A Young Adult fiction story.

1. The Adventures of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell
By: Amberlee Velasquez
Ages: 13-18 Young Adult
Imagine waking up next to Peter Pan, the Peter Pan, after a fun night of punk rock
music, throwing bricks through a corporate building’s window and applying your initials
as graffiti on the school. I can hardly imagine it myself, and that’s what we did last night.
We also ended up sleeping in each other’s arms. The character of our friendship was
changing remarkably the more we hung out. My heart guided me to him in this life, I was
sure of it when I opened my eyes that morning.
Light was pouring in through my white curtains and I was blinded for a second. I
squeezed my eyes shut a couple of times in a slightly exaggerated manner. It must have
looked amusing, because I heard a low chuckle and when I turned my head, there’s Peter
with a huge grin and a rustled look with that barely awake smile of his. That’s what did it
for me.
I saw beauty and meaning in the world when Peter and I first started going
together. He made faces, each more ridiculous than the last, and when he did this one
face that I swore looked like a fairy or something, I could no longer hold back and I’d
burst out laughing. His desires painted the world in the colors that I began to see in a
black and white world. We were two good friends who were starting to become more. I
had no need for moral systems or really even school anymore, for I knew what to do
without instructions whenever I was with Peter.
We were partly just kind of weirded out by this new place our friendship has
taken us to.
“What if everyone did whatever they wanted to, with the courage to face any
consequence?” Peter would say during a particularly endearing giggle fit.
He referenced the “bourgeoisie society” I still lived in. He rolled over towards me
and rested on his side, looking up at me with that wide smile bright eyes and a look I
couldn’t quite determine. Peter had me cutting classes lately, too. He introduced me to
anarchy, the occupy movement and gave me the best nickname ever – Tinkerbell. His
face was half buried in the mattress and from there he looked up at me.
“What if everyone feared a loveless life?” Peter asked.
Suddenly, I felt a little self-conscious. I felt like I should have said something as
he kept looking at me.
“What if everyone set down their responsibilities and dared to pursue their wildest
dreams?” Peter snickered again with giddiness and kept looking at me, as if maybe he
was trying to figure something out too. “What a place the world would be!”
“I dunno,” I finally spoke. “Certainly it’d be different than it is now,” I simply
said.
“I mean, the ‘mainstream’ fears change,” he quickly continued.

2. I leaned in and gave him a genuine kiss. Peter paused and blushed, able to
maintain eye contact, as our kiss got a bit more passionate. We had never gone any
further than this but I was sure it would eventually. At that moment, I was just in love
with a kid who introduced me to the idea of never growing up – and I loved him for it.
Apparently this distracted Peter somewhat, because his lips kept going and his
eyes were still closed when I pulled back to look at his baby face. He shook his hair in his
face after a second and just smiled with his eyes still closed. Being “carried away with
my emotions” was frowned upon in my family; but with Peter, my heart was led astray.
“This might sound crazy, but this feels…normal, right?” he continued. “Well, not
normal, but definitely new, right? But, nice. Really nice. And maybe a little weird, but,
right, right?”
“New. Really nice and weirdly right,” I smiled.
I was raised to always be on my guard, rather than encouraged to have courage.
When Peter started pursuing me, I faced the consequences and risks it took to sneak out
at night and watch the stars with him, away from my parents. He was my heart’s desire.
Peter moved up the bed and placed his face into my neck. He counseled to me his
feelings on being a true lover of life and planted a kiss on my collarbone.
“Feels like home to me, when I’m by your side,” I said and held onto him tight.
Okay, so I fell in love with the ‘bad boy’, so what? Even though I never really
saw Peter attend any classes at school, I just assumed he was a chronic ditcher. That love
was a burning fire genuinely consuming me. We took on small-scale projects: shoplifting
food to give to the homeless, designing stencils of our initials, P/P + T/B and wheat
pasting them in the alleys downtown. We even baked cookies and handed them out at a
park once.
On those types of days, Peter would talk to me about how restrictions smother
true love; for what we had was a wild flower that wouldn’t be able to grow within the
confines prepared for us. Well, me at least. He always appeared when I least expected
him. So much had changed in the five months of knowing Peter it was hard to believe my
grades stayed the same. He gave me a desire that made it possible for me to make sense
of my existence.
We moved onto more and more ambitious missions. We took paint markers to the
shopping mall and wrote, “Find your Purpose” in the bathrooms, I did it in the ones at
school. Peter played his flute to me when he would come visit me at lunch. Other girls’
boyfriends were in bands and played guitars or drums. Mine played a mean flute.
One day a speaker was invited to lecture at our school. They flew in some right
wing author to spew filth and lies to the seniors about how great life was going to be next
year at college. Peter made sure the big shot received a pie right in the face. I never knew
how he out ran the school police, and the actual police, too. The boy could run, almost
like he could fly out of any sticky situation, he was that fast. It all happened so fast that I
couldn’t get a picture on my phone, or else I would’ve sent it to our local paper’s website.
After the heat died down, and the cops’ questions were answered with a series of
“I don’t know where he lives!” which was the truth, Peter came back around just like I
knew he would. The tree outside my window rested conveniently against the roof, which
Peter took as his personal highway into my house. He crawled up the tree to see me most
nights, scaling up and always made it look so easy. The lights were dimmed and I was a

