Hey guys! Sorry for the insane wait. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! R&R!
- Risea Moone
++ later chapters WILL come at a decent time. A chapter a week maybe?
Peter tumbled through the log, landing on his feet. He whirled around and let out a loud crow. Curly, the Twins, and Slightly slid down the log as well, each carrying two logs, one under each arm.
Peter smiled, watching the boys pile the logs into the basket by the fireplace, and flew over to join Tootles. Nibs had fallen asleep with his head rested on his fists, right next to the girl. Tootles sat back, his arms crossed.
"Has she awoken?" asked Peter expectantly, his green eyes wide as saucers.
"No," Tootles replied softly, shaking his head. "She moved around a little, and said something real quiet, so I couldn't hear, but those eyes haven't opened once."
"Really?" Peter didn't want to believe him. But when Tootles nodded, he sighed and ran a hand through his messy, sandy blonde hair. He was silent for a minute, looking over her, then turned back to Tootles. "Do you think she's sick?"
Tootles stared back. "What kind of sick?"
"The sick where you might not wake up."
Tootles sucked in a breath. He chewed on his lip and glanced at the girl. "I guess so. Maybe. I don't know! She ain't waking up Peter."
"I know that!" Peter snapped. "Don't tell me what I already know, especially when it's bad news."
Tootles scowled, but got over it quickly. "Maybe we should take her to Tiger Lily?"
"What will Tiger Lily know?"
"I don't know! Tiger Lily's a girl too!" Tootles threw his hands in the air defensively. "Maybe she will know what's wrong. It's just a suggestion."
"No," Peter flew over the girl, and stroked her bottom lip gently with his fingers. "I can figure it out."
"Peter," Tootles started, but he just sighed and stood up from his chair. "If you don't figure it out by morning, I really think we should take her to Tiger Lily."
Peter did not respond, just waved, not only dismissing Tootles, but also his idea of Tiger Lily. Tootles shook his head behind Peter's back, then shuffled over to Nibs and shook him gently. "Wake up, lemme put you in bed."
"NO!"
Tootles jumped back, and Nibs's awoke with a fright. "What, Peter?" asked Tootles.
"The Lost Boys are going to sleep in the main room tonight, on the floor." Peter returned to the ground and crossed his arms defiantly. "Our mother gets the room to herself tonight."
"But then, will you sleep with us?" asked Tootles.
Nibs stood up, rubbing his eye and yawning. "Did Mother wake up?"
"No," Tootles answered quickly, then turned his attention back to Peter.
"I am not sleeping," Peter began. He drew his pipes and floated to the top bunk on the left, where he sat criss crossed. "I am going to watch over her, and figure out what's wrong."
"Why can't we all help?" asked Tootles.
"Because," Peter paused, then his face cracked with a smile. "In case she is sick, I don't want my Lost Boys to catch it!"
"What if you catch the sick?" asked Nibs.
"I won't."
"How do you know?"
Peter flipped onto his back and began to play his flute. "Because," he started, pausing from playing his instrument to answer Nibs, "I am Peter Pan, and I will not catch anything. Ever." Peter waved his hand once more, thereby silencing the argument.
Tootles growled under his breath. He placed his hand on Nibs's back and led him out of the room, stopping to unhook the curtain and letting it fall behind them. Outside the bedroom, war had broken out between the Twins and Curly and Slightly. Tootles joined the Twins' side, and Nibs with Curly and Slightly, and in five minutes Tootles had forgotten all about the mysterious girl and the fact that she had taken over their room. In fact, none of the boys let her infiltrate their minds again the rest of the night.
All, except one boy, who had stopped playing his pipes to peek over the edge of the bed. The girl lay still, unmoving. Long, even breaths escaped her lips, her chest rising and falling in rhythm with the sound of the air escaping her nostrils.
Peter sank gently from his post, his feet kissing the ground as he hovered over her face. Her skin was the color of caramel, and freckles were sprinkled from her cheekbone, across her nose, and to her other cheekbone. Her dark, chocolate hair was sprawled all around her from her fitful sleep. It was thick, and wavy, but silky, and a single piece draped across her tan face.
Peter's fingers seemed to move on their own. He gently brushed the stray hair back into place. He moved her over just a smidge, so he could sit Indian style, right by her knees. The girl did not stir.
"Why won't you wake up?" Peter asked her. He did not expect a reply, and did not recieve one. Peter huffed a breath, knotting his brows as his eyes bore down on the girl's face. "Why!" No answer.
Peter growled lowly, then looked away from her. He hopped off the bed to retrieve his knife, then resumed his position. He played with the knife, ran his finger over the blade. "There's no place like Neverland." He didn't take his eyes off the knife. "We have mermaids, and Indians, and fairies, and a crocodile, and pirates. It's endless fun here. No adults, no rules." He glanced up at the ceiling, and felt his eyes watering. "That's the best part. No grown ups. No bad stuff. Just good." He paused for a moment, letting the cruel memories recede to the back of his mind, where they were quickly forgotten. He turned his attention back to the girl. "You're missing all the fun. Cause you won't wake up."
He stood up from the bed and walked around it to kneel beside the girl. He let his head rest on the edge of the bed, scanning her face, looking for any signs of life, of response. He didn't get a single one. Peter scooted closer to her, so their faces were inches apart. "Please wake up," he whispered, his eyes burning into her closed ones. "You won't regret it. There's so much to see here, so much to do. But you can't see or do anything if you lay in bed and sleep all day." Pause. "There's so much I want to show you. I can show you things and take you places that no other boy ever could. There's a whole island here, just waiting for you, and you're sleeping."
Peter swallowed hard, and squeezed his eyes shut. It was incredibly frustrating, this girl here, just wasting her time. Maybe he should bring her to Tiger Lily? No. He could wake her.
Suddenly, the girl drew a sharp breath, her eyebrows squeezing together, her lips parting slightly and her nose scrunching. Peter's eyes widened, and he drew his head back, but didn't move from his post. He held his breath.
A soft moan escaped her lips, and her face relaxed. And just when Peter thought she was going to return to her slumber, her eyes fluttered open.
Peter's soft, evergreen eyes were met with a rush of cool blue.
