run four laps.
Four. The number that sounds like death in Chinese.
…This would not be a good day for Artemis Fowl.
I will be making a few references to the preview chapter of Atlantis Complex, so check out my profile for a link to it!
More chapters to come! Review? :)
-Jackie