"When will you start dating?" Becca asked playing with her food, watching the boys from the other side of the room. She waved her fingers and smiled but there was no appeal to Wendy, there was something terrifying about it. About accepting that first boy in her life, not a brother or a friend, an uncle or a father, but a boyfriend, an attachment… a chain.
"When I start I guess." Wendy said eating her green beans, the green beans were bland a tasteless but it didn't bother her, not much anyway.
"He's looking at you." Becca said
"Cool," Wendy sighed dismissively, why was everyone so ready to grow up anyway? Wendy let her mind drift to more important things, like pirates and treasure, fairies and mermaids. That was where her mind sat as Becca carried on about the boys and still after the bell rang and sent them back to class.
"Earth to Wendy!" Becca punched Wendy's arm, a smiled at her, it was one of the few signs she hadn't completely crossed over into the teen girl phase.
"What's up?" Wendy asked absentmindedly.
"Sleepover tonight?" Becca asked with a big smile. Wendy nodded "Definitely." Wendy was already planning Wendy's costume, they always played dress up.
"I'll call you when I'm on my way." Wendy hurried down the street to her house to get ready.
Wendy pushed open the door "Becca!" Wendy called running in with a pan strapped across her chest and a plastic sword in my hand.
"Do you believe in fairies?" Wendy asked jumping through the door. Becca froze with a mortified expression on her face as she looked slid her eyes toward the other girls in her room. There were nail polishes and magazines and clothes scattered all over the room. The other girls snickered looking at Wendy's outfit.
"Wendy." Becca jumped up grabbing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from the bed before running passed me "come on."
Wendy glanced at the other girls entertained faces and followed Becca down the hall.
"I forgot to tell you." Becca said apologetically "I invited the other girls from study hall over for the sleep over."
"Why would you do that?" Wendy asked, the sleepover had always been their thing.
"Because… because…" Becca sighed and pressed the clothes into Wendy's hand "because you don't want to grow up and I do." Becca said "it doesn't mean we can't be friends but I need to be around other girls who want to grow up too."
"But… we were gonna find Neverland together." Tears threatened to spill as Wendy looked up at Becca. Becca was taller than her, and she looked older than Wendy too.
"That's just kid stuff." Becca said nudging Wendy into the bathroom "change and then come and hang out with us."
"Hang out…" Wendy let the words trail off as Wendy closed the door "hang out." Wendy said again as she discarded her 'armor' and sword in exchange for the shorts and t-shirt "it's not play anymore?" Wendy picked up my things and set them on the bookcase before joining the other girls. They whispered to each other and giggled, Wendy sat on the edge of the bed and tried to figure out what was so wrong with her.
The girls all sat around the TV with freshly painted nails and popcorn watching some romance movie.
"Isn't this fun?" Becca asked me. Wendy sighed and nodded.
"What's wrong?" Becca asked wrapping her arm around Wendy.
"I just don't get it." Wendy said "it's sunny outside, you have a huge yard, why aren't we out there?"
"Because that's kid stuff, Wendy." Becca said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well being a kid is better than growing up." Wendy grumbled crossing her arms.
"Just enjoy the movie and eat some popcorn, Wendy." Becca huffed before stomping off to join the other girls. Wendy glanced at Becca and the girls, then back to the window. The sun was shining, it was calling to her. Casting one more glance at Becca and the girls, Wendy slipped out the door.
The ball sailed through the air and straight into the net "and she makes another one!" Wendy cheered for herself.
"Hey, you're good at that!" A blonde boy said in a strange green outfit.
"Nice costume." Wendy said "Are you playing a game?"
"Of course." The boy said "I'm always playing a game." The boy kicked the ball back to Wendy "come on, see if you can get it passed me." The boy jumped into position and prepared to block.
"Alright, but I'll have you know that I'm the best soccer player in the neighborhood."
"Then this'll be fun."
The boy said lightheartedly but with a tinge of competitiveness.
"Yes it will." Wendy kicked the ball as hard as she could, it careened toward the net. The boy leapt high and caught it "hey, that was a good one." The boy's eyes lit up with excitement "try again!" He threw the ball back to Wendy and got back into position.
"Okay, but you asked for it." Wendy charged toward the net, dribbling the ball between her feet and kicked it into the corner of the net. The boy leapt for the ball just barley catching it.
"Wow, you really are good." The boy threw the ball out "again, again!" He cheered jovially. Again, Wendy went back to get the ball and charged the net. The boy stood ready as Wendy drew nearer, he watched her feet.
"Hey!" Wendy called out, his eye slid up to Wendy's and I kicked the ball.
