Note: Continuing on from the prologue. Most italics are Artemis's thoughts, sorry if this is confusing.
Artemis finally stood up. His mind had not yet come to a conclusion as to whether he had a 'crush' on Captain Holly Short yet, but that would have to wait. His dinner guest, Minerva, was here. The only other person besides Artemis and Angeline Fowl who knew about the fairies and who had met them. Minerva hadn't originally known about Haven and the Underworld, only about the demons, but Artemis had told her the truth.
More than I have done for Holly.
He descended the staircase with elegance. At the base of the stairs his mother Angeline and Minerva were waiting.
"Arty! Minerva is here. How about we have dinner now?" Angeline gushed.
Artemis winced mentally. His mother had called him 'Arty' in front of Minerva. How childish that must seem to her.
He looked at Minerva- blonde curls swept up from her forehead, pink lips parted in greeting and pale china-doll like skin, and felt nothing. No thump of the heart, no tingles- nothing. How different from when he saw Holly.
"Minerva," he extended a hand and smiled his trademark vampire smile. "How nice to see you."
Minerva laughed. "So formal, Artemis." She ignored his outstretched hand and hugged him.
Artemis visibly stiffened. "Oh come on, Artemis, I haven't seen you for 6 months!"
He relaxed slightly. She didn't mean anything with the hug.
"School has loosened you up, I see?" he asked stiffly. His eyes strayed to her outfit- a denim miniskirt and a pink spaghetti-strap top.
"I suppose you could say that," Minerva admitted. "I've made some friends, I'm actually having fun! Even if they are less intellectual than I am, they are still a lot of fun."
Angeline Fowl gave Artemis a pointed look. See? the look said. School is fun. Socialising is fun.
"Let's eat," Artemis said quickly.
The meal was filled with small talk. Artemis's brothers, Myles and Beckett, were the main chatterers along with Angeline Fowl.
They eventually got round to the subject of sport- Beckett's fault, for talking about football, Artemis thought bitterly.
Myles didn't like sport, Beckett liked football, Artemis hated sport and Minerva liked rollerskating.
"Rollerskating?" Artemis questioned. "I never thought you would be one for sport, Minerva."
"It's fun!" Minerva exclaimed. Her blonde hair sparkled in the chandelier's light. "My friends at school are into it. Have you ever tried it, Artemis?"
Into it? Since when does Minerva say 'into it'?
"No," Artemis replied coldly. "I do not like sport and I am sure rollerskating would be no exception."
Minerva rolled her eyes. "You really need to get out more. Come on, I'll take you. Now. We're going now."
Artemis protested. "Minerva, I don't think-"
"Stop thinking!" she laughed as she pulled him up from the table. "Just have some fun for once!"
She dragged him out the door. If Artemis Fowl, Junior, had looked back, he would have seen his mother tip his father a huge wink. And if he had been listening, he would have heard Angeline Fowl say "Butler, you can stay here. We'll let them have a little time... alone."
At the Rollerskating Rink
"C'mon Artemis!" Minerva whirled on the rollerskating rink. She spun around on one skate and then stopped, watching him wobble on the sidelines.
She skated over quickly. "Here, let me help you." She grabbed both of his hands and towed him, skating backwards.
"M-minerva, I don't think this is the best idea that you have had," Artemis said, nearly falling over.
Laughing, she towed him right around the rink before letting go. Artemis stood nervously, not holding any desire to fall over. "I'll push you if you don't at least try!" Minerva called.
Sighing, Artemis took a few strides on his skates.
"Longer strides!" Minerva yelled.
Artemis obeyed her. He took long stride and then gave a jerk and began to wobble. His cheeks flushed with the humiliation, but before he fell Minerva came up and grabbed him by the hand.
"You'll get the hang of it," she said encouragingly.
The problem was, Artemis didn't think he would.
After watching Minerva elegantly skating, he decided he would not let a female outdo him in anything, and attempted to skate around the rink. He managed a full circuit before he fell on his bottom.
