Thank you guys so much for your kind thoughts and reviews! I wasn't too sure about this story at first and sorta struggled but seeing your words definitely helped me continue on and now I feel like it's heading in a good direction. So thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Peter paced the school lawn for hours, trying to figure out how to talk to Gwen again. He obviously wasn't a part of the play so he couldn't just stroll into rehearsal. He asked Tink to use fairy dust on the professor to make her "forget" who she had cast but Tink had stamped on that one. Peter ran his finges through his curls in frustration and leaned against the brick wall.
"What am I supposed to do," he asked the night air.
"Peter?' He whirled around and his eyes widened when he saw Gwen coming down the steps.
"Peter, where were you? You missed rehearsal…and Mary said that she DID get the part!"
"Uh, yeah…I went to Madame Higgins and uh, told her I couldn't accept the part." Gwen frowned.
"But why? I think you'd make a perfect Peter!"
"Thanks but I really have to focus on…um, school work."
"You're a first year, aren't you?" Having no idea what she was talking about, he merely shrugged.
"Gwen, I, uh…I was wondering…" he swallowed bitterly as he realized that he was now the one who was stammering and losing his thoughts. Gwen was watching him, looking politely confused.
"I was wondering…if you'd like to go get something to eat."
"Oh! Sure, that sounds nice." Peter was stunned that she had accepted and he nodded eagerly. Gwen's eyes traveled him up and down and she let out a little giggle.
"Are you going to keep the Peter Pan costume still?' He quickly glanced down at his leaves and bit his lip.
"Of course not. Let me go return this…I'll be right back." Gripping his bag, he entered the school and looked around frantically. Deciding he would try some of the empty classrooms, he searched for something else to wear. Tink flitted from room to room with him as he grew more frustrated.
"Why didn't I think to bring normal clothes with me," he grunted as he slammed the classroom door shut.
You don't even own any normal clothes! You would be laughed at in Neverland.
"And I'll be laughed at here wearing this. Come on, Tink, help me!" He heard her laughing and he turned to see her holding up a pair of black tights.
Why don't you try these on? I'm sure you'll look positively smashing! She fought to keep the laugher out of her voice but Peter cast one look at the tights and his face darkened.
"There's no way in Neverland I'll put those on!"
It's what the rest of the boys are wearing, didn't you see? Besides, do you see anything else?
Peter stared at the tights and considered just flying back to Neverland and forgetting this whole thing.
"Ugh," he moaned as he yanked the tights from her hands and struggled for the next ten minutes to put them on. He found a form-fitting blue Tee shirt and he glanced down at himself.
"Not a single word to ANYONE, Tinkerbell." Tink was doubled up in fits of laughter and he threw his leaves at her, hitting her square in the face.
He made his way back outside and was relieved to see that Gwen was still there. She smiled as he approached and her eyes did a quick survey of him.
"Well you definitely look like a dancer in that," she said with a smile.
"Isn't that what I'm supposed to look like?" he asked quietly.
"Well you go to one of the most prestigious dance academies in London so I'd say yes. Come on, there's a cute little diner around the corner." She tugged on his arm and he hurried after her as he tried not to squirm in his new clothes. He could still hear Tink laughing behind him.
Peter was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Gwen. It reminded him of the talks he had had with Wendy in Neverland. She was fun and full of life, her eyes sparkled with adventure and mischief and she spoke longingly of all of the great adventures she would one day have while she traveled the world as a dancer. He sipped on his cola and listened, his eyes wide and a broad smile never leaving his face.
"So what is Gwen short for," he asked after she had stopped talking long enough to take a bite.
"Gwendolyn. It's an awful medieval name, sort of a version of Wendy. My mum thought it was sweet. She knows how to torture me." Peter smiled.
"I like it. It suits you."
"Well thanks. Tell me about America." Peter almost choked on his drink and he coughed.
"Um, w-what about it?"
"Tell me everything! I'm dying to go. Especially New York. Have you been to New York?"
"Um…yeah. Loads of times."
"Really? What's it like?"
"Um…it's big," he offered. She nodded eagerly and he groaned inwardly to himself. WHAT was he getting himself into?
"And um…there's lots of buildings. With lights."
"Oh, the lights of Broadway," she said dreamily. "I dream of going there."
"Well why don't you?"
"I don't have that kind of money! Of course I'd love to perform there one day but I can't afford to fly there. After I perform around the world, I plan to write a novel of all of my adventures!"
"What sort of adventures," he said curiously. She merely shrugged.
"I have yet to have them. But they shall be perfectly thrilling." Peter smiled again.
"You remind me so much of someone."
"Really? Who?"
"Wendy," he said without thinking. She frowned, looking a little confused and Peter quickly realized what he had said.
"Uh, that is, all of the stuff I have read about her, you know? You just…act just like her. From what I read, I mean." Gwen blushed and smiled.
