Origins

Origins XIII

Origins XIII

I woke up to Hook's boat in the distance and shook Nico awake. He was groggy and wanted to go to sleep until I pointed out that if he fell back asleep I would make him regret it. He knew what I meant and was more awake. The others started waking up shortly after and all of us stared at Hook's ship coming in. All of us were silent, and, even though I'd never admit it, I was scared.

"Lost boys, I have returned to Neverland. As for you boy," he said, coming to stand in front of me, "you've earned this," he said, and slammed something down on my head. I reached up, and it was a green hat with a red feather in the side.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"It's the hat of legends. The legends speak of a boy who could fly. He had a hat like this. Although the legends failed to mention your arrogance," he said.

"Cool," I said, placing the hat on my head.

"That's backwards," Hook said. Nico immediately came forward and fixed the hat. He stepped back and gave me a thumbs up with a broad smile. I turned around to say something snarky to Hook, but then Nico screamed. And then started laughing. I turned around and there in the air, next to a laughing Nico, was a fairy.

"Tink, who is that?" I whispered to her.

"How should I know? It's just a fairy," she said.

"Tink, you're a fairy," I said back.

"No. I'm your fairy. She is just a fairy, but she could become Nico's. Then you'd lose your status of 'cool' more than you already have. You're not cool, by the way," Tink said.

"Gee, thanks," I muttered.

"Your name is Peyronchire? So can I just call you 'Pey' or something?" Nico said. The fairy made a chimelike noise next to him.

"Do all fairies make sounds as annoying as you, Tink?" I asked her with a cocky smile. She punched my face.

"Shut up, Pete," she said.

"Don't call me that!" I said.

"You be cocky, you get called 'Pete,'" she said. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't surprised at Tink. I'd become used to her sarcasm over the time that I'd known her.

Especially during our month at sea.

"We'll leave you four alone," Hook said, and led the other boys away, all of them smirking. I glanced at Nico. He looked back and we didn't say anything.

"Race you to the top of the mountain?" I said abruptly. Nico gave a giant grin while nodding emphatically.

"Great! 1,2,3 go!" I said. I didn't even pause between the numbers and began to literally fly up the mountain. Nico was running, and, for not being able to fly, made really good time. He even almost beat me!

But no one can beat me.

You can't beat perfection.

"I...won..." Nico said, out of breath.

"Mmmmmmm...no, don't think so," I said.

"I did! You never touched the ground!"

"Neeks, I never touch the ground."

"Right. So I won!" Nico said. I floated down.

"We wrestle for it," I said, then grinned. Nico grinned too.

"You're on!" he said. We began wrestling, which involved a lot of rolling. We got close to the edge of the mountain and I felt us lose balance. I instinctively flew up.

But I forgot Nico.

And I watched as the boy I loved most fell off the mountain and plummeted to the ground below.