2. Bonnie
Age 8
The car pulls up the long driveway, and I stand in the window at the top of the stairs, watching and waiting.
I am normally thrown into my room long before the gates at the end of the driveway open for whoever is visiting.
But today, I am rooted to the spot, watching the car kick up dust as it crawls over the gravel and draws closer and closer to the house.
Why has nobody come to grab me yet?
I used to comply and disappear to my room like a good girl. But now, I try to put up a fight. I’m a big girl now. Why can”t I stay and meet new people? It’s not fair.
But it always ends with Daddy’s men picking me up over their shoulders and throwing me, literally, into my room. I try to stop them, but I’m never as strong as Dax always used to say I was. I can’t do anything against Daddy or his men.
The black car drives around the huge fountain and pulls to a stop outside. I push myself up against the glass window, my cheek practically squished to it, and watch with bated breath for someone to step out.
This is the first time in eight whole years that I will ever see someone new. Whoever it is, I am going to remember their face forever.
Will it be a man or a lady?
I would love it if it was a lady who brought a girl my age so we could be friends.
But that will never happen. Kids never ever come here.
The back door opens, and I see a dirty white trainer. Another follows, along with dark jeans, and then a plain black t-shirt.
Standing to their full height, I look at the face of a boy, a little older than me. He has tanned skin, even more tanned than mine, and I am always outside, and very short dark hair. He’s so tall, even from upstairs, I can see that he is taller than King and Dax and they’re tall for nine-year-olds. I always look so tiny next to them.
I can’t take my eyes off the boy. He looks kind and gentle, and when he spots the person running towards him, his face lights up even more. A moment later, Maria embraces him in her arms in the tightest hug I have ever seen.
My heart is beating so fast I feel like it’s about to burst out of my chest.
There’s a twisty feeling in my stomach. My hands get sweaty, and as I wipe them on the material of the skirt covering my thighs, I realise it’s because I want to stand where Maria is, letting him hold me tight instead.
I’ve heard the saying “like butterflies in your tummy,” but I don’t think I’ve ever felt it. Not until now.
I’ve hugged King and Dax lots of times, but I”ve never felt like this.
Is it like when Wendy wants a kiss from Peter? Is this how she feels?
After a couple more minutes, Maria takes the small backpack from the ground that was dropped by his feet, then scurries back up the mansion steps. I wait anxiously as the mystery boy takes a step closer to the mansion, and then another.
With both hands to the window, I watch him walk up the steps to the entrance, when he pauses mid-step and looks up.
His eyes clash with mine, and I instantly feel my cheeks burning red.
But everything stops when he smiles.
This boy, the first stranger I have ever set eyes on, stops in his tracks to smile at me. And I know instantly, that if I was Wendy Darling and living in my fairy tale, he would be my Peter Pan.
I run from the window, confused, with butterflies swirling, and disappear into my room.
I don’t seeanyone almost all day. There’s no sign of King or Dax, and I don’t see Daddy anywhere. Maria doesn’t even bring me my food or come to teach me my lessons.
I’d hoped Maria would come for me, and I could ask her all about the boy.
It’s not entirely unusual that I don’t see anybody about, but considering there’s a visitor, and I still haven’t been thrown into my room, something feels different.
I have looked for him all day, hoping I would bump into him or see him with Maria. Just to prove he’s real.
I feel naughty, like I should’ve taken myself to my room. If Daddy sees me, he’ll probably really tell me off and one of his men will carry me to my bedroom. But I’m so excited at the thought of seeing the boy again that I don”t care what happens.
I’m sitting on a bench outside, twirling one of the purple clematis from the trees through my fingers and eating a chocolate bar that I snuck out of the kitchen.
I’ve always loved the gardens, and right at the back of them is a wooded area. I don’t know how far back they go, but it’s my favourite place to play.
What I really love most about it are the purple flowers that grow on the trees around the edges of the woodland. It feels like entering a fairy tale.
I don’t like to pick them much, because I’m scared that if I take too many, they will never grow back. But every year they do, and they make me smile.
Twirling the purple flower around my fingers, I catch movement in the corner of my eye.
I turn my head and freeze when I look into the dark brown eyes of the boy who I haven’t stopped thinking about all day. The butterflies are back, and it’s like my mind has forgotten all the words I know.
“Hey,” he says casually, dropping down onto the bench next to me.
