CHAPTER 10: PETER'S POISON
Wendy had told the boys their bedtime story, about Sleeping Beauty. They marveled at the tale, knowing that they had never heard it before. She had kissed her sons' entire goodnight and immediately each Lost Boy drifted asleep. When she was finished, Wendy noticed Peter sitting near the fire with his eyes covered by his right hand. She walked over to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Something the matter?" she asked, closing her eyes.
"I-I wish I could tell you." Peter sniffed, his hand still covering his eyes. Wendy sat up, gazing at him through his hand.
"Then do tell!" she insisted.
Peter flopped his hand down to his side, sniffling. Wendy's eyes turned sad, seeing Peter's eyes watery, and his face red. Peter had been crying.
"O Wendy, if only I could remember!" Peter cried as Wendy held out her arms for him, sadly. He collapsed on her, his tears dropping on her white dress shoulder. Wendy held him close, wanting to cry herself seeing Peter cry for the first time.
"Remember what?" she asked comfortingly. Peter cried on her shoulder, calming down.
"Remember mother, father, Wendy." He murmured sadly.
"Wendy? The first Wendy?" Wendy asked, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek. She could feel Peter nod.
"Wendy Darling. And John, and Michael. They came to Neverland with me."
"Did you...love Wendy?" Wendy asked nervously.
Peter sat up and stared at Wendy expressionless. "I don't know the word love." He said with hatred piercing the lips.
"I daresay you have." Wendy tried to ignore the sternness in Peter's snap. "Maybe you have felt it for this Wendy. But I-"
"You've never met her!" Peter sobbed. "I DON'T love her! I will never love her! Besides, she has grown up!"
"How old is she?" Wendy asked, placing her hand on Peter's cold shoulder.
"Fourteen. She wanted to grow up." Peter changed the subject, tear streaks staining his cheeks. "Mother forgot about me."
"She what?" Wendy asked, aghast.
"One night, I flew to my window and found it barred. She barred the window for me, Wendy! It's like poison! Being forgotten. And replaced!" Peter yelled. Wendy calmed him down by stroking his hair softly.
"Replaced?"
"In her arms, there was a baby in my place. My father was looking at it the same way as my mother! They placed the baby in my bed! They forgot about me!" Wendy lay in Peter's lap, her head placed on his shoulder. This time, she closed her eyes tenderly, falling asleep. "That could have been me, Wendy." Peter whispered in her ear. "That could have been me."
It was early in the morning, and Wendy was awoken by Curly. Curly was gaping at Wendy, shocked about her sleeping with Peter. She could feel the warm breath of the boy on her face.
She practically jumped out of Peter's arms with shock herself. "Curly!" she cried. She immediately looked at Peter, who had his arms around her. Wendy jumped up and advanced toward the boy. "This isn't what you think it is."
Curly nodded. "Okay." All of the boys believed in Wendy, so they thought what she thought. "I'm only getting a glass of water." He chuckled as he walked over to the dripping twig and filled a cup-shaped flower with water.
Wendy was already awake, so she looked at the clock. It was eight thirty in the morning, and the boys were all asleep. That is, all except Curly. She quickly stroked Peter awake.
"Peter," she asked her head over Peter's face. He sat up quickly, knocking heads with Wendy. They both clenched their teeth and moaned, automatically putting their hands to their foreheads at the same time. Eventually, they got back to the normal feeling. "How do you wake up the Lost Boys normally?"
Peter smiled. "I could show you this morning, so you will know tomorrow."
Wendy nodded, smiling at the handsome boy. "Teach me."
Peter smiled his daring smile back at Wendy and put his hands around his mouth, and yelled quite loudly, "LOST BOYS! TIME TO GET UP!" Wendy jumped at the yell with surprise and noticed groans and moans from the bunk beds. "I MEAN NOW!" Quickly, the boys stood in a straight line infront of Peter and Wendy, wide-eyed and at attention. "Breakfast shall be...." Peter paced like a commander in the military. He looked at Wendy for help, as if asking what he should say.