"Hey!" he shouted as the ball zipped passed his head "you distracted me."
"You should have paid attention." Wendy stuck her tongue out at him, He smiled and titled his head "you act like a kid." He stated factually.
"That's because I am, even though everyone else wants me to grow up." Wendy sighed, thinking of Becca, it was so easy when we were kids and she believed like I do Wendy thought.
"Why would they want you to do that?" The boy asked genuinely confused, he looked to be about the same age as Wendy but he acted more like a kid and not like the other kids their age.
"I don't know." Wendy shook her head and pouted "because they want to do grown up things." Wendy cringed "and I don't."
"Being a kid is the best, who wants to give that up?" The boy shook his head in disgust "everyone wants to grow up now." He said sadly, quietly. So quietly Wendy didn't think he meant for her to hear.
"Wendy!" Becca called.
"Wendy?" The boy gasped as Becca ran out to out to Wendy.
"Wendy, what are you doing?" Becca asked "you missed the whole movie."
"Movies are for night" Wendy said "I couldn't ignore the sun so I came out to play soccer and he…" Wendy trailed off when she saw the goal empty, the ball left there as if there hadn't ever been anyone there.
"Who he?" Becca asked looking around, then she smiled "did you have a secret meet up with a boy!" she squeaked.
"No." Wendy shook her head "he was just a boy that was out and he wanted to play with me but…" Wendy twisted her face up "but he's gone now." Wendy sighed and the sun was sinking lower and lower.
"Well, come on." Becca said "My mom wants us all in for dinner."
"Okay." Wendy let Becca drag her in but she let her eyes trail over the yard, he couldn't have just disappeared… Wendy thought.
Dinner was more gabbing and less imaginative than any dinner Wendy had been to before. They talked about school, as if they didn't get enough of that during the week, and what they were going to where Monday and who they were going to ask to the icebreaker dance. Wendy couldn't care less, all she could think about was that boy.
"Wendy." Mary or Marissa or Maya, something like that, nudged me with her shoulder "Who were you meeting up with?"
"What, when?" Wendy asked
"While all of us were watching the movie." She smiled "I didn't think you cared about boys."
"I don't, I wasn't meeting up with anyone." Wendy gave Becca a sour look. Becca just laughed.
"But you're thinking about him now?" Mary smiled at Wendy.
"Yes, but… because he was there one second and then he was gone and he was wearing this weird green outfit…" Wendy trailed off trying to get a clear image of him in her head but it was like she couldn't see him anymore.
"It's okay if you like him." Mary said "It's okay if you have a crush on someone, its part of growing up."
"Yeah." Becca said "you could ask him to the dance!" she squeaked in the way she does when she gets excited.
"No, I don't care about boys and dances and I definitely don't care about growing up." Wendy snapped maybe a bit too harshly. Becca frowned at Wendy "then you're gonna get left behind!" Becca yelled back.
"Then leave me here." Wendy yelled back knocking her chair back when she stood.
"That's it!" Becca yelled jabbing her finger at the door "leave, I don't want you here anymore, you're nothing but a big baby." The room fell silent, Wendy saw the regret in Becca's eyes the second the words were out but Wendy didn't care, you can't take back words and she said them. Wendy ran from the table and threw the door open.
"Wendy, wait!" Becca tried to run after Wendy but Wendy had a head start and she had always been faster. Wendy ran down the street leaving Becca and the girls and growing up behind her.
"Wendy!" Becca yelled after Wendy falling farther and farther behind. Wendy ran harder, faster until she couldn't hear Becca anymore. You grow up, Becca, I refuse.
Wendy tripped over a branch in the garden near the park "stupid branch." Wendy kicked the branch and clenched her fists at it "stay out of my way."
"Why are you yelling at the branch?" A familiar voice said.
"You!" Wendy exclaimed taken a back.
"Whoa!" The boy grabbed Wendy's hand and stopped her from falling over a tree root. "Careful." He laughed "You're kind of clumsy, aren't you?" the boy laughed.
"Not usually, no." Wendy wiped at her face when she felt the little droplets.
"Hey, why are you crying?" The boy leaned way into her face.
"My best friend and all her new friends think I should grow up but I don't want to." Wendy crossed her arms and glared at the ground.
"So don't grow up." The boy said obviously.
"She said she'd leave me behind if I didn't." Wendy sighed sadly.
"So let her, who cares." The boy snapped sounding angry.
"But she's my best friend." Wendy sniffled.
"Well she's not a very good friend if she wants to leave you behind." The boy folded his arms and peered at Wendy, leaning into her again.
"What are you doing?" Wendy asked leaning away.
