Chapter 8—I Can't Fly

Everyone sat around the small table, which was laden down with coffee cups and plates of little cookies. Their schoolbags littered the ground, making it hard to move their feet, let alone the rest of their bodies. Wendy couldn't even hear a slight tinkling of Tinkerbell above the clattering dishes. Everyone spoke loudly, asking Peter about Missouri and about when he might come back again.

"I'm not sure," he said softly, shooting a look that no on caught in Wendy's direction. "It depends when Wendy invites me back."

Katherine cooed about how Peter must return soon, tossing her hair over her shoulder and filling the area with the sweet smell of Pantene Pro V. Peter smiled, blushing slightly.

"Yes, I think I must," he said. "I will have to visit everyone here. Except maybe that Donovan boy. He doesn't seem to like me much."

Abby, Gale, Isabella and Katherine laughed. "Don is like that sometimes," said Isabella, still giggling. "He's not to friendly. We've known him for years though."

"He'll grow on you the more you talk with him," Katherine assured Peter, her eyes twinkling.

There came a feeling in Wendy's stomach as she watched Katherine talk with Peter. Every time she flipped her full, black-brown hair over her shoulder Wendy wanted to scream.

But wait, thought Wendy to herself furiously, Katherine is my best friend.

And yes, it was true. While Katherine was her best friend, Wendy wanted very dearly for her to stop flirting with Peter.

But why? Everyone thought Peter was her cousin. If that wasn't wrong, Wendy didn't know what was. It was practically incest. Still, she couldn't stop the feeling. Peter had liked her better that Princess Tiger Lily! No other boy in the world would. Except Peter wasn't of this world. He was an extraordinary boy.

Yes, extraordinary. Wendy couldn't believe it. Was she falling for Peter Pan? A boy of her own imagination? Last week he wasn't even real, but with a few words he was as apparent as anything.

She sipped at her fancy soda and stared ahead. Peter struggled to open his bottle of water. He smashed it on the side of the table, denting it badly.

Abby and Gale giggled.

"Here," offered Katherine, "I'll open it up for you."

Peter handed the bottle over. Katherine twisted it open.

"Wow, what a negotiator!" exclaimed Peter stupidly. "She got the thing to release the water! Amazing!"

Wendy rolled her eyes. Katherine blushed.

"What are your friends like in Missouri, Peter?" asked Isabella, twirling a strand of hair around her finger tightly so that the tip turned purple.

"Where I come from I have a group of friends like Wendy's," he was saying. "There's Nibs and Tootles. Oh, and Curly, Slightly and the twins."

Abby and Gale giggled again.

"Twins, huh?" said one of them.

"How convenient," said the other.

They laughed again.

Wendy stared gloomily out the window. Was it just her or was everyone flirting with Peter. She couldn't take it. She invented Peter, so she should be allowed to decide who likes him or not. She should be able to decide when he goes home and how he gets there.

"It's getting late," she said and without warning she stood and dragged Peter from the table jostling it slightly and sloshing his bottle of water all over his shirt. No one followed.

The reached the street and Peter met her eye. He looked sad. "Wendy! There's water all over my shirt!" he said first. "Is it really time to go home?" he said second.

Wendy nodded. "Yes," she whispered, "you must go home now."

"What about them?" asked Peter, his eyes wandered to the window where the girls sat, seemingly oblivious to them standing on the sidewalk.

"Forget about them," said Wendy ferociously.

"You mean, I can't bring them with me?" asked Peter, slightly put out. "Or you?"

This made Wendy's heart sink. She shook her head.

"No," snapped Wendy angrily. "You can't. You must go home. Now, please go back to Neverland!"

Peter tried to rise from the ground but got but two feet and dropped. He tried again, attempting to reach the heavens, but failed. Wendy turned away impatiently. "Peter, this is not time for jokes," she told him, glaring.

Peter's face looked scared. "I'm not joking Wendy! I can't rise!" his chin wobbled, his eyes growing moist. "I can't think anything happy."

Wendy bit her tongue hard, making her eyes water. "Think of that damn Tiger Lily person."

Tinkerbell appeared from Peter's pocket and circled. She sprinkled her dust onto Peter's head and tugged at his elbow, dragging it upwards. Once again Peter rose a few feet before dropping again. "I can't Tink," he said, defeated.

Wendy turned to leave.

"Wendy!" Peter called after her, rising quite high in the process. When she saw him she was taken aback, he floated in mid-air towards her, as if the air was made of marshmallow.

"What were you thinking about?" asked Wendy, glaring, anticipating the worst.

Peter floated on his stomach, finding his cocky confidence once again. "You," he said with a smile.

Wendy bit her lip.

"Besides," said Peter, floating over. "How can I leave? You haven't told me the ending of your story."

Wendy remembered the story faintly. "That's because it will never end."

"Like Neverland?" asked Peter with awe, his feet sinking to the pavement.

Wendy shrugged. Like Neverland, like Peter. End would never arrive. Ever. It was just the way things had to be.

"Then what about The Kiss?" he breathed next.

Wendy felt a tingle at the corner of her mouth. Her face was just inches from Peter's face. She leaned forward and kissed him softly. "It's gone," she said when she pulled away.

A loud crash came from behind them. Katherine stood there, beside an overturned flowerpot. "Oh," she said haughtily. "I see how things are done in Missouri."

The she turned down the street and walked away quickly. No one followed.

End Chapter

Yes, that was the chapter! Peter couldn't go without Wendy! How sweet!

What is Katherine thinking? What would you think if you saw your best friend kissing some guy you thought was her cousin? Exactly, ew!

Shoutouts:

Tamera Rane—I know what you mean. I hate people with bad grammar, especially when they don't even bother with paragraphs. (shiver)

Lizzie Presscott—oh. OK then (is sad). But I won't kill you. that would send me to jail. Jail is NOT GOOD!!!

LilyRosesBiggestFan—well thank you for those kind words. I am updating right now, so, as you can see, I did update soon-ish. No, well, not really. I did take a while. Sorry.