Chapter Text
Wendy had been a dancer all of her life. It was the only thing she truly enjoyed, was truly passionate about. Her life was one of order, not a hair out of place in her bun not a single run in her tights. She knew all the rules of technique and followed them to a tee. Technically she was perfect and precise, never a sickled foot or misplaced hand, but she was not completely passionless in her extreme technicality. There was something wild hidden in her dancing. Some tried to restrain that passion, to turn her into a technical robot, but it could not be subdued. It was always there, in the glimmer of her eye as she whipped her head around during a perfect triple pirouette. It was in the flick of her leg as she did multiple fouttes centre stage. It was always just hidden under the surface. Sometimes that wildness scared her, so she tried to lock it up and became the cold technical dancer, but is was always there, always visible to those who knew how to look for it.
Wendy was what everyone called a “turner”. She was the best at her studio. She could do a triple as easily as normal people walk. With turns one has to be controlled, otherwise you’ll fall right out of them before you’ve even finished a single. Yet, there was something wild in the way Wendy performed her turns. She would whip around in at a dizzying speed, going faster and faster until she was practically a blur. She had a way of attacking her turns from start to finish, beating her heal down during fouttes like a jungle drum. Even though she feared that wild side, it was always there beneath the control, even in her turns.
Wendy was a star student, overshadowed by none, except Peter.
Peter could never compare to Wendy technically, but what he lacked in technique he more than made up for in raw passion and strength. He did not have Wendy’s control, but he had just as much talent. His talent was raw and untamed. His turns were precariously wild, his kicks as sharp as a sword. He hated ballet, couldn’t stand the rules and regulations, but he took a special liking to tap. Ballet was calm and graceful, but with tap he could be aggressive. He could stomp and kick, never worrying about where his arms were placed. He was amazing at it, able to make all the little, complicated movements with his feet quickly and precisely. Unlike Wendy he hated turns, he hated the restraint they required. His talent was for jumps. His jumps were so powerful he seemed to fly through the air. It almost seemed like he could grande jete right over the other dancer’s heads. He loved to do multiple jumps in a row, his feet barely grazing the ground, a devilishly handsome smile on his face. Wendy may have been a star student, but Peter was a star, his place belonged in the sky.
Despite the fact that Wendy and Peter were the best students at the Neverland School of Dance, they were not friends. In fact they hated each other.
“Ugh there’s Peter showing off again. He thinks he’s so great just because he got to do two solos in last year’s recital.”
The words of Wendy’s best friend Tiger Lily brought her out of her daydream and back into the real world. The two of them were stretching on the side of the room while they waited for their jazz class to begin.
“I know right.” She rolled her eyes “He’s not that good. He’s got no control just look at those turns. I don’t know what Miss Tink sees in him.”
Peter was in the centre of the floor doing some solo combination that he had probably just come up with on the spot. Instead of stretching like all the others he would spend the beginning of class trying incredibly dangerous jumps that most people would be crazy to do. He had no fear though, he was cocky like that. There was a saying at the studio “When it comes to jumps Pan never fails”. Wendy thought it was pretty stupid, but Pan loved it. He also loved the attention that he got from the group of girls in the class. Many of them were so obsessed with him and would applaud his every move. Wendy and Tiger Lilly were not those girls, so they turned their backs to him with scorn and continued to stretch.
If Wendy was honest she was a little jealous of Tiger Lily, even if she knew she was considered the better dancer. What Tiger Lilly lacked in skill she more than made up for in beauty. She was naturally gorgeous without even a hint of makeup. Her tan skin was flawless, never a blemish to be found. Her shiny dark hair went down to her knees and even though every teacher constantly scolded her for it, it was almost never in a bun. She preferred to have her hair in a ponytail, free to swing behind her as she danced. She was tall and lean, with just the right amount of muscle. She attracted all the attention of the boys both in school and dance class. Everyone wanted to date her, but she would have none of them. She was a strong and independent woman, who would rather die than be the pet of some boy. To top it all off she was probably the most flexible girl Wendy had ever seen. At that moment she was all the way down in her straddle laying her stomach flat on the floor. It was incredible.
