𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐, jasonette

xvii. 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 / 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 / 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭

(part two to stars)

Marinette refused to believe it. There was no way she was in Neverland, the very much fictional, so-called 'dreamland' her mother used to tell her stories about.

"Neverland," Marinette stated flatly and—she was proud to say—emotionlessly despite the sharp dagger pressing against her throat.

The boy pinning her to the ground raised an eyebrow at her. "Isn't that what I just said?"

"Never heard of it," Marinette said dryly, lying through her teeth.

The boy chuckled. "I don't blame you. A very select few get to stay here, and you're lucky you're one of them. I suggest you take advantage of this privilege."

Finally, finally, he took his dagger—the one which Marinette very adeptly stole—off her throat and turned his back to her. "Tim," he yelled out loudly, and one of the boys came scampering out. "Show the new girl around. The rest of you, get going."

Marinette was amazed to see all the boys doing exactly what he said, giving her wide-eyed stares as they ran off.

"Why are they looking at me like that?" Marinette muttered, annoyed at them looking at her as if she was on display. Dusting off her clothes, she said, "Have they never seen a girl before?"

The boy—very evidently their leader—smirked at her as he twirled his dagger. "Well, most of them haven't seen a girl in decades. You're the first girl on this island."

Marinette resisted the urge to scream. Well this was just peachy. Being the only girl on an island filled with most likely angry, disgusting hormonal teenage boys. What could go wrong?

"Come on newbie," 'Tim' said, keeping a respectable distance away from her. Well, at least some of them had manners. "I'll show you around."

Marinette fell in step beside him but she was out of breath and behind him in a very short time. Dear god, did he have to walk that fast? She could barely keep up.

As they put more and more distance between the leader and themselves, Marinette asked her guide the question that had been bothering her since she got here. "When can I leave this place—Neverland?" Marinette forced that last word out with difficulty, still not believing its existence.

A loud laugh made Marinette jump as she went crashing into a chest that wasn't there before. The same boy from before stood there, tall and smirking at her.

"Are you stalking us or something?" Marinette snapped, annoyed at his smug and all-knowing expression and ignoring Tim's warning look. The last few hours had pushed her to her breaking point and if she didn't get some answers now, Marinette was going to guarantee someone was going to die.

"Stalking?" The boy asked, offence laced in his voice. "Me? Please. I have better things to do, pet."

Apparently, Marinette's breaking point was closer than she realised, because the next second, she was picking up a sharp stick and throwing it at the infuriating boy in front of her. First pinning her with a dagger and then with the nicknames.

He dodged it easily, and looked at her impressed when the stick dug right into the trunk of the tree behind him. "Not bad, pet," Suddenly, he was inches away from her face as he whispered, "But I bet you could do better."

Marinette's heart began to pound in her chest at his close proximity, his attractive looks doing nothing to help. "Stop calling me that," Marinette shoved him backwards and glared at him. "And answer the question!"