Tinsley took a seat across from Artemis at a small table inside the café, and buried her face in the menu. The vibes between the two were definitely not happy and carefree, Butler noticed. Minerva busied herself with the friendship act, chattering meaningless, everyday things to such a common girl repulsed her more than words could say, but anyone watching the scene would never be able to tell. Tinsley tried to keep up with Minerva and continue acting interested, but her mind was filled with so many different thoughts about Artemis. Artemis wanting her to quit her job. Artemis wanting her to stop being friends with Minerva. Artemis being-well, Artemis, and 98% of the time that was a good thing because she loved Artemis, but right now she felt suffocated.

Minerva's cellphone rang. She took one look at it and smiled, a small upwards curl of the lip. Artemis didn't miss it, and his heart raced in fear. Something was about to happen. Now. Minerva was about to pull something.

"I know this is uber rude, but I have to take this." Minerva said, holding the phone to her ear.

She's using normal teenage slang to talk around Tinsley, for the sake of becoming her friend, Artemis noticed. How do I convince Tinsley not to trust her without raising any alarms?

"Yeah, I'm at a café now. Just got here with my friends. You can totally swing by if you want! You're in town, right? Hold on, what's the name of the café-oh, lets see-Café Tazza."

She's inviting someone who is important to her plan, telling them she's in place.

Unfortunately, that was all Artemis could surmise. He glanced at Butler briefly, and knew in that moment Butler had came to the same conclusion.

But what can we do about it? Artemis tapped his fingers lightly against the edge of the table in frustration.

"Okay, yeah, I got to go, service is kind of bad here, and I'm waiting for the waiter. But you know. Whatever. And, um-keep it real."

Minerva almost cringed at her own use of slang. Artemis suppressed a snicker. Tinsley didn't even notice-there wasn't anything odd about Minerva using slang to her, because she didn't know Minerva never used slang up until she met Tinsley.

In any event, Minerva hung up the phone, satisfied that for the moment her end of the plan was complete.

Liam, on the other end of the line, started on his side of the plan.

Liam entered the café two minutes later and quickly spotted Minerva's group. Hard to miss with a man giant in a suit. For a moment he considered dropping the plan, not wanting to face the consequences of dealing with Butler. But he marched bravely toward the table, waving at Minerva as If he'd known her his entire life.

She smiled back warmly. For a second his heart raced a bit faster.

He shrugged it off. Nervousness. He was just nervous.

Calm down. Focus, he chanted over and over again in his head.

"I'm Liam," he said with his best smile. It felt odd smiling with a human's facial features. He extended his hand to shake Butler's hand first. The bodyguard quickly shook the young man's hand and returned to his debate between the apple Danish or the peach strudel. Next Liam shook Artemis' hand, though to say Artemis looked pleased to be shaking his hand would have been entirely inaccurate.

Liam figured that by shaking the males' hand, he would put them at ease. Just a little bit. Liam didn't realize Artemis and Butler were never at ease, especially when something was up. And a plan was unfolding right underneath Artemis' nose.

"So, Liam, how do you know Minerva?" Artemis asked, hoping Tinsley would pay attention and sense something wrong. Tinsley did pay attention, laying her menu down and smiling, because Minerva had never mentioned Liam.

Liam took a deep breath, than began, hesitantly.

"I was-at this place with-um-well, it had wooden floors and these things that come down from the ceiling with hoops that people try to shoot orange balls through, and-"

Minerva cleared her throat, realizing Liam hadn't the slightest clue about human pastimes and activities, let alone how to describe them. "What Liam is trying to say, is that he was playing basketball-"
"Right, that's what the orange balls are called, basketballs-"

Minerva shot him a glare warning him not to talk again.

"And the basketball he threw flew off the rim of the hoop and hit me in the head. And he asked if I was okay, and we started talking."

Liam just nodded.

Artemis knew they were both lying from the first word, and also, Liam seemed off. Why didn't he simply say he was at a gym? Perhaps he doesn't know the term. But its such a simple term, who doesn't know? Who doesn't know the word basketball either?

"Hello, can I get you something?" A blonde haired waitress stood beside Liam with a nice smile.

Liam opened his mouth to speak-

"Coffee. He'll have coffee." Minerva said.

"Is Prentice working today?" Liam asked, knowing full well that the waiter named Prentice was now in the kitchen of the café, brewing coffee and baking sweets to pass off as a normal, everyday human.

"Yes-" The girl's smile faltered a tinge.

"Then can you have him bring me the coffee?"

The girl tried smiling again, the best she could. "Well, he started just yesterday, and he isn't the best server yet, so-"

"I want Prentice to serve me my coffee. It'll be fun to harass him a bit in his workplace." Liam flashed his best smile, and the waitress beamed, melting a little bit.

"Of course."

Minerva couldn't suppress her smile. Nicely played, Liam.

A few seconds later a tall, lanky, blonde-haired teenager appeared, holding a cup of coffee. He was about to hand it to Liam when he tripped, spilling the contents of the mug all over Liam. Liam yelped, and the previous waitress dashed to his side quickly, dabbing his shirt with a wet cloth.

"I'm so sorry, I told you, he's new, and-" she tried to explain between dabs. Liam lifted up his shirt to find his peach colored flesh had became a tomato red.

Tinsley felt horrible for Liam; the coffee had been scalding. She laid a five dollar bill on the table to cover her coffee and pastry and stood.

"Where are you going?" Artemis asked with concern, struggling to keep his voice even.

"Aloe vera helps soothe burns faster than anything else. I'm going to go purchase some for Liam."

Liam stood, seeing his opportunity. "I should go then. I have no idea what Aloe vera is or whatnot, but I have a feeling I could use a lot of it right now."

Artemis started to stand, but Tinsley stopped him. "Stay."

"But-" Artemis started to protest.

Tinsley leaned closer to him, and dropped her voice down to a whisper. "I don't need a babysitter. I'll be back in less than five minutes tops, there's a store less than two blocks from here that carries the stuff."

Tinsley just needed some fresh air, and for the first time since she met him, she wanted to be away from Artemis. It was the worst feeling in the world.

Artemis watched with wide eyes as Tinsley and Liam walked out the door.

What just happened?

*A/N*

Please review! Please! I am determined to finish this story no matter how long it takes, but I could really use some encouragement with it. *cough cough* Thoughts please!