Never Never

All children grow up. Except for one. It is every child’s dream to be able to stay young and without responsibility forever. Even those who grow up look back on their childhoods with longing. But there is one boy, one fantastic boy who watches the world, watches its children grow up while he stays a boy, forever playing. That boy is Peter Pan.

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Muffled yells reached his ears as he pressed his face against the glass of the balcony doors, waiting for the girl who lived there to come back to her room. She was never aware that he was there, listening to her sing in the middle of the night. He never allowed himself to be caught out on her balcony, but tonight felt different. It wasn’t very often that he came around while there was shouting going on, he was usually there after it was all said and done and watched as the girl sang her heart out while tears dried against her cheeks.

It always confused him to see the tears, but this night he started to understand. Instead of seeing the girl come into her room and lock the door, he heard the front door open with a slew of shouts before it was slammed shut once more. He rushed to the balcony ledge just in time to see the singer running down the street as if the devil himself was at her heels. A frown crept across his face as the weightless feeling of flight swept through him and he stole after her, it was late enough that he didn’t have to worry about being seen.

The only sounds he could hear apart from the rushing of air past his ears was the sound of her boots slapping against the wet pavement as she ran, unaware of her follower. Her hair was like a dark banner as it flowed out behind her, free from the normal braid he often saw it bound in. The local park was blissfully empty and he was glad when she finally stopped running. He pulled himself to a stop as well, keeping far enough back that she wouldn’t notice him just yet as she walked towards one of the strategically placed benches, trying to catch her breath.

The street lights cast just enough light around them that he could see a bruise welling up on her face and another frown plagued him as he dropped to his feet and walked towards her. His bare feet made no sound against the pavement as he approached, so when he spoke up he wasn’t surprised when she jumped.

“Girl, why are you crying?” he asked, tilting his head as he stopped and stared straight into her wide eyes.

“Who are you?” she asked without answering him. Her voice cracked slightly, worn from crying, shouting and running.

“Tell me your name first and I’ll tell you mine,” he said in return, the corners of his mouth tilting up into a mischievous smile.

“Rei Hale,” she said after a moment, watching him warily and taking in his strange outfit as she did so.

“Peter Pan. Can I know why you were crying now?” he asked, amused when she scooted away as he took a step closer.

“I got into a fight with my mom and she hit me. Not so unusual really. I told her I want to be a singer and she told me that I need to grow up and choose a real career path to follow,” she confessed, finally looking away from him and quickly swiping the tears from her cheeks. He never thought it possible for him to frown so much in a single night, but it happened yet again as the words ‘grow up’ passed from her lips.

“Why would anyone want you to grow up and forget about singing? That’s what I come here for,” he blurted out, watching her now upturned face alight with shock. “To hear you sing that is!” he said quickly, biting his lower lip for a moment before that smug smile lit up his face once more.

“Where do you live?” Rei asked, finally getting to her feet. Smile still lighting his face he pointed off behind her at the night sky.

“Second to the right and straight on till morning,” he said, watching her spin around and search the sky. Her head tilted to the side as her eyes flitted across the horizon. She turned to him, confused.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean what I said. I live in Never Land.” Peter replied.

“Well…Who do you live with?” Rei asked next, perplexed.

“I live with the Lost Boys. They are well named,” he answered with a shrug, pulling his legs up to sit Indian style. The wide eyed look on Rei’s face was lost on him though as he continued to speak. “I’m sure they would love to hear you sing for them. You should come back with me!”

“You…You’re flying!” Rei exclaimed, finding her voice amongst the shock.

“Well of course I’m flying. How do you think I get home? Or listen to you sing in your room for that matter,” he said, flying quickly around her once to get the point across a little better. Peter had always been a brilliant flier, and next to fighting it was his favorite thing to do.

“I don’t know how to fly, Peter,” she said, watching him with wonder and a hint of disappointment in her bright green eyes.

“I can teach you! I'll teach you how to ride the winds back, and away we go," he started, not giving her a chance to say anything before he continued. "All you have to do is think happy thoughts, and they lift you into the air!” Peter exclaimed, hovering just in front of her. Just then a small light fluttered around his head, tinkling the way bells would. “Tink! You’re just in time, we’re heading home and Rei is coming with us!” Peter explained to the fairy, laughing a little as the winged creature protested heavily.

