Lost Boys & Pirates [Completed]

21;

As the day quickly becomes night, I change into the new outfit Peter gave me. The pants are a darker brown than the rest of the boys' and has stitching of butterflies along the sides. The shirt, also stitched with a corset, sits comfortably tight. The soft blue of the shirt matches my eyes when I face the mirror.

"Oh my," Milo whispers, leaning against my door frame. "You look so pretty, Mae."

I glance at him, seeing his formal outfit. Blues and whites cover his body. A white shirt and blue pants, the sleeves short enough to barely cover his shoulders. His normal outfit is now softer colors that catch the eye when he moves. His bare arms hold paint that shines in the light. His odd outfit is something I didn't expect.

"I need help with my hair. I was debating on asking Issac if he could braid it nicely for me."

"I can do one better than he can!" Milo darts out of the room and into his. "I have something to put in your hair and when I was on the ship, I used to have hair as long as yours. This will be easy for me."

I wait until he ducks back onto my room with a handful of objects. In his hands are ribbons and other shiny objects. All colors dangle from his fingers when he holds them up.

"We need accessories! Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then sit and close your eyes. I will let you see it when I am done."

I sit patiently as he twists my hair into a design. With my eyes closed, it reminds me of when I was younger with my dad when he was still around. He used to twist my hair up with ribbons from mom's dresses when we would listen to Matthew's tales of school for the day.

"Are you nervous?"

"Yes, I don't even know what this initiation is. It sounds weird!"

He snickers. "It's nothing bad, Mae. It sounds weird because that's the only word we can think of to call it."

I hum out in response. "Will there be anything dangerous?"

He snorts. "No. Nothing like that. Peter makes you promise a few things and welcomes you with some sort of song or dance. It isn't dangerous nor is it bad."

I sigh. "Oh, that sounds fun. Like a party."

"We like to party, if you haven't noticed." I sense his pause, his mood shifting. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," I respond without thought.

"Have you been helping heal any of the pirates?"

"Yes. Peter said they were my last priority but a few faces that I remember being nice I saved first. It was the least I could do for them, helping me when Captain kidnapped me."

"Where are they located?"

"Near Lily's warriors. They have been calm and kind since they woke up. One of them was the one who got me water and bread when he returned me to you and Issac."

"Thank you, Mae," his voice is soft. "As much as I hated being a pirate, a few of them were like brothers to me. The nice ones were most likely the ones who helped you when they could. We all stuck together until I left."

"I'll show them to you tomorrow then. I need to check them over anyway."

With a final tug of my hair, Milo shifts so we are both standing. "Open your eyes!"

I open them, my body facing the mirror. The ribbons he had were twisted into a few smaller braids on the top of my head before they are looped into the long braid down my back. The colors shine in the light and are better than any other braid I've seen in my life.