Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, Wendy," my mother whispered to me as tears slipped down her cheeks. I reached up and wiped them away with the sleeve of my long sleeved blue t-shirt.

"Don't cry, mum, I'll be fine," I tried to reassure not only her, but myself. True to his word, my dad had sent me to Neverland boarding school. I sat with my mother on the garden swing as she told me that she tried to change dads mind, but when dad's mind is set on something, he always gets what he wants.

"I just don't understand why he would want to send his only daughter to that wretched place," she murmured as her bright blue eyes gazed at the moody grey sky. I tucked the light pink shawl around her small frame more securely and hugged her tightly.

"I'll be fine mum, all this stress is not good for the baby," I said lightly as I gestured to her swollen stomach. She laughed as more tears poured from her eyes.

"I know, darling, I know." We were silent after that, rocking backwards and forwards slowly.

"Wendy Darling, is what I just heard true?" I looked up to see Katrina stood with her hands on her hips, her pretty face warped with anger.

"What, that I'm been sent to Neverland? Yes, yes it is," I saw Katrina's bottom lip stick out and wobble and her beautiful eyes fill with tears. She let out a choked sob and ran towards me, hugging me tightly.

"I-I don't w-want you to l-leave!" She sobbed into my shoulder as I patted her head.

"I know, I know," I murmured to her while looking at my mother. She nodded and got up from the swing leaving me alone with my friend.

"When are you going?" Katrina asked me when she was in a stable state, only sniffing here and there.

"Tonight," I mumbled, looking away.

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?" She screamed at me.

"I was going to tell you, the decision was only made today, my dad's been thinking about sending me for a while now."

"Why is he being so cruel to you, their ANIMALS there!" She wrinkled her nose, "beasts! I don't even know how it's still open, did you hear about-"

"The inspector in the mental hospital, yeah, I did," I sighed and hung me head. "Who am I kidding, I'm gonna die there." Katrina patted my shoulder.

"Come on, promise we'll talk loads," I lifted my head to see her pinkie sticking out towards me. I smiled, though it was forced.

"I pinkie promise that we'll talk loads," I linked her pinkie with my own . She smiled and got up from the swig and dusted her jeans down and held her hand out to me.

"Come on, you had loads of packing to do!" I rolled my eyes, Katrina is a complete shopaholic and loves clothes. I reached out my own hand and let her pull me up.

"I'm so going to regret this," I muttered to myself as she launched into discussing outfits as we walked up the cracked garden path. When I reached the house I turned to the overgrown garden that used to be my personal jungle and saluted it in departure before hoping into the house through the back door.

Katrina had stuck to the minimum thankfully, only because she found out that I could only have 1 suitcase for all of my belongings. Though she did put a few accessories into my satchel. I shook my head as I watched my dad and the taxi driver try to haul the suitcase down the stairs of the house, while Katrina screamed not to drop it.

Mum looked at me from the door with glassy eyes as she stroked her swollen stomach absentmindedly. It was going to be a little boy, she told me in private and showed me the scan for him. John Napoleon Darling, she told me his name proudly. I hope I can see him when he is born, I thought hopefully. I looked at the struggling men, they were now lifting the suitcase into the boot.

Dads face was a violent red and when the suitcase was in the boot he reached into his pocket and moped the sweat of his forehead.

"Mary," he gasped for breath. My mother ignored him as she descended the stairs and hugged me tightly.

"I love you," she whispered into my hair before gently pushing me away as Katrina came up and hugged me while her eyes swam with tears.

"I'm gonna miss you so much," she told me tearfully when we had broke apart.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Kat," I told her and her face broke into a smile, I hated nicknames so for me to use hers was a big thing.

"Wendy, I hope you will learn a lot here and learn to appreciate your home," my mother gasped at my father's words and glared at him.

"That was why your sending her away, George?" She screamed.

"Shut up, Mary," he bit out through gritted teeth. She shook her head and after kissing my forehead stormed inside. Katrina sighed and shook her head at my dad.

"Goodbye, Wendy," he muttered and hugged me awkwardly. Then he pushed me in the direction of the car. I shook my head and got in and watched as the sky turned an even more depressing shade of grey and rain started to pour down in buckets. I took one look at my former home before bursting into tears.

The driver got in and looked back at me sympathetically before turning on the ignition and driving down the lonely road.

"So...where are you off to then ma'am?" The driver asked while looking at the road.

"Neverland Boarding School, please," I sniffed and looked out the window but not before I caught his appalled expression. He was silent for the rest of the drive.

About 30 minutes later he turned down a lane with a wooden carved sign signifying 'Neverland Boarding School'. I gulped when I saw the graffiti on the rotting sign.

The road drove straight into woodlands and the trees seemed to leap out at us, their twigs wanting to catch us in their grasps. I looked away from the window and instead shifted my gaze to my hands which lay numbly in my lap.

