10) Goodbye

We glimpse Artemis' past.

10) Goodbye

Benjamin Cevolt, Dante Smith, and Artemis Kaliaski, sit on beds. Artemis and Ben on one, Artemis hugging Benjamin, keeping him safe and warm. Dante on the one opposite.

"What now?" Dante asks. I don't know what to do.
"Beats me." I say.
"Six hours until Santa Monica." A robotic voice echoes around the bus.
"Well, at least we know how much longer." Dante laughs, a dry, humourless laugh. I stare at Dante, his brown eyes and red hair seem old, and lifeless. I doubt I look any better I realise. Hell, I probably look like death incarnate. I feel like death. Ben on the other hand, feels like a ball of life in my hand. Having him curled up next to me, feels good. I feel like a new mother cradling her baby. I am an empty pit and Ben is a brother big enough to fill it. Ben lets out a yawn. When did I last sleep?
"I think it's time we sleep." I say.
"Yeah." Dante agrees.

I slip down the stairs. The Driver had mentioned a bathroom. I may not be able to beautify myself, but I sure as hell can try.

The bathroom is exactly where The Driver had said it was, at the back of the bus. I don't know why, but when I open the door, I am surprised. You'd think after everything that had happened, I wouldn't be surprised by this.

The bathroom is not the s****y one you'd expect to find on a bus. It’s more or less what I’d expect to find in a palace. Thirteen stalls - rooms. Each the same, a bath, a shower, a sink, one of those things to wash your a*s, a toilet, and a motherfucking sauna big enough for two. Perhaps I would be able to beautify myself.

I stare into the mirror. The piece of s**t that stares back at me is most definitely me. Blue eyes, blond hair. Crooked nose. Full lips, a little scar on the right side of my lip. The only thing that worries me is the emptiness of my eyes. Normally when I look into a mirror and into my eyes, I would at least see something. But this time, nothing stares back. My eyes are as lifeless as I feel. I don't even know why I think this, they're just eyes, my eyes. A Shadow distracts me from the emptiness of my eyes. A singular Shadow Person stands behind me. Clearly watching me through the mirror.
"What the f**k do you want?" I'd had enough of them. "Come on. Spit it out wanker." Spittle sprays the mirror. The Shadow Person just stares at me. "That's what I thought c**t." It doesn't even flinch.  "You know what? F**k you! The only time you f*****g speak is when you tell me my best friend is dead. The only f*****g time you cocksuckers speak." I grab the sink. "You two faced, a*s f*****g c**t. Go f**k yourself, and tell you daft friends to join in." Apparently, it gets the message. It leaves. I stare at my eyes. Now they have life in them. Not the life I’m used to seeing. But life. The white eyes stare back at me. Pure white. I wipe the tears from my face. I look at the sink. Where I had grabbed the sink, corrosion and rot. It had torn through the ceramic within seconds. I look back to the mirror. Into my eyes, the white fades revealing my normal blue eyes. “What the f**k.”  I whisper.
“Do you want to know?” A voice asks. The voice from the jail. The one that had saved my life.
“Yes.” I sob. 

I stop next to The Driver.
"What is this bus?" I ask.
"I guess you mean all the magical stuff?" He doesn't even glance up at me. "I used to be a Ferryman of The Dead, but after that was shut down, we had to find other work. I set up this bus, magically infused, usable by humans, monsters, and what not. But the magical stuff is only available to... well, magical beings. And your friend, and that poor boy... I know what you did, he deserved it."

By the time I get back upstairs, Ben and Dante are already fast asleep. I climb into bed next to Dante; I slip under his arm. He wriggles, and pulls me closer.

