Imperfect Pieces

2. peter pan

dedicated to mah louis. no explanation needed <4

words in italics are lines from the actual play.

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Zinnia coughed into her sleeve, waiting for the dust to settle. She was looking through her old blue shoebox. All the way from 7th grade until she graduated from high school, she had put an item that she treasures from that year. The forgotten box had lain on the shelf for many many years, and now she was finally going to open it again.

Gingerly, she lifted the cover and dumped the contents of the box onto her bed. There was a Peter Pan program from the first play she was ever in, a friendship bracelet, a bunch of wrinkled letters, a dried corsage from Prom...

"Wow," she muttered to herself. "I certainly collected quite a few things."

As she picked up the program and leafed through it, a small paintbrush fell out. Zinnia smiled fondly. What a night that was...

♪ ♫ ♪

It was the performance night. Zinnia was so nervous she felt like she would faint any moment.

"Zinny, you're on in 5 okay?" the director, Mr. Leon, whispered.

"All children except one grow up..."

Zinnia nodded slightly, her head still spinning a bit.

"They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this."

"Oh God, I can't do this" she moaned into her hands.

"Yes you can."

She frowned turning towards the speaker. A boy with spiky jet black hair and glasses was standing with a small paintbrush in his hand.

"I saw you during rehearsal and you were great. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just take a deep breath Wendy." Zinnia calmed down a bit, taking a deep breath as instructed. She could hear the young Wendy's footsteps as she ran to Mrs. Darling. Little Annie was doing a fantastic job portraying toddler Wendy.

"Thank you..." she said quietly. "I needed that."

"Oh, why can't you stay like this forever?"

The boy gave her a quick smile. "Nah, don't thank me. I just didn't want all my work to go to waste," he said playfully.

"Oh, you did the background stuff?"

"The sets," he corrected "And yes, I did. Do you like it?"

"They're beautiful. My favorite is the one with the night sky and the second to the right star."

"Zinnia, where are you? You're on in 30 seconds." Mr Leon hissed from his position by the entrance onto the stage.

"This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth Wendy knew that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end."

"Oh no, I have to go. Thank you so much for your encouragement! You are a great artist."

She smiled genuinely at the boy as she pulled on her shoes.

He laughed lightly, smiling at her.

"Thank you Zinnia, or should I say Wendy. Break a leg!"

"Wait," he suddenly said and slipped his paintbrush into her hand "For good luck."

Zinnia shoved it into the pocket of her dress.

She grinned at him thankfully and waved goodbye.

And so with a content smile she walked onstage, appearing in the nursery of the Darling's home.

"I won't go to bed. I won't, won't. Nana, it isn't six o'clock yet. Oh dear, oh dear, I shan't love you anymore, Nana. I tell you I won't be bathed, I won't, I won't!" Michael cried fervently.

"Little less noise here," John commanded, attempting to make his voice sound deeper.

"Oh John, you sound like Father!" Zinnia exclaimed onstage.

Yes, she was definitely going to be fine. Zinnia Grace Sinclair completely disappeared as soon as she walked up those wooden stairs. In her place was Wendy Darling, and Zinny would not appear again until the performance was over.

♪ ♫ ♪

The show was a success. Only Michael and Tiger Lily forgot their lines, but even so they managed to quickly improvise. Zinny could still hear the booming applause and that feeling of joy that she felt as she bowed in front of the crowd. It was only after a celebratory dinner and ice cream that she realized she never got the boy's name.

Neverless, when she got home, she slipped the paintbrush into the program and packed it into her trusty old blue shoebox. For safe-keeping.