"Time to get up, princess," came Peter's muffled voice. Between post-waking up grogginess and the barrier of the door I had hoped I was imagining I heard someone talk. I buried my head in my pillow in hopeful denial. Just because some of the boys are warming up to me doesn't mean I really want to go start a new day on Neverland right now. Burying my head back into my pillow, I pretended like it was an annoying voice in my head. "If you don't get up now, I'll come in there and get you up myself."
"Couldn't you get the hint that I was ignoring you?" I shouted back grumpily as I sat up in bed. Quickly throwing my hair in a messy bun and putting my shoes on, I walked over to my door to open it and glare at him.
Peter leaned next to the door with that smug smile on his face. "Be careful. Saying things like that could have some consequences."
"Your little followers may not talk back to you, but you don't scare me," I shot back.
"We'll see about that," he chuckled darkly.
"Did you wake me up just to be annoying or were you just wanting to have a chat by my door?" I asked while rolling my eyes.
"We can move it into your room if you want," Pan said with a suggestive tone. I just looked at him blankly waiting for him to get to the point. "Fine, come on," he sighed heading down the stairs.
"And what's keeping me from going back to my room to sleep?" I asked as he disappeared from view.
"Because I would drag you out this tree myself," came a matter-of-fact voice.
Learning that fact caused me to slowly follow along behind. I could handle not being physically moved by Pan for a while. "Is there something going on today?" I asked hoping that I would be able to go explore more today. Getting no response, I walked out the door and back into the forest nearly screaming as a club missed the side of my face by half an inch.
"Dude, what the hell?! You almost hit me!" I yelled at Felix not noticing Peter was nowhere to be found.
"I know, I missed," he smirked as he lifted his club up to swing again.
Rushing past him, I headed to the area I thought the fire had been in last night. A few minutes later I could hear the voices of the other Lost Boys and headed to the direction. When I crashed through the bushes surrounding the fire pit area I stopped straight in my tracks. Every one of them was fighting each other with some sort of hand weapon. Knowing Felix would be getting here any minute, I quickly slammed my back against the nearest tree and prayed no one else would notice my panicked face.
If any of the other boys noticed me, they didn't acknowledge me. Not that they would notice much of anything; they seemed to be enjoying their own little battles against each other if the laughter was any indicator. Each boy's movements flowed seamlessly into the other as they constantly switched between sparing partners. They all looked so childish in their enjoyment. Even Jack and a few of the other older boys looked like they were in kindergarten again playing make-believe sword fighting except now they could actually hurt each other if someone landed a blow now.
A loud blow to the tree I was leaning on brought me out of my contemplation. Spinning around, I saw Felix was slowly moving closer like a cat about to catch a mouse. Keeping him in my peripheral vision, I tried to maneuver around the fire without getting hit with any other flying weapons. I was putting good distance between us until I could look at him from directly across the fire pit. Home free. I just have to keep him straight across the fire and try not to get hit by anyone else. Shouldn't be too difficult, I thought sarcastically until a hand grabbed my left wrist and pulled it painfully behind my back while using their right hand to bring a small blade up to my throat. I silently struggled to get out of the mystery person's grasp without causing the blade to cut my skin, but it wasn't working out well.
"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you, princess," whispered Peter in my ear. Everyone had stopped their fighting and were watching us now with careful faces. Well, except Felix. He was lazily walking around the boys making his way closer to me.
"Enough with the princess," I spat. "Let go of me."
"Not quite yet," he said, pulling my arm tighter. Already breathing heavily, I tried to keep my pain internalized, but a small grunt left me anyway. "I told you your words might have consequences."
"What, like letting your lackey bash my skull in?" I asked watching Felix not five feet away now. Hearing the word "lackey" Felix scowled in annoyance. I call 'em like I see 'em, Scarface. But Pan said nothing, so I had to assume the worst.
Now standing right in front of me, Felix raised his club like he was going to strike. I closed my eyes because I didn't feel like witnessing my own death and waited for the inevitable. The next thing I knew is that the club had landed with a loud thump in front of my feet and Peter had released me from his hold. My ears were met with the laughter all of the boys as if they knew that nothing was going to happen in the first place. Wait a minute…
"This was all done on purpose," I accused as I turned to look at Pan.
"Of course it was," he laughed. I could see how much he enjoyed my misery in his eyes. "But it wouldn't have been fun if you'd known that you wouldn't get hurt."
"Wouldn't get hurt?" I asked lowly. "This idiot over here almost hit me with his oversized tree branch three times, you practically dislocated my shoulder, and held a knife against my throat. Do you think this is some sort of game?"
"Yes," Peter responded with a smirk looking me straight in the eye.
"You're sick," I muttered under my breath. Seething with barely constrained rage and shaking slightly as my brain continued to process all the incoming information, I stormed past Peter, Felix, and any of the other nameless boys who were between me and the jungle.
Before I could get far, Peter grabbed my arm and pulled me back to face him. "And where do you think you're going exactly?" he asked amused.
"Away," I bit out.
At that he barked out a short laugh. "You couldn't even handle this. What will you do if you come across someone else?"
"I don't care. Anywhere and anyone have to be better than here and you," I whispered lowly, glaring. Yanking my arm out of his hand, I continued into the forest without even a glance backward.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Peter asked the boys, his voice fading as I moved farther away. "Let's get back to it!" All I could hear as I was leaving was the sound of clanging weapons and laughing boys.