The Real Peter Pan

• Chapter 15 •

"Saftey is more important than convenience."
-Dan Hambidge

It takes me about 30 minutes to convince Claire to come downstairs and have some tomato juice to rid of her hangover. We begin to walk down the steps when she stops.

"Brennan... I can't do this." She gasps. "I can't see him."

I press my lips in a line. "Yes you can, show him he didn't get to you."

She seems to think it over before nodding and continuing into the kitchen.

Only Nicolas sits at the counter smacking on his toast. When he sees us he nearly chokes.

"Uh... Good morning?"

"Morning." I reply. Claire just stares at her feet. I walk over and pull out a glass and the tomato juice.

"Here." I smile handing it to her.

She nods."Thanks."

I sit down at the table and Claire joins on the other side in-between Nicolas and I. After five minutes of silence Peter stomps into the kitchen grabs an apple; then plunges himself on another chair that surrounds the table.

Then the tension begins. I hear another set of footsteps and look up to see Stephan standing in the doorway. Claire freezes facing him and then quickly snapping her glare away. Everyone is silent and I carefully observe Stephan's movements, but before I watch him move to the opposite sides of the room- Claire jolts upward and sprints out of the kitchen covering her mouth.

Throwing my napkin on the table I run after her to the hall bathroom. She kneels in front of the toilet basically puking her brains out. I take her blonde hair in my hands and hold hit behind her. When Claire finally stops she sits up shaking.

"It's so hard seeing him.... I can't do this. I- I need to go." She cries. I nod and help her stand. She flushes the toilet and splashes some water on her face.

Walking back into the kitchen alone I see all the guys sitting at the table silently.

"Is she okay?" Stephan asks. My blood boils and rage fills my chest.

"Okay? She was in there puking because she can't stand to be in the same room as you! (And she's totally hungover but that's not the point) How could you hurt her like that!"

Then I catch something. As he lowers his head, his eyes flicker quickly over to Peter.

I scowl at him.

Peter raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"Did you cause this?!"

He whips his head to Stephan. "What did you say!" He growls through his teeth.

Before Stephan has time to defend himself I spoke.

"You did.... I- I can't believe you would ruin something so precious." I am completely disgusted.

He marches up to me and grips my shoulders. "You wouldn't understand the consequences!"

I step back from him. "And you wouldn't understand mine." I turn around and begin to walk out.

"Where are you going?" He huffs.

"I'm leaving- going home."

The a hand grabs my arm and whips me around painfully. "You can't leave, it's not safe."

I narrow my eyes at Peter and whip from his grasp. "I don't need your protection. I'm not your sister or your girlfriend so just leave me alone."

And I left without any interruptions.

••

"So you really left?" Claire asks as we walk into the school.

Sighing I nod. "Yup."

She gives me a suspicious look. "Why the long face then? I thought you would want to get away from that bastard."

"I do... But as much as I hate admitting it I felt safe with all of them."

"I guess I don't really understand- what are they trying to protect you from anyway?"

We walk in and sit at our desk. "It's funny really."

Her eyebrows raise.

"I don't know either."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I open the door to my home and a force hits me.

"Surprise!"

It takes me a few seconds to rid of my shock but I finally wrap my arms around Declan. "You're home!"

He nods and smiles. My parents come from the kitchen and smile. My smile fades and I glare at them.

"We brought you something." My mother says smiling.

"So I suggest you lose the 'I despise you' before I send him back." My father commands.

Him?

I walk into the kitchen to see something I never thought I would see again.

"Tom!"