The two boys and the girl looked him up and down and looked puzzled for a moment. Peter studied them while they studied him. The boys were dressed alike, in black tights and see-through red shirts. The girl wore a long pink skirt and her hair was twisted up in a bun.
"Is that the costume Madame Higgins decided to go with? Strange."
"I like it," said the girl, studying Peter. "It's very Neverland-ish!"
"So you're our Peter, huh?"
"Umm…yes?"
"You look really young. Madame doesn't usually let first years have starring roles, you know. You must be really good." Peter looked baffled. The boy who spoke to him grinned and held out his hand.
"Well, I'm Jonathan. I'm your right hand man! And this is Hugh and Cora. Hugh is Nibs and Cora is Tiger Lily." The blank, baffled expression on Peter's face never left because Jonathan cocked his head.
"Are you a transfer student?"
"Umm, yeah. From…umm…America?" He asked hopefully. Cora suddenly looked impressed.
"That's wicked! No wonder Madame gave you the part. Peter Pan should be American, you know."
"No he shouldn't. Barrie said Peter ran away to Kensington Gardens and met the fairies there. That means he lived here in London."
"As a baby, yes, but then he flew away to Neverland!"
"And you think his accent left him?"
"He was a baby, you fool. He wouldn't have had an accent!"
"WHY are we even talking about the bloke like he's real," Hugh interrupted. "He's a fictional character. Lay off the fighting."
"So what's your real name, mate?"
"Umm…Peter," Peter replied quietly.
"Peter playing Peter. Wicked." The bell overhead rang and Cora jumped.
"Oh bloody hell, Stokes is going to be on our arses if we're late again! See you at rehearsal, Peter!" She hurried off with Jonathan right behind her. Hugh stayed where he was and he crossed his arms.
"What's your next class?"
"Umm…I'm finished for the day."
"Cool. Want to come along to the rehearsal hall with me? Madame Higgins asked that I come and help with some of the set pieces. I suppose since you're Peter Pan, you should help with your show." He chuckled and nudged Peter but Peter failed to see what was so funny.
"Oh bloody hell, here she comes," Hugh said suddenly, straightening up and flinging his bag over his other shoulder. Peter glanced up at him (as he was at least an inch taller) and saw Hugh running his fingers through his hair. Peter looked around, confused, and his eyes landed on what Hugh was panicking about. The girl walking toward them was slender and beautiful; she wore a black leotard and a short blue skirt. Her hair was in a tight bun at the back of her head and she wore thick liner on her eyes. Peter thought she was beautiful and obviously, so did Hugh. The girl stopped a few inches away and reached up to her bun, her fingers pulling at the pins and allowing her long blonde curls to flow down her waist. With a start, Peter realized it was the girl he had nearly flattened that day.
"Hey Gwen," Hugh said casually. The girl approached them and smiled.
"How's it going, Hugh?"
"Quite well, thanks. Just heading to the rehearsal hall to work on set pieces. You just come from class?"
"Yep. Trying to perfect that pique pirouette."
"You'll get it, you're the best dancer at this school." Hugh giggled nervously and Peter raised a brow. THIS amused him. It was like a little brother watching his big brother try to ask a girl out. Peter found it hilarious. Probably because he had never suffered from this stammering, tongue-tied-ness that comes with fancying someone.
"Thanks Hugh. Who's this?"
"This is Peter, a transfer student from America. He's our Peter Pan!" Gwen's eyes widened.
"Really? I thought Mary got the part!" Peter wrinkled his nose.
"Mary is a girl's name."
"Yes," Gwen said slowly. Peter shook his head.
"Why would a girl play me?"
"The part of Peter Pan has always been played by girls. It's been like that since the play opened!"
"That makes no sense," Peter said, looking downright horrified that a girl had been playing him for years.
"Yes it does. A girl can perfect the articulate movements that come with flying faster than a boy can. Plus it's easier to get a girl into the air with rigging. Nina Boucicault was the first Peter Pan when it debuted on stage, December 27th, 1904. The title became The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Quite appropriate."
"When it should have been Selfish Little Boy and His Bratty Ways," Hugh said with a smile. Peter's face went red and he was about to make an angry retort but Gwen puffed her chest out and shook her locks back.
"Peter Pan is the best fictional character there's ever been! He flies and fights and crows and lives in Neverland! Why does adventure and youth have to be selfishness and bratty?" Hugh bit his lip and took a step back but Peter's eyes sparkled as they met Gwen's. He gave her a broad smile, which she returned, in spite of herself.
"I guess I'd er…I'd better get to the rehearsal hall. Peter, you coming mate?"
"I'll catch up. I have something for Gwen, actually." Hugh looked surprised and angry for a moment but he nodded and stomped away. Peter bit his lip; he hadn't meant to anger his new friend. But he reached into his bag and pulled out the copy of Peter Pan.
"I believe this is yours," he said quietly, handing it to her. She gasped and grabbed it, her fingers running down its cover.
"Oh my god, where did you find this?" She looked back at him and her eyes widened.
"You're the boy I ran into that day…who nearly jumped on top of me."
"Yeah. Sorry about that."
"I can't believe you still have it."
"Well I tried to find you to return it to you," he lied. "I'm sorry it took so long." She giggled.
"No, it's alright. Thank you so much for returning this to me. This book is really old and was a gift from my grandmother. Plus it's my favorite story." He brightened and had to fight to keep the smugness out of his voice.
"It is?"
"Oh yes. I am so excited to be a part of the play, it's a dream come true. It's my favorite book but I have been researching my character so much lately. My mum says I'm a bit obsessed," she finished with a giggle. Peter's grin grew.
"Who's your character?" Gwen swept into a perfect curtsy and smiled.
"Wendy Moira Angela Darling," she said in a prim and proper voice. Peter's throat had gone dry and he was finding it difficult to breathe.
What is your name?
What is your name?
Wendy Moira Angela Darling.
Peter. Pan.
"Peter, are you alright?" He snapped awake and shook his head. Wendy disappeared and Gwen stood before him. Now that he studied her closer, he saw there was much resemblance. Gwen was older than Wendy had been but he imagined, had he gone to visit her more often, Wendy would have looked much like this. Peter's eyes went to Gwen's lips and he let out a little gasp as he noticed something twinkling in the corner of her mouth. Gwen's bright eyes were boring into his and he gulped.
"Sorry," he muttered.
"Well, I suppose I had better get to my next class. I expect I'll see you at rehearsal?" Peter half nodded, half shrugged and Gwen clutched her book to her chest.
"Thank you again for returning this. Bye Peter!" He waved faintly as she hurried off and was left waving like an idiot. He flung his bag over his shoulder and he hurried behind the bushes. When he was out of sight, he leaped into the air and landed on the roof of the school. Tink landed beside him and sat Indian-style, her arms crossed.
Well?
"I think I've found her, Tink."