The car jolted to a stop and I looked up to see the building I was staying in. It was massive, of course, but already I could see the once cheery paint peeling from the brick and a nice handful of smashed windows.

The driver got out first, looking around the area before quickly walking to the boot to get my suitcase. I opened my door and also looked around. Something wasn't right, I felt it immediately. It was almost like someone was watching...

"FIRE!" The order was bellowed before hundreds of arrows were shot from bushes, towards the taxi driver. He squeaked and dropped my bag and ran towards the driver's seat, slamming the door I had opened before and jumped in, driving away quickly. Leaving me alone on the drive.

I looked at the bushes but found that the people within must have scarpered off when the taxi driver had. He even forgot his money. I sighed and picked my way over the arrows that lay on the ground towards my suitcase that was left in a large puddle.

I pulled it up from the water then headed towards the large double doors of the building. The doors, unlike the outdoors of the building were polished with a large brass knocker proudly on the right door that looked like it belonged in the early 1900's. Inside was very sparse. A long, narrow corridor with a old rickety desk filled with piles of paper. I set my suitcase down on the wooden floor and walked along the corridor to find it come out to a large grand staircase with massive windows looking out onto what looked like a large, untamed forest. The stairs were carpeted in a deep blue, and the banister, like the door was polished to perfection, although the building gave off a feeling of abandonment.

"Hello, Miss Darling," I turned to see a tall, burly man with long dark hair tied back in a bow stood behind me with his hands behind his back. He wore a tailored suit and shiny black shoes, looking quite out of place from the building. He had cocoa coloured skin, with smile lines, indicating he was over 40. He held an aura of importance, from his stance and looks, which were stern but quite welcoming at the same time.

"Hello, sir," I answered politely and turned away from the window.

"Call me Chief, Miss Darling, or Wendy, which would you prefer?"

"Wendy, S-Chief," I answered, smiling slightly.

"Well, I am your new headmaster, I hope you enjoy your stay here at Neverland Boarding School and make some friends for life," he smiled and gestured for my damp bag that sat at his feet. "Would you like me to show you to your room?" he asked, his smile growing.

I nodded and walked to get my suitcase but he held up him hand and picked it up himself and walked up the stairs, leaving me to follow. We came to a second floor, which had an open landing, with about 10 doors sat along the square walls and another set of stairs. He walked to a door in the corner of the landing and fished a key out of his suit pocket and opened the door and walked in. I followed him in to find a simple room, simple but practical. There was a single four poster bed framed with long drapes, a large window with a window-seat, a desk with a lamp and chair and a small wardrobe. No television or radio, or even a computer.

"Technology is available in the technology room on the ground floor, next to the lounge, dinner starts in about 20 minutes so you can have a chance to socialise there, lessons will start tomorrow at 9am and end at 4pm with an hour lunch. All the information about lessons and your timetable are on your desk. I hope you do have a good stay with us, Wendy," Chief said before walking out, closing the door lightly behind himself .

I turned around and examined the room. No graffiti I noticed, no mould growing on the walls, it was okay. The crème walls were spotless, but there were hooks to hang photo's up onto them. The ground was floorboards, and a rug lay in the middle of the room. The bed was made with pale pink covers and the hangings were also a pale pink with gold patterns which were hung behind the bedposts.

I walked over to the desk and picked up my new timetable. Tomorrow I have...Maths, English, P.E, Science and Geography. I grimaced, all my worst subjects, great. Another sheet behind it showed the times...breakfast served at 8:30am, 1st class 9:00am, break 10:00am, 2nd class 11:00am, 3rd class 12:00am, lunch 1:00pm, 4th class 1:00pm, break 2:00pm, 5th class 3:00pm, dinner 7:30pm and curfew 10:00pm. Hour breaks? I frowned at the page, it's quite odd, then again, who said this school was normal?

I checked my wrist, 7:27pm. Crap. The room key was still on my desk so I picked it up and ran from the room, locking the door behind me. A girl with long black straight hair to her waist was leaning against the wall, wearing a white puffy shirt, dark coloured trousers tucked into large brown heeled boots. She had eyes that were- golden? A rich deep colour, that seemed to twinkle in the dim light. She smiled at me, showing off a golden tooth.

"Well, hello there, Wendy, I'm Jade, Chief asked me to show you around," I smiled and stuck out my hand.

"Wendy Darling, but you already know that I guess..." She looked down at my outstretch palm and frowned, but then shook it.

"Well, then, let's go, I'll take ya to lunch, since it's now," She pushed off the wall and started to walk to the stairs. She started to stomp down the stairs but not before she saw a small homemade doll. She sneered and stomped a heel onto the material, so it instantly exploded.

"Hey, isn't that someone's toy?" She turned still with a sneer on her face.

