Never Grow Up

Hook. And I will defeat you!”
The audience hooted and hollered as Elliot and Landon fought with their prop swords. And, in one final move, Elliot pushed Landon off the ship, defeating Hook once and for all. The crowd applauded Pan’s victory!
Next, Ashley was supposed to ask Peter to take them all home.
Only Ashley didn’t want to go home.
She didn’t want Wendy to return to London. Because she knew how the story ended. She had read the book. If she went home with her siblings, Wendy would forget about Neverland and forget about her promise to stay young. Many years from now, Peter would return to the nursery window, crushed to see Wendy all grown up.
And Ashley didn’t want any of that. She took a deep breath. What happened next was up to her!
“Peter Pan shall cut you free!” Elliot held up his sword to cut the ropes. “Then I will take you home to London!”
“No, you don’t!” Ashley wiggled out of the ropes before he had the chance. “I got this, Pete.” She threw the rope to the ground, freeing herself and the others.
Ashley gathered the children and moved them upstage. “Well… we got out of that!” She grinned at them. “What’s next? Swim with the mermaids? Build another house?” She looked at the audience. “Fly around until we reach the end of the clouds?”
The crowd was starting to mumble. Ashley could see people looking at each other, possibly baffled. From backstage she heard Mr. Garrett’s loud whisper. “Ashley! What are you doing! Stick with the script!”
“You know what’s nice, Michael?” Ashley looked at Chris. “There’s no script in Neverland.”
“True, Wendy!” Chris grinned. “I like that about this place!”
Elliot walked up to Ashley. “Umm.” His sword hung at his side. “Wendy. What are you doing?”
“We’re not going home!” Ashley loved this idea. The Lost Boys looked happy about it, too. “So many adventures yet to take, Peter! And guess what? You can stay with us!”
The crowd chuckled.
It didn’t take Elliot long to get on board. He shared a quick smile with Ashley and put his fists on his waist again. “Good! I didn’t want to take you home in the first place.” He looked at the other children. “And since I’m your leader, I will be in charge of a million adventures!”
Ashley ran to the ship’s steering wheel. She surveyed the seas. “Peter, let’s take the ship somewhere we’ve never been before!”
Chris pointed offstage. “That tall volcano, maybe!”
“Or that distant lake!” Elliot pointed the other direction.
“Wherever you want to take us, Peter.” Ashley raised her fist in the air. “Let’s never grow up.” Ashley faced the crowd. She looked right at Brooke. “Let’s stay this age forever!”
In the wings, Ashley caught a glimpse of Mr. Garrett. He had his hand over his eyes.
Amy, the narrator, looked unsure. But then she gave Ashley a happy look and took her spot again at the center of the stage.
She looked at the audience and laughed. “And so…” She glanced back at Ashley and the others. “Wendy and her brothers and all the Lost Boys stayed in Neverland with Peter Pan… where they… swam with mermaids… and flew on the clouds, and took their pirate ship from cove to cove looking for treasure.” She was in her rhythm now. “And… they never, ever grew up.”
Natalie fluttered from the wings to the spot where Ashley and the children stood. She sprinkled glitter over all of them and smiled at the crowd.
Ashley wasn’t done yet. She put her arm around Natalie’s shoulders and pointed to the audience. “We, Mr. Garrett’s fifth-grade class, encourage you to do the same! Never grow up!”
The closing music played and Ashley and her classmates took their bows. The crowd clearly loved the new twist, because they were on their feet, clapping and cheering and taking pictures. Dad gave Ashley a thumbs-up and Ashley gave it back.
And then they hurried offstage. They had done it! The play was a success! In the back, even Mr. Garrett was clapping. He walked up to Ashley with a half smile. “You didn’t stay with the script.”
“It was better, though.” Ashley did a nervous shrug. “Right, Mr. Garrett?”
He chuckled for a few seconds. “Actually… this time I think it was.”
Landon tapped Ashley’s shoulder. “That was awesome! You were like the Queen of Neverland. Great job, Ashley.” He had to talk a little loud to be heard over the applause.
“Landon.” Ashley put her hand on his shoulder. “That is my favorite compliment of all time. Thank you.” She smiled at him, and he smiled back. “Good job, Hook. It’s not easy for you to act mean.” She stepped back. “Especially when I know the truth.”
Ashley looked at Landon a few more seconds, and then Kari walked up. “Great work, Ash! I loved the new ending.”
“Thanks!” Ashley stepped away from Landon and looked at her sister. “Are you next?”
“One more act, then us! Pray!” Kari motioned for Mandy and Liza to hurry up. “We’re so nervous!”
Ashley closed her eyes as Kari and her friends ran off. “Help them, God,” she whispered. “They’re going to need it.”
Just then Natalie ran up and grabbed her hand. “Come on! Mr. Garrett has pizza for us in the back room!”
“He does?” Ashley ran with Natalie to the room behind the stage. Back there all of Mr. Garrett’s class was squealing and running around and celebrating.
As they ate pizza and talked about the show, Ashley thought of a drawing she would do later. In the picture, she would be the very person Landon Blake said she was. Her sword in the air and pixie dust falling all around her. She had to draw the picture, so she would remember forever the way she felt tonight.
Because Ashley Baxter truly was the Queen of Neverland.

19
Dancing Queens
KARI
Two minutes remained till they took the stage, and Kari and her friends were so nervous they could barely think. Kari had no idea how they were going to dance.
“I’ve