Neverland - Peter Pan - OUAT Fanfiction

Chapter 10 - Opportunities

Sounds came into sharp focus around me. Birds singing. The soft murmur of voices outside my tent. And slow...deep... breathing. My eyes shot open and a figure bending over me filled my view. It was Byron. He was just staring at me, his eyes flicking up and down my body in quick movements. The look on his face was one of a ravenous dog who had found a meal.

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                                                       Liam's Point of View

She had taken our lives by storm. I don't think she realized the impact she was having on our tight knit group. The younger boys were enamored by her and the older ones...well, I don't know if they knew what to think. Nate was going haywire. His erratic behavior was ridiculous. It wasn't like he had never been a bully, but this was a bit extreme even for him. I suspected that a few of them, Byron most noticeably had taken an interest in her...in a not so lovely way. I wasn't sure exactly what would come of her being here...Pan seemed more reserved than usual...he had been away from camp more than normal as well. Something was up. Pan was only distant when necessary...he must have a lot on his mind or be planning something...or maybe both. I wondered how much Pan actually knew about her. He seemed to be ignoring her for the most part...but I knew better. He was watching her...but why?

Absorbed in my thoughts it wasn't until I heard screaming that I looked up. There was a shout from inside one of the tents.

"GET OUT!!!!!!" came a girl's yell, and a boy's body stumbled backwards out of the tent's opening and landed on the ground. It was Byron. A boot followed shortly after, hitting Byron directly in the jaw. There was a number of unstifled chuckling throughout the camp as we watched Byron struggle, undignified to his feet. I noticed the small figure of the girl sliding under the fabric at the back of the tent and scramble to her feet, running into the woods. The shock on Byron's face transformed into fury and he stormed back into the tent.

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I was running. Did want to? Yes. Did I know why? No. My mind pulsed with thoughts and my heart fought with emotions. I was tired, angry...scared. Was running the right thing to do? Unsure of anything, I sprinted on. Forest scenery flew by, branches whipping my face and arms. The farther I got from camp the more I wanted to be rid of the people there. Hateful Nate, repulsive Byron, the whole judgmental lot of them. Pan. Why did my heart quicken at the thought of him? He was just as bad as the rest. Overly confident...though he may have a reason to be...he wasn't like the rest of them, the air of authority he carried seemed to have some weight to it.

I realized I was gasping for breath and slowed to a walk, tired of trying to outrun my thoughts. I needed to come up with a plan...something to earn some respect from the boys...I had no ideas though. I drank in big gulps of air and sat down on a mossy rock, trying to steady my rapidly beating heart. I would just have to take any opportunity I could get to prove myself...and be ready when one came. The initiation was a start, but it was becoming apparent that I would have to do more than that.

I rested my head in my hands, pulling my legs up close with my elbows on my knees. My bare feet throbbed from the dash across pine needles, rocks and other debris. It was just the same here as anywhere else; trying to fit in at the foster care unit, in the foster homes, at every new school. Why was it so hard?