Chapter 3: There are Worse Things in Life
After Wendy had gotten out of the shower, she quickly dried herself and ran to her room in her bathrobe. She had spent an awfully long time in the shower. She knew she must of, because the water had started to freeze her tiny body. Usually the hot water shut itself off around 10.00 am, so that it could rejuvenate itself for the night.
The last thing Wendy remembered doing before hopping into the shower, was listening to her mother telling her not to dawdle. That was at about 9.15 am (as she remembered passing the grandfather clock in the hallway, and taking a quick glance at it.)
She was in for it now. Her first day of being a grown up was already going completely wrong. She didn't want to disappoint her parents once again. She hoped that maybe if she could show them this morning, that she could still be responsible without having to go to Aunt Millicent's, then maybe they would change their minds about the whole situation. But that was a ridiculous thought. A few short hours of being responsible would not make up for last night. She was sure of it. Even if it was possible, she had already ruined any chance she could of had.
By now she should have been dressed, had her hair brushed back neatly, had breakfast, brushed her teeth and even possibly be getting into her fathers car. All ready to be whisked away.
Wendy still couldn't believe that she had spent forty-five minutes in the shower. Oh what will mother and father think when they receive the water bill? Thought Wendy, wincing at the thought of what punishment she might receive. However she recovered after remembering that she would be at Aunt Millicent's when they opened the enormous bill. So they couldn't do anything too drastic. Besides even if they did, Wendy was immune to fear and punishment now. She had been, for a long time. Leaving Peter had been her largest fear and punishment of all time. So no matter how dreadful things got, they would never come close to that nightmare, which was in fact her reality.
Wendy sighed, "Oh well, I had better get moving."
She noticed her best outfit lying innocently on the end of her bed. Yet Wendy knew that once she put it on, it would lock her in and make her feel like a complete fool. She would be a child in the disguise of an adult.
"Here goes nothing." Wendy said miserably, as he slipped on the pretty lavender dress, which floated just above her knees. The collar was a lighter shade of lavender as were the rims of her tiny sleeves. She pulled on her pure white stockings all the way past her knees, so that the top of them sat around her petite waist. (Her Aunt had made a note, that it was improper for a woman, to bare skin below the neck. With the exception of the arms.) So no more knee-high stockings. They were so much more comfortable though. Thought an annoyed Wendy.
Next Wendy slid on her cute little black buckle-up shoes. Wendy then stood in front of her mirror and brushed her brownish/blonde hair back into piggy-tails. The girl on the other side of the mirror seemed to have a look of sympathy on her face.
Impossible. Thought Wendy. It's just my reflection.
However, Wendy said to the mirror, "Now don't you follow me to Aunt Millicent's. I'm to grow up now. I don't need any distractions."
Wendy felt like she was going absolutely mad, but then thought that it would go away soon enough. Wendy then scurried downstairs for breakfast. She was starving. She started to walk as she reached the bottom of the stairs however because she was afraid that her father would yell at her and give her a lecture on how to walk like a lady. When she arrived in the kitchen she saw John, Michael and The Lost Boys sitting at the breakfast table eating happily, but as soon as they spotted Wendy entering the room they scowled at her. It was apparent that Michael had already informed them in on his and Wendy's quarrel. Oh well, I won't see them for another few months. She thought both relieved and sad at the same time.
Wendy saw her mother cooking breakfast at the stove. So she wandered over and smelt the delicious meal, "Mmm." She murmured with her eyes closed. "It smells delicious. Is it almost ready?" asked Wendy (looking at her mother, who was facing sideways cooking) with a smile on her face for the first time that morning. However it disappeared as soon as her mother said, "Yes it is. But it's not for you Wendy. It's for your father. Besides, I think you should skip breakfast this morning. You need to thin out a bit!" eyeing Wendy's stomach out of the corner of her eye, which was in fact as slim as humanly possible, without having an eating disorder.
Wendy couldn't believe what she had just heard. And to make matters worse, the boys had heard and had started to laugh cruelly at her to one another; eyeing Wendy and making themselves look huge by sticking their hands out in front of their stomachs. Then they blew their faces up by sucking in an enormous amount of air.
Wendy turned away and glared at her mother for making a fool out of her yet again. First with the bizarre clothing and now with breakfast.
"Mother I am starving. I do not need to thin out a bit." She said quoting her mother's last words, as she looked at her mother who was still flipping the bacon.
"Even if I did. I would still eat anyway. I know I'm not sounding completely modest, but it's the truth. So am I still allowed breakfast or not?" asked Wendy crossing her arms, and almost losing her temper for the trillionth time that morning.
Mrs Darling had just finished putting the bacon and eggs onto a plate for Mr Darling and turned off the stove. She turned around to face Wendy, with a hand holding a spatular, sitting firmly on her right hip.
"Of course you're still allowed breakfast Wendy." Said her mother sweetly, and Wendy's eyes lit up joyfully.
"If you can cook it yourself." Mrs Darling said less pleasantly, as she headed outside with the breakfast, to where Mr Darling was reading the morning paper.
"What do you mean mother? You're not serious are you?" asked Wendy who looked at her mother outside. She was waiting for her mother to come back in, hug her and say, "Of course I'm joking silly. I wouldn't do that to you."
But the only response Wendy received from her mother was, "I am very serious Wendy. You'll need to know these things for when you go to Aunt Millicent's. She is expecting that you will know how to cook for her. Breakfast mainly. I left the utensils in the sink. Just wash them up."
