Lonely was not something Artemis often felt, he was too absorbed in business ventures to miss anyone. This was his one chance to make friends, otherwise he would spend all eternity at Fernblock Academy. Packing a rucksack with all the essentials for a late night wander, he crept into the woods, and closer to the Girl's School.
As he approached the school, it's splendour hit him. The white and cream building had a warm, friendly atmosphere and it's rose clad balconies reminded him of their old family home in Venice, minus the gold leaf and dolphins. Spotting an open window, he slid into the building and crept up the marble staircase as planned. He turned left, past the bathrooms and there he was, in the living quarters of the St. Francis de Sales Wing.
He paused outside room 6C.
"6C?" He mused, " How aptly named for a room full of dressing gown clad girls."
He swung the door open and casually walked in, but there were no girls there. Only four empty beds and and a swinging, lilac lampshade. He noticed a cupboard door stood ajar, wobbling on it's hinges. He peered round, and in the corner of the tiny space, were three girls, all roughly his age.
"I'm Artemis," he said.
"Are you now?" Glared one of the girls, "And what would Artemis be doing at 3am in the middle of a girl's dormitory?"
"I just wanted to see what it was like, find myself a friend or two, find myself generally." He replied casually.
"Oh, so you're one of those gender-confused lads?" Another girl piped up, "14H had one of those a while back. He was a nice boy, a little girlish perhaps but all the same, it's what's inside that counts."
"What's inside that counts?" Murmured Artemis, "That's quite a good philosophy actually, I may just adopt it as my own."
"Why are you here? I want the full version, not a sidestep round!" This was the bossy girl again.
"I'm here because I want a friend. It gets rather lonely up at Fernblock."
"Oh, what you mean is a, girlfriend?"
"No, no, NO. A friend, not a relationship. Just someone to keep me company, reboot my computers and make me half decent sandwiches."
"You mean a maid, basically." replied the first girl.
"Sort of, but a friendly one. The ones at home have the humour of dead turkey." He chuckled, something he did not often do.
"It's a done deal." They agreed. "Where should we meet you? We need to arrange a meeting place."
"Why don't we make it the statue of Shakespeare, the one in the woods? I can meet you after supper."
"That's excellent!" He grinned, another rare occasion.
"I almost forgot, what are your names?" He flushed,
"I'm Darcie," said the girl who had questioned him at the beginning.
"I'm Jemima," chimed a thin girl with strawberry-blonde hair. If that was even a colour. It was more ginger really.
"Don't forget me!" spoke up the last girl "I'm called Electra, after my blue hair, of course!"
"Well, that's interesting but I must be heading back. It's nearly daybreak and my tea will be getting cold." Artemis flinched. He sounded so selfish, waving the girls away like that. He ran back through the forest, past Shakespeare, and in at the door, where he collapsed at the foot of his bed, Laptop falling to the floor. He stripped his clothes off and dived into bed, waiting for 4pm to come. He couldn't wait.