REPLY TO COMMENTS:

Romiette: Thank you so much! Oh, yeah, Triton's gonna find out pretty soon! But I'm not gonna spoil anything. Keep reading! Luv u!

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I met a boy today. He was nice. His name's Jim. I look forward to seeing his face again. And when I said goodbye to him before science, I got all fluttery.

Am I sick?

-Wendy

"Good morning, Wendy," said Mr. Darling as she went downstairs for breakfast.

Wendy looked at her dad. "Good morning."
"How did you sleep?"
Wendy rubbed her temples. Is he freaking kidding me? "I slept fine."
"Good, good." Mr. Darling raised the morning paper, signaling the end of the conversation.

John Darling, Wendy's younger brother came downstairs. "Good morning, Father," he said.

"Morning, John," Mr. Darling said, lowering the paper and daring Wendy to speak a word about last night to John.

Wendy bit her lip, fixed cereal for little Michael, grabbed her bag, and opened the front door.

"Wendy!" Mr. Darling called.

She turned.

"Have a nice day."
Wendy closed her eyes. Not likely! I have to come home to YOU! But she just forced a smile and said: "Thanks, Daddy. I will."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

At school, Wendy was on absolute autopilot, not knowing what else to do. She stormed the halls, went to her classes, attended that assembly with the white haired princess, and started to her next class.

Suddenly, she stopped. Blocking her way was that thug Gaston.

"Out of my way!" Wendy barked at him, not in the mood today for his I-think-I'm-so-cool games.

"I just wanna talk to you, Darling," Gaston said. "Hear that? Darling! Wendy Darling, would you be my darling? My sweetheart?"
Wendy felt her heart pounding. "You better move before I kick you where the sun doesn't shine, Gaston."
Her words were braver than she felt.

She felt like throwing up.

Gaston laughed, and now some other kids were laughing too. "Where would that be?" he asked softly.

Wendy narrowed her eyes. "I'm gonna hit you in the balls and it'll hurt, Gaston," she warned.

"I'd like to see you try, Spaghetti Arms!" Gaston snapped, and whacked her books out of her hands, scattering them on the stairwell, her papers fluttering like flower petals.

Blinded by furious tears, Wendy bent to the ground, her hair in her eyes, trying desperately to gather up her things, which Gaston kept kicking.

"Gaston."

Gaston and Wendy both looked up.

A boy stood there, with brown hair, dark blue eyes, tan skin, and a little sailor's ponytail in back. The overhead lights made a gold hoop earring in his left ear glint.

" 'Sup, Hawkins," Gaston said, walking forward to slap Jim on the shoulder.

The two were friends? Wendy immediately decided she hated Earring Boy too.

Jim flicked Gaston's huge hairy hand off, pissed. "What do you think you're doing?"
Gaston shrugged. "Harassing."
"Well, quit it," snapped Jim, throwing his bookbag to the ground to help Wendy gather up her papers and books.

"Leave me alone!" Wendy hissed, furious and humiliated.

Jim held up his hands in front of him to show he meant no harm. "Calm down. I'm just trying to help."
"Get lost!" Wendy snarled. "I don't need any help!"

Jim tossed her papers back at her. "Have it your way."
"You wanna hear what she cracked on me, Hawkins?" Gaston yelled. "She threatened to kick me where the sun doesn't shine."
"Awww, Gaston," said Jim mockingly. "Getting your ass kicked by a girl wouldn't help your reputation, would it?"
Flynn Rider, who was also Gaston's friend, chuckled as he lit a cigarette. "After all, a fake reputation is all a man has."
"Wendy, Jim luuuuuuuuuves you!" Gaston yelled at Wendy's rapidly retreating back.

Wendy whirled around, sparks in her eyes. "Grow up, Gaston!" she shouted. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"She wants you, man!" Gaston chuckled, grabbed an eraser out of Flynn's backpack and chucked it at Wendy, catching her in the back of the head.

Jim heard what sounded like a sob as she rushed out of the school building.

"God, Gaston," Jim said, shaking his head. "Why'd you have to do that?"
Gaston was doubled over laughing. "What, you don't like it, man? Sorry, didn't know you had a girlfriend."
"I don't," said Jim, irritated. "But you don't have to harass her like that." Without a word, Jim sprinted after Wendy towards the exit.

Gaston laughed, and glanced up the stairs. "Ohhhh, damn, Snow!" he gasped, staring at Snow White. She was dressed in a curve-hugging shirt and a miniskirt. Snow rolled her eyes and tried to ignore Gaston as he followed her out of the stairwell.

Flynn snorted. "He's gonna be a loner for the rest of his life."

"Hey!" Jim rushed past a couple of milling schoolkids as he saw Wendy marching up the walkway to the science labs.

"Hey, you okay?" Jim asked, concerned.

"Don't touch me!" Wendy spat. "You're such a jerk!"
Jim was shocked. "I'm a jerk?"

