When Pan Grew Up

Please Read: My dearest readers, I am aware of you distress and dislike of the past arc "A Different Side of Pan". Please do not stress over the matter or stop reading this fic. I would like to point out that this fic is meant to be a modern take on Peter Pan, and is rated "T" due to certain themes (gay relations, underage drinking, strong language, etc...). I have tried tirelessly to keep the realism and the aspect of fantasy in perspective. This past arc is a large element that will play a major part in the next and future arcs. Please also note that the Peter/Paul theme will not be a regular occurrence and that the next arc is in fact called "Back to Pansics". If you have any more concerns, please PM me. In conclusion, I apologize for your discomfort.
And now, for the chapter.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters created by Walt Disney
CLAIMER: I do own any self-made characters and self-made plot lines

It's been a couple of days since that rather awkward night at Jasper's and I am still refusing to talk to Peter. Unfortunately, tomorrow is the school's Valentines Day dance. Oh joy.

"I'm home!" Peter hollers as he comes inside from the side door. I can hear him from the kitchen as he slips off his shoes and comes up the stairs, towards the kitchen? What?

"What is it?" I ask, not looking at him and busying myself with my laptop.

"We need to talk." He says solemnly.

"So talk."

"We have to get along. Our friend's hate this conflict."

"No shit Sherlock." I scoff.

"What's up with this conflict anyways?"

"Let's see...you embarrassed me, violated me, did things that will reflect badly on my family...shall I go on?"

"What do you mean by 'things that will reflect badly'?"

"You always look smashed and baked, you always do stupid things in public," I state as I continue typing something on my laptop.

"Yeah, like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe being all coupley with Paul on Catholic school grounds? Do you even understand how dumb that is? Even if it was you with a girl, you'd still get in trouble."

"Point taken...and I've never been baked, and last time I was smashed was the night of the incident." He says, meaning the night this all started.

"Then why are your eyes always glazed and you're half asleep?"

"Lack of sleep."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Peter Palek."

"Listen," he sighs, "it's a long story, and you probably won't believe me, but trust me, it isn't drugs or anything illegal."

"How can I trust you?"

"You just can." He says before leaving the kitchen. I roll my eyes and continue the night on my laptop.

...

"Oh come on, smile a bit." Gwyn coaxes me as she and Penelope drag me down the hall, much as they did for the Christmas dance. I roll my eyes and scowl.

"I don't want to. We all know this is just going to be another shitty dance."

"Don't be so negative." Penelope tutts. I roll my eyes again. "Things might be different this time." Penelope says, and for a moment I almost think I hear something devious in her voice. Once we're in the gym I head for my usual spot by the wall with Elena and Maria, except this time they're standing by the equipment closet and talking to Stefan and Derek. Jasper and Paul are no where in site as Penelope and Gwyn walk with me other to the unusual group.

"Oh hey there, Faith." Stefan smiles suspiciously.

"Um...hi?" I reply wearily.

"So, there's like, this disco ball in the closet, but, like, we're too vertically challenged to get it...mind getting it for us?" Maria asks me. I cock a brow and say sure. And as cliché as it is, as soon as I'm in the closet, the door slams behind me and I hear the locks slide into place.

"Aw hell. Why?" I groan as I begin pounding on the door. "Let me out you idiots." I command. Then I'm startled to hear a voice behind me.

"Don't bother, I pounded on the door for an hour and they didn't let me out." The voice says.

"Uhm...who is this?" I ask, since the closet is dark and the light switch in on the other side of the door.

"It's Peter, who's this?" Peter asks. I groan and lightly hit my head against the door. "Never mind, Faith." He says, guessing who it is by the reaction. "Faith, why do you hate me so much?"

"You know damn well, Palek."

"No, not really! Doing what I did isn't a major reason to hate me! And you know what? I have gone through my shit too, but you don't see me being a bitch about it and cutting my fucking wrists." He yells at me harshly, and I thank god that the music in the gym is pumping too loudly for anyone to hear unless they're eavesdropping, which my friends probably are.

"Yeah, like what?" I yell back, my eyes clouded by a film of tears.

"I fucking gave up my entire lifestyle for you, you ungrateful girl! I left behind Neverland! I fucking moved to the real world! And now I can't fly! I can't do anything I used to be able to do, and all you idiots call me Peter Palek! . ! Get it through your thick skulls." He shrieks. I scoff in disgust.

"You're totally baked, aren't you? Christ, and here I thought you would have the decency to be telling me the truth last night." I say as I hear the lock of the door slide out of place. "I hate you, Peter Palek, and don't you ever forget that." Then the door opens and I see the worried faces of all my friends. I push through them and let myself get absorbed by the mass crowd of students who are all dancing like they're in a club, despite the teachers watching from the sidelines. Who needs Peter? I know I don't.

...

After the dance I end up signing myself out at the office and walking to the nearest convenience store (I made up some story about being sick, knowing that the school trusts me enough to get home alone). I pay some guy on the corner to go inside and get me one of those amazingly smelling lifesavers drinks and he does just that. I hide the drink in my book bag and walk to the old park near my house, even though it's about an hours walk away. When I get there, the park is empty, as expected, and I walk over to the weathered swings. I take a seat on the higher one, crack open the can of the lifesavers drink, and turn my phone on. I have 30 text messages and 4 missed calls. I check them and they're all from my friends. I don't reply to any of them and shove my phone back in my pocket as I being to slowly sip the drink and lightly swing back and forth on the old playground equipment.

I don't leave the park till it's dark, and even then, I take the long way home, stopping at a convenience store to buy a bottle of water, to sober up a bit. I eventually get home and sit on the bench on the front porch, studying my scars. Some would say that they're ugly imperfections, others would say they were signs of my weakness. I think they're signs of my suffering.

"There you are." Granny says as she comes out to make sure the porch light it working. "Peter said you were at a friends house and that you'd walk home. Come inside." Granny says with a smile. So the ass covered for me. I come inside anyway and go right to the kitchen to do my homework and mess around on my laptop. When I get there though, there's a sticky note on my laptop with a neatly written note on it.

Meet me at the park

I think about it for awhile, and eventually take the note off my laptop, grab my jacket, and sneak out.

Once I reach the park from before, I can barely see and am glad that I have a flashlight app on my phone. I carefully navigate through the park and towards the playground, where I think is the most likely place to meet someone. Now, you must be thinking 'is she fucking nuts?!' and well, at this point, what do I have to lose, right?

"Hello?" I call out as I shine my flashlight around the playground. I eventually stop at the swings as I see someone there.

"Hey." The person calls as they look up. It's Peter.

WOO! Cliffhanger ;3 now, normally I'd write and publish pt. 2 right after this, but, I've got things to do and places to be. So, there it is! And by the by, I never changed the plot, these arcs are all pre planned. Anyway, there you go. Review and keep reading!

-JAMZD