"It's a Lost Boys, you can tell from the bad stitching," she turned and continued down the stairs. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a small child pitted with mud, who couldn't be older than 5; there must be a nursery here as well. He had messy brown hair and was dressed in trousers that were in tatters. I saw him swipe at his eyes then crawl out of sight. I looked down at the material cover and remembered the look on the little boys face at his broken toy. I crouched down and picked up the material and slipped it into my pocket before running to catch up with Jade who was waiting at the foot of the stairs tapping her boot impatiently.

"Keep up, Darling, I won't wait next time," she started walking again, only faster so I had to jog to keep up. We stopped at an arch and she turned towards me.

"Well, Darling, this is where I leave ya," she smiled and walked into the cafeteria, her hips swaying slightly as she walked. I stood awkwardly at the arc as I looked upon the scene.

They were all split into their own small groups, cliques even, only sticking to their own people and not interacting with others. The tables were set out in long tables from one side of the room to the other, in rows, with a table at one end connecting it to another row. My sea blue eyes scoured the room for a place to sit.

Jade was sat next to a boy about her age, who must have been her brother. He had the same hair, though his was in small corkscrew ringlets to his shoulders and his eyes were not golden, but a cold, icy blue that darted suspiciously around the room. One of his hands was holding a leg of chicken, but the other was obscured by the table. He also wore a loose white shirt, but his boots didn't have the large heels.

I turned away from them as I found a seat next to a girl with dark black hair and a dark complexion. She chattered to others on her row, without a care in the world. I slowly made my way to the seat, hoping she would let me sit with her friends. When I reached her side I cleared my throat, feeling even more of an idiot than I did before. She turned away from her conversation to look up at me, a scowl being painted across her face.

"Can I help you?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Hi, I'm Wendy, I'm new here, can I sit on your table?" I asked politely. Her scowl turned into a smile and she gestured to the seat next to her.

"Sure, sit down and get something to eat." I smiled gratefully and sat on the long wooden bench. I noticed when I sat down she wore a light tan dress to her knees and brightly coloured jewellery. Parts of her midnight black hair had been plaited and beads the colour of the rainbow had been threaded through the strands of hair. Her iris' were a deep brown, so brown you couldn't see the pupils, which were framed with thick black lashes. She didn't need makeup, her skin was flawless, with no blemishes or darkness marring the deep cocoa colour. In other words, she was absolutely stunning, like most of the girls who sat on this table.

"My name is Karenna," she smiled at me, showing of a set of perfect white teeth.

"Wendy Darling," I replied as she passed me a plate. I set it down on the worn table and picked up a bowl of rice and spooned a good portion onto my place. Karenna was staring out of the window with a dreamy expression.

"So...what's the deal here, why is everyone so...with themselves?" I asked, looking up from my plate.

"Well, I think it's best to explain the groups of Neverland first," she pointed to the group which Jade sat with, "they are the pirates...their leader is James Hook. Steer clear of them Wendy, they're not nice, " then she pointed to a group of girls with long blonde hair, "looks are deceiving, the mermaids may be very beautiful, but once they catch you in their grasps, they will destroy you." Karenna paused, taking a sip of her water before pointing to a table of boys, from the ages of 5 to 13. "They are the Lost Boys, all orphaned, Peter Pan leads them, though he isn't here, he never attends meals," I frowned and looked up at the girl who was now gesturing to a table full of cute, petite people who had pretty small features. "They are the fairy's, Tatiana is their leader." And we, are the Indians, the peaceful tribe who live freely among the groups, except for the pirates , they're just mean and creepy.

"Do you have a leader?" I asked before digging into my rice and chicken.

"Well, there's Chief, but he's headmaster so there is Tiger Lily, his daughter." Karenna gestured to a girl who sat at the head of the table. She had long shiny hair that hung to her waist, deep brown eyes and high cheekbones. She sat completely straight, but had fluid, gracefully movements with her hands. I felt envious at her grace and poise and looked away at my food.

"I know, she's...amazing, has everything, apart from him," I looked away from my food.

"Him?"

"Peter, all the girls want him here, he's like the...heart-throb, if you could call him that," she smiled crookedly.

"And you don't?" She shook her head.

"I respect him, but I don't swoon over him," she told me matter-of-factly as she watched Tiger Lily with wary eyes.

"But honestly, yes, he's good looking, but he's just too childish," she sighed and swirled the water in her glass round.

"Anyway, you wanted to know the deal about the groups, so...It all started a few years ago. Peter and James were...acquaintances, they didn't particularly like each other, but they could bear being in the same room. Then, once they got into a massive fight, James had...okay, we don't really know, but Peter got so mad, he cut off his hand, that's why he has the hook instead. Ironic, isn't it, his last name and what happened to his hand? Anyway, the two get into fights regularly, so we all keep to ourselves and try not to get involved, but nearly everybody roots for Peter and the Lost Boys, they're good, unlike Hook and the Pirates."

