"I wasn't going to kiss him anymore, either, but now I might have to." she winked at them.

Both Artemis and Thom rolled their eyes and groaned at the same time.

"See! You two are so much alike! Can't we just be friends?" She smiled sweetly.

Artemis and Thom did not.

"Oh, don't be so grouchy! I love both of you!" Kira said trying hard not to punch them.

Artemis made a sound like a yelp. "I've got to go," he said quickly.

"No you don't!" Kira said. She pulled him in bye the ear whispering, 'not unless you have a really good reason.' She took out her key and locked the door.

"Homework," he whispered back, palming the key and escaping.

She made a mental note to kill him later.

But right now, she had to deal with Thom, who was complaining about the lack of attention he was getting.

"Thom, what are you so worried about?" Kira asked seriously.

"You! It... It just seems to me that you're trying to grow up to fast!"

"Thom, I'm your age! For goodness sakes! Will you stop for a minute and listen to yourself!" Kira sat on her bed.

"No! Kira, at least I'm not trying to eat some girl's face in public!" Kira sighed. "Is that what it looked like?" "Well," Thom admitted, "I am a little biased."

"Look, I'm sorry. But you can't control me! And I think you were more than a little biased." Kira said clearly annoyed.

Thom just rolled his eyes.

Just then a voice came over the loud speaker. "THOMAS P'SHOG TO SEE PRINCIAPAL AT ONCE." "Apparently you've got to go!" Kira said happily. Before Thom could say 'dang' he was in a meeting and Kira was looking for Artemis.

However, as soon as Kira turned the corner, a strange sight met her eyes. Artemis was talking to some short greenish dude, who did not look happy.

Kira rushed over. "Who is this and why is IN our school!" Kira said baffled.

"Hello. My name is Major Kelp, and I'm here to mind wipe you." "Oh."

"You know, today isn't a great day for that!" Kira smiled and began to walk away.

"You see, that's where we disagree." Suddenly, Kira was on the floor with a rather heavy Major on her back. "Got time now?"

"Maybe I should call you mother?" Kira asked pulling out her cell phone and pressing a speed dial number. "You don't even know my mother!" said Trouble with a glare. "Actually I do. Here I'll put it on speaker phone.

"Hello"

"Hey, Mrs. K." Kira replied.
"Kira, thanks for calling!"
"You know Mrs. K. Trouble was just talking about how he had planned a surprise party for you at 1:00 with all your friends and everything! All you have to do is show up!"
Trouble started and got up. "One o'clock! That's an hour from now!"
"Well if I know that boy he will mess it up." said Mrs. K.

"No I won't ma! I'm coming!" With that he tore down the hall hopped in his jet and left. Artemis gawked at her. "I did a little extra research way early this morning."

"So I see," Artemis said dryly.

"Now I know that's not why you ran off because you don't make appointments with trouble. (Ha-ha pun) So why did you?" Kira asked.
"I didn't. He came to me."

"Oh. Why do you look so pink?" she asked.

"Oh, no reason."

"Please tell me. I promise I won't laugh. Or the ghost fish will eat me alive!" Kira exclaimed with her right hand up.

"Really, no reason. Come on, we've got to go to lunch."

"You know you have a lot of secrets for just one person." Kira said curiously.

"I'm a secretive kind of person."

"You know every book says that telling them makes it easier to be happy." Kira smiled to accent that.

"Who's them?"

"Your secrets. Duh." Kira said.

"Ah." Was his vague reply.

"Well?" she wondered aloud.

Artemis chuckled humorlessly. "Sorry."

"Well can you tell me at least one? Please?" Kira asked.

"I know about the existence of fairies."

"One I don't know already." Kira wasn't joking.

"I can't think of any right now."

"You promise you'll tell me one ten minutes after lunch." Kira asked.

"If I can think of one," Artemis promised.

"Here we go again." said Kira when they stepped into the lunch room.

Artemis took a wilted salad, a pale hot dog, and a bowl of gloop that was known as Chocco Pudd, cheapest 'pudding' ever made.

Thom was sitting by the one and only Mary Sue.

Kira grunted.

Then she did a double take. He wasn't only sitting by her, he was holding her hand!

Just to make him mad she grabbed Arty's hand.

He grinned down at her. "Feel like acting, Miss P'shog?" he asked.

She smiled.