Peter ✶ [Lost Boy Series #1]

✶Picnic Paradise✶

One week, two weeks, three weeks passed and before I knew it, school had finally come to an end. No more school, no more books, no more teachers-at least until next year. Rejoicing, I was so happy that I wouldn't have to see Brock's face as often and that I wouldn't have to read the long, dreadful passages of textbook material for the next three months. Currently, I was absolutely exhausted from taking final exams and couldn't wait to have a fresh start during senior year.

Throwing a tank top over my head, I peeked out of my bedroom window and saw Peter waving to me from the sidewalk. Over the last three weeks we had spent a lot of time with each other and got to know each other a little better. He found out that I'm deathly afraid of spiders, which was not only embarrassing to me but totally amusing to him. I found out that he finds the sound of water to be very soothing. One day last week, we stopped and chatted by a fountain. He was so relaxed by the water that he nearly fell asleep.

Along with our little trips to the park, skating rink, arcade, and ice cream parlor, Peter had also made sure to do daily exercises with me to help boost my self esteem. First Peter would make me repeat, "I am an amazing person who is worth the whole wide world-and Neverland!" Every time I would mumble the statement or glare at him, he would make me say it all over again. He would make me repeat the statement a minimum number of ten times- not including the times that I was grouchy about doing it.

Every single day, Peter would give me a brand new phrase to repeat and then we would go on some adventurous activity together. He stated that repeating these phrases would help to boost my self esteem, and of course I had to reply with a snarky comment. "What are you, a psychologist?" He would roll his eyes and laugh, and just hearing his laugh seemed to put a little joy into my life.

I found myself slowly opening up to him more and more, giving a little more trust to him as I became more comfortable. Over the last month, we had created lots of memories that I would forever cherish.

Just being with him made me feel more confident about myself because with him, I didn't have to put up a facade. I could just be my normal self, and he accepted me for the way I was. However, today was also a day that I would remember. Today was the day that all of the fun and sunshine that he brought into my life would disappear.

"Beautiful day today, huh?" Asked Peter as he laid back and watched the clouds. The sky was painted such a deep rich blue and the clouds were so puffy that they looked like animal-shaped cotton balls floating through the air. The temperature was about mid seventies, which was enough to make my porcelain skin warm up a bit from the touch of the blazing sun.

"Gorgeous," I replied as I laid down beside him.

"I like the sunlight was more than I like the moonlight. In Neverland, it's always dark. I mean of course the moonlight is beautifully breathtaking, but there's only so much you can do in eternal darkness. I prefer the sunlight, where you can see all forms of beauty for what they truly are," He said as a smile pushed up his cheeks.

We pondered in silence for a little while until I spoke up. "Cloud watching. This is something we should do more often," I said as I turned to face him.

His face tensed up a bit as he slightly smiled. "Hah, I could only wish."

"What? You don't want to?" I tested. "So you can do all of these activities but as soon as I recommend one, you back out? That's no fair dude."

"It's not that...," he responded as he avoided making eye contact. A pang of nervousness formed in my stomach as my brain computed his words.

"What is it then? If you don't want to, then whatever."

"No, no. Of course I'd love to! It's just.....after today.....," he hesitated as he uncomfortably shifted on the picnic blanket. As much as he avoided eye contact, I could tell that something was wrong from the way that his jaw and neck tensed up. The only time he would tense up like this is when he was nervous or when something was seriously wrong and by the way he was acting I knew something was off.

Sitting up beside him, I looked him in the eye. His beautiful emerald eyes sparkled with a glossy film. They held a certain type of sadness that was infectious. Seeing him like this only made the emotion transfer to my own being, engulfing me in worry and a deepened type of sadness.

"Peter, what are you trying to say?"

Pursing his lips, he sat up and pulled his knees up to his chest, " I have another person I've been assigned to."

Hitting me like a wrecking ball, my stomach sunk deeply inward. Trying to fight back my emotions, a giant lump grew in my throat.

"You're leaving? Is that what you're indirectly trying to tell me?" I asked as tears filled my eyes. As the question escaped my lips, my voice faltered and he seemed to notice. Taken aback by my question, he looked toward the ground and then looked back up as we locked our teary eyes.

Nervously biting his lip, he replied, "I'm afraid so."

© Lightning_Stryker 2016