Never Grow Up

win the whole thing.

8
The Play and the Pet Fairy
ASHLEY
Ashley sat on the floor with her classmates while Mr. Garrett read Peter Pan out loud. Every word had a grip on Ashley’s heart. Already they had read about Peter, the Pirates, and the Lost Boys.
But Ashley was most like Wendy.
The oldest Darling sibling loved pretending things and she was always ready for an adventure. Also, Wendy was nice to her brothers. Ashley thought Wendy’s trek from London to Neverland was a lot like Ashley’s journey from Ann Arbor to Bloomington.
Only with less pixie dust and more smelly gas stations.
No doubt, Ashley and Wendy would’ve been best friends.
Mr. Garrett kept reading. They were at the part where Peter had come to realize that the Lost Boys and Wendy had been captured by Captain Hook. As Peter sets out to rescue the crew, Tinker Bell realizes something.
Hook is trying to destroy Peter Pan.
So Tinker Bell risks her own life to save Peter. And now, her light is fading.
Ashley felt tears at the corners of her eyes. Poor Tinker Bell. But Tink’s act of kindness made Ashley proud of the little fairy.
Tinker Bell had done the right thing for Peter Pan.
“Peter swore this terrible oath.” Mr. Garrett was nearly done with the chapter. “Hook or me this time.” He shut the book and looked at the class.
“Is he gonna take down Hook?” Chris sat near Mr. Garrett’s feet. He hadn’t blinked once during the whole chapter. “Is Pan gonna give him what he deserves?”
Mr. Garrett set the book down. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
Ashley raised her hand. “Mr. Garrett?”
“Yes?” Their teacher looked at her.
“Now. I know Tinker Bell is a fairy.” She twirled a piece of her short hair. “But I was thinking maybe we should get one. You know, for the class.”
Mr. Garrett pressed his lips together and squinted. “A class fairy?”
“Exactly. Hear me out.” Ashley sat up on her knees. “We had a pet last year at my old school. A butterfly.” She bounced a little. “So, maybe we could get a pet in the form of a fairy.”
“Ashley.” Her teacher shook his head. “Fairies are pretend. You can’t… go to the store and buy one.”
“What?” Ashley couldn’t believe this. “Where is your faith, Mr. Garrett? Your trust?”
“And where’s your pixie dust?” Chris made a face at her. A few of the kids laughed.
Ashley stared at him. “At home. In my top dresser drawer.” She smiled at Chris. “I’m guessing you don’t have any pixie dust, Chris. Because you don’t believe.”
“You do not have pixie dust at home because—” Chris was louder now.
“Yes, I do!” Ashley was on her feet. Mean Chris was not going to win this conversation. “I have pixie dust because I got it from my dad for my birthday. It came in stick form.”
“No, you didn’t.” Chris stood, too. The whole class was watching. “That’s candy, silly!”
“That’s enough.” Mr. Garrett moved closer. “Ashley, there are no fairies. No pixie dust.” He gave a stern nod. Then perhaps as an afterthought, he smiled. “Though it’s very fun to pretend.”
Ashley was disappointed in Mr. Garrett. “We should at least try to find a class fairy. In case they’re real.” She looked around.
Only Natalie and Elliot had the slightest hope in their eyes.
“Fine.” Ashley did a slight nod at Mr. Garrett. “I will make it my personal project to find a class fairy. My family has the exact sort of yard for that.”
Their teacher sighed. “Okay, Ashley. I won’t try to stop you. But fairies are definitely not real.”
Elliot cried out and collapsed to the ground. For a few seconds he lay there, eyes closed, arms and legs sprawled out. Ashley giggled. Elliot was a lot like Peter Pan.
“Elliot?” Mr. Garrett rushed over to him. “Are you—”
“I’m fine.” Elliot sprang back up. “But the fairies are not fine, Mr. Garrett. That’s what happens to a fairy every time you don’t believe.” He raised both hands in the air. “The book told us that.”
Mr. Garrett laughed. He asked everyone to take their seats. “I have good news, boys and girls. Our class is doing a skit for the talent show. The story of Peter Pan in ten minutes.” He opened a large box near his desk. Inside were piles of wigs, costumes, swords and wands. “At this time, I will assign a role to each student.”
Natalie raised her hand. “No thank you, Mr. Garrett.” She shook her head. “I’m camera shy.”
Ashley stared at her friend and whispered, “You’re shy of the camera?”
“No,” she whispered in Ashley’s direction. “I’m shy of the public.”
“This assignment will help you, Natalie.” Mr. Garrett grabbed a stack of papers from his desk and began handing them out, along with props and costumes. He looked back at Natalie. “Doing something out of our comfort zone helps us learn new skills.”
What part would she get? Ashley held her breath. It had to be Wendy. She actually was Wendy!
“Hook, for you, Mr. Blake.” Their teacher gave Landon a fake hook, a bushy black wig and a pointy pirate hat.
Landon slipped on the hook. “Sweet!” He swiped it toward Chris. “Arrrgh! Ahoy, mateys!”
Ashley studied her friend. Landon was an intimidating Hook. But Chris would have been better, since he had the personality of a pirate.
“What do I get to be?” Chris took a packet from their teacher.
Mr. Garrett handed Chris a teddy bear. “You are Michael Darling.”
Chris frowned. “The baby?” He crossed his arms. “I don’t wanna be the baby.”
Perfect, Ashley thought. She covered her smile with her hand. From the back of the class she heard laughter from a few kids.
“He’s not a baby. He’s just… little.” Mr. Garrett gave Chris a thumbs-up. “You’ll be great.”
Chris took hold of the teddy bear. He looked like he might drop it on the floor. “I wanted to be a pirate.”
Mr. Garrett kept walking. “Amy. You will be Tiger Lily, the native warrior princess of Neverland. She is also our narrator.” Their teacher handed