I’m still frozen in time, completely unsure of what to do. I’ve never interacted with strangers before. Let alone boys who make my heart go so crazy, it’s going to beat out of my chest.
“You have chocolate on your face.”
My cheeks heat, and I turn my head away from him, rubbing my mouth with my sleeve.
I’m too nervous to turn back to him, feeling like a little girl in comparison.
“I’m Puck,” he says, and I twist my head slightly.
“That’s a weird name,” I say back, but slam my mouth closed when I realise I said it out loud.
That was rude of me.
“It’s a character from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, apparently. My mother loves the play, but my father wouldn’t let her call me Lysander or Oberon.” He chuckles, and I just scrunch up my nose because I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“Never mind,” he says when he sees my reaction, and I study his features, searing them to my memory.
“I like Peter Pan,” I offer, and he smiles.
“Second star on the right.” When he nudges my arm with his, I turn in my seat to fully face him, tucking my legs underneath myself.
“And straight on till morning.”
My cheeks almost hurt from how big my smile is. I can’t believe he knows Peter Pan. King and Dax are bored with it now because I read the book and watch the film over and over.
“What’s your name?” he asks me, and my shyness comes rushing back.
No one has ever asked me my name.
“Bonnie.”
“Pretty,” he replies, nodding, and I just shrug, trying not to let my cheeks go red again. “I like your flower.”
I blush a little more, watching the petals twirl as I spin the root in my fingers.
“Why are you here?” I ask, filling the awkward silence.
“I’ve come to live with my mum.”
I look at him, waiting for him to tell me more. Who is his mum?
“Maria is my mum,” he answers, reading my mind.
That makes me smile. I love Maria. But I had no idea she had a son. I’ve never heard her speak about him. But then, not many people know that my daddy has a daughter, so I suppose it isn’t that weird.
“My dad died recently, so I’ve been brought to live here with her. Better off too, probably. I’ve missed her.”
I continue to stare at him blankly and take in everything he’s said, but he must take my silence for something else as he jumps in quickly.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to talk about that.”
I shake my head.
“My mummy is dead,” I say back, and his eyes sparkle with pain. “How old are you?” I ask him, feeling brave.
“Ten.”
“I’m eight,” I say proudly, and he nods.
We fall into silence again, and I don’t know if it’s awkward or not, but strangely, I feel comfortable around him.
“Yo, Puck,” King calls out, and we both turn to look at him. He waves him over, and Puck looks back at me whilst he stands.
“You know King?” I question, a little annoyed that, of course, King knew who Puck was. For just once, I want to be the one who knows someone first. I want to meet someone, talk to them, share stories or laughs. For just once, I wish I wasn’t the last to know or be seen.
“Not really, I met him earlier.” He shrugs, and I almost jump for joy that Puck wasn’t something I was entirely kept hidden away from.
“Catch you later, Bon.” He leaves me with one more smile and jogs over to King.
My cheeks flush at the nickname.
I watch him catch up to King, and jealousy stirs through my veins. But I can’t just sit and let him go.
So, like every annoying, little eight-year-old sister would do, I follow him and my brother and intend to stay by their side for as long as I can.
Puffing out a big breath when I catch up to them, King and Puck turn around simultaneously. King rolls his eyes, like always, but Puck smiles.
My head feels a bit sweaty, so I quickly wipe it against my forearm.
“Puck, this is Bonnie, my sister,” King says, a little smirk on his lips now he’s realising I’m not going anywhere.
“Yeah, I know Bon.” Puck nods at me, his smile still shining.
“We’re going to the waterfall, Bonnie, so you might want to stay here,” King says, walking towards the trees again.
I let my feet carry me forward, and King turns, fiddling with my plait.
“Bonnie, you know you can’t swim that well,” he whispers, and I worry Puck heard and that he’ll laugh at me. I look down at the ground, sad I won’t be able to join in, when Puck comes up next to me.
“Don’t worry, Bon. I can teach you.”
I look up at him, and I mean, really look up at him, because he’s so close and so tall.
“But I might drown,” I say quietly. I know how clumsy I can be. I’m always falling over the tree roots in the forest and tripping over my feet.
“No, you won’t. I’ll protect you.”
He puts his arm around my shoulders like it’s the most normal thing in the world, following King into the trees.
I didn’t know that from that moment on, he would always have his arms around me, keeping me safe, protecting me from anything and everything.
Until he couldn’t anymore.