Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited or alerted *Hands out cyber potato chips* Also, I got the idea for part of this chapter from CleverDucky's HP fanfic Falling Stars.
Disclaimer: I do not own Artemis Fowl.
Chapter 21: Stars and cooking disasters (Artemis)
On the car ride home Astoria was staring out the window with a both thoughtful and dream like expression on her face. When we went inside the manor, Astoria just stayed outside, staring at the night sky. "Astoria, we're going in now." I told her but she just kept looking up with the same expression she wore in the car. Beginning to wonder if she had a seizure, I asked her, "What are you doing?" She didn't answer for a moment, then said randomly,
"Shooting stars are brave, aren't they Artemis?"
I was thrown off by this sudden remark. I wondered if perhaps Astoria had had a little too much to drink at the party, but then remembered she had not consumed any alcohol. Besides, if there was one thing I had learned about Astoria in all my time spent with her was this: Astoria Anderson did not need any alcohol to act drunk.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked, unable to help my curiosity.
"I mean, they leave all of the other stars behind, just to take a chance, no matter what the other stars behind. That's really brave of them don't you think? Still though, do you think they ever get lonely? Or regret the decision they made?"
For once, I had no answer to these questions. Why is it only she can ask me questions like that? I wondered. When she asks me questions like that, I have no idea what to say. So I make some sort of snarky comment to hide my ignorance. Or I just ignore the question being asked.
Tonight I just responded with telling her she need to get some rest and tat shooting stars didn't even have emotions, so there was no point in arguing. However, all she said next was," Doesn't everything?" I did not answer.
The next day was Saturday. I slept in late, due to the late night party. I dressed, showered, and came downstairs only to find the kitchen in chaos. There was cooking batter all over the walls, there was a faint smell of smoke in the air, and cooking utensils were scattered across the floor. The culprits behind this mess stood up from the floor and turned to face me, revealing themselves as Juliet Butler and Astoria Anderson. Both wore aprons over their pajamas covered with all sorts of substances, and looked as if they had just been through a war zone. Which considering the current state of the kitchen, they probably had.
"What has just happened to my manor?" I asked in my dangerously cool voice. The temperature of the room seemed to turn cold, despite the heat coming through the radiators.
Astoria was the first to speak. "For starters, this is only the kitchen, not the entire manor. Secondly, this was meant to be a surprise for you, so you have to get out now!" This did nothing to ease my temper. "So, your surprise for me was to destroy the kitchen?" I said even more dangerously cold this time. "I must say, if that is what the surprise you two had planned was and expected it to please me, you have both failed miserably."
"Artemis, this isn't the surprise we had planned for you." Astoria said looking hurt by my remarks. "I just wanted to make you breakfast before you woke up. So, I got Juliet up to help me. We tried making breakfast but-"Here she pointed to the mess spread across the room.-"I'm sorry Artemis. I just wanted to surprise you by doing something nice for you…."
I suddenly regretted being harsh towards her and Juliet: They were both just trying to do something kind for me and I was rude to them about it. I was about to speak, but then Juliet spoke," What's that smell? I think something's burning…."
" THE PANCAKES!" Astoria yelled and ran over to turn off the stove. In her rush to turn off the stove, at the same time the pancakes, lit with flames, were thrown across the stove onto some expensive curtains nearby, causing them to be set on fire.
Astoria let out a bloodcurdling scream and she and Juliet searched frantically around the room for anything to put out the fire. As if Astoria's screams had somehow triggered an alarm, sprinklers from the ceiling instantly rained down heavily, in order to put out the fire. The water slowed the fire from spreading but still did not completely extinguish it. Juliet and Astoria both noticed a fire extinguisher in the corner of the room and ran to get it. Both girls grabbed on at exactly the same time and ran to put out the fire, but slipped on some water that was on the ground due to the sprinklers. They pulled the chord that put out the fire, fortunately having the desired effect. However, while they extinguished the flames, they also sent foam flying around the room. The foam landed in their hair and clothes, but they were not the only ones the foam landed on: I myself was covered from head to toe in foam.
Butler and my parents happened to choose this precise moment to walk into the room. Mother was in hysterics and Butler was instantly inspecting us for any injuries beneath the foam. Fortunately, there were no injuries that would require a trip to the hospital. I was going to go wash off the foam before Mother and Father stopped me. They then pulled out a camera and took pictures of Astoria, Juliet, and I in our foam like state before I realized what was happening. Catching the murderous glare I was giving them, Mother said "I'm sorry, Arty. But you just look like a snowman and we may never see you looking like this again!"
"Would you please give me a copy?" Astoria asked.
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