Months passed and soon it was Christmas Eve. At the request of Mrs. Fowl, Elena became friends with Artemis. Mr. and Mrs. Fowl came to trust Elena enough to leave the house for long periods of time. Artemis taught Elena how to read lips so that they could communicate without the parents knowing.
Every morning, Elena would jog around the grounds. Artemis would watching from his bedroom window. Her breath materialized in quick clouds in front of her. She finished her run and started to stretch out. She faced away from Artemis’s window and bent down to touch her toes. Artemis smiled, then mentally slapped himself for thinking dirty thoughts about his friend.
She’s my friend, Artemis though, realizing that it was true. He had a friend, other than his bodyguard or the female elf. He looked back down and saw that Elena was now facing him as she stretched her arms.
“Will you help me with something?” she mouthed.
“What?”
“I need your help picking out ingredients for Christmas dinner tomorrow.”
Artemis nodded. Elena smiled. Artemis loved when Elena smiled. He felt warm inside and couldn’t help but smile himself.
Elena walked up the stairs to her room. She stripped off her sweaty clothes and quickly showered. After she finished, she picked out her red converse, skinny jeans, and Christmas shirt. She even decided to wear her Santa hat. She walked down the stairs to find Artemis waiting for her at the door.
“One sec,” she said. “Let me grab my list from the kitchen.” She had called Mr. and Mrs. Fowl to ask them what special request they had for Christmas dinner. Right now, they were in Germany, but would be getting back before tomorrow.
Elena walked back to meet Artemis. They both got into the limo and headed off to the store.
“So, what do you want for Christmas dinner, Arty?” Elena said, watching the scenery race past the tinted window.
Artemis stared at her, his eyes wide. “Arty?” he asked.
Elena blushed. “Did I call you that?! I am so sorry, I’m just so use to Mrs. Fowl calling you that I guess it just slipped out.” She looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet Artemis’s gaze.
She called me Arty, Artemis kept repeating to himself. The only people who called him that were his mother, Juliet, and Holly. Normally, if someone else called him that, they would get a stabbing remark in response. But for some reason, when Elena called him Arty, he got a strange feeling in his stomach.
Elena didn’t speak to Artemis for the rest of the car ride. When they got to the store, she quickly got out and speed walked into the store. Artemis had a hard time keeping up.
“Elena, wait,” he said jogging to catch her before she disappeared into another aisle. She stopped in her tracks. Artemis placed his hands on his knees and panted. Elena stared at him, her look glazed over.
“Yes?” she asked in a monotone voice. She must still be embarrassed about the Arty thing, Artemis thought.
“I figured out what I want for dinner tomorrow night.” He led her through the aisles until he stopped at the seafood section.
“Lemon-peppered tilapia,” he said, gesturing to the fish. Elena nodded.
“Why don’t you choose the kind of tilapia you want while I go pick up something I need in another aisle,” Elena said.
“What do you need?” Artemis asked
“Oh, um, I need to get some more spices,” Elena said, her voice quivered and she looked anywhere but Artemis.
“You know,” Artemis said, smirking. “You are a horrible liar.”
Elena shot him a piercing glare and stomped off. Artemis chuckled and started to examine the fish. By the time he had chosen one, Elena was back.
“Did you find the “spice” you needed?” Artemis asked, sarcasm layering his voice.
“No,” Elena said, trying to sound disappointed.
“Tisk tisk,” Artemis tutted. “You’re lying again.”
“You—just—I—shut up,” Elena whined. She turned on her heel and marched towards the front of the store to check out. Butler pulled up the limo while Artemis and Elena loaded the bags of food into the trunk.
At the house, Elena unpacked the bags and put away the food. She then went to her room and locked the door. Artemis couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing. He sat in his study and stared at his computer, trying to decide whether or not to peek at her through the camera. His curiosity got the best of him and he pulled up the video feed.
Elena was sitting on the ground with wrapping paper surrounding her. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching. She reached under bed and pulled out a bag. Artemis was intrigued. He slowly zoomed in with the camera. Elena’s head shot up. She looked around and noticed the tiny camera on the wall.
She marched up and looked straight into the camera. Artemis felt as if her gaze was burning holes into him.