"That's a huge compliment. I do so admire Wendy Darling Pan-Ferrison." Peter actually did choke on his drink this time; he clapped his chest several times and focused his eyes on Gwen's.
"I'm sorry…what was her full name?"
"Wendy Darling Pan-Ferrison," she repeated. "It's such a lovely, tragic story. She wanted to keep her last name when she married but she started to call herself Wendy Pan, supposedly as a tribute to her first love. When she married John Ferrison, she refused to drop the name Pan. So she hyphenated it and was called Pan-Ferrison." Peter's heart had started to race.
"Who…who was her first love?"
"Well it's a mystery. No one knows the name of her first love, as she refused to tell anyone. Not even her own daughter. I always like to fantasize that it was Peter Pan," she missed his gasp as she continued. "It's silly but I think it's quite romantic. I do love a good tragic love story. Like Romeo and Juliet."
"Who?"
"William Shakespeare? Do not tell me you've never heard of Romeo and Juliet," seeing his blank stare she let out a cry of exasperation and shook her head, "only the most famous love story in the world! They were enemies but fell in love. Their families were in the middle of a feud and they died for love."
"That's terrible," he said quietly.
"Yes, but so romantic!"
"What's romantic about death?" Her wide eyes found his and they seemed to be gazing into his soul.
"If you don't die for love, what do you die for?" Peter grew uncomfortable and he squirmed in his seat.
"So you think Peter Pan was her first love?" She nodded, picking up her glass and sipping through her straw.
"She was the one who gave Barrie the idea for the Peter Pan stories. She would sit and tell her brothers the stories for hours and they were all about him. He's real, I just know it." Peter swallowed and shifted again.
"But…he's just a fictional character…I thought." For some reason, Gwen looked a little uncomfortable.
"You can make fun of me too, you wouldn't be the first."
"Why would I make fun of you," he asked, shocked.
"Because I believe. My mum and dad call me childish and say I have to grow up. But I'll always believe in him." Peter's heart swelled and he leaned in close.
"Perhaps one day he'll fly through your window and whisk you off to Neverland," he whispered. She shivered and it had nothing to do with the cold.
"I dream of that every night." Her words went straight to Peter's heart. It had to be Wendy come back to him. There could be no other explanation. Getting excited, he reached over and took her hand.
"Wendy," he said quietly.
She jerked her hand back and stared at him.
"It's Gwen, remember?"
"Yeah but…you're her. You've got to be!" Her brow furrowed and she started to look a little alarmed. Peter leaned forward.
"Come on, you don't recognize me? Not even a little?"
"What in bloody hell are you on about, Peter? I think you're letting fiction and fantasy get into your life a bit too much."
"No," he groaned in frustration. "You just can't remember! Think! Remember me." She suddenly stood and he blinked in shock.
"You're mad," she said softly. "And I should be going."
"Wait! Gwen, wait!" She had hurried out of the restaurant and Peter slammed the table in disappointment.
"What did I expect? For her to just jump into my arms," he said into his hands. He hurried out of the restaurant, intent on following her and apologizing but he didn't see her anywhere. He saw a flash of light and turned away from Tink.
"Now now, Tink."
But what happened?
"I don't want to talk about it, alright?" He turned his face upward towards the stars and let out a deep sigh.
"I give up. I'm going home." He leaped into the air and his path was blocked by Tink.
Peter, you can't give up! You set out to find Wendy and remind her of who she was. So that's what you need to do.
"I can't Tink" he yelled, tears welling in his eyes. "I'm done. It didn't work. Even if I did find her, she won't believe me. It's time to forget about her." Tink's eyes widened as Peter reached into his leaves and pulled out the potion the fairies had given him.
Peter, no! Don't do this!
"I can't do this, Tink," he turned to her with tears streaming down his cheeks. "Every moment I'm awake, I think of her. And every moment I'm asleep, I dream of her! Dream of what could have been. I should have found a way to keep her in Neverland with me, so she wouldn't die. She could have stayed and lived with me forever!"
She wanted to grow up. She wanted a family. She wanted love. And you couldn't give those things to her.
"I could have!" he screamed back, squeezing his eyes shut. He hovered in the air and hung his head. "I could have given her all of that! I just didn't know how!"
What do you feel, Peter? Anger? Sadness? Jealousy?
Peter winced as Tink repeated Wendy's words from long ago. He knew what was coming and he braced himself for the next word.
Love?
Peter took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Yes. I love her Tink. I loved her then and I love her now." He let out a pained cry and clutched his stomach. Tink flew closer to him, her eyes widening in horror. Peter felt his spine curl and his entire body shaking with pain.
Peter, what's wrong?!
"It hurts Tink! What's happening to me?" He bit his lip to keep from crying out as he held his stomach with both hands. Overwhelmed by the pain, he dropped from the air and Tink screamed as she watched him fall, helpless, to the ground.
