A new project I thought up, to cheer myself and everyone else up after those angsty drabbles me and Margot posted the other day. There will be five of these, one for each of the boys, with the twins sharing one, since they're so alike anyway.
The Taming of the Six: Slightly
We never did find the drawing-room. Mr. Darling (or "Not A Cypher", as we called him) didn't seem to mind though. He assigned us each to a corner in various rooms (The Twins shared one), then told us to report to Mrs. Darling because we needed a bath.
"I'm sure you're all very nice boys," he said. "But no one will ever respect you if you're filthy and dressed in rags. Run along now, all—however many there are of you."
"We're five, counting The Twins as one," Nibs informed him.
"Why would you count twins as one person?"
"Because Peter doesn't understand twins," explained one of The Twins. "So we're not allowed."
He looked a little confused, but didn't ask for any more clarification, which was just as well. Mrs. Darling, however, brought up the subject of names.
"And what's your name, dear?" she asked me when it was my turn in the bath. I was first, after Curly.
"Slightly," I told her.
She didn't say anything, but she sort of almost frowned, and I could tell that she didn't think much of my name.
"Peter gave us all names, because we couldn't remember ours. Except for The Twins. They're just The Twins."
"Well, we shall have to remedy that," she said. "You'll all be going to school soon, and I'm afraid that it will be much more trouble than it's worth to be calling you by the names Peter gave you." She smiled, and I wanted to give her a hug. "What do you think of the name Simon? It's close to Slightly, so it wouldn't take as much getting used to."
I frowned, turning the name over in my mind as I sat in the tub. There wasn't anything unpleasant on it, and I supposed that I'd grow into it eventually.
Grow into it. The thought scared me a little, and I wondered what Peter would say if he knew that we were getting new names that we would have to grow into. I knew what Tink would say— "You silly ass." Only instead of referring to Peter or Tootles, the ones that she usually called silly asses, she'd be referring to me and Curly and Nibs and Tootles and The Twins, for leaving Neverland and going to school and growing up.
I guess I must have looked scared, because Mrs. Darling started stroking my hair the way Wendy had done sometimes to Peter, and asked what was wrong.
"I don't know if I'm ready," I said. "Peter always said that you can't un-grow up. If people start calling me Simon, I might start to grow faster so I'll grow into it."
Mrs Darling smiled, only it was a nice, understanding sort of smile, not a nasty, you're-being-silly sort of smile. "How old are you, Slightly?" she asked.
"I don't know. Older than The Twins definitely, because I remember when they came, and I think a little younger than Nibs."
"Well, you don't look like you're very much older than my son John, and he's not quite ten. I'd say that you have plenty of time to get ready to grow up."
Then it was my turn to smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Then my name is Simon," I said happily. Something occurred to me. "What's Curly and Nibs and Tootles and The Twins new names going to be?"