Niki- Okay, we had a lot of free time on our hands, and we decided to write our first fanfic.
Vi- We? I know I supported you in this, but still. Anyway, you should have used that time to exercise and build your puny little muscles.
Niki- Shut up, Vi. What you are about to read has never happened and probably will never happen. However, it is physically possible.
Vi- Hence the term "fanfic"?
Niki- Yeah. That. Anyway, the "our world" characters are based on real people, and the split in dimensions, while confusing, could exist. Anything is possible.
Vi- Like you getting a brain and putting some sense in it? There is no point in telling them that it's not real. That's why it's called a fanfic. Duh!
Niki- Shut up.
Vi- Ooh! Ooh! I get to do disclaimer! We don't own Artemis Fowl or any related characters. Nor do we own most of these characters (They own themselves because they're real.)
Niki- Thank you, Vi. Here goes, people. Oh, and if you recognize the characters from fanfics by other people, that's because we're basing them on the same people, whose nicknames are the same.
Vi- They're reading this for the story, not for you to chat with them. Get on with it or I'll devour your brain.
Niki- Talk about cranky! Okay, here goes for my first fanfic.



It had been a while since I last mentioned it, and Cristina had agreed with me. It was at Laurie's birthday party, a sleepover at a campsite. Cristina had mentioned it once before, during math class, and I'm not going to put my response into writing. But at the party, I saw Xandria smile, and suddenly she looked like a vampire. Her vampire-like smile reminded me of the description of Artemis Fowl's smile and I mentioned it aloud. Cristina agreed, but Xandria had had no idea what we were talking about.
Suddenly, randomly, I remembered it, and began to ponder the possibility. I was in Science class, bored out of my wits as usual. Don't get me wrong- I love the subject of science. But my class moves "at the speed of a rotting corpse," as Xandria would say. I scribbled a note hastily onto a piece of paper, looking at my sloppy handwriting, frustrated at myself for not having taken the time to learn how to write properly. I put it casually on the table, between her and me, and waited for her to pick it up. I looked back up at the teacher, then at the whiteboard, and scribbled down anything important from the conversation. I looked over at the note. It had a reply, written in black ink, from Xandria. I hadn't seen her pick it up, but she'd noticed me put it down. I read what she'd written:
Who is Artemis Fowl, and why do you keep comparing me to him?
I replied with a scribbled discussion of his habits, feats, and personality traits, and I ended the note by saying that she's a lot like him, but stronger physically and less computer-oriented. Her reply mentioned that I was mostly right, but that we should stop writing these notes to each other unless I wanted to get her and myself into trouble. Cassidy, sitting next to Xandria, was oblivious to our conversation. She hadn't been to Laurie's camping birthday party, so she wouldn't understand very much of it anyway. As the teacher went on about properties of matter, her sentences punctuated by repeated questions from a classmate who had issues with understanding any school-related topics, my lungs tightened in frustration. That girl needed to stop talking; then maybe we'd learn a little in class. She was like that in math, too.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we were dismissed for lunch. We returned to our lockers. Xandria finished getting ready for lunch first, as always. I was second, and we were waiting for Cassidy outside her locker when Xandria mentioned the note.
"So why do you keep comparing me to a character from a book?"
"I don't really know. You just remind me of him, in terms of personality. And that smile at Laurie's birthday party was so much like the

description of Artemis's smile, it was scary," I explained.
"I have no idea what's going on. Artemis as in that book that Cristina was talking to you about, or Artemis as in that Greek goddess from Prima Lingua, or Artemis as in the cat in Sailor Moon, or..what?" asked Cassidy, clearly confused.
"Artemis as in the book." I replied simply. "Cristina and I have a thought about-"
"You and Christy do seem like sisters," said Riyo, walking up.
"If I were Cristina, I would hit you with a book for that," I muttered under my breath.
We walked to the lunchroom together, Riyo, Xandria, and Cassidy joking amiably and laughing. I felt left out, but I wouldn't feel comfortable joining their conversation. Cristina would have, of course, but I had never felt like I was really part of the group. Cristina seemed even more alienated than me sometimes, but she'd made herself welcome by being pushy. If Laurie had succeeded in changing her, we wouldn't have the same Cristina. When we were all seated at the table in the Harris Room with our lunches, I started talking to Cristina about the note.
"We have to get Xandria to read Artemis Fowl. She does read, after all. I have it in my notes somewhere," I rummaged through my pouch, looking for a small, fuzzy, purple and blue notebook that had the notes that I took last year on all my friends, especially Xandria.
"Forget the notes. We need to tell her about the book, and convince her to read it. You don't need notes for that," replied Cristina, frustrated.
"Notes on personality are essential in convincing someone to do what you want," I argued. My dad had taught me well.
She countered, and I countered back. After a lengthy debate, I had almost forgotten what we were talking about. I told her so.
"Well then just mention to Xandria that she should read it," said Cristina.
"Fine," I surrendered. I finished my lunch and walked over to where Xandria was sitting.
"You want me to read Artemis Fowl," she said, cutting me off. At my puzzled expression, she added, "I overheard you and Christy arguing."
"Yes. So you'll understand fully."
"Okay, but only the first one. I won't read the others unless it seems interesting."
During Recess, we followed Xandria to the reading room. That's what the middle school temporary library is called. Our little circle of six- Riyo, Xandria, Cass, Cristina, Laurie, and me- didn't go there very often. Well, at least Riyo, Xandria, and Cass didn't. I love that room. I'm an avid reader, and I'm well acquainted with that room, so I go there whenever I have free time to relax. It's a relatively small room, but with enough fiction books to make your head spin. There are few non-fiction books there, and only those that are great literature. The blue pillows in the fantasy corner are comforting and the books are calming to me. Laurie and Cristina read as much as I do, if not more. Xandria and Cass read, but they don't usually read books checked out from the reading room- instead, Xandria reads books at home, and Cass reads books that she's purchased from Borders.
The Book Fair was open, but none of us could find the first Artemis Fowl book, so we went into the reading room. It was strangely empty, and I got a weird tingly feeling along my spine. Cristina felt it too- I was sure of that when she gave me a look. We said nothing, though, but that was a mistake. Xandria found the book easily, as though there was something guiding her to it, I thought with a chill. No. I'm being silly. There's nothing to this but my own imagination, I mentally scolded myself. I felt dizzy as Xandria picked up the book, that slowness that makes you feel like you're asleep, dreaming. She flipped open the cover and looked at the summary. I felt weak, like I was going to collapse. Suddenly, the words on the inside cover of the book glowed, and I lost all sense of where I was. The world disappeared in a flash of blinding, blue-white light and there was nothing.



Niki- How's that for a cliffhanger?
Vi- Nice. But you're gonna have to get the next chapter written quickly.
Niki- Don't worry, Vi. I've got it all worked out. But first, some chocolate to fix any writer's block!
Vi- True. It does seem to increase your creativity. But shouldn't you be doing your homework?
Niki- No way! This is much more fun.
Vi- Fun is not an issue. Bye, people.
Niki- G'bye! *runs off to raid cabinet for chocolate*
Vi- She's insane! *runs off to rescue chocolate from Niki*