"Peter Pan isn't real,"
That's what I've been hearing my whole life. Ever since Disney became "too childish for a teenager"-as my friends have told me—-I've been told Peter Pan isn't real.
I sighed inwardly as my friends tried to convince me the belief of Peter Pan didn't exist as they did everyday during English.
"How can you believe he's real?", my friend Cheyenne asked, completely boggled by the idea.
"How can I not?", I replied calmly, "Is it not the same as believing in a religion?"
"No," retorted Paulina who was sitting right next to me. "Peter Pan is a character from a FICTION BOOK. I even have it myself." She reached into her bookbag to pull out a hard cover book with a rustic gold book sleeve that read on the top in a royal blue ink, Peter Pan. My eyes sparkled at the book. "See this at the bottom?" She pointed to the fine print also inked in a royal blue, "Tell me what it says." I gulped nervously. I knew there would be no way to argue myself out of this one.
"Written by J.M. Barrie,"
"Exactly!" exclaimed Cheyenne.
"Shhh!" Mrs. Anderson, our English teacher, said.
I looked at Cheyenne blankly. For the first time in my life I began to doubt. Does Peter Pan really exist? I shook my head violently to get the thoughts out of my head. My friends though, perceived my actions as a response to Cheyenne's comment.
"Look Mani, just because you're last name is Darling doesn't mean-"
"It has nothing to do with my name!" I cut off Cheyenne quickly and bluntly. If there was anything that got me angry it was comparing my beliefs with my name. Just because I was a Darling did not mean I automatically believed in Peter Pan. No, there was much more to that.
"Peter Pan doesn't exist Mani! He's just a fairytale!" Cheyenne spatted out in a fit of frustration. Paulina, being the calmer one, just sat and stared at Cheyenne in shock, obviously believing that this was not the manner to convincing me of their truth.
Before I could object the bell marking the end of the day rang. Both of them grabbed their things and hurried out the door. Paulina was already long gone but Cheyenne turned around and looked at me with those eyes. Those eyes that showed the peek of adulthood but yet had a saddened look as though she had once believed herself too.
"It's time for you to grow up!"
Well what do you guys think? I know it's a really short chapter, but there will be more to come! Please review!