"The mermaids...they gossip like no tomorrow, so if you ever need anything, like where people are, or secrets, go to them. Fairy's are...unique. They can either be really angry, or really sad, never in between. Tinkerbelle is Peter's fairy, he loves her like a sister, but she's like any other girl who comes here, in love with him."

"That's sad..does he know that she's in love with him?" I asked, Karenna shook her head.

"He's oblivious, he is to most things..." she trailed off when she saw people from her table leaving.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you, but I best be off, bye," she smiled and waved before climbing off the bench and walking with a group of tanned goddesses. I looked down at my plate to find it half eaten, but I pushed it away and crossed my arms on the table and leaned my head on them.

"You know, you need to clear that away," a sly voice told me. I looked up to see- ugh- James Hook looking down at me through his cold eyes. His hook rested on the table, the sharp tip dangerously close to my hand.

"Well, where shall I put it?" I asked innocently. He smirked and barked a laugh, though it was a choked and forced sound.

"Over by the kitchens, with the others," he dragged his hook along the wood, making deep lines show up. I gulped, what if that was my hand?

"Uh, thank you, I better be going then," I stood and picked up my plate, but a piece of sharp metal dangerously close to my throat stopped my flee. It moved from the skin to my hair, tugging it behind my shoulder and James leaned forward, close to my ear.

"You know, Wendy, I rule here, so you might as well come to me now," I stiffened and turned my head to face his.

"Not from what I heard," I smiled, "Peter Pan rules and-"

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK OF PAN IN MY PRESENCE!" He bellowed loudly, causing plates and glasses to rattle. He drew back his hook, aiming for my face and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. Until I heard the noise.

Tick, tock, Tick tock.

I opened an eye to see James looking frantically around the room.

"What? You weren't meant to come! Leave me, you insolent beast!" He muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

I took this as a chance for a dash of freedom and dropped the plate on the table and ran from the dining hall.

What the hell is going on here? He's bloody crazy!

Outside the arc were a group of children, the Lost Boys, holding a clock into the room and sniggering. Ah, that would be the sound. Again, no Peter Pan was with present. The mystery boy was starting to bug me now.

They saluted me as I walked past and returned to watching James who was now stabbing his hook into the tables and screaming like a banshee. I had to crack a smile at the sight, it was bloody hilarious.

I ran up the stairs to my room and started laughing, the image still printed into my brain and slid down onto the stairs while laughing manically.

"What are you doing?" I looked up to see the small boy who use to have the toy a few steps up from me.

"I'm sorry, something was just very funny in the dining room..." I trailed off when I saw the small boys eyes fill with tears. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked gently and got of my step and sat on his.

"T-they're gonna get us- or Peter- killed, if they carry on provoking Hook," he wailed and I put my arm round him gently and wiped at his face. The dried mud on his skin came off with the tears.

"Um, what does Peter say? Why will you be killed if you carry on? How can you this is a school, they won't let you," I asked while cringing about the fact the little boy was covered in dirt.

"H-he says H-hook deserves it a-and encourages them," I frowned. "We will be killed, Hook already holds a grudge against Peter and will go for any chance to kill him. And this isn't any normal school miss, if you haven't noticed, people have died before," my eyes grew wide.

"W-what, h-how," I stuttered and blinked rapidly.

"This place can either be your worst nightmare or your dream world, miss, it sure isn't normal but it's better than nothing," he told me and his eyes didn't look so young, but ancient.

"What's your name, boy," I asked and he straightened up.

"Michael, no last name," he told me proudly.

"Wendy Moira Angela Darling," I smiled.

"You have 3 last names, I don't even have one?" He exclaimed and crossed his arms in a huff, "it's not fair!"

"Well, Michael, I could be your older sister, if you like, then you would be Michael Darling," he smiled, showing a toothy smile.

"Please, Wendy?"

"Yes, now from this day forward you are Michael Darling!" He clapped his hands, smiling gleefully.

"I have a family!" He lunged forward and hugged me tightly. I laughed and hugged him back.

Loud footsteps bounded up the stairs and toward us. I looked up to see the Lost Boys sprinting, I guess Hook must have figured it out because I heard him bellow Pan loudly.

"Come on Michael!" A boy grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs, "you as well miss!" He called back to me.

I jumped up from my position and ran to my room as I heard James' heavy footsteps. I unlocked the door and slammed it behind me, locking it after. I slid down the wall, gasping for breath as I heard James screaming obscenities.

I flicked the light on and walked towards my suitcase and changed my clothes before flicking the light off and flopping onto my bed and falling asleep.

That night, the dream was different, he wasn't in darkness, but in my room, floating over me with an avid expression as he watch my chest rise and fall. He smiled at me before floating out of the window.