Extra Darling

Chapter 1: With a side of surprise

"Lost Boys don't make their beds!" Michael would shout, doing a flip from his messy bed, "Lost Boys leave their beds as they woke up, because they don't need to clean!"

At first, this resulted in all three of them getting in trouble from our parents. Once the glamour of their miraculous return wore off, my parents were angry at them all the time. They didn't understand where they had been for two months, and why their behavior had changed so drastically since their return. Although they were confused, I understood. The children who left all those months ago are different than the children who are in our home now. They've changed. And once again, it's all Peter Pan's doing.

Anyway, I felt bad seeing my siblings get reprimanded so often. Even though they never acknowledge it, or say a thanks, I make each of their beds every morning. I may be invisible to them, but I still see them. I see them getting in trouble for something so simple, and my heart tells me to help them. They are my younger siblings, and even though I no longer know how they feel, I still love them. Dearly.

Today after school is no different than the last few months. When I've gotten passed the crowd of rambling kids in the hallway and made it to the front of the school, my siblings have already began the walk home. They don't even remember to wait for me anymore.

Even though I tell myself it doesn't bother me, remind myself that this happens everyday, it still hurts. It hurts seeing them forget about me. It hurts knowing that they scarcely speak to me any more or that we never play games. My siblings used to be my best friends. Now they're more like strangers. I may be the eldest, but that never caused a problem in the past. Our ages meant nothing, and we played all through the day. Although, the more I think of it, the more I see the sad truth. I'm too old for games -- but deep down, my heart still yearns for them.

I keep a steady pace as I walk behind my siblings down the pathway to our house. The mid afternoon sun of Spring time beats down on us. I grab hold of my sunhat as a breeze picks up and nearly knocks it off. Our school uniform requires either a hat or a bow for the girls, and I prefer the hats. The bows just don't look right in my blonde hair. It's much better suited for a hat than some dainty little bow. Wendy wears a pink bow every day. She's got this curly, honey colored hair that hangs just below her shoulders. Tying it back with the pink bow, I can see it bouncing on her shoulders in front of me.

My favorite time of year is definitely Spring. The snow and ice is finally gone by this point. The chill has mostly left the air, and all the beautiful flowers begin to grow again. Spring is a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, and this year I promised myself that I would do the same. I would cleanse myself of all the pain I feel about my siblings and start anew. I would stop looking at them as my siblings and only as acquaintances. That's how they treat me, so why shouldn't I do the same? I'll turn off my emotions entirely and maybe then things will get better again. Maybe then I won't be so sad again.

But, I can't. I can't do what they've done. I can't just close my eyes and pretend I don't see what's happening. The world I live in has gone from lively and colorful, to plain and grey. Where I once chased my siblings down the bright green meadows, I now only see a flat patch of grass. Where we used to swing on an old wooden plank by the orange poppies, is now a dismantled reminder of my old life. I can't feel too bad for myself though, at least Nana still loves me.

I walk through the front door of our home, my siblings already upstairs in our nursery playing one game or another, and Nana runs happily to great me.

"Hello, Nana." I smile, dropping my bag on the floor and bending down to scratch her ears. She licks my cheek and climbs onto my lap.
"Woah there, Nana! You know you're not a puppy anymore. You're much too big for this type of foolery!" I laugh, still scratching her head.