"Nothing… you just look like…and your name is…" he shook his head "but you can't be she grew up."
"What are you talking about?" Wendy asked confused.
"Wendy." The boy sighed "Wendy was my friend but she grew up and had her own kids and Jane grew up too." The boy sighed.
"Wendy…Jane?" I asked "Darling?"
"Yeah!" The boy lit up "do you know her?"
"Yeah, well, not personally, but Wendy is my great great great grandma and Jane is my great great grandma. My mom doesn't like to talk about them though, she says they're crazy."
"So you're their granddaughter!" The boy exclaimed "that's why you look like both of them!"
"How would someone your age have met my grandparents?" Wendy asked suspiciously.
"That's easy." The boy said "didn't they ever tell you stories about me?"
"Why would they tell me stories about some kid I've never met?" Wendy asked humoring him. The boy smiled "because I was their favorite story." The boy had this mischievous spark in his eye as he suddenly grew taller.
"What in the world…" Wendy looked at his feet but they were no longer on the ground.
"But that's…" Wendy was hesitant to use the word impossible but it was, wasn't it?
"Are you more like Wendy or Jane? Because Jane didn't like me very much at first." The boy bent at the waist and leaned his face into Wendy's again.
"P-p-p…" Wendy stuttered over the name, it couldn't be.
"Yeah, you've got it." The boy flipped over and hovered above the ground as if he were lying on an invisible bed.
"Peter Pan!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Shush." Peter clamped his hand over Wendy's mouth "do you wanna cause a riot?" he smiled and pulled his hand away "so what stories do you know?" Peter asked flying around Wendy's head. Wendy followed him with wide astonished eyes.
"Just the one Jane wrote about, the one where you saved her from Captain Hook after he kidnapped her from her room and tried to use her as bait for you."
"Yeah, that was fun!" Peter smiled at the memory "I miss her though." He thought sadly landing on the grass "and Wendy too."
"My mom and dad don't believe in you." I said
"What!" Peter exclaimed "why not, didn't Wendy and Jane tell them my stories?"
"Yes, but when you never came for them." Wendy shrugged "they stopped believing."
"But you believe in me." Peter said grabbing her hands.
"Of course I do!" Wendy exclaimed. "But they think I shouldn't because I'm growing up."
"Oh, where's the fun in that?" Peter frowned "Everyone wants to grow up now." Peter paced around the grass "no one wants to stay a kid anymore."
"Tell me about it, my mom says sooner or later I have to grow up" Wendy rolled her eyes. Peter thought it was funny how Wendy shared a name with his best friend but this Wendy was so much more like himself than her grandmother.
"Hey!" Peter snapped his fingers "why don't you come with me!" Peter grabbed Wendy's hands again and lifted her into the air "come with me to Never Land and you'll never have to grow up."
"Neverland, really!" Wendy exclaimed, she glanced back. Becca had already sent her away, no one expected her back until tomorrow morning at the earliest.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" Peter grabbed her hands and threw her into the air, Wendy didn't even flinch. Peter flew under her catching her hands and hooking them on his shoulders before taking off to the sky. This was earlier than he liked to fly but when he saw Wendy, a girl that looked like both his friends, he just had to see if it was true.
"Second star to the right" Peter said.
"And straight on till morning." Wendy threw her head back and laughed, Neverland, she could hardly believe!
Wendy squeezed her eyes shut as Peter soared the through the sky.
"Hold on tight." Peter yelled barreling through the air "here we go!" Peter tightened his grip on Wendy.
"Where's Tinker Bell?" Wendy asked as the wind threw her hair back.
"She had a fairy thing to do but she should be back by the time we get there." Peter dodged a bird and light swirled around them "then I can teach you to fly!" Peter was excited to have another girl back with him and his lost boys.
"Don't drop me." Wendy warned playfully.
"Never!" Peter charged through the air, he looked down at the girl in his hands, Wendy, he really had another Wendy!
"Alright!" Peter and Wendy were engulfed by the light. The air pushed and swirled.
"Peter!" Wendy gasped when she felt his hand slipping.
"Hold on Wendy, I've got you." Peter tried to hold her tighter but it was too strong, he had never carried someone to Neverland before.
"Peter, I'm slipping!" Wendy clung to Peter's hand with all her might but the wind pushed her back.
"Wendy!" Peter's hand slipped and the wind pushed him away from Wendy. "Oh no!" Peter tried to fly toward Wendy but the winds were to strong, this part was usually like a roller coaster but everyone else had been able to fly.
"Wendy!" Peter called out.
"Peter!" Wendy slipped into the dark and screamed.
"Wendy, no!" Peter yelled.