Peter kicked a stone wall in frustration and immediately drew back, his toe throbbing in pain. A nearby cat hissed at him.
"Go away you stupid, useless cat!" Peter yelled, half heartedly throwing a stick at the animal and missing. The cat yelped and ran away. "I'm sorry," Peter called after the retreating feline, "it's not your fault." The cat disappeared around a corner. "It's Wendy's fault," Peter muttered to himself. "She's the one who doesn't understand what's important." But even as he said it, he could feel that Wendy's responsibilities, her life, was more vital than his, and it made him feel rather insignificant.
He had spent the last several hours wandering around the Grey World, trying to decide whether to go back and talk to Wendy or just go home. He had walked back and forth along a large river, passing the same bridge dozens of times. At first he had been angry, scowling at everyone who walked by and lashing out at various inanimate objects, but as the hours passed he began to regret his behavior towards Wendy. Perhaps he had only been thinking of himself. Perhaps he had been wrong in disrupting her at work.
I have to talk to her, he thought. I can't go back to Neverland feeling like this. Buoyed by his resolve, he headed towards Wendy's flat, secretly hoping that her mother would not be home. He climbed up the wall to her window and was about to pull out his unlatching cork when he saw two people come into the room. The first was Wendy, looking somehow lovelier than she had earlier in the day. The second was a slender, blonde young man who made great gestures with his hands when he spoke. Even through the sealed window, Peter could hear his voice clearly.
"I had hidden the squirrel in her underwear drawer because I thought it to be the softest place for it to sleep, and then I quite forgot about it until the next morning when I heard my aunt screaming and banging about her closet. I ran upstairs and found her half dressed and dancing madly around with the terrified squirrel clinging to her bottom! She had me scrubbing the toilets for weeks for that one."
Wendy laughed heartily and Peter frowned. She had never laughed like that at his stories. What was more, she looked happy to be in this boy's company. She kept nodding and smiling at him. Peter watched as the blonde boy draped his arm over Wendy's shoulders. He tensed, filled with burning indignation, and was about to break down the window, but with some effort stopped himself, remembering how displeased Wendy had been when he came to see her at the children's home. He chanced another peek at them and saw that they were embracing. He couldn't stand the sight of it for one more second. He rapidly descended the wall and ran all the way to the manhole that led to Neverland.
*****
By the time the Neverbird had flown him down to his house, the fireworks had started. In the events and turmoil of the last few hours, Peter had nearly forgotten that the tournament had even taken place. Right now everybody would be on the beach, having a fantastic meal and celebrating the champion, which had always been him. But now it was someone else and Peter didn't care to find out who. But he also didn't want to be alone with his thoughts. His heart sank a little more every time he recalled Wendy with that other boy, and he desperately wanted a distraction. He found himself heading to the Silver Mountains and knocking on Tink's door.
"Peter! Where have you been?"
Peter opened his mouth, but Tink shook her head.
"Never mind, I know where you've been," she said, ushering him inside her small room and sitting in her rolling chair. "You should have seen the tournament, Peter. You wouldn't believe how exciting it is when you're not here."
Perplexed, Peter raised his eyebrows, but didn't have time to respond before Tink started talking again.
"Some of the tasks were really strange. There was a singing competition. Did you know Slightly can sing?"
"Yes, actually." Peter often caught Slightly belting at the top of his lungs near the waterfalls.
"Oh," said Tink, apparently a bit put out. "Well, they had to design something to fill up the pit, and there was a pretty tricky challenge at the end, but Curly won. And then he almost died."
"What?"
"There was a small earthquake in the sand dunes."
"How did that happen?"
Tink exhaled, looking suddenly tired. "It was the Essentia again. It keeps having fluctuations and imbalances. I can't figure out the pattern or the cause. Some people still think I'm the one causing it."
"That's nice," Peter said absently, staring at the wall.
"What?! They think I'm trying to sabotage Neverland!"
Peter started. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was thinking of something else."
"It's Wendy, isn't it?"
Peter sighed. "Yes. She was with another boy."
Tink leaned forward, a mix of emotions crossing her features, but then she leaned back and folded her arms across her chest.
"Well, I guess you deserve it," she said smugly.
"What? Why?"
"Karma. You know, you hurt someone, someone hurts you. It's just a vicious cycle of love and pain."
Just then the door opened and Curly came bounding in.
"Hey Tink, I brought you some feast food! You should try these crab cakes!" He turned and saw Peter and all the energy drained from his face. "Oh, Peter, you're back."
"Yeah. Congratulations on winning the tournament," Peter said with little conviction.
"Thanks," Curly replied in the same tone.
They stared at each other for a few moments until Peter spoke up again.
"So, I was talking to Tink..."
"Actually," Tink cut in, "Curly and I have some important things to discuss. We're going to do a job in the Grey World for Captain Hook and we've got to work out the details. So if you wouldn't mind..." she gestured at the door.
"Oh, that's fine," Peter said as he finally realized what she was implying. "I'll just go." He had hardly ever been asked to leave Tink's house, and it stung him more than he thought it would. He walked out the door and headed home, feeling more lonely than he had in years.