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A voice wakes me. An old voice. I open my eyes. The voice matches the person I thought it did. Her brown hair spread across the pillow. Her green eyes wide. Her small lips move elegantly.
"Do you ever realise that when you look up at the night sky, we could actually be looking down into the eternal abyss of nothing? Like which way is up?" She looks over at me, her eyes wide, the stars twinkle in her green eyes. I look up at the night sky, the stars glint back at me. And I do think about it, am I looking down? Or left? Maybe even right?
"I had never thought of that. But now, every time I look into the night, ima think 'Well f**k. Which way am I looking?' Thanks."
"Glad I can blow your mind." Her voice soft. She wraps her arms around me and pulls herself closer. She rests her head on my chest. "Man. Space is f*****g beautiful. Look at all those fuckers." She points at the stars. "What I would do to go to space."
"What would you do?" I ask.
"F**k a donkey."
"You nasty, nasty f**k." We both laugh. "You wouldn't even f**k James, never mind an a*s."
"Aren't James and an a*s the same thing?" Maxine says from across the roof.
"F**k off." James’ voice flows through the night. We lie on the flat of Chloe's house. Wrapped in blankets. "I'll have you know, im a cat. Not a donkey."
"No. You're a s**t. That's what you are." Chloe shouts.
"Seriously though. Bloody Charlotte? Outta all the girls you coulda picked to take to the dance, you picked her? Like the f**k." I laugh.
"Alright b***h, who you taking?"
"We all know who's Artemis is taking." Chloe laughs.
"Yeah. Your sister James." I look at him.
"You lay one hand on my sister and I’ll beat your a*s. I don't want you as an in-law. Hell f*****g nah." His face was the exact reaction I was expecting.
"Who are you taking?" Chloe asks quietly so Max and James wouldn't hear.
"I don't know. I don't think ima go." I whisper, rubbing her arm.
"Oh."
"Aye yo, Max, a quelle heure?" James shouts kicking his sister.
"Ellie isn't here James, you can stop practising." I laugh. "Damn w***e, you'll take whatever comes your way."
"At least I got s**t coming my way."
"Its 11:56." Max finally says.
"I'll call Ellie." I pull out my phone, I call Ellie Pascal. She picks up within a couple of rings.
"Sacrebleu. I thought you'd forgotten about me." She hisses.
"Hi to you too. James has been practising his French, just for you."
"Ah, Oui, oui, bonjour mon amor, tu est tres beau ajourd’hui." James says, trying his absolute hardest.
"C'est belle pour une femme. Pas 'beau', je ne suis pas une paysage, tu putain. Ca-va Artemis? Chloe, bonne? Et Max, qui est Alex Lloyd?" She says. We all stare at the tiny phone in confusion. We do not have a s**t at what she just said.
"Ah oui, oui, baguette, crossiant, pain au chocolate, fromage." Chloe says with her best, and probably quite racist, accent.
"Aight. Shut the f**k up. It's almost time." Max shouts.
"Chill out Maxine, it aint like we'll miss it." James says,
"Don't you call me Maxine. I'll beat your f*****g ugly head in."
"Shut the f**k up!" Ellie shouts, unfortunately, due to her being on a phone, it sounds like a small cat.
"Wait. Lemme turn the volume up." I say.
"Wanker." Ellie whispers. "Shut the f**k up!" She tries again, and this time round it can be heard by everyone. And when Ellie orders, we do. "Ten." She starts.
“Too early Ellie.” Max giggles, “Let us do it.”

“Ten” Chloe hollers.
"Nine." Max shouts.
"Eight." James screams.
"Seven." I whisper.
"Six." Chloe yells.
"Five."
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
"One." We all yell. And right on queue. Fireworks launch into the sky. At this time, for the past fifteen years, a festival has taken place, and every time at midnight, they launch fireworks. And it just so happens to coincide with Chloe's birthday.
"Happy Birthday." Max, James, and Ellie shout. James pulls out some confetti launchers, pulls them, showering both Chloe and me in confetti. Pleasantries are exchanged.
"Happy Fifteenth." I whisper into Chloe's ear. She rubs her head into my chest. "I couldn't ask for a better best friend." If I couldn't see her, I would still be able to tell she was smiling. I could feel it in her body.
"Thank you." She giggles.

I wake in a cold sweat. I look at the roof of the bus. I swallow a lump in my throat, and force back tears. It isn't the first time I’ve dreamt of them. I often do.

"Do you still dream of them?" Desk-head asks. They'd been quiet for a while now. I had almost forgotten about them.
"No." I look up at them. "I wish I did. I miss them. I miss Chloe. I miss Max. I miss James. I miss Ellie. But most of all. I miss how simple it was. Just us, the only problems were school, boyfriends and girlfriends. Now, it's just me, and a whatever is going on. I miss it. So f*****g much."
"If I could wave a magic wand, and anything could happen. What would you want?"
"To be able to say goodbye." I didn't even pause to think. I knew straight away, what I wanted. I had wanted it since she died. I had wanted it ever since. "I would do anything to say goodbye to Chloe."