The Hunters of Artemis

Chapter 27: Lunch Break

The school bell rang and class was dismissed. I laughed as Lyra made a thank-the-gods gesture when we left. 

"That was tedious!" she exclaimed as we headed to our lockers. "I mean, do we really need to know circle geometry? It's not like we're really going to use it in real life."

"I know! Seriously." We opened our lockers and retrieved the books for our next class: Language Arts. 

She sighed. "I wish this quest would just end already. You know?"

I nodded. "I know what you mean. This whole learning thing is not working for me. Like, at all."

Turning away, I saw Liam coming towards us. He winked at me as he passed to go to his locker. I rolled my eyes. What a doofus.

"Kat, guard your heart," Lyra said suddenly.

Confused, I tipped my head slightly to the side, like a dog. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Liam. He obviously has the hots for you. I just want to be sure you're being wise. That's all." She bumped me lightly on the shoulder with hers.

I smiled. "Don't you worry."

She smiled back. "Promise we'll always be friends?" she asked.

My smile fell away. "Lyra, of course. Why wouldn't we? We'll always be best friends. For eternity." We linked arms as we walked to class together. We would always be friends. No matter what.

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I must have fallen asleep on the bus, because one second I was looking out the window and seeing the US flying beneath us, and the next, we were flying over the ocean. Maybe Hawaii... Or even Japan. I don't know exactly how fast the Sun Car can go, exactly, but I know faster than a normal car, that's for sure. 

I leaned my head against the window, remembering the shred of Lyra I had seen in my dream. We would get her back. Whatever it took.

"Hey, Dad? Where are we?" I asked, sitting up straight.

He checked the ground/sea/nevermind and said, "We're just passing over Hawaii."

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me and sat back. Rhea was sitting with Robyn, and talking quietly. I sighed and propped my chin up in my hand, my elbow resting on the arm rest. 

I felt someone sit down next to me and I looked over. "Oh, hey, Atlanta. What's up?"

"Kat, I think we have some things to talk about," she said, frowning a bit. 

"What do you mean?" 

She sighed and looked behind us. Back at Liam and Noah, who were deep in conversation. "Kat, I have a feeling you're sights aren't set on the right things. Like, you're distracted or something."

Confused, I took my elbow off the arm rest and faced her fully. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, that you made a pledge and a promise, and you need to make sure you keep them." She got up and moved back to sit next to Hannah, leaving me with a what? look on my face. I turned and looked out the window again, my head propped up by my elbow.

Maybe she was right. I was a little distracted. But it wasn't like I was distracted without reason! I mean, I just nearly got kidnapped, and she was upset because of Liam? I sighed. She needed to take a chill pill. It wasn't like I was breaking my vows or anything... right?

I groaned and put my face in my hands. I may not have broken my promise, but I was sure on that road. What am I going to do?

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At around 1:00 PM, we stopped in China for lunch. We didn't even have to walk a block before seeing a McDonald's. "Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Atlanta.

I still wasn't over what she'd said earlier. It was partly true, but only partly right?

"I'm starving. Can I get one of those bacon burgers with extra bacon?" It could only be Rhea. 

I laughed. "Rhea, I think it's safe to say that a burger with no burger and bacon between a bun does not count as a burger. It's bacon in a bun."

"Same difference." I laughed again.

We entered the McDonald's and I smiled to myself. I am a quarter Chinese, so I don't look all that weird (to them), but everyone else was Caucasian (more or less) and the Chinese people stared at them in surprise and disgust. Probably because they think that the tourists should eat at some fancy and expensive Chinese cuisine or something instead of Mickey D's. 

A mother of a family of four actually dropped her drink. I smiled and walked up to the cashier. 

The man stared at me, then the others, then back at me and asked in heavily accented English, "Ma'am. What can I get you?" 

I smiled and gave my order: a Big Mac, and the rest of the orders (which are too numerous to name) and the man just stared. 

"Excuse me for asking, but what is a nice girl like you doing with a group like this?" he asked quietly so the others couldn't hear.

I laughed. "They're my friends."

The man shook his head in disbelief but got us our orders (I paid him in golden drachmas) and moved on to the next people. We sat down and dragged over a second table so we would all fit. Apollo said he was going to go check on the Sun Car and would be back in a second. 

I shook my head. "Why does he need to check on it?"

Atlanta snorted. "Because he loves it more than anything in the whole world."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'm hungry, so let me eat."

We ate in silence and finished in minutes; we were all famished. I sucked on my Sprite silently as I watched Rhea tear apart her bacon burger for the bacon. "Rhea. That burger has bacon so you can eat the burger and the bacon. At the same time. Not separately."

She just rolled her eyes at me. A boy walked over to our table and put one hand on the edge, leaning towards us. 

I put my drink down and wove my fingers together. "Can we help you?" He said something in Cantonese and if you don't know, I don't speak Chinese. "I no understand you," I said, complete with hand motions and everything.

He switched to English. "Hi. I was, um, wondering if you were busy tonight?" he said to me.

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't actually know you, so yes. I am busy. Sorry," I said, not sorry at all.

The boy blushed and walked away. Right out of the store, where he me with some friends who clapped him on the back in sympathy. I snickered and shook my head. Boys. I mean, who else would ask someone out on a date without even knowing their name? Only males had that kind of nerve and stupidity.

Well... some males, that is. Scratch that. All boys do.