Wendy knew she was pretty and knew she was the best female dancer in the studio, but she never really attracted the attention of the boys like Tiger Lilly did. She did attract the attention of her dance teachers though. She was a bit of a teacher’s pet in dance, always doing the right thing. She enjoyed the attention it got her, but she had grown so tired of following all the rules.
Soon Miss Tink walked in and class began. After warm up the class lined up at the side of the room to do progressions across the floor. Wendy was always in the first group, eager to begin. Peter on the other hand was always in the last group, the group that got the most attention from the rest of the class. Wendy thought it was a good arrangement, that way the two of them never had to interact. She went out of her way not to be associated with him, he on the other hand seemed to enjoy trying to get under her skin.
“Nice jump.” He sneered at her after she had just done a tour jete that she was rather unhappy with. “It was like a little baby bird trying to learn how to fly. Why don’t you watch how it’s really done.”
To Wendy’s annoyance he then did the same progression perfectly, with a jump so high that even Wendy had to agree it was good.
This is how every class they were in together was. Peter making a point of trying to prove how much better than Wendy he was and Wendy making a point of trying to look like she completely ignored him, even if in actuality he got under her skin.
“Peter and Wendy come to my office. I want to speak to both of you.” Miss Tink said as class ended.
Wendy wasn’t worried. She knew it was nothing bad, it was just the time of year when the teachers handed out solos and duets. She cheerfully headed to Miss Tink’s office certain she was getting a new solo, while Peter followed silently behind her.
Tink was already there when they arrived, sitting behind her desk writing down a few notes. They waited for her to finish up and acknowledge them.
“So as you know it’s that time of year to pick out the solos and duets for this year’s show” she said at last. “And this year we’re going to do things a bit differently. Now I know you two generally do a bunch of solos and duets, but this year you’re only doing one… with each other.”
Wendy’s smile dropped. This was her worst nightmare. Trapped in a room with Pan for an hour to learn a duet. It was going to be absolute torture. It was sure to end terribly as well and then she would have no solo to make up for it either. Peter did not look any more pleased than Wendy, in fact he looked about ready to rip Tink’s heart out.
“I always have a solo.” He said through clenched teeth. “And I already had ideas for a duet with Felix. You can’t make me do this.”
“Well I’m sorry Peter Pan but you’re just going to have to deal with it. I know you like to think you own this studio, but you don’t. I’m the one who makes the decisions here.”
“Well we’ll just have to see about that” he sneered
“No we won’t.” she said sternly “It’s been decided. This will be good for the two of you. You can both teach each other a lot. It will be a lyrical duet and you’ll have rehearsal twice a week. Make sure you show up.”
“That’s fine” answered Wendy timidly.
She was just as mad about this as Peter was, but she was not about to complain about it. She’d just have to suffer for a bit. She was sure as soon as she saw what a disaster this was going to be Miss Tink would change her mind and give her a solo. In the mean time she would just ignore Peter as much as possible.
“You may both leave now.” Said Tink coldly.
Wendy quickly fled the room with Peter right behind her. He slammed the door so hard behind him she was sure he broke it.
“She may think she runs things here but she’s wrong about that.” He muttered “You’re going to exactly what I say for this duet.”
“Thanks what you think.” She said coolly as she walked away.
As soon as she left the office she texted Tiger Lily and told her all about what happened. She was as angry about is Wendy was. They agreed to meet up early before ballet class the next day to discuss what could be done about this.
“I can’t believe she’s making you do that!” Said Tiger Lilly when she arrived.
“I don’t get it either” said Wendy with a sigh
“What are you supposed to learn from him? How to be a cocky jerk?”
“I really don’t know what she was thinking. I just can’t wait for it to be over with”
“So when’s your first rehearsal?”