Wendy had told the boys their bedtime story, about Sleeping Beauty. They marveled at the tale, knowing that they had never heard it before. She had kissed her sons' entire goodnight and immediately each Lost Boy drifted asleep. When she was finished, Wendy noticed Peter sitting near the fire with his eyes covered by his right hand. She walked over to him and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Something the matter?" she asked, closing her eyes.
"I-I wish I could tell you." Peter sniffed, his hand still covering his eyes. Wendy sat up, gazing at him through his hand.
"Then do tell!" she insisted.
Peter flopped his hand down to his side, sniffling. Wendy's eyes turned sad, seeing Peter's eyes watery, and his face red. Peter had been crying.
"O Wendy, if only I could remember!" Peter cried as Wendy held out her arms for him, sadly. He collapsed on her, his tears dropping on her white dress shoulder. Wendy held him close, wanting to cry herself seeing Peter cry for the first time.
"Remember what?" she asked comfortingly. Peter cried on her shoulder, calming down.
"Remember mother, father, Wendy." He murmured sadly.
"Wendy? The first Wendy?" Wendy asked, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek. She could feel Peter nod.
"Wendy Darling. And John, and Michael. They came to Neverland with me."
"Did you...love Wendy?" Wendy asked nervously.
Peter sat up and stared at Wendy expressionless. "I don't know the word love." He said with hatred piercing the lips.
"I daresay you have." Wendy tried to ignore the sternness in Peter's snap. "Maybe you have felt it for this Wendy. But I-"
"You've never met her!" Peter sobbed. "I DON'T love her! I will never love her! Besides, she has grown up!"
"How old is she?" Wendy asked, placing her hand on Peter's cold shoulder.
"Fourteen. She wanted to grow up." Peter changed the subject, tear streaks staining his cheeks. "Mother forgot about me."
"She what?" Wendy asked, aghast.
"One night, I flew to my window and found it barred. She barred the window for me, Wendy! It's like poison! Being forgotten. And replaced!" Peter yelled. Wendy calmed him down by stroking his hair softly.
"Replaced?"
"In her arms, there was a baby in my place. My father was looking at it the same way as my mother! They placed the baby in my bed! They forgot about me!" Wendy lay in Peter's lap, her head placed on his shoulder. This time, she closed her eyes tenderly, falling asleep. "That could have been me, Wendy." Peter whispered in her ear. "That could have been me."
It was early in the morning, and Wendy was awoken by Curly. Curly was gaping at Wendy, shocked about her sleeping with Peter. She could feel the warm breath of the boy on her face.
She practically jumped out of Peter's arms with shock herself. "Curly!" she cried. She immediately looked at Peter, who had his arms around her. Wendy jumped up and advanced toward the boy. "This isn't what you think it is."
Curly nodded. "Okay." All of the boys believed in Wendy, so they thought what she thought. "I'm only getting a glass of water." He chuckled as he walked over to the dripping twig and filled a cup-shaped flower with water.
Wendy was already awake, so she looked at the clock. It was eight thirty in the morning, and the boys were all asleep. That is, all except Curly. She quickly stroked Peter awake.
"Peter," she asked her head over Peter's face. He sat up quickly, knocking heads with Wendy. They both clenched their teeth and moaned, automatically putting their hands to their foreheads at the same time. Eventually, they got back to the normal feeling. "How do you wake up the Lost Boys normally?"
Peter smiled. "I could show you this morning, so you will know tomorrow."
Wendy nodded, smiling at the handsome boy. "Teach me."
Peter smiled his daring smile back at Wendy and put his hands around his mouth, and yelled quite loudly, "LOST BOYS! TIME TO GET UP!" Wendy jumped at the yell with surprise and noticed groans and moans from the bunk beds. "I MEAN NOW!" Quickly, the boys stood in a straight line infront of Peter and Wendy, wide-eyed and at attention. "Breakfast shall be...." Peter paced like a commander in the military. He looked at Wendy for help, as if asking what he should say.