Amily marched away from the camp, never feeling more angry. Pan was completely ignoring her! He hadn't asked any of her questions and he hadn't even told her if the pirates were a threat or not. 'They'll come to us'. Well, what on Earth does that mean?! She huffed and almost ran back to her tree house.
But not before Pan landed just where she was about to step, as if he had been following her.
"What's wrong?" His voice was flat and he didn't sound concerned. Pan sounded bored, like he really didn't care what was the matter.
"Nothing's wrong, Pan. Why ever would you ask?" Amily pushed past him, the sarcasm in her voice was sharp.
"You huffed out of the camp like your arse was on fire. Something's obviously wrong" He followed her now yet Amily sensed he was backing off, giving her space.
"Maybe go ask someone you'd rather talk to" Amily didn't have to say this loudly. Barely whispering it was enough for it to make a mark on Pan's shiny ego.
"Is that what this is about?" He sounded dully surprised and Amily almost laughed at his absurdity. She supposed all boys were like that.
Originally she had intended to run back to her tree house and sulk, hoping Pan would get the message. Now, because of her new found hostility towards all boys on the island, she decided to change course and head to the shooting range. It was just one of those times when the emotion couldn't be let out with just words. Amily just needed to kill something. Even if it wasn't alive to begin with.
Pan continued to follow, not saying anything. Lack of an answer to his last question was his cue to be silent.
Amily felt powerful wiith her bow in her hands and once she reached the shooting range there was nothing stopping her from loosing an arrow, even as she was walking towards it. She let it out with a grunt and loosed another. Arrow after arrow followed and with each one her anger just intensified tenfold. She didn't keep track of how many times she missed or hit the bulls-eye. She just shot. And boy, did it feel good.
Pan watched with sincere curiosity. He couldn't help but think that aggression looked good on this girl.
"Gee Amily, I never knew you could get this angr-"
Suddenly, all fire and rage, Amily turned with her drawstring taught and a bow aimed at Pan's heart.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Without thinking she released the drawstring.
Everything happened in an instant. All anger vanished, time slowed, regret filled her heart and it was like she could watch that arrow fly directly to Pan's heart.
And yet, it stopped. Amily blinked. The arrow stopped in mid-air, not millimetres from Pan's chest! Taking her attention off the arrow she focused on the picture in front of her.
Pan had his head tilted up and was looking down at her. He had the most smug look on his face that Amily had ever seen. In his left hand he held the arrow, still pointed at his chest.
"How'd that feel?" asked Pan. It took Amily a moment to realize he had spoken. Pure shock had enveloped her.
She was aware that her mouth was hanging open and she looked foolish. But there was no helping it. Amily just stared. Pan had caught the arrow. Or, more importantly, she had shot at him. This boy who had kissed her and held her, she had shot at him!
Amily bent over, the tears escaping her. She held herself to try to keep from shaking. Soon she was on her knees, bent over, and sobbing loudly. She barely noticed Pan come over to kneel down beside her. His face was not concerned and almost looked entertained.
"Shhh..." He stroked her hair and patted her back. Amily turned to hug him and Pan accepted. Eventually they both were lying in the shooting range together, Pan holding his hysterical Lost Girl.
"What is happening to me?" cried Amily and she just sobbed and sobbed into Pan's shirt. Him stroking her hair was oddly comforting but she had no energy to get chills.
"Shhh, it's okay" There was something in his voice, but Amily couldn't put her finger on it.
She lent up to look in Pan's eyes. They were what she needed right now. Their intense greenness was addictive.
But she let go of that image for a second and closed her eyes, leaning in to kiss Pan softly on the lips. He seemed to forget that she had shot at him and kissed her back, even if a little hesitantly. He had stopped stroking her auburn locks and had his hands pressed at her sides, below her breasts.
The time for going further was now and in her grief stricken state that was all she wanted to do. Pan was all she wanted.
She tangled her hands in Pan's soft hair and felt shivers as he moaned beneath her. Amily's hands were fists in his hair and the decision was made when the Lost Boy's hands snuck beneath her loose shirt and traced exquisite patterns around her navel. Amily kissed him sweetly, urging him to keep going.