Minerva started laughing and skated over to pick him up.
"Are you OK?" she asked, once she had stopped giggling. Tears of amusement had gathered in the corners of her eyes.
"I am fine," Artemis said with dignity, and started to try and get up.
On his first try, he clutched onto the wall and lifted himself up slightly (thank goodness he had been with Butler to the gym), only for his skates to roll backwards and for him to go sprawling on the ground again.
Minerva bit her lip to keep from laughing.
On his second attempt, he used his hands to push on the ground and lever himself up, only to trip over his own feet.
After his third attempt, Minerva finally offered him her hand. "Let me help."
Reluctantly, Artemis grabbed her hand and she pulled him up. When he was on his feet, she pulled him by his hand close to her and delivered a quick peck on his lips.
And Artemis Fowl, Junior, recieved his second kiss ever.
Artemis was so stunned that he almost fell over again.
"Uh..." he said feebly. He scolded himself mentally. 'Uh' wasn't even a word!
Minerva was looking at him expectantly.
"Minerva- I don't like you. I mean I don't want to... I don't..." If anything, he was more surprised at his lack of speech than at the kiss. He, Artemis Fowl the Second, turned into a stuttering idiot by a pretty blonde girl kissing him.
"Oh, I get it," Minerva said, her happy face closing up. "There's someone else, right? Don't worry. I get it. I understand that you don't-"
Artemis cut her off. "Minerva, there is no one else. I like you, truly, but I-I think of you as a sister. I am not ready for this yet, I'm-"
Minerva let go of his hand. "Don't lie to me, Artemis. I can tell. I've read books on this kind of thing. You're lying. There is someone else. And I know who."
"What?!" Artemis exclaimed. "There is no one else. I do not love anybody. I work alone-"
Minerva coughed. "Holly Short."
"What!"
"You heard me. Captain Holly Short. I've seen the way you look at her. Don't try and deny it. You love her."
Artemis didn't say anything.
"There, I knew it." Minerva verified with some satisfaction. "I knew it. Artemis is in love with an elf!"
"No! That is preposterous!" Artemis finally protested.
Minerva turned from playful to serious. "Artemis, I have feelings for you. You must have realised. But seeing as I know you don't return them, I just hoped..."
In truth, Artemis had never realised. He frowned. He really would have to read some books on this subject.
"I just hoped..." Minerva was saying. A single tear slid down her cheek and she brushed it away angrily. "Oh never mind. But Artemis... Can we still be friends? You know you can confide in me, about Holly, and everything, don't you?"
Artemis looked into her green eyes. "Of course, Minerva. And- I'm... I'm sorry."
The next hour was spent sitting on a bench in a park.
"You do like her." Minerva was arguing firmly. "I can tell."
"I do not!" Artemis exclaimed indignantly. He was glad it was nighttime, no one could see his bright red cheeks.
"Arty," Minerva said softly. "Please, just tell me the truth."
It was the nickname that undid him. And she knew it.
"Very well. I am unsure as of yet of my feelings for Captain Short." Artemis admitted.
"I KNEW IT!! Now let me help!"
"Please, Minerva, wait until I am certain! And besides, Holly is roughly sixty years older than me. It's not possible, it can't happen and it's illegal."
Minerva chuckled. "Since when do you care about illegal?"
Artemis chose to ignore her question. "Minerva, I don't want to marry an older female. Holly is 72.22 years older than me." he calculated quickly.
"Ooo, you're doing calculations now. It must be serious!"
Artemis glared.
"Alright, alright. I won't try and help til you're certain. But I KNEW IT!!"
Author's note: Please review! I would really like to know that someone is reading and how I can improve my writing!I know the first few chapters have been kinda dull, and the first two kinda short, but I'm getting there! It will, hopefully, become more exciting and of course it will become more romantic!! (btw, what colour eyes does Minerva have anyway?? and what's Holly's real age? all I know is she's supposed to be in her 80's!) And I made Minerva nice for my own evil purposes... lol! But maybe later I'll write a bit on why and how she changed.