Straight On Till Morning

five

Eventually, they all sat in the hideout at a long table eating. The boys all shouted over each other and Emily silently watched with a small smile as she ate, nobody took notice of Wendy’s strange behavior.

“John.” Wendy called out to their brother.

“I wasn’t doing anything!” John laughed with the Lost Boys.

“John!” Wendy said louder with more force.

John turned to Wendy with a raised brow, “Yes?”

“What is your father’s name?”

“My father’s name? Peter.” The Lost Boys cheered before Wendy spoke again, this time to Micheal.

“Micheal, who is your mother?”

“Well, he got the easy one.” Tootles mumbled to John.

“Emily is my mother, Wendy.” answered Micheal.

Emily smiled and tilted her head wondering what Wendy was trying to do.

“And isn’t she just first-class?” Slightly spoke up.

The boys all agreed, causing Emily to send them a smile before Peter came in howling. “There’s a new pirate aboard the Jolly Roger. The mermaids say she is called Red-Handed Jill.”

Emily had heard that name somewhere before but could place where. She tuned out the boys for the most part as they cheered at the new adventure and ran to grab their weapons. Emily absentmindedly moved to do the same when she heard Peter’s next words.

“Fearsome? She’s just a storyteller.” Emily turned around with a glare as she crossed her arms.

“Just a storyteller?” Wendy repeated in disbelief before getting to her feet as she slammed her hand on the table. “Red-Handed Jill may be a brave swordsman.”

The boys all laughed and anger began to bubble in Emily’s stomach.

“A girl like her?”

“Brave or not, I shall run her through!” Peter declared. The boys cheered and Wendy stomped away, leaving Emily to glare harshly at the boys.

“I’m a storyteller.” Emily reminded them, “And I’m just as good with a sword as any of you!”

Peter moved to speak when Wendy reappeared holding a sword and a sneer on her face. “Then ready yourself, Peter Pan, for I am Red-Handed Jill.”

“Wendy?” Emily turned to her sister, the sting of betrayal coursing through her.

Emily moved away from her twin and stood with the Lost Boys, a frown evident on her face.

“‘Tis true, Emily. Your sister has been invited to piracy.”

Peter stepped forward with a stoic stare and Wendy stood straight as she listened to the words of her siblings and Lost Boys. “But, Wendy, Hook is a fiend.”

“And a bounder.”

“On the contrary, I find Captain Hook to be a man of feeling.” Emily’s frown melted into a glare as her sister used what happened between Peter and herself – Emily – against them.

Peter let out a shout as he raised his sword and brought it down onto Wendy’s, the fight was short as Peter knocked the sword out of her hands and placed his sword at her throat.

“Mother, they’re fighting again.”

“Sir, you are both ungallant and deficient.” Wendy told the wild haired boy.

“How am I deficient?”

Wendy shook her head, “You’re just a boy.”

Peter slowly lowered his sword as her words began to sink in. Micheal frowned as he asked, “Are you really to be a pirate, Wendy?”