The Little Shop

The Peter Pan Costume

The Peter Pan Costume in which we rescue a girl and tell a story.

DADDY

We drove in silence, weaving through traffic as the cars around us sped past, as if everyone in the world was traveling away from the place we were headed. Life feels that way sometimes, like everything is working the opposite way you are. I can hear Niall drumming on his knees in the seat behind mine, but I don't comment on it. Zayn is to my left, running his fingertips along the seat between us. 

The scenery began looking more and more familiar as we got closer to our destination, and I could feel the gears shifting in my head, coming up with a game plan. How long as AJ been living like this? Crazy alcoholic grandmother, con artist mother, clothes that don't fit... I felt the tingling sensation in my stomach, the nerves popping up again. What if we're too late? 

It's only been about six minutes since we called her back, so it's not as if we've broken our promise to her. But what if her grandmother found her hiding in the coat closet and got cross with her or something? What if she's hurt, or worse?

"Liam, calm down, we'll be there in like two minutes," Harry promised, assuring me. I don't know how he could tell; he couldn't even see my face from where he sat behind me in the dimly-lit car, but I was grateful for his reassurance. Was he right, though? Would we really make it in time to help? Damn it, Liam, you're so dramatic. This isn't an episode of One Tree Hill... 

"Here, stop here!" Zayn calls out. I can see the house at the end of the block, but we're all too impatient to let them park in the driveway, so I fling my door open and leap out of the car, bounding down the sidewalk with ever-energized Niall at my heels. I swear, if I had to peg one person out of all of us to be a cheerleader, it would be Niall. He never seems to run out of energy and damn, that boy can jump.

I could feel my heart wanting to beat clean out of my chest as I cut across the front lawn and bounded up the porch steps, my breath getting a bit shallow. Without hesitation, and before I could over-think it, I let my knuckles pound hard against the door, sucking in large amounts of nippy air. I glanced at my watch, saw how late it was, and almost yawned at the sight of the time. 

"SCARLETT OPEN THE DOOR!" I commanded, using the last bits of courage I had left in me. Niall was there a second later, panting as he leaned on my shoulder, his eyes watering from the wind whipping across them. I took in a deep, shaky breath before testing the door handle. Unlocked. Niall and I shared a look as the others joined us on the porch, hands shoved in pockets and sniffling from the cold. "It's unlocked," I announce.

"Go in, then," Louis says, stepping forward, poised to take matters into his own hands- literally.

"We can't just walk into someone's house," I protest. Louis simply rolls his eyes at me and slides my hand off the doorknob, turning it with his own reddened fingertips. He didn't look as completely and totally sure as he typically did, but none the less, the opened the door and brushed past me, walking inside. 

I remembered the layout from earlier; dining room to the left and family room to the right. I didn't remember seeing a coat closet anywhere, and I couldn't hear anything, so I let all the others follow Louis first, bringing up the rear and shutting the door behind me. I could hear footsteps and see headlights in the window outside, but I ignored them, figuring they'd keep their distance so long as we didn't call for them.

"AJ?" Harry calls out in a nuetral tone. I was about to do the same, if I'm honest, but I was worried my voice would betray me. With a deep breath, we all fall silent and motionless, no one dares to move, waiting for a reply.