Back to Neverland

Chapter 7 ✧

Chapter 7 ✧

Why is it that boys talk using their fists?

Mark let out a grunt as Peter held him by the collar, pushing him against the trunk of some poor tree.

"Why is she here, Mark?!"

They weren't really using their fists, but what I meant was violence. Or physical means. Well, in the end, this fight looks to be pretty one-sided to me.

My poor wimp of a cousin. I shook my head in disappointment.

"I-I don't know!" Mark managed to reply. "Even I was surprised when I saw her."

"She's not supposed to be here!"

Sure, I rolled my eyes. Talk like I'm not here.

I understand that I was practically intruding on their little whatever-this-was, but what I don't understand was why it felt like they only had a problem with me being here. Like, they had something against me.

"Peter," Somebody called from the side. I saw Curly and the rest of the boys, the latter hiding behind the former's back. "Mark didn't bring her here. She practically came out of nowhere."

Peter didn't let go of my cousin as he looked at his comrades. "Then how did she get here?"

I winced at his tone. Was my presence really that unwelcomed?

Curly sighed. "We don't know as well. The only one who could tell us is..."

They all turned to face me as Curly trailed off, and I froze. I couldn't help but mentally roll my eyes. Now they notice me.

Curly gave a reassuring smile. "It would really help us, Wendy, if you could explain how you came here?"

"Um," I snuck a look at my cousin, who still had his back pressed into the tree trunk. Then I shifted my gaze to the one who held him captive, and I saw that he was looking at me intensely. It made me uncomfortable.

"Could you..." Walking over to the two, I tugged at my cousin's shirt sleeve. I gave Peter an unsure smile. "...let my cousin go, first? He really had nothing to do with my being here."

Other than the fact that he was the one I followed to the park, thus eventually leading me here.

I chuckled nervously as I realized that, thinking that they would be better off not knowing. After all, ignorance is bliss.

His eyes stayed locked on mine for a while, and I stood my ground as I met his gaze. He then sighed before dropping his grip on Mark's shirt, moving to join the rest of the group.

I looked at my cousin in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." He mumbled as he straightened his shirt.

I immediately felt ashamed of the fact that I was the one who was causing trouble. "I'm sorry..."

Mark sighed before giving me a small smile, ruffling my hair. "Don't worry about it, Wendy."

Then he grinned. "But man, I never would've thought that I would be the one to be pushed against something. I mean, if it was a girl doing it I wouldn't mind, but-- "

"Okay, that's enough." I cut him off, giving him a dirty look. "I have now lost all sense of remorse."

Mark just laughed in response, me joining him not long after. I felt the gaze of someone watching us, and when I turned I almost missed seeing Peter look away.