“Today after ballet.”
“Well good luck with that.”
Their conversation had to end there. It was time for class and after that it was time for Wendy to spend an hour trying to deal with Pan.
Mr. Killian, or Hook as everyone called him, some sort of joke about bad dancing and old fashioned stage practices, was going to be choreographing their duet. At least that’s what Wendy had been told. When they entered the studio they were rehearsing in he was already there, as he had just taught the class beforehand, but he was packing up his stuff to leave.
“I thought you were choreographing our duet?” asked Wendy
“No, sorry love. That’s up to you two. I have other plans. I was told to leave this CD for you though” replied Hook with a grin.
“You can’t leave me alone here with him” she said, already angry and flustered at the thought.
“Not my decision I’m just following orders.” He said as he walked out the door.
Pan had remained oddly quiet during this exchange, glaring at Hook as he told them his orders. He only spoke up after Hook left.
“He’s so whipped.” He sneered. “I would never let a girl tell me what to do. Everyone knows he’s sleeping with Tink.”
“Well I didn’t know that.” She said, annoyed. “But I don’t think he’s ‘whipped’ just because he listens to a girl. Honestly why does it matter? We have more important things to discuss like what we’re supposed to do about this dance.”
Wendy popped the CD Hook had gave them into the CD player. She had no idea what Tink had in mind for them but she hoped for the best as the song began to play.
It was a slow, sad, love song. Her feelings for Peter could not be further from the ones expressed in the song.
Peter rolled his eyes “A sappy love song, wonderful.”
“I think it’s pretty, ill fitting, but pretty.” She said.
“Of course you do” he rolled his eyes again. “I’m sure you’d much rather be dancing to it with that Baelfire boy.”
“Bae and I are just friends.” She said defensively. “I know friendship is a hard concept for you to grasp, but it’s true.”
“I have friends.” He snapped back. “And he’s a little too nice to you for just friends.”
“Friends are nice to each other, that’s part of the deal” she was getting more and more annoyed by the second. “That does not mean we’re a couple. No one ever tries to claim you and Felix are a couple. Honestly why does any of this matter? If I didn’t know you better I’d swear you were jealous or something, but I’m sure the ‘Great Peter Pan’ is never jealous of anyone.”
“Whatever. Let’s just get this dance over with.” He mumbled as he pressed pause on the CD player.
After that things went surprisingly well for the rest of rehearsal. Peter was not kind, but he was cordial, and they managed to get things done without fighting. They both had good ideas for choreography and things got done quickly. Wendy hated to admit it, but it was actually a little fun dancing with Peter. He really was good, especially at partnering. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
As she was walking out the door after rehearsal ended she got a text from Tiger Lily.
“So how bad was it?”
“Not as bad as I thought. I mean were not going to be bffs or anything but this might not be a disaster” was her reply,
“I wouldn’t trust him. Remember who we’re talking about. He always gets his way, even if it means hurting people. I wouldn’t put it past him to drop you on purpose.” Said Tiger Lily’s text.
“I don’t know. I don’t think he’s that bad.” She replied
“Are you getting soft on me?”
“No, just trying to be optimistic. Speaking of people going soft, I’ve been hearing some talk about you and Felix.”
“Ugh stupid rumours. I’ve gotta go”
A few days later they had their next duet practice and it was much like the last one. Peter was polite to Wendy, if a little cold, and Wendy was the same. Though they were not friends, they were trying not to annoy each other. They had now choreographed about 30 seconds of the dance and Wendy had to admit it was turning into a really beautiful dance.
“What if we put a grand jete here?” Wendy suggested.
“Hm. That would work,” he said hesitantly “but only if you let go a bit, be less uptight, it would help your jumps over all really.”
“My jumps are just fine.” She replied defensively “I don’t need help with them.”
