First class was pleasant as always. Artemis fidgeted, something he rarely
did, out of sheer boredom. His mother had refused to allow him to bring
his laptop, insisting that his Aunt and Uncle had a perfectly acceptable
PC. Hah! he thought Perfectly acceptable my foot! No ordinary PC could
even attempt to match his advanced laptop.
The flight attendants were sickeningly polite and treated him as if he were a mere child. He dismissed them irritably with a wave of his slender hand. Artemis stared out the window trying to interest himself in the desert rolling by beneath them. It is useless. A bitter half-smile pulled at his face. Perhaps next time I will remember to keep my composure when I am annoyed.
The 'fasten your seat-belts' sign lit up and an automated voice came over the intercom "Please, turn off all cell phones, game-boys, and other electronics. We will be landing in about ten minutes, so, please stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened. Do not begin moving about in the cabin until the plane has come to a complete stop. Thank you for flying with Lufthansa Airlines."
The plane began descending and Artemis felt the pressure behind his ears build up. He yawned deliberately and felt his ears pop. The plane touched down smoothly, taxiing to a stop. He unbuckled his seat belt and was the first off the plane. The first thing that met his eyes was a tan girl of about twenty-one, snapping her gum ostentatiously, and holding up a hastily done sign with his name scribbled out on it. Artemis sighed to his self. This is going to be a long summer indeed.
As he walked up the first words she said were, "Ya got any baggage checked, Art?" He nodded, not bothering to correct her obvious misuse of grammar. She walked quickly over to the baggage conveyor belt. She shouldered one of his bags and pulled the other one behind her. He followed sullenly, arms crossed. She looked back at him, "You know, Art, you don't mind if I call you Art do ya?"
He was about to reply that, yes, he did mind if she called him 'Art', when she continued, "Because, even if ya did, I'd call you it anyway. By the way, you can call me Danny. Oh, stop sticking that lower lip out so far. This is California for goodness sake, lighten up!" In response, he only clamped his jaw tighter, believing that this was going to be a miserable visit, no matter what.
Danny hailed a taxi, tossed his baggage in the trunk with a satisfying thump, and got in the threadbare cab. Five minutes later, she looked at him appraisingly, "Ya really don't remember me, do ya, Art? Not that you could. I mean the only time I ever saw you was when you were born."
He looked at her for a moment then replied, "No. I wasn't even aware that I had any relatives. stateside."
She smiled easily, "Well, loosen up. California's a great place to be.especially if you need a good tan." She glanced meaningfully down at the pale nature of his skin. He followed her gaze, catching her drift as he resumed staring out the window at the setting sun. The taxi pulled into the driveway of a large house overlooking the ocean. Artemis got out of the car and began walking up the steps to the door as Danny got the baggage and paid the driver. She bid the driver good night and stepped up beside Artemis. He rang the doorbell, listening to it chime over and over again. He heard several locks being undone and finally the door opened.
There was a little blond-haired boy standing in the doorway. He looked up at Artemis. The boy's jaw dropped and he screamed louder than Artemis ever thought possible. He ran back into the house yelling at the top of his little lungs, "MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! DRACULA IS REAL! HE IS STANDING AT OUR FRONT DOOR! MOMMY, DADDY, HELP!!!"
Danny stepped up beside Artemis, wincing at her brother's incessant screams, "Well, that's my brother for you. I told Mom and Dad it was a bad idea to let him watch Dracula."
Artemis was puzzled, "Why would he associate me with Dracula?" Once again, Danny looked down at his pale skin, "Oh."
The little boy ran behind the nearest chair and peeked out fearfully as a matronly lady, with salt and pepper colored hair, gracefully walked up to the door, "Oh, hello. You must be Artemis. You can call me Aunt Eva."
A man walked up behind her, running his fingers through his sandy blond hair, "Hi, Artemis. Sorry about Pfeiffer over there. I'm afraid that he takes late night movies way too seriously. I'd be honored if you'd call me Uncle Rod. Danielle has probably already told you to call her Danny." He leaned over, closer to Artemis, confidentially and whispered, "Just between you and me Artemis, you should do as she says. You never know how to handle her mood swings."
He winked as Danny screeched, "Dad!"