“Peter.” The boy in question looked at her, now ignoring the angry fairy pulling on his ear. “Happy thoughts aren’t working.” Puzzled, the boy hung there for a moment, thinking of what else could possibly be needed. His eyes drifted to Tinker Bell now, who was still protesting quite loudly to taking the singer back with them.

“That’s what I’m forgetting, fairy dust!” he said as it dawned on him, and he grabbed Tinker Bell. He always managed to forget that the key to flying, other than happy thoughts, was a sprinkling of fairy dust. He flew over the girl, shaking Tink gently and watching the dust light up the girl’s skin for a moment before settling in. With that final detail settled he watched Rei as she slowly started to rise from the ground, and when she was finally at his level he smiled and pointed down. A gasp left her lips once she looked down and noticed that her feet were no longer on solid ground.

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The boy before her was strangely dressed, but utterly honest the way young children often were. She couldn’t tell how old he was just by looking at him, but if she had to venture a guess it would be around her own age, and she had just turned 15 the week previous. His strange garb was definitely something else. It was entirely made of green leaves, covering what she hoped to be a real pair of shorts that clung to him like a second skin. The green leaves actually looked good against his sun kissed skin, and she doubted very highly that anyone else could pull something like that off.

Flying felt amazing to her. It made her feel free and alive for the first time and she wondered if this was all a dream. Cute boys didn’t just pop out of thin air and teach people how to fly. She just hoped that if it was all a dream, that she would never wake from it.

“You will come back with me won’t you?” Peter asked, snapping her from her thoughts.

“Of course I will. Who in their right mind would pass up something like this?” she said happily, more than willing to give up her crappy home life for a chance to start over again. That same little smirk graced Peter’s face once more and he quickly grabbed her hand in his. “Could I maybe grab some things from my house first?” Rei asked, allowing him to pull her higher into the air, Tinker Bell fluttering around them quickly. Peter looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding. He steered her along through the air, allowing her to get used to the sensation of flying. The sight of the city below them was amazing, but she knew she wouldn’t miss it. She had the opportunity to start new and live in a place where she was wanted.

By the time the two of them landed in front of her balcony doors most of the lights in the house were off. The only two lights on were hers and her mother's. She wasn’t worried though, her mom wouldn’t pay attention to any noises she may hear coming from her daughter’s room. Life with her mom was torture at best. The woman was an alcoholic that would rather spend time with men than with her own child. Most of the time Rei was left to fend for herself, but that suited her just fine.

Rei shook the negative thoughts from her head as she pulled open the balcony doors and strode into the room with Peter and Tinker Bell following behind her.

“What do you need to get?” Peter asked, and Rei turned to see him looking through her jewelry box. She just smiled a little at the sight and turned to her closet, pulling a small duffel bag from the back of it.

“Just clothes, I don’t really have a lot of stuff,” she said absently as she started tossing clothes into the bag. She could hear the strange boy fooling around with something or other behind her, but she paid it no mind as she rushed to her bathroom to toss in a few things from there as well. By the time she finished she hadn’t even completely filled the bag up, but it was fine with her, the less she had to deal with the better, really.

“Are you ready?” Peter asked as soon as she emerged from the bathroom and she nodded happily, slinging the bag cross-ways over her shoulder. The boy returned her smile and started pulling her towards the window.

“I hope this isn’t all a dream,” she muttered as they reached the balcony once more.

“It isn’t,” Peter stated, letting go of her hand as he effortlessly hovered into the air. “Come away to Never Land. Forget them all Rei. We’ll never have to worry about growing up,” he said next, holding out his hand to her again. She didn’t even hesitate to take it as that weightless feeling swept through her once more and her feet left solid ground.

She didn’t look back even once as air rushed past her. She just followed Peter as best as she could, laughing as he twisted and looped around in the air. He flew higher and higher and she followed, keeping a tight hold on the strap of her duffel bag. Suddenly he slowed a bit, turning his head to yell over his shoulder.

“Grab a hold of my ankle!” he yelled. She grimaced for a moment before complying, taking that chance to take in the sights around them. A gasp pushed itself out of her when she saw just how close the stars looked now. “Whatever happens, don’t let go!” she heard him yell just as the stars seemed to streak past them at an alarming rate. A scream tore itself from her chest and she could hear Peter laughing loudly and suddenly the sky exploded around them and she spun away from the laughing boy, releasing his ankle. He pulled back, flying up beside her now with a brilliant smile lighting his face as the sun started to rise over a huge island.

“Welcome to Never Land,” she heard him say, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight in front of her now.