“You and I both know that’s not true” he rolled his eyes at her. “You’re too uptight. Keep your shoulders down, your neck long, and stop worrying about falling. It’s like flying, you can’t think about it so much. I know you can do it, I’ve seen you dancing in here by yourself. You’re always so free, but then the moment you get in front of people you get so tense. You’re too worried about looking perfect.”
Normally Wendy would be offended by Peter correcting her, but what he was saying was true and she knew it. She was too worried about being in control, about looking perfect to everyone else. Maybe she did need to let go and have fun with it.
“All right, I’ll try.” She said.
They went through the dance again and Wendy followed his advice. She was nervous with him around, but she let go a bit while she was dancing. It was fun and freeing to be less controlled all the time. She really did feel like she was flying, and she felt powerful. She hadn’t felt this happy in a long time. She hated to say it, but Tink was right, there was something she could learn from Peter after all.
As the weeks went on and Wendy spent more and more time with Peter she started to see him almost as a friend. He was still cocky and showed off all the time, but it didn’t get under her skin as much. They had come to an understanding. They were nicer to each other, they helped each other. Sometimes they even talked to each other about things other than dance, their lives, their families, their favourite movies, and whatever else came to mind. On some days they talked more than they danced. They didn’t exactly have a ton in common, but their differences of opinion only made the conversation more interesting. They would fight all the time, but playfully, about little stupid stuff, without any intention of hurting each other. Wendy was starting to see him as an actual person, one she could be friends with. It was a surprise, but a nice change compared to the egotistical, annoying, mean boy he used to be. What surprised her even more was that she was starting to look forward to rehearsals, not just because she got to dance, but because she got to see him.
“So for this part of the dance I think we need something really exciting. Something really powerful” Wendy said as she walked into rehearsal one day, her excitement overflowing.
“Ok. Did you have anything in mind?” asked Peter.
“Well I’ve always wanted to do a lift.” Her eyes lit up as she said it.
“Oh,” he sounded hesitant “Well… alright, but aren’t you worried I’ll drop you?”
“No, I trust you. I really do.”
“Well then… I guess we’ll try it.” He sounded worried
He grabbed her by the waist and for a brief moment Tiger Lily’s warning about him dropping her on purpose flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed back those fears. Before she knew it his strong arms were lifting her high above his head. She arched her back and threw her head backwards so she could see the floor. Her arms went up over her head and she felt free and graceful. Again, with Peter’s support, she was able to let go, to stop being so afraid of failing. She was a bird, a swan, flying gracefully above the world. All too soon he put her back down. The disappointment of having her feet back on the ground was quickly erased by the huge grin that spread across Peter’s face.
“I did it!” he exclaimed, awfully proud of himself.
She chuckled “Yes, you did it.”
“I knew I could do it! I told you I wouldn’t drop you!” he said, practically jumping up and down from glee.
“Actually it was I who told you.” She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “But you should be proud of yourself. Do calm down a little though, you’re starting to sound like a crowing rooster.”
“I can be a rooster if I want to” he teased. “In fact now that you mention it I think I will crow.” To Wendy’s embarrassment he did just that.
“Shhhh Peter stop that people will hear.” She said between laughs, “You’re such a dork. Come on let’s get back to work.”
“Fine, but can we do it again?”
“I’d like that.”
That was a turning point in their relationship. Suddenly they became friends, constantly laughing at each other, making jokes that only the two of them would understand. He started calling her Wendy bird, because of her new talent for “flying.” She gave him her number, with the pretence that he could text her if he had any good ideas for the dance, and they started texting each other nonstop. She was checking her phone so much that Tiger Lilly got suspicious. Finally she broke down and told her that she was now friends with her former enemy. At first Tiger Lily was disgusted with the idea, but she trusted her friends judgment. If Wendy said he wasn’t a bad guy then he must not be.