Eva turned around calling out, "Pfeiffer? It's okay to come out now. This isn't Dracula; this is your cousin, Artemis."
Pfeiffer stood up uncertainly, lisping, "Artis?"
The flight attendants were sickeningly polite and treated him as if he were a mere child. He dismissed them irritably with a wave of his slender hand. Artemis stared out the window trying to interest himself in the desert rolling by beneath them. It is useless. A bitter half-smile pulled at his face. Perhaps next time I will remember to keep my composure when I am annoyed.
The 'fasten your seat-belts' sign lit up and an automated voice came over the intercom "Please, turn off all cell phones, game-boys, and other electronics. We will be landing in about ten minutes, so, please stay in your seats with your seat belts fastened. Do not begin moving about in the cabin until the plane has come to a complete stop. Thank you for flying with Lufthansa Airlines."
The plane began descending and Artemis felt the pressure behind his ears build up. He yawned deliberately and felt his ears pop. The plane touched down smoothly, taxiing to a stop. He unbuckled his seat belt and was the first off the plane. The first thing that met his eyes was a tan girl of about twenty-one, snapping her gum ostentatiously, and holding up a hastily done sign with his name scribbled out on it. Artemis sighed to his self. This is going to be a long summer indeed.
As he walked up the first words she said were, "Ya got any baggage checked, Art?" He nodded, not bothering to correct her obvious misuse of grammar. She walked quickly over to the baggage conveyor belt. She shouldered one of his bags and pulled the other one behind her. He followed sullenly, arms crossed. She looked back at him, "You know, Art, you don't mind if I call you Art do ya?"
He was about to reply that, yes, he did mind if she called him 'Art', when she continued, "Because, even if ya did, I'd call you it anyway. By the way, you can call me Danny. Oh, stop sticking that lower lip out so far. This is California for goodness sake, lighten up!" In response, he only clamped his jaw tighter, believing that this was going to be a miserable visit, no matter what.
Danny hailed a taxi, tossed his baggage in the trunk with a satisfying thump, and got in the threadbare cab. Five minutes later, she looked at him appraisingly, "Ya really don't remember me, do ya, Art? Not that you could. I mean the only time I ever saw you was when you were born."
He looked at her for a moment then replied, "No. I wasn't even aware that I had any relatives. stateside."
She smiled easily, "Well, loosen up. California's a great place to be.especially if you need a good tan." She glanced meaningfully down at the pale nature of his skin. He followed her gaze, catching her drift as he resumed staring out the window at the setting sun. The taxi pulled into the driveway of a large house overlooking the ocean. Artemis got out of the car and began walking up the steps to the door as Danny got the baggage and paid the driver. She bid the driver good night and stepped up beside Artemis. He rang the doorbell, listening to it chime over and over again. He heard several locks being undone and finally the door opened.
There was a little blond-haired boy standing in the doorway. He looked up at Artemis. The boy's jaw dropped and he screamed louder than Artemis ever thought possible. He ran back into the house yelling at the top of his little lungs, "MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! DRACULA IS REAL! HE IS STANDING AT OUR FRONT DOOR! MOMMY, DADDY, HELP!!!"
Danny stepped up beside Artemis, wincing at her brother's incessant screams, "Well, that's my brother for you. I told Mom and Dad it was a bad idea to let him watch Dracula."
Artemis was puzzled, "Why would he associate me with Dracula?" Once again, Danny looked down at his pale skin, "Oh."
The little boy ran behind the nearest chair and peeked out fearfully as a matronly lady, with salt and pepper colored hair, gracefully walked up to the door, "Oh, hello. You must be Artemis. You can call me Aunt Eva."
A man walked up behind her, running his fingers through his sandy blond hair, "Hi, Artemis. Sorry about Pfeiffer over there. I'm afraid that he takes late night movies way too seriously. I'd be honored if you'd call me Uncle Rod. Danielle has probably already told you to call her Danny." He leaned over, closer to Artemis, confidentially and whispered, "Just between you and me Artemis, you should do as she says. You never know how to handle her mood swings."
He winked as Danny screeched, "Dad!"
Eva turned around calling out, "Pfeiffer? It's okay to come out now. This isn't Dracula; this is your cousin, Artemis."
Pfeiffer stood up uncertainly, lisping, "Artis?"