“No spying, Master Fowl,” she said and covered the camera. Elena walked back to her spot on the rug and slowly removed the objects from the bag. She carefully wrapped them and brought them downstairs. She placed them in the branches of the giant Christmas tree and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Every morning, Elena would jog around the grounds. Artemis would watching from his bedroom window. Her breath materialized in quick clouds in front of her. She finished her run and started to stretch out. She faced away from Artemis’s window and bent down to touch her toes. Artemis smiled, then mentally slapped himself for thinking dirty thoughts about his friend.
She’s my friend, Artemis though, realizing that it was true. He had a friend, other than his bodyguard or the female elf. He looked back down and saw that Elena was now facing him as she stretched her arms.
“Will you help me with something?” she mouthed.
“What?”
“I need your help picking out ingredients for Christmas dinner tomorrow.”
Artemis nodded. Elena smiled. Artemis loved when Elena smiled. He felt warm inside and couldn’t help but smile himself.
Elena walked up the stairs to her room. She stripped off her sweaty clothes and quickly showered. After she finished, she picked out her red converse, skinny jeans, and Christmas shirt. She even decided to wear her Santa hat. She walked down the stairs to find Artemis waiting for her at the door.
“One sec,” she said. “Let me grab my list from the kitchen.” She had called Mr. and Mrs. Fowl to ask them what special request they had for Christmas dinner. Right now, they were in Germany, but would be getting back before tomorrow.
Elena walked back to meet Artemis. They both got into the limo and headed off to the store.
“So, what do you want for Christmas dinner, Arty?” Elena said, watching the scenery race past the tinted window.
Artemis stared at her, his eyes wide. “Arty?” he asked.
Elena blushed. “Did I call you that?! I am so sorry, I’m just so use to Mrs. Fowl calling you that I guess it just slipped out.” She looked down at the floor, not wanting to meet Artemis’s gaze.
She called me Arty, Artemis kept repeating to himself. The only people who called him that were his mother, Juliet, and Holly. Normally, if someone else called him that, they would get a stabbing remark in response. But for some reason, when Elena called him Arty, he got a strange feeling in his stomach.
Elena didn’t speak to Artemis for the rest of the car ride. When they got to the store, she quickly got out and speed walked into the store. Artemis had a hard time keeping up.
“Elena, wait,” he said jogging to catch her before she disappeared into another aisle. She stopped in her tracks. Artemis placed his hands on his knees and panted. Elena stared at him, her look glazed over.
“Yes?” she asked in a monotone voice. She must still be embarrassed about the Arty thing, Artemis thought.
“I figured out what I want for dinner tomorrow night.” He led her through the aisles until he stopped at the seafood section.
“Lemon-peppered tilapia,” he said, gesturing to the fish. Elena nodded.
“Why don’t you choose the kind of tilapia you want while I go pick up something I need in another aisle,” Elena said.
“What do you need?” Artemis asked
“Oh, um, I need to get some more spices,” Elena said, her voice quivered and she looked anywhere but Artemis.
“You know,” Artemis said, smirking. “You are a horrible liar.”
Elena shot him a piercing glare and stomped off. Artemis chuckled and started to examine the fish. By the time he had chosen one, Elena was back.
“Did you find the “spice” you needed?” Artemis asked, sarcasm layering his voice.
“No,” Elena said, trying to sound disappointed.
“Tisk tisk,” Artemis tutted. “You’re lying again.”
“You—just—I—shut up,” Elena whined. She turned on her heel and marched towards the front of the store to check out. Butler pulled up the limo while Artemis and Elena loaded the bags of food into the trunk.
At the house, Elena unpacked the bags and put away the food. She then went to her room and locked the door. Artemis couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing. He sat in his study and stared at his computer, trying to decide whether or not to peek at her through the camera. His curiosity got the best of him and he pulled up the video feed.
Elena was sitting on the ground with wrapping paper surrounding her. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching. She reached under bed and pulled out a bag. Artemis was intrigued. He slowly zoomed in with the camera. Elena’s head shot up. She looked around and noticed the tiny camera on the wall.
She marched up and looked straight into the camera. Artemis felt as if her gaze was burning holes into him.
“No spying, Master Fowl,” she said and covered the camera. Elena walked back to her spot on the rug and slowly removed the objects from the bag. She carefully wrapped them and brought them downstairs. She placed them in the branches of the giant Christmas tree and walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner.