Erin heard Winston walking back to the door set into Hangman's Tree.
"Well, see you around." he muttered.
"Winston?" Erin suddenly turned around.
"Yeah?"
"Oh, never mind. Forget it." Erin felt her cheeks growing hot. Winston came up beside her and knelt on the wooded ground.
"Erin, don't worry. Everything will come out okay. We'll find Tiger Lilly and get out of this mess; it's always worked out before. But promise, don't go do anything stupid. Being fried by Indians is worse than having these guys claim you're not 'one of them,' believe me, I know." Winston smiled and turned to go inside, Erin followed right behind, even though she wondered how he would know.
"That's impossible!" "Not true, we could do it!" "Colin's right. How are we supposed to get on Hook's ship without him noticing? It's pretty far-fetched, if you ask me." "Well, no one did ask you, did they?"
Erin and Winston were greeted with a heated debate going on between the lost boys. "Hold on!" Winston yelled, "Would someone please tell us newcomers what the heck is going on?" The room quieted and Colin stood up. "Well, you see, ummm, we were just peacefully." Several snickers were heard at that. "Peacefully deciding how to find Tiger Lily." Colin glanced around the room, seeing if anyone else wanted to go on. When he realized nobody else was about to
volunteer, Colin continued. "We all agree that Hook kidnapped her. Jon thinks we can sneak onto the ship without anyone noticing us. But how are we supposed to do that, Winston?" "Well, getting on to the captain's ship, that could be challenging. But..." "Told you so!" "He never said we couldn't!" "You know Winston! For him, challenging means pretty darn unlikely!" Chimed in another voice. Very shortly, the boys were fighting again. Winston massaged his
head with his thumbs. Tucker, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, limped around the mob of screaming boys to join Erin, Winston and Colin, who were looking on. "If only Pan were still here," Tucker muttered, "he would have figured it out. And would've stopped all this arguing." By now, boys were hitting, biting, and wrestling each other. "Stop it!" Erin screamed at the top of her lungs. The boys froze. "What's the use of fighting among each other, when we only have 3 days before one of our
very good friends dies? Colin, Jack, Eric, you guys don't seem to like this sneaking onto the ship idea." The three boys nodded. "Do you have any better plans?" Suddenly, Jack and Eric boys were very intent on tidying up their hair while Colin looked away, scowling. Erin bit her lip to hide her smile. "We'll take that as a 'no'" proclaimed Winston. "But, I.I." stammered Charlie. "Spit it out, Charlie!" ordered Tucker. His annoyance flashed in his eyes. The 10 other boys seemed to shrink under his gaze, and Tucker stood up taller than anyone else, even with his wounded leg. Tucker searched the crowded room, seeming to challenge anyone to deny his authority. "Okay, here's what we'll do," Tucker began. "Hook is the only other person in Never-Never land besides us that could have taken her. So, obviously, he took her. But I really, really doubt we are going to be able to sneak on his ship without getting caught, so . . ." A thought suddenly popped into Erin's head. "Wait," she interrupted, "there are a lot of pirates working for hook aren't there?" Nick answered, "Well, yeah.but what does that have to do with anything?" Erin's eyes glowed with inspiration. "What if.what if we dressed up as pirates and snuck on the ship? He can't know all of the pirates. There are so many of them." "Oh my gosh, that is a good idea," Samuel replied, stunned. "I wonder why I didn't think of it in the first place." "Wait, wait, it gets better," Erin insisted. "You see, we won't all sneak on the ship. We'll pretend that we have captured some lost boys, and well take one or two on the ship. That way nothing will seem suspicious at all. Hook will actually praise us." All the boys nodded in agreement, except for Colin, who looked away stonily. Winston looked around happily. "Well then, let's get started! Jack, Todd- go try and get some pirate clothes or something. The rest of you, go help. We'll need about four or five full outfits." Everyone started to leave. "Wait, Erin, you stay with me." Erin looked at him. He was blushing again. All the other boys left. "Before you go anywhere," he said quickly, "we're gonna have to do something about that hair of yours."
"Well, see you around." he muttered.
"Winston?" Erin suddenly turned around.
"Yeah?"
"Oh, never mind. Forget it." Erin felt her cheeks growing hot. Winston came up beside her and knelt on the wooded ground.
"Erin, don't worry. Everything will come out okay. We'll find Tiger Lilly and get out of this mess; it's always worked out before. But promise, don't go do anything stupid. Being fried by Indians is worse than having these guys claim you're not 'one of them,' believe me, I know." Winston smiled and turned to go inside, Erin followed right behind, even though she wondered how he would know.
"That's impossible!" "Not true, we could do it!" "Colin's right. How are we supposed to get on Hook's ship without him noticing? It's pretty far-fetched, if you ask me." "Well, no one did ask you, did they?"
Erin and Winston were greeted with a heated debate going on between the lost boys. "Hold on!" Winston yelled, "Would someone please tell us newcomers what the heck is going on?" The room quieted and Colin stood up. "Well, you see, ummm, we were just peacefully." Several snickers were heard at that. "Peacefully deciding how to find Tiger Lily." Colin glanced around the room, seeing if anyone else wanted to go on. When he realized nobody else was about to
volunteer, Colin continued. "We all agree that Hook kidnapped her. Jon thinks we can sneak onto the ship without anyone noticing us. But how are we supposed to do that, Winston?" "Well, getting on to the captain's ship, that could be challenging. But..." "Told you so!" "He never said we couldn't!" "You know Winston! For him, challenging means pretty darn unlikely!" Chimed in another voice. Very shortly, the boys were fighting again. Winston massaged his
head with his thumbs. Tucker, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, limped around the mob of screaming boys to join Erin, Winston and Colin, who were looking on. "If only Pan were still here," Tucker muttered, "he would have figured it out. And would've stopped all this arguing." By now, boys were hitting, biting, and wrestling each other. "Stop it!" Erin screamed at the top of her lungs. The boys froze. "What's the use of fighting among each other, when we only have 3 days before one of our
very good friends dies? Colin, Jack, Eric, you guys don't seem to like this sneaking onto the ship idea." The three boys nodded. "Do you have any better plans?" Suddenly, Jack and Eric boys were very intent on tidying up their hair while Colin looked away, scowling. Erin bit her lip to hide her smile. "We'll take that as a 'no'" proclaimed Winston. "But, I.I." stammered Charlie. "Spit it out, Charlie!" ordered Tucker. His annoyance flashed in his eyes. The 10 other boys seemed to shrink under his gaze, and Tucker stood up taller than anyone else, even with his wounded leg. Tucker searched the crowded room, seeming to challenge anyone to deny his authority. "Okay, here's what we'll do," Tucker began. "Hook is the only other person in Never-Never land besides us that could have taken her. So, obviously, he took her. But I really, really doubt we are going to be able to sneak on his ship without getting caught, so . . ." A thought suddenly popped into Erin's head. "Wait," she interrupted, "there are a lot of pirates working for hook aren't there?" Nick answered, "Well, yeah.but what does that have to do with anything?" Erin's eyes glowed with inspiration. "What if.what if we dressed up as pirates and snuck on the ship? He can't know all of the pirates. There are so many of them." "Oh my gosh, that is a good idea," Samuel replied, stunned. "I wonder why I didn't think of it in the first place." "Wait, wait, it gets better," Erin insisted. "You see, we won't all sneak on the ship. We'll pretend that we have captured some lost boys, and well take one or two on the ship. That way nothing will seem suspicious at all. Hook will actually praise us." All the boys nodded in agreement, except for Colin, who looked away stonily. Winston looked around happily. "Well then, let's get started! Jack, Todd- go try and get some pirate clothes or something. The rest of you, go help. We'll need about four or five full outfits." Everyone started to leave. "Wait, Erin, you stay with me." Erin looked at him. He was blushing again. All the other boys left. "Before you go anywhere," he said quickly, "we're gonna have to do something about that hair of yours."