Chapter one: Friendly People

Artemis’ POV

The sky was blue and the trees were green and sparkling with dew. The grass by the side of the sidewalk glistened in the morning air. Birds sitting on the telephone wires overhead sang in high chirps. Pure white clouds drifted over our heads. Children laughed as they slid down the slide and swung on the swings in the playground. The flowers on the bushes in the park called to us to come and smell them. It was a beautiful day. I felt like I was floating on a cloud all alone in the shining, blue sky. I lifted my face to the cool breeze and breathed in deep. I could smell the trees, the grass, the air. It was gorgeous. I breathed in deeper. The ugly smell of car exhaust filled my nose and I coughed. Then I remembered. Our car had broken down a few minutes ago.

Butler was hunched over the open hood of the car. His hands and face were covered in soot but he didn’t notice. I decided to walk on further so as not to have to breathe in the disgusting smoke. I strolled down the paved trail in Parkside Square. Being in the park was even better than just looking at it. It was sunny and green. Very unusual for winter. Well, it was San Francisco. There are only two seasons in San Francisco: Spring and Autumn. Now it was “Spring.”

I fallowed the path down to the basketball court. The court was in a grove of tall trees. It was unusually clean. At most public courts I’ve seen chewing gum covers it like a blanket, the hoops are missing and the only people who hang out in it are teenage boys with their pants hanging down to their knees. Repulsive. Here in Parkside Square, the painted lines on the asphalt were clear, the hoops were not only there but the nets were white and the hoops were bright orange, and the people occupying it were a pair of maybe fourteen year old girls shooting hoops like pros. I was just about to continue my stroll when a hard orange basketball hit me in the side. It hurt.

The girls came rushing. “Oh my god!” one of them said. She had short brown hair but long enough to put in a small ponytail. She wore a basketball jersey with a white T-shirt underneath and basketball shorts and glasses. “Are you okay?”

“Shoot! I didn’t even see him!” She, too, wore a basketball outfit. Her long black hair was put up in a ponytail. “You alright?”

I sat up. “I’m fine. It is not the first time someone hit me.”

“That’s a relief.” The black-haired girl said picking up the ball and brushing it off. “Good thing my ball’s not dirty. I got it yesterday.”

“Gosh, Sarah!” The brown-haired girl exclaimed. “People before objects, ‘kay?”

“You sound like my mother.” The girl called Sarah muttered as the other girl helped me up.

“Uh, sorry about that.” The taller girl said as she took out her ponytail. Her brown hair fell almost down to her shoulders but not quite. “We were really getting into the game we didn’t see you.”

“Don’t worry about it. It happens all the time.”

“Oh, okay.” She glanced at her watch her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “Holy cow! Look at the time. I had to be home five minutes ago. Mom’s gonna kill me! Bye.” She said, grabbed her jacket off the bench and ran. “See ya, Sarah!”

“Hay! Where’re you going?” Sarah called after her.

“Home. Catch you later. Bye.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Maybe.”

“Hm,” I said to myself, “friendly people.” I heard my father calling for me to come. I guess the car was fixed.

A/N: Like it? Hope so. I worked hard. Please R&R!