Here He Comes (ouat)

Peter Pan

Max's POV:

Pan is disturbing. In my rage of his insulting remark, I shot the last remaining arrow towards his back. Pan swiftly swung around to face me and caught the arrow before it could touch him. My disappointment flared, but Pan just smirked at his near death experience like it exhilarated him rather than caught him off guard. He threw the arrow to the ground and gradually made his way towards me.

"My last comment was only a test, Max. I meant nothing by it." He stated enjoying my enraged confusion.

"A test for what?" I questioned, aggravated.
"A test to determine whether it was my touch that made you shoot better, or your anger. And you proved me wrong, it has nothing to do with me." He explained carefully.
Pan reached for the bow I was holding and gently slipped it out of my hands, so he could lay it on the ground beside us.
"I am curious though, as to why anger makes you shoot better, but exhilaration builds you fighting skills."
He spoke softly, more to himself than to me.
His eyes widened and he snapped his fingers once, as if to break himself out of thought.
"It isn't anger or exhilaration, is it?" He asked while studying my facial expressions.
"It's a challenge that brings out you best effort!" He exclaimed, obviously proud of his 'problem solving skills'.

I stood silently and let Pan do the talking. As he rambled about how 'brilliant' he is, I was attempting to come up with ways to be alone.
My stomach growled, still upset with me for only having an apple for breakfast, or maybe it was lunch... I briefly glanced up at the sky to try and determine the time. It was difficult to tell with all the tree branches in the way, but I'm sure now would be a good time for some food.

"Max?" Pan questioned while waving his hand in my face.
"Yeah?" I replied half heartedly.
"I think you should eat something." He tried to hold in a laugh as he spoke, which made me think he heard my stomach as well.
I shook my head quickly and tried to ignore the thoughts racing around in my mind.
"Right, food. Good idea." I said, still not completely focused.
After a minute, I looked up into his cautioned green eyes.
"What are my options?" I asked, more attentive now.
"Would you like a menu?" He suggested sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.
"How does sea food sound?" He offered as we started to head back to camp.
I unintentionally crinkled my nose in disgust. I noticed him studying my reaction and he quickly looked away from me.
"Okay, no sea food." He muttered. I tried to think of something good to eat before he suggested another disgusting food and reviled my pickiness.
"How about.. loaded potatoes? I could make it if you want, it's just potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits in it." I suggested excitedly. I'd never had a loaded potato, but they looked extremely good.
He laughed at my food choice.
"What? They just look really good, okay?" I defended. He laughed harder. When he finally stopped cackling, he muttered something to himself so quietly, that I couldn't make out what he was saying.

By the time we got back to camp, the sun was getting ready to set. I guess it was later than I thought it would be.
To my surprise, Pan and the boys were making loaded potatoes for everyone in the camp. The scent was mouth watering, and the boys looked like they were having a fun time making them. At one point, the boys tried throwing handfuls of sour cream at each other.
I sat on a hollow log near an empty fire pit as I watched in awe of the sour cream fight. Bella sat next to me, but she was complaining about the sour cream that a boy threw at her hair, rather than laughing at the food fight with me.
The sun had set by the time the potatoes were ready, and three boys were arguing about who would light the campfire first, but Pan lit it with a raise of his hand and the boys were silenced.
The potatoes were better than I'd imagined, and satisfied me greatly.

The boys must have swallowed theirs whole, because they were asking for seconds while I had only taken a bite out of mine.
By the time I'd finished half of my loaded potato, they were all finished eating and began dancing, jumping and chanting around the blazing fire.

Bella finally gave up on trying to get the sour cream out of her hair and just gazed in the fire. She hadn't eating a thing.
"Aren't you hungry?" I asked with disbelief.
"I'm on a very strict diet, no carbs, or fats." She noted proudly.
"Why? You're as skinny as a twig," I commented, but what I actually meant by that was 'I can literally see the shape of each individual bone in your body. It's making me sick, please eat something.'
"I am not going to turn into a gigantic slob. Actually, I'd suggest you go on the same diet, you ate that whole potato yourself!" She scoffed.
I nearly snarled.
"I'm sure that starving yourself is messing with your mind, but I'd rather be a living fat person than a dead skinny chick." I spat.
She just rolled her eyes.

"Plus, according to the rules of this island, it's impossible to grow." I stated in attempt to change the subject.
"Oh don't tell me you think we're actually on Neverland.." She started bitterly.
"Well, a magical silhouette flew us to this island.." I began but she cut me off.
"That was obviously a weird science-type, robot thing to trick us into believing in magic." She said it like she actually thought that made sense.
"Oh, yes of course!" I said sarcastically.
"Well its not like he's ACTUALLY Peter Pan!" She argued while gesturing to Pan. "He's not evan a red-head!" She continued, trying to prove a point.
"According to the novel, Peter Pan was a blonde, the Disney movie took its own spin to the movie." I corrected.

"Are you like some Peter Pan nerd or something?" She questioned, frustrated that she was horrible at debating. I stayed silent.

"You? A fan of me?! How interesting." I could hear Pans sly smile in his voice as he eavesdropped from behind us.

"I'm not a fan of you, Peter Pan was just my favourite Disney movie is all." I stated like that made a difference. I really wished Pan hadn't been listening to our conversation.
"But you really don't live up to the expectations, it's disappointing really."
I continued, trying to change the subject off of me.

"Why's that?" He asked, slightly offended.
"First of all, you don't fly much..." I began, glad to have successfully changed the subject.
"I couldn't even if I wanted to, the fairies no longer supply pixie dust on my island. They... left." He fought off what I assume was a bad memory.
"Why?" Bella joined in, curious.
"Some people came onto my island, stole something of mine, and fled off the island. They took the fairies and my last group of Lost Boys with them." He spoke with frustration, and his hands were balled into fists.

He all of a sudden shook it off and spat, "That's enough for now." before he took off towards a cabin, one hand resting on the back of his neck.

"I should head back to my tent, I'm tired." Bella announced.
"If you want, I could come with you. I could get rid of any creepy crawlies that try to bother you." I offered, but it was mainly because I didn't have a tent to sleep in.
"I'm not scared of anything, and I don't need your help!" She spat.

"Okay." I spoke quietly. Bella stomped off towards her tent.
Within minutes, Jake came to take Bella's spot on the log.
"Hey!" His cheerful voice made me slightly less grumpy.
"Hi Jake. How's it going?" I said as friendly as I could manage.
"Good, good. Hey, I don't think Pan gave you your own tent.." He stated, although it seemed more like a question.
"No, not yet." I replied.
"Well, you're always welcome in my tent..." He nearly sung.
"It's okay Jake, I think I'll just rest on a tree branch again." The thought of squeezing two people in such a little tent made me uncomfortable.
"Oh, alright." His mood drastically changed from cheerful to glum.
"Maybe some other time!" He suggested, all of a sudden optimistic again.
"We'll see." I nearly laughed at his ability to stay cheery. It truly amazed me.
"Good night Max." He said as he got up and headed to his tent.

I myself got up and wondered into the forest in search of a good tree. I found the same tree from last night's sleep and laid on a branch until I eventually fell asleep.