Author's Note: That's right; it's Sleepless, back by popular demand! Honestly, I must say, I never thought a story like this would be this popular, but it's been read and reviewed more than my other two stories combined! I'm starting to think you people kind of have dirty minds, but who am I to talk? I WROTE it! Haha, anyway, thanks for the views and reviews, everyone. I will most definitely write one more chapter to finish it off, and then it will be completed. By the way, I encourage you to read my story When A Robot Goes Postal, because it's really funny and I'm sure you could all use a laugh.
Special thanks to Leaf Ranger, for giving me the inspiration and idea to go further with this story.
Enough yammering! On to the story!
Sleepless, Chapter 2"Hey, Artemis!"
Artemis Fowl opened one eye as he was dragged out of a deep sleep by Juliet Butler. "What?" he asked groggily. Well, it wasn't like he had school, for crying out loud. He already knew everything they were trying to teach him.
"You have to get up; you can't sleep all day, you know." Juliet said exasperatedly. "Besides, Holly called your little communicator thingy and you totally missed it," she added, twirling the ring around one finger.
Artemis sat bolt upright and snatched the ring from her. "Why didn't you wake me?" he demanded, checking his missed messages. His heart shot into his throat as he confirmed what Juliet had told him.
Juliet rolled her eyes. "I tried, Arty, but you were really deeply asleep. I've never seen anything like it. "Geez, try to do a guy a favor…" She flounced out, muttering angrily.
Artemis barely heard her. His eyes were fixed on his communicator. His heart slamming into his chest, he pressed REDIAL…
"Holly? Holly? HOLLY!?"
Holly Short jerked out of her stupor and shot a look at Foaly, the LEP's most technologically advanced/crazed centaur and one of her best friends. Besides Artemis, of course…
"What IS it, Foaly? I'm working, you know."
The centaur smirked. "I can see that. It's most obvious the glazed look in your eyes. Thinking about a certain Mud Boy, are we?"
"No," said Holly, annoyed at being caught.
Foaly rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just CALL him already? And tell him how you feel while you're at it. I'm sick of watching you stare off into space."
"I feel nothing for Artemis Fowl," responded Holly in a dignified voice. "The humans are probably hacking into your computers and planting these ideas in your head. I guess it takes more than a ratty tinfoil hat to keep the Mud People from messing with your thoughts."
Foaly glared at her, but his innate paranoia took over nonetheless and he scurried off to triple the security on his computers and perhaps construct a new tinfoil hat…
Holly watched Foaly walk huffily off, then returned her attention to her own thoughts, none the least of which concerned a certain Artemis Fowl. Remembering last night, she blushed to herself, but she knew she would repeat the behavior.
Holly mentally shook herself. This was ridiculous. Maybe I will call Artemis, she thought. Holly reached for her helmet and fastened it over her pointy ears and auburn hair. The helmet flashed on immediately.
"WHAT?!" said an old, tired sounding computer voice. Foaly's little joke. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"
Holly ignored her equipment's poor manners. Enough time for pleasantries later. "Phone Artemis Fowl II", she enunciated clearly.
The helmet gave a theatrical, long-suffering sigh. "Fine. Whatever. Phoning Artemis Fowl II."
Holly's heart leapt into her throat as the "phone" started to ring. But although it rang and rang, no one picked up, except eventually Artemis's voicemail.
"Salutations, Holly. I know it's you, Holly, because you're the only, eh, being I talk to on this device. But enough chitchat. Leave a message, Holly, and I'll return it much faster and more efficiently than most other humans." BEEP.
Holly couldn't help smirking. Once a genius, always a genius. She kept her message short:
"Hey, Arty. Lame voicemail. I was just…um…thinking about you and decided to give you a call. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Bye." She hung up, feeling more disappointed than she knew was normal.
"Finished?" demanded her helmet snottily.
"Yeah," muttered Holly distractedly.
"Then freaking turn me off already!! I was having a wonderful dream about that microwave of yours before you so rudely interrupted!" it screeched.
"Too much information," Holly muttered, pushing the POWER button.
Holly paced around her office, thinking. Why hadn't Artemis answered? Was it because he was just busy? Too busy for HER? Or still asleep? Or, Holly shuddered at the possibility, was he with some girl?
Just as she was contemplating this horrible prospect, a loud chorus of "Poison" by Groove Coverage interrupted Holly's musings. Artemis was calling her back! She hurried to answer it, ignoring her helmet's computer's grumblings about yet another interrupted dream.
"Hello?"
Artemis swallowed hard, suddenly irrationally nervous. No one else had quite the effect on him that Holly Short did. "Uh, hi, Holly, what's up?"
He listened as she told him all about the insane features Foaly had put on her helmet's computer. As she spoke, Artemis was seized by a sudden idea.
"And even now, it's whining about being underpaid and enslaved. Foaly really crossed a line, Artemis."
"Hey, Holly? I have an idea. Why don't you bring the helmet to me and I'll remove the uh, whiny hardware and program it so you can manipulate the functions instead?" he suggested, his palms inexplicably sweaty.
Holly's jaw hit the floor. That was so nice of him! Plus, she now had an excuse to see him! "I'd be so grateful, Artemis, thanks!" she exclaimed. If anyone could challenge Foaly's inventions, it was Artemis Fowl II.