Pan of course made an effort to ignore Wendy whenever he was with Felix and the other boys. Though Wendy understood why he did it, a part of her was still hurt that wouldn’t acknowledge her in front his friends. It sort of sounded stupid, but she wanted to show off her new friendship to them. She wanted to show them that there was nothing wrong with being friends with a girl. If she was honest with herself what she really wanted was more than a friendship with him. She wasn’t proud of it, but a little part of her, a part that kept growing and growing, wanted him as a boyfriend. A few months ago she would’ve been disgusted by the thought, but now it seemed pretty nice. Once after rehearsal, they went out to eat, nothing fancy just at a diner. The waitress kept saying how cute of a couple they were, no matter how many times Peter tried to convince her that the two of them were only friends. Wendy never said anything about it though, she wouldn’t tell Peter this, but she wished it was a date the entire time they were out. The only thing that would’ve made the date more perfect was it being official.
She doubted Peter ever felt the same way about her. She wasn’t his type. His type was the tall, skinny, big chested girls that fawned all over him in class. They weren’t particularly talented, but the little bra tops they wore certainly got his attention. Wendy had always thought of them as slutty, but something about those tops made them practically sirens to the boys in class, especially Pan. It seemed like every week he was flirting with a different one of them. Wendy knew she looked nothing like them. She was thin, but she was petite, and she was just barely a B cup. Their hair were all bright shiny shades of blonde or red, while hers was a muddy mix of brown and blonde. She could never dress like them either, she was barely even comfortable in her tight one-piece leotard and shorts. So no matter how much she liked Peter, she knew friendship was as far as she would ever get with him.
The week before the show they had finally finished choreographing the dance. It had taken a while, but it was worth the effort, it was perfect. Now their last rehearsal was all about running the dance over and over. Making sure they knew it, making sure they were perfectly in synch. Wendy was still a perfectionist so she wanted no mistakes when they finally performed this piece in front of an audience. It wasn’t just about her looking perfect like it usually was, it was about them looking perfect, together.
Unfortunately they didn’t get to start on time that day because Wendy’s ballet class ran late. Peter didn’t take ballet anymore, too strict for his tastes, so he was already in the other studio when she walked in. She was surprised to see Felix there as well, she knew he had tap class with Pan beforehand, but he normally left right away. He had never stuck around for their duet before. They were talking about something, and Wendy felt a bit awkward disrupting them so she waited in the doorway for them to finish.
“So how’s that duet going?” asked Felix
“How do you think its going? It’s Wendy Darling” he said her name as if he had just taken a mouthful of something rancid. Wendy’s heart dropped into her stomach.
“I figured as much. She’s such a know it all. It’s annoying. I don’t know how you deal with her for more than five minutes.”
“Well she’s no less annoying one on one, trust me. And it’s not like she’s hot enough to make up for it either. Let’s face it I’ve dated some pretty obnoxious girls, but they were hot so I dealt with it, they shut up as soon as you put your dick in them anyway. She’s so frigid though she’d never even go for that.”
“She’s not even worth it really. I’ve got to admit, her friend is pretty hot, but she’s just as frigid though.”
“Not really my type, you can have her. Anyway you better get going. The little perfect princess will be here any minute. It’s a shame we didn’t get to do our duet, it would’ve been awesome.”
“I know right. I’ll see you later. Good Luck with her.” He walked out through the door on the opposite side of the room, to Wendy’s relief.
Wendy knew Pan ignored her around his friends, but this, this was different. She never knew he talked about her with them like this. This hit her right in her core. It could’ve been an act, but then again so could’ve all the things he said to her. He could have been making a fool out of her, laughing at her behind her back for falling for him and his lies. He probably was. That sounded more like the Pan she knew than any of the things he had said to her when they were alone. She had been such an idiot. She was never going to be his type of girl. Why had she even wanted to be? She had fallen right into his trap and she hated herself for doing so. Tiger Lily was right all along. Why had she trusted him? She had thought this was some sort of fairy tale romance, where the princess awakens the heart of gold within the demon. This was real life, not a book. She felt stupid, childish, and betrayed. She wanted to run from the room and lock herself in her car so she could cry for as long as she wanted. It was too late for that though, Pan had spotted her walking in the door. He seemed completely unaware that she had just overheard the entire conversation. She wasn’t going to let him know how he had hurt her, wasn’t going to let him see her cry. For the good of the dance she would power through. It was only one more rehearsal and then the show. She would get through this. She bit her lip and walked into the room.
