"He lied, He lied. To me, his best friend," thought Holly, who though angry, could hide it easily. "It's not like I wouldn't help him, of course I would, that's what friends are for," she emphasized to herself. But strangely, as if to argue, she heard herself think, "Would you?"
This spooked holly, not by the thought, but the tone and way it was said, for a mere second, it sounded like her mother. But she dismissed it as another trick of her body, since she was more emotional now. But she, for one reason or another, argued, "Of course I would, why wouldn't I?"
"I don't know, maybe because you are a server of the people?"
"But the disease would affect the people," holly argued triumphantly
"True, but even argued with your 'friend' remember?"
Holly stopped, realizing she did. But it was because the idea was far-fetched, but it was the only way to get the antidote. But he was her friend. The 'but' spiel went on for a few moments ending with one gruesome and cruel thing that holly did, she simply went with the idea that Artemis' mother will die and denied him the chance to try and save her. "So am I in the wrong? Or is Artemis?"
The inner-holly seemed to hear the question. "Both of you are."
"What!"
"Artemis is because he lied to you, and I'm not saying you should forgive him. But you thought logically instead of instinctively. And let's face it, you like him.
"Again…What!"
"Don't 'What!' me. You kissed him, and an act like that doesn't come to every mud boy you meet. Which leads me to this question, 'How do you feel about little 'Arty'?"
"Well…That…," Holly blushed was baffled. On one point, the kiss was impulsive because of her age. But on another point, it was true that she had feelings. The question itself left her no better. For all the stuff that happened to them, from enemies, to friends, to two people who held their hands in their own underwear. Even though he was a mud boy he was attractive. Holly couldn't help but look at Artemis on the monitor, he was holding tight for dear life on the chair.
She looked on his face, his sleek black hair hanging over his face. His body was firm, not solid, but firm with scares and injuries that made him fit. His mismatched eyes were what seemed to attract her most though. They carried a certain sorrow and loneliness with it. The kind that were alive, but miserable. His recent betrayal seemed only part of the problem. He probably blamed himself for everything that happened. Holly was sympathetic, but deep down; she was forgiving him in her heart. Which sort of brought with it her mother's final words of wisdom, "Don't kill the humans, forgive them."*
It finally hit her, she couldn't forgive Artemis just yet, that was a given. But her heart and mind knew one thing. Deep under her anger was forgiveness, and beneath it, was a more complex and rough form of love for the young, older looking Artemis Fowl II.