Peter pan's lost girl

Chapter 4

I haven't had a piggy back ride in years! This is fun.
"I tend to choke people when I feel like I'm in danger," I told him.
"Well you shouldn't feel like that around me." My face heated up. I do that too often and it's uncontrollable for me. Luckily he couldn't see it.

"We're almost there."
"I can walk from here."

He let me off his back. My feet had enough rest.
"Thanks."
"No problem."

I walked beside him, trying to keep up. We arrived at the camp. There were about 12 boys, a lot of people I don't know. I stopped walking when I saw them. Peter noticed. He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the camp.
"Come on it's okay. they won't hurt you." I walked with him.

The boys were either walking around or talking to each other. "Boys!" yelled Pan. They all turned their attention towards him. He put his arm around me, resting it on my shoulder.

"This is Michelle. She's new to Neverland." They all stared at me. I didn't like the attention I was getting, attention from strangers thinking who knows what about me. "She's shy until she gets to know you better," he looked down and smiled at me. His smile put me at ease.
"I'll see you later. Now go mingle" he said to me before squeezing my shoulder and then gave me a slight push forward. I instantly went back into panic mode.

I turned around to face him.
"You're just going to leave me with them?"
"You act like they're going to kill you while I'm gone."
My face went from scared to terrified.
He laughed.
"They're not going to kill you." my facial expression didn't change.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I have something to do."
"Can't I just go with you?"
He chuckled, "Bye Michelle."
I sighed. He wasn't going to let me go with him. "Bye," I mumbled. He walked off back into the forrest.

I turned around to find that the boys were staring at me. I felt uncomfortable. I found a log away from them and sat down. I looked up to see them whispering and sneaking glances at me. I feel like an outcast. Just like at the orphanage. I found a stick by my foot and decided to draw in the dirt.

I tuned out the whispering. something I learned to do after being alone for so long. I started drawing a woman. I was drawing her and she started to look familiar. I sat there in thought for a moment. Then it hit me. I was drawing my mom. She was beautiful. I jerked as a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"That's really good."
I looked up to see a boy, he looked about 10.
"Thanks," I said looking back down at the drawing. I could feel his eyes staring at me. I looked back up.
"Can I help you?"
"Oh, sorry. Hey, that looks like you," he referred to my picture. I kicked the drawing, ruining it. No, that looks like me.

"My name is Thomas." he sat down next to me on the log. He sat a little too close. I didn't want to hurt his feelings by scooting away like I really wanted to, but didn't.
"Michelle," I said staring down at the picture.
"Did you just get here today?"
'You're being anti social' pan's words repeated in my head. I looked at Thomas.
"yes," I replied.
"Cool, we don't get many girls here."
"Ok," I didn't know what else to say.
I tried to be more social.
"So what do you guys do here?" I asked him.

"Specifically on this camp site or on the entire island?"
"Whichever"
"well we eat and sleep here at the campsite and we play games throughout the island or sometimes here."
"Cool, are there any fairies or mermaids here?" I asked thinking about the book in the bag still on my back.
"Yeah."
"Can we meet them?"
"We can't do anything without Pan's permission."
"Oh, I'll just ask him later."

We sat there in silence. I looked around the camp and the boys were continuing with what they were doing before I got there, but I still caught them looking over at me occasionally.

"So why did you come talk to me, but no one else did?"
"I just came over here because I saw that you were lonely."
"Maybe I like it that way"
He put his hands up in defense.
"Well I'm sorry, I'll just leave." he was about to stand up, but I grabbed his shoulder.
"No I'm sorry, I'm not good at making friends."
"I know what that's like." he said looking down .
"You okay," I asked.
He looked up and smiled at me.
"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Hey, what were they whispering about earlier?"
"They were trying to decide wether or not to approach you. you were kinda looking mean and didn't want to be bothered."

I thought they were thinking I was ugly, a stupid girl, and lame. I guess the look on my face made it look like I wasn't a nice, friendly person.
"Oh, I'll try to work on that." I smiled.
"You have a nice smile," he complimented me.
"I don't think it's all that great."
"I noticed something about you."
"What is that?"
"You don't like yourself."