“Hi, Wendy bird. Took you long enough to get here.” Her heart sunk at the playful grin he gave her as he said it, “Did Miss Tink make you walk with books on your head in ballet or something?”
“No,” she replied coldly. “Let’s just get this over with.”
His smile dropped as she gave her terse reply. He seemed almost hurt by her coldness. She was glad she was able to hurt him a little.
“Fine.” He said, not even looking at her.
They went through the dance again, as if everything was normal, but there was no longer the same connection and synchronization they had before. Then they got to the lift and fear gripped Wendy’s heart. She remembered what Tiger Lily had said about him dropping her on purpose, and for the first time she didn’t doubt the possibility. He was willing to hurt her emotionally, why not physically too. It would be perfect, she’d break her leg right before the show, and he’d get out of that terrible duet. He could probably improvise a solo, he was good at that. Then he’d get to be the star of the show like he wanted. The more she thought about it the more certain it seemed and the more afraid she became. When he lifted her up in the air, she forgot everything she was supposed to do. She was as stiff as a board. She couldn’t arch her back. It was throwing off the precarious balance off the lift. She started to fall, luckily not backwards but so that her feet wacked the ground hard. Peter was thrown off balance and fell backwards, catching himself with his hands just in time. Her head landed on his chest with a thud.
“I’m so sorry.” he sounded upset, but Wendy knew he was a good actor. “That was my fault.”
“It’s fine.” She replied, still coldly. “No broken bones.”
“Do you want to get some water and then try again in a few minutes?”
“No actually I think maybe I should go home. Rest up in case my foot bruises. Anyway, you know what they say a bad rehearsal makes for a good performance. I’ll see at the show,”
“Oh…Ok…If that’s what you want. I’ll see you then I guess.”
He looked genuinely pained by her cold attitude. For a minute Wendy felt bad, maybe he was lying to Felix, maybe she should give him a break. But did that matter? Even if he was lying he shouldn’t have said those things. He shouldn’t be ashamed to be friends with her. She had told Tiger Lily about them why couldn’t he tell Felix? She would never feel sorry for him. Nothing could excuse what he said.
A few days later it was time for the end of year recital. Wendy arrived at the auditorium early to make sure she claimed a good spot in the girl’s dressing room. Things got crowded quickly and she wanted one of the spots in front of the makeup mirror. She was the first there so she set her stuff down on the table and started doing her make up. She sat in the quiet room thinking about the show ahead, more specifically about her duet with Peter. She was still hurt by what he said, but she wanted the show to go well. She couldn’t fall in front of an audience. She’d be mortified. Her parents were going to be there watching, her brothers John and Michael too, if they didn’t fall asleep. She didn’t want to look stupid in front if all of them. Despite her anger she was also still a perfectionist, and if she had to perform a dance she wanted it to look good. So she would pretend that nothing had happened. They were just two dancers dancing a duet, two professionals. There was no real emotion between them, just acting. That’s all there ever was and ever would be. Whether or not that was true was another story, but that’s what Wendy had to tell herself to get through the dance.
Wendy had wanted to tell Tiger Lily everything, but it couldn’t be done over the phone, it had to be done in person. Everyone had been so busy this week that today was the first time she would get to see her since the incident. She had hoped to talk to her before the show started, but they swept away in preparations that they could never get a moment alone together. There was hair to be done, costumes to be hung up, and props to prepare. Before she knew it the show was starting and they were going on stage for the opening number, one of the many Wendy would perform that night. It wasn’t until near the end of the first act that Wendy got to talk to her alone, in the wings of the stage.
“So how has that duet between you and Peter been going?” Tiger Lily whispered. “From the way you talk about him I’m assuming rehearsals have transformed into make out sessions?”