Wendy's eyes, full of sorrow fell on the boys who seemed to be enjoying this little show. Wendy? Cook breakfast? Impossible? She could almost hear their thoughts.
Wendy turned around once again to face the stove. She felt completely lost. She didn't know the first thing about cooking. Maybe this was her mother's method of letting Wendy eat breakfast if she could prepare it herself, but knowing she wouldn't succeed. Therefore, Wendy would "thin out a bit" as Wendy thought of her mother's hurtful words once again.
Well I'll show them. She thought to herself. So Wendy spun around and walked confidently over to the sink. There she washed and dried the utensils. She then took them over to the bench beside the stove. She grabbed three pieces of bacon and placed them on the chopping board. Next she plucked two eggs out of the egg basket, which was hanging above her head and placed them on the bench carefully so that they didn't roll.
For the next few minutes, Wendy stood at the stove and was debating in her mind whether to turn the stove up high or low. Even if she did decide, she didn't know how to actually control the stove. Oh! Wendy thought. She was by now frustrated and angry. Why did mother make me cook breakfast? I could seriously burn myself or cut my finger off. She could've at least been here to guide me through it. She can't be serious when she says that I need to know how to cook for Aunt Millicent. I've never cooked before in my life. A few minutes of "trying" to cook breakfast is not going to make me a professional. Oh, I sound so pathetic and stuck-up. Thought Wendy with a disgusted expression on her pretty face. I'm sure that I can figure out how to cook a simple breakfast. If I could survive Neverland with it's evil pirates and man-eating crocodiles, then cooking breakfast should seem like a piece of cake. She thought more confidently.
When she finally figured out the controls on the stove, Wendy turned the temperature up to the highest heat it could reach, and poured some oil into the frying pan. She then waited for it to sizzle. Every now and then she would glance out of the corner of her left eye and she would see the boys watching eagerly. It was almost as if they wanted her to succeed. When Wendy thought that the pan was hot enough, she chucked the first piece of bacon onto the frying pan with the tips of her fingers. The oil sizzled violently and spat hot oil at her.
"Ouch!" Wendy cried every time a little drop of hot oil hit a patch of her skin.
She backed away and watched as the bacon quickly cooked and started to burn.
The boys were laughing nervously. It was as if they thought that it was a funny sight to see Wendy get hurt and yet they felt bad about it.
Wendy was sucking on her pinkie, which had got burnt. Mrs Darling had come in by this stage, as she had heard Wendy's cries.
"Oh, Wendy. Can't you do anything right?" Mrs Darling exclaimed as she hurried over to turn off the overheating stove, without even looking in Wendy's direction.
After Mrs Darling had solved the problem, she spun around to say something to Wendy, but instead pointed at Wendy's clothing and held her hand to her mouth.
"What's wrong mother?" asked Wendy, who was confused by her mother's strange behaviour.
"Your outfit. It's ruined." Cried Mrs Darling.
Wendy looked down at her dress. Oh great! Thought Wendy. Perfect. Now I've got oil spots all over my dress. However she put on a calm voice and said, "Mother it's all right. I'll just go upstairs and change."
"No Wendy. You're to leave now. Aunt Millicent is expecting you in less then ten minutes, and you know how far away she lives from us now. Just put your overcoat on. It'll have to do." Sighed Mrs Darling disappointedly as she leaned miserably against the stove with her left hand. Her right hand was held up to her forehead, as if she was coming down with a headache.
Wendy however didn't pay much attention to this because she saw a glint of someone's reflection on the window in the kitchen. No it couldn't be. Thought Wendy pushing aside the ridiculous assumption, that it could have been... Oh, I better answer mother.
"Very well." Said Wendy who was glad at the fact that she didn't have to change again.
This was more her style anyway. Nice and dirty. Ready to have an adventure in the forests of... She let that thought slip. She couldn't bear to think of... Well you know what.
So Wendy trudged all the way back upstairs and gathered up her belongings. She was still starving from having no breakfast. Her mother had won. Maybe I can lose all that weight that I've put on lately. Thought Wendy sarcastically.
"Oh I don't want to see a frying pan ever again." Thought Wendy who was very annoyed and frustrated once again.
Outside her window a very sad boy started to cry. She never wanted to see him again. He had heard it with his own ears. "She never wanted to see a "Flying Pan" ever again." Fine, if that was the way she wanted it, then there was no point in hanging around.
Wendy bent down and searched her suitcase on the bed. Something's missing. Thought Wendy, as she stood up straight, putting her pointer finger to her red lips thinking, What could it be? Well it can't be anything too important if... Oh no! My kiss! Where's my kiss? Wendy thought frantically as she searched her room. She suddenly came to a halt when she remembered where she left it last. So she ran out of her room down the hallway and into the bathroom. Once there she turned over every towel and washer in sight. It was nowhere to be found. Then a horrible memory came back to haunt her. She had been arguing with her reflection and then she had ripped off the kiss and thrown it. Her pretty face suddenly turned towards the open window.
"Oh no!" cried Wendy, with tears appearing in her bright blue eyes.
"What have I done?" she said as she stuck her head out of the window, to see if she could find the missing kiss.
All of a sudden, she lost her grip on the window sill and hadslipped through the window and was falling all the way down to her death.
Well I hope you enjoy this chapter. I put a lot of work into it. So I hope it shows. I have a lot more chapters coming up. So keep reading and reviewing. And I'll keep trying to give you all my best. So until next time. Enjoy!
Candy depp sumpter!