Engagements of Narnia...featuring Peter Pevensie

Chapter 5 - Violations

Peter wrote to his parents and to April that he would be coming. When he arrived on Friday evening at April's residence he had to wait a few minutes. When she saw him, she dropped her bag, gave a glad cry, and started to run and hug him. But with a glance around the lobby she stopped, picked up her bag again and walked over to him.

"Hello, Peter," she said coolly. "It is good to see you. Shall we go?"

He was shocked. He had seen a mask drop in a split second over her face. Her normally open expressions were tightly curtailed in sophisticated coolness. Out on the street he tried to steer her towards their park. She told him she would rather not stop there, and wanted to go on to his home. She was different. He should not have been surprised, she had talked about it in her letters, but he didn't expect her to be different with him.

They rode in silence on the bus. Each one was constrained by their own thoughts and each one was dreading to tell the other what had happened. They arrived at Peter's home at dusk and the house was dark. Peter thought that was strange. He used his key to enter and switched on the lights. Where were his mum and dad? April was looking at him.

"Are they here, Peter?" she asked in a tight voice, "If not, you will need to take me back. We can't be here alone."

Frustration simmered to the surface. He hadn't seen her in five weeks. She had barely greeted him and now she wanted to go back to school? He shot her a look, then went to the mail slot next to the front door. There was a huge pile of mail and his letter sat on the top. He groaned. He went to his father's desk in the study. On the calendar for this week was marked 'Trip to Bath' they were supposed to come back today, but then he noticed a note, 'may have to return on Saturday.' Peter sat down heavily in his father's chair. They wouldn't be back until tomorrow.

April had followed him into the study and was looking at him warily. "Are they coming tonight?"

He shook his head no and looked into her eyes. It was so strange to be right next to her and yet so far away. He saw shock and fear run across her face. What had happened to her that she didn't want to be alone with him?

He got up and took a step toward her. She backed away from him. He stopped frozen. April had never backed away from him before!

"What happened to you? Why are you acting like this?" he tried to ask gently, but it came out a little harsher than he meant.

She backed away further, "Please, Peter, don't, I...can't be here with you. Please take me back."

"I will not!" he said emphatically. "Not until I know what is happening with you. You promised long ago to talk with me about what is bothering you, remember?"

He took more steps toward her and she turned and went quickly into the living room and perched on the end of a chair. She looked very close to tears and sadness was written all over her features. His anger melted away. He sat on the coffee table across from her and took her hands in his.

Very gently, rubbing his thumbs over her fingers, he said, "April, love, please tell me what is wrong. You know I care about you. I have been really worried."

She put her hands over her face, "Oh, Peter! It has been awful, But, I just don't know how to tell you." Tears began running down her cheeks.

He took a chance and moved closer slowly gathering her in his arms. He stood with her and she didn't fight him. He sighed in relief. It felt good to hold her again. She cried into his shoulder. He just held her and stroked her hair until she calmed. He was scared, had she been violated in some way? For her to act like this was completely out of character. He hoped and prayed not. He took another chance.