Pan took things up a notch. This time he was the one who deepened the embrace and their kisses turned hot and wild, almost in desperation. Amily held his face in hers and Pan was moving his hands down her sides to her hips. Was there any going back from this now? When he began tugging at the hem of her blouse Amily stopped.
"Pan... we should stop now" Realizing she needed her mouth to speak, Pan was kissing her neck with sweet short pecks.
"Pan" Amily said his name firmly now. She wasn't asking him to stop, but telling him. She put his hands on his chest and pushed him back gently. This time, Pan looked at her. The look reminded Amily of a child who had gotten his favorite toy taken off him.
"I-I want to. Just not here" Not here on the dirty, cold ground of the shooting range. Especially not after she had shot at Pan and could've killed him.
Pan nodded briskly and Amily stood up from the ground. She offered a hand to help Pan up from the ground. He ignored it.
"Are you angry?" She found it ironic at how, not a few minutes ago, the roles had been reversed.
"No of course not" And yet he said this with that bland, dry voice she had come to know so well. When the Lost Boys weren't fighting at their best this voice came up. When a sentry fell asleep on the job, he used that voice.
Lips still swollen from kissing, they made their way back to the camp in silence.
There was no song that night. No haunting melody from Pan's pipe. Not a sound came from the leader of Lost Boys as he made his way to one of the many tree houses away from the camp. He could have stayed at one of the tents with the other boys, but he didn't even look twice at it as he strutted away. Amily was confused at his sudden need for privacy.
"Look's like Pan's having a tantrum" sniggered Aaron to a boy standing next to him yet everyone could hear him. Amily knew was coming after that. No-one dared to speak that way about their leader. She was surprised at Aaron's cruel bluntness.
Pan stopped suddenly and turned. His eyes were daggers, his face murderous. With a push of a hand, Pan's magic forced Aaron against a nearby tree. Aaron gasped and clutched at his throat, the air being choked out of him. Pan held his hand in that position, locking Aaron to the tree. He didn't look like he would give up any time soon.
Everyone just stared, Amily included. Then, minutes later, Pan lowered his hand with a huff. He didn't have to say anything after that. Everyone knew that they shouldn't mess with him. And if they didn't, they certainly knew it now. Aaron looked furious as he got up from the base of the tree. He glared at Pan with the same murderous gaze he had received. Yet Peter Pan had already disappeared into the trees.
Amily thought about what would happen if she took charge. She felt the urge to. But that was obviously Felix's job. Felix knew it too. He marched into the open and looked at every Lost Boy or Girl in the eye.
"Everyone is to leave Pan alone for now. Build a fire. Charlie, George and Jeremy find us something to eat" She looked over at the designated group of boys and tied to smile encouragingly. Charlie was the only one who had the nerve to smile back. Amily guessed that all the boys were pretty spooked.
She looked around for something to do. She could return to the shooting range for more practice but for some reason that was the last place she wanted to be right now. Amily shuffled over to the weapons table to sharpen a sword or fix a bow, anything.
All of a sudden, Felix was beside her.
"Do you know what happened?" So Pan hadn't told him about things between himself and Amily. She decided to keep things cryptic.
"No, why?" What a good start.
"You returned together... you want to tell me what's going on?" Felix didn't speak gently. He sounded cold and condescending. Like an adult.
"There's nothing to tell, Felix. Let it go" Amily returned his tone of condescension, picked a sword at random and walked over to sharpen it.
She felt like she would cry but the tears didn't come. Try as she might to force her concentration into her work, nothing happened. She doubted whether that sword would ever get sharpened at the rate she was going.
Her time at Neverland so far had been wonderful. Could it all turn this sour so quickly? Everything was so mixed up. There were pirates threatening their home and the boy she loved had a hunger that she so deeply tried to satisfy and yet when she couldn't, his temper came out. Pan put passion into their encounters but where was the romance? Why did things have to be the way they were at the shooting range? All desire and passion but there was no love there. What had happened to the fairy-tale Amily had conjured up in her mind? Why did she have to keep things from her brothers?
What was Pan hiding?