"You and Gaston and that other one."
Jim shook his head. "I was trying to help you! I told Gaston off!"
Wendy burst into tears. "He's such a horrible person! Always snapping my bra strap, tearing my clothes, kicking my stuff, and harassing me on the stairwell."
Jim sighed. "I'm sorry. I usually try to help the girls and guys he harasses."
"Well, aren't you a knight in shining armor." Wendy kept walking, her face stony.

"Why do you gotta get all pissed at me?" Jim demanded, insulted by her demeanor. No girl had ever really turned him away before.

"Why are you following me?" Wendy shot back.

"I was trying to make sure—"

"What?" Wendy mocked in a singsong voice. "Make sure I didn't get…run over by a bus? Eaten by a tiger? Kidnapped by a pyscho?"
Jim glared at her. "Right. It's my fault."
"Ohmygosh, yes!" Wendy exclaimed. "That's what I've been saying!"

"But I didn't do those mean things Gaston did!" Jim realized he was beginning to sound like a whiny toddler.

Wendy stopped and looked him in the eye. "Why don't you take a long walk off a short pier, hmm?"
Jim stared at her for a while. It was hard to believe this chick was for real. Then he turned away and began walking back to school. He waited.

"Wait a second!" Wendy called. "Wait, what's your name?"
"Jim." Jim grinned. No girl could ever resist asking.
"I'm Wendy."
Jim pretended not to hear. Just kept walking.

"Okay, okay, fine!" Wendy cried. She raced back, catching up to him. "Thanks."
"For what?" Jim asked, playing it cool.

"Ugh, you're so annoying!" Wendy rolled her eyes. "Thanks for saving me."
"Knight in shining armor, remember?" Jim smiled at her.

Wendy sighed. "I'm sorry for being rude. You were nice. Thanks."
Jim tilted his head. "You're welcome."
Wendy stared at him for a short while longer, then turned around and began to walk back to science class.

"Dude, not bad!" came a voice. Jim turned around.

Flynn was chuckling lightheartedly.

"What?" Jim asked, incredulous.

Flynn just shook his head and headed back into the building. "Not bad for a sleazebag."
Jim laughed. "I'm not a sleazebag, Flynn."
"Heartbreaker, then."
Jim shrugged. "What do you mean by 'not bad?' Is that some kind of frickin' insult?"
Flynn shook his head. "Naw. It just means…you might have a future girlfriend right there."
Jim watched Wendy hurry towards the science labs. "Nah, nah, man," Jim said. "She's just a cute little girl, practically."
Flynn shrugged. "You may question me now, Hawkins, but you'll learn later."
"Learn what, Flynn?"
Flynn socked Jim in the arm. "I'm never wrong."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

That princess. Ohhh, she is FINE! I totally call dibs. But how OLD is she? Judging by her hair, she's even older than Lady Tremaine. Yuck.

-Peter

Peter was writing a science lab report when Wendy Darling hurried in, out of breath and panting, but her cheeks were a blushing pink.

"Where were you?" demanded Ben, their science teacher. Ben was actually an acronym, B.E.N. It stood for BioElectronic Navigator. It was true he was weird, but he was very smart.

Wendy tucked a sweaty wisp of hair behind her ear. "Nowhere."
"That's not an answer!" Ben said, raising his eyebrows.

Wendy shook her head. "I—my papers fell. In the hallway. I had to pick them up."
"You're hesitating!" Ben sang.

"Wha—no!" Wendy exclaimed. "Can I sit down?"
"You may."
Wendy sat.

Peter stared at the back of her head. Her adorable little silver studs. Her blue blouse and white polka dot shorts. Her wavy light brown hair and sky blue eyes.

He'd had a crush on her since forever.

But he was too afraid to tell her.

She'd never love a guy like me, Peter thought sadly.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

After class, Peter saw Wendy at her locker. He waited at the science classroom door for a while until she left for her next class, then he hurried to her locker with a piece of paper. He slipped it into her locker.

Wendy—

Every time I see something beautiful, like a rose, or an awesome sunset, I think of you. I think you're amazing. Not just because you're pretty, even though you are. I love you for who you are. Do you like me back? If your answer is no, maybe we can still be friends?
I think you might know me.

Leave this in Locker 3007.

-Anonymous

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Just before she went to her next class, Wendy hurried back to her locker to get a book she had forgotten. A piece of paper fluttered out when she opened it.

She unfolded it and read it. As she did, her heart began to beat faster and faster and faster.

She grabbed her blue pen and began to write, "No, we can be friends," but she changed her mind. She scribbled down something new:

I have better idea, Anonymous. How about we talk after school?

She slipped it into Locker 3007.

And waited. Time passed.

People filtered into the hallway. Wendy realized she had just skipped her English class, but she was a good student and she told herself she'd go back and make up the work.
She watched. A boy with messy red hair and bright green eyes came to Locker 3007. He opened the locker, and picked up the note.

He was reading it, busy with it, and Wendy crept up carefully to him, clasping her hands behind her back. Then she tapped him on the shoulder.

The boy pretty much jumped a mile into the air. Wendy giggled, and smiled.

"Hello, Peter."