“Yeah about that…” Wendy mumbled.
“Or are you sleeping together already?” she asked with a chuckle.
“No!” Wendy exclaimed a bit too loudly, people began to shush her in the wings. She lowered her voice. “It’s not like that at all. Actually I think he hates me…
“Well I’m not entirely surprised, but how’d you figure that out?”
“I overheard him talking to Felix. He said I was annoying and ugly and other things…” she thought it was best not to mention what they had said about her friend. ”And then in rehearsal he dropped me…”
“That little shit.” She interrupted far too loudly. “There he is now. I’m going to go punch him in the face.”
“No!” Wendy grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards before she could walk over to Peter. “He’s about to go on stage, and we need his face for the show. Maybe afterwards you can.”
“Fine.” She said, practically gritting her teeth.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, watching Peter and Felix in the boys’ tap class. They were dancing to “The Kings of New York” from Newsies. Peter was the star of course. He loved the attention, loved the idea of being King. Peter was nothing if not arrogant. As angry as she was Wendy was impressed by and jealous of his talent in tap. Tap was the one thing she never felt she was good at. She was never good at hitting all those sharp movements, she was soft and graceful. She should have known she would never get along with Peter, they were too different.
“So what are you going to do about the duet?” asked Tiger Lilly, breaking the silence.
“I’m just going to try to get through it the best I can. Then I’ll never speak to him again.”
Tiger Lily never got the chance to respond. The tap class was coming off stage and it was time for their ballet class to make their entrance.
Their ballet was the last number in the first act. Then there was a 15 minute intermission. She was going to go relax in the dressing room while she waited for the second act, but her friend Zarina asked her to help her go over the next dance backstage. She was too nice to say no, so before she knew it Act 2 was starting again. She never did get to go back into the dressing room.
When she walked offstage after the opening of the second act her stomach dropped. It was the moment she was dreading all night, the duet. She walked into the dressing room to change and found something unexpected lying on top of her costume on the table. It was a pure white rose with a note tied around the stem with a green ribbon. At first Wendy thought the rose was from her parents. She figured her mother had probably dropped it off while she was helping Zarina. She thought it was so sweet of them to have thought of giving her something to cheer her up during intermission, rather than waiting for the end of the show. When she opened the note though, she realized it was not her mother’s hand writing. She read the note with shaky hands.
To my Wendy bird,
I’m sorry. I know you heard what I said to Felix. I didn’t mean any of it. I know that’s no excuse and I know I should have said something sooner but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m sorry. I guess the best way of apologizing would be to tell you the truth, all of it. You have fascinated me from the moment I saw you when we were just kids in dance class. You’re perfect, beautiful, graceful, pure, and unattainable. Yet at the same time there’s always been something wild in you hidden underneath, something I wanted so much to see. I never knew how to act around you. You were sweet and I was a sour little boy. When we got older I started to get attention from teachers, the attention I never got from my parents, and I was jealous and angry at the one person who took the teachers attention away from me, you. So I became determined to get attention from anyone I could. I wanted to get revenge, I wanted to make you miserable. I created a crew of boys who feared me, and respected me, and loved me so long as I remained their cold hearted king. Deep down I think I was hoping you would notice me too, whether it was in hatred or love it didn’t matter, but you always ignored me. Through it all you remained a perfect angel and it fascinated me as much as it angered me. One night I saw you dancing alone in the studio, you were free as a bird, it was my first true glimpse of that wild spirit I had been drawn to as a child. I wanted to capture it, make it mine, but you were always out of my grasp, and I hated you more for it. When Miss Tink told us about the duet I was terrified you would overshadow me, but also terrified you’d continue you to ignore me, so I decided I would ignore you first. It was impossible though, I saw that bird again, trying to get out. I wanted to let it free so I could make it my own. And to my surprise it happened, you let go. You talked to me, you laughed with me, and you flew with me. I set the bird free, and it was so beautiful I couldn’t let it be captured again. Instead I found myself in a cage. I couldn’t let anyone know how I felt about you, I couldn’t let them see that the cold hearted demon named Peter Pan had fallen in love with an angel named Wendy Darling. So I ignored you and I lied to everyone until eventually you flew away from me, and now I think I’ve lost you for ever. I’m sorry, I was afraid of losing my crown, but I’m even more afraid of losing you. It’s like our song says, without you I’m lost in this world. Please forgive me.
