My Neverland

~6~

As I stopped in shock, a scrap of paper torn from my autograph book floated to the ground. I came back to Earth just in time to grab it before it was trampled underfoot by vacationers.

"I get off at 6. Meet me in front of Cinderella's Castle for the fireworks?"

He hadn't signed his name, but I recognized the handwriting. Why was this boy so obsessed with me?

"Everything okay?" Mom asked. I realized I had just been staring at the note with a strange look on my face.

I waved her off. "Yeah, I just dropped something. Hey, are we going to see the fireworks tonight?"

Lia's face lit up. "Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks!" she chanted, skipping around Mom's legs. "Can we, Mommy, can we?"

Mom sighed, smiling. "Sure, Sweetie. Where do you want to watch them from? I heard you can see them from about half of the park."

"Cinderella's Castle." I answered quickly. Probably too quickly, since Mom and Mark looked at me strangely. "It's just, that's the best spot to see them from, and it's the classic Disney view..." I got quieter and trailed off.

Mark grinned. "That sounds perfect, doesn't it, Lia?"

"Fireworks, fireworks, fireworks!" she continued her chant.

I forced a smile. I had no clue what was in store for me once I got there.

By the time 6:00 rolled around, we had eaten our Mickey-shaped burgers and seen several cliché sights. We headed to Cinderella's Castle. I started looking around, then remembered he had been in costume when I'd seen him before. I'd just have to wait for him to find me.

I didn't wait long. "Wendy!" I heard a British voice call out.

"Someone you know?" Mom asked I saw him walk towards me.

"Um, yeah, sort of." I replied, studying him. He had straight, light brown hair swept to the side, and he was wearing a blue and white striped shirt with red skinny jeans and white Vans.

 Mom gently pushed me in his direction. "Have fun!"

I cringed at her touch, half hoping that I could have escaped unnoticed. "Hey." I said awkwardly as I saw him standing in front of me. He was pretty tall. He took my hand gently. When I finally looked up to meet his eyes, I couldn't read them. "I don't need your pity." I mumbled, yanking myself away.

He grabbed my arm, just above my elbow. "Wait." Something about his voice, or the way he said that one word, made me stop in my tracks. They somehow gave me a thing I hadn't felt in a long time. Hope. I turned around slowly. "I just want to help." he whispered, letting go of me.

Hearing him say that, so softly, made me want to cry. So I did. Right there, in the middle of Disneyworld, surrounded by strangers. He just held me to his chest, letting me get out the tears. When I finished, only hiccupping occasionally, I saw that my arms had snaked themselves around his waist. I didn't want to let go. I realized that my tears had soaked through his shirt, ruining it. "Sorry about your shirt." I mumbled into him.

When he laughed, I felt his chest rumble and my heart flutter. I wanted to hear that noise more. "It's fine." He took my shoulders, pushing them away so he could search my face. My arms reluctantly left his warmth. "Feel better now?" he asked kindly. I nodded, wanting nothing more than for him to hold me again. He smiled. "Good." He pulled me to his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. My arm found his side again, and I instantly felt better.

I felt a surge of confidence run through me and I grabbed it. "Hey, what's your name anyway?" I asked, looking up at him.

There it was again, that laugh. The one I loved. He held his hand out for me to shake. "Louis Tomlinson, at your service."

 "You're not from around here, are you?" I asked. Wow, I was being assertive. And it didn't feel weird.

Louis smirked. "Nope. I'm from Doncaster, England. I just got a summer job here."

I realized we had been standing this whole time. I spotted a tree with an empty space underneath it. "Can we go sit down?"

He nodded. "Sure." He took my hand, leading me over. He sat down first, back against the tree.

I was about to sit next to him when he reached up and pulled me onto his lap. "Hey!" I protested, giggling.

He just held me to him with his strong arms and rested his chin on my shoulder. Something about it just felt right. "Anything else you want to know?"

"How old are you?"

"18. How old are you?"

"16. Do you have any hobbies?"

"I like to sing."

"Really?" I asked. "Can I hear?"

A sudden boom cased me to jump. The fireworks had started because it was finally dark. "I don't think you could hear me over that!" he yelled, chuckling.

"True." I settled back into him. It was so comfortable, I was about to fall asleep.

"I just want to help." I heard him whisper in my ear. I kept my eyes closed, letting him keep thinking I was asleep. Then I felt his lips on mine.

The fireworks outside were nothing compared to what was going on in my head.