Your lost boy,
Peter
It was a lot to take in right before going on stage. She wasn’t sure how she felt. Did she forgive him? Not entirely. His words still hurt even if they weren’t true. She still worried about whether or not she could trust him. She wondered if this would even be worth all the trouble. She wouldn’t agree to some secret relationship if that was what he was after. If he truly loved her he would be willing to make it known to everyone, even to the crew of boys that normally hung around him. So she didn’t instantly forgive and forget, but it was a step towards forgiveness. He would still have to work to regain her trust.
She realized she had wasted a lot of her time reading the note and she had to get on stage soon. She threw on her costume, a thin white lacy dress, almost like a night dress, took a glance in the mirror to make sure she looked ok and headed towards the dressing room door, but before she got there Tiger Lily stopped her.
“Did you get your flower? I saw one lying on top of your stuff.” she asked with a knowing grin.
“Yes. Actually I was wondering how Peter got it in the girl’s dressing room. I mean I wouldn’t be surprised to hear he went in there but I’m pretty sure Miss Tink would’ve had his head if he did. Maybe he had some help?”
“He might have.” She replied with a smirk.
“Thanks, especially since I know you don’t exactly approve.”
“Eh, I may be warming up to him, just a little bit. Who knows maybe you can even set me up with one of his friends.”
Wendy laughed at the rather odd comment. She would’ve liked to have asked Tiger Lily a few more questions, but it was almost time for her number. She wanted to talk to Peter about the note, but they entered from opposite sides of the stage so she wouldn’t have the chance. Instead she gave him a small smile as they stood facing each other in the wings. He returned her smile with a grin that lit up his eyes like a little boy’s. He knew she had gotten her note. That smile almost made Wendy melt, especially when it was paired with his costume, dark green pants and no shirt. The note had gone a long way towards helping her forgive him, and those abs weren’t hurting matters either.
The lights went down, the music started, and Wendy took a deep breath before walking onstage with Peter. It was as if things had never changed. She could feel that same connection linking their bodies as they danced in unison. She felt free again, dancing with him. With him she wasn’t so worried about control and perfection. She could let go and enjoy it. She could live in the moment. She was an uncaged bird.
It was time for the lift. Despite having several good reasons to, Wendy didn’t feel afraid. After everything that happened she trusted him. She felt his hands go around her waist and in seconds she was lifted high over his head. She closed her eyes and let her head go back as she arched. She had missed flying.
They were coming towards the end of the dance now, and Wendy was a bit disappointed. She was proud of them, they were dancing perfectly, but she didn’t want it to end. She could dance like this with him her entire life. It felt so easy and natural, like she had been born to dance with him and no one else. She looked at Peter to see if he felt the same, but she noticed he had a funny look in his eye. He looked nervous. Never in her life did she think she’d see Peter Pan nervous on stage. She didn’t get time to think much about though because sooner than she realized they were at the end of the dance. Their ending pose was supposed to have been Peter holding his arms around Wendy’s waist while they looked into each other’s eyes, but to Wendy’s surprise he kissed her right there, on stage, in front of everyone. It was the longest and most passionate kiss she had ever experienced. Normally she would have been embarrassed to be caught kissing a boy like this in public, let alone in front of an audience, but she was lost in the moment. He had shown the world he loved her. Given up his crown and his loyal subjects for her. He had also found a way to make himself the centre of attention in the process, but Wendy didn’t mind, as long as they shared the spotlight.