3. shadow lying on the bed. I inhaled deeply heard a tap on the window. Hearing the noise, I
shot straight up. When my eyes adjusted I saw it was Peter. I opened the window and
helped him inside.
“I missed you,” he whispered into my ear. I did not notice that he moved behind
me. His close presence made the hairs on my arm stand on end. I cleared my throat and
stepped away from him with a small smile.
“Peter, you know what next week is, right?” He looked disappointed at first but
then gave me his lovely grin. “Here, put on this shirt, too. You’re always so cold.” It
didn’t even register in my mind that he was shirtless until he hugged me. He giggled a
little as I picked out a green T-shirt for him. It matched his green corduroy patchwork
pants.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much.”
“So, I haven’t forgotten what next week is.”
I smiled with reason. I knew that prom was just around the corner and Peter told
me there was somewhere special he wanted to take me instead. “Where have you got
planned?”
Peter processed the question, started laughing like it was the most absurd inquiry
of his lifetime. I snickered with him but in all honesty, I did want to know the answer.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but we’re still going.”
“Try me. Kelly said her boyfriend just wants to put the prom in promiscuity.”
He mindlessly ruffled his hand through his hair, which was longer now. “I’m
hiding this place from the world, kinda tough to explain where it is.”
I was hoping that maybe Peter would take me to see his boat. He mentioned one
time that he stayed on his rich uncle’s boat or something. I imagined something more like
a canoe because I never heard him even bring up if he had a mom or dad or not. So I was
only a bit suspicious of any wealthy relatives but I took him for his word.
“Kind of,” I clarified. Sometimes the cultural restraints my parents had instilled in
me crept to the surface.
“I figured you’d do that.”
“So what about this magical cruise liner I heard you allude to?”
“Uh-uh, we’re not going there,” he said calmly with a smirk.
“So where are we going, Peter?”
“I have a feeling you’re not gonna ever be satisfied tell I give you a hint, huh?
Well, I’m all too happy to tell you that we will be dancing.” He tightened his fists and did
a rock out type move.
“We’re so finished if you don’t give me a little more than that,” I teased and
soothed out his fists and interlocked my fingers with his.
“Completely,” he snickered naturally.
“Tell me?”
He looked down. I could tell that it wouldn’t be that easy for Peter to answer my
begging question. “I do want you to wear this, though. It will be good luck and will keep
out any distractions. It will be a celebration of us being together against the world.” He
reached into his bottomless side pocket and produced a silver and black glittered
masquerade mask. It even had gold feathers at the side temples.
“Oh my god, this is so cool!” I said almost too loud.

4. “Awesome, right?”
“Ok.” I stepped away again and went to my purse to grab a pirate hat I bought for
him earlier that day and shoved it in his chest. “I want you to wear this, then.”
“Not a problem. I’ll have this mask.” He slipped a purple masquerade mask from
the same pocket.
“Funny, I got this for you and it fits with whatever surprise you’ve got planned,
Mr. Pan.” I puckered my lips for a quick smooch. “Fine. Don’t tell me, then.”
He stopped kissing me and his face lit up with a look of pride.
“Did you see the look on that corporate guy’s face? Beautiful! Haha.”
“I was trying to get a good shot on my phone. I still don’t know why I couldn’t
get to capture that moment. It could’ve served as a reminder to the representatives.”
He took the hat off but kept the mask on. “Now you’re starting to sound like the
real deal, Tink.”
“You’re rubbing off on me a little.”
“Good, I should be by now. Its their regulated expectations that’s making me take
you to the woods..” His eyes bugged out and he covered his mouth.
It was all starting to make sense. I wanted to believe that we were going on his
mystery yacht but he slipped up and referenced the forest. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I thought I could fight off the temptation to spill my guts. I can’t keep a secret
from you.” He kissed me and made sure he meant it.
I closed my eyes and it felt like we were flying. I made sure to make it last. “How
did you do that?” I took a step closer to him, too caught up in him.
“I told you I was in love with you, Tinkerbell.”
“You…”
He stepped even closer, this time it was intoxicating. Being around him hooked
my heart.
“From the moment I looked at you in that classroom freshman year, and you
opened that cute mouth of yours,” his eyes drifted to my lips as he chuckled at the
memory of our first meeting, “and I was yours. You are it for me, Tink. It’ll always be
you.”
He pulled me forward into his arms and I lost it. I squeezed him so hard, afraid of
letting him go. I inhaled his familiar scent, woods, and it sent my senses into overdrive.
He hugged me just as hard and planted small kisses all over my hair and face until finally
he landed on my lips. I pushed further on, feeling like I couldn’t be close enough.
When he pulled away, I almost leapt right back on him but he asked, “are you
interested in maybe…”
“What?” I asked, still hypnotized by Peter. I definitely wasn’t thinking about
anybody else but him.
He giggled softly. “Making prom night get here a little early?” He whispered and
kissed me.
“Hey,” I said, paying attention to the way it felt like flying to me when we kissed.
“Emotions do not follow the instructions of the rational mind. Are you crazy?” I teased.
“About time, Tink.”
About time indeed.

5. We were on cloud nine when we left my room like Superman and Lois Lane.
Literally, we flew high above the trees, over the hills. We looked down over the little
houses and their lights, headed towards the abandoned warehouse areas on the edge of
town. That’s where the forest began. We spent maybe minutes in the air just holding one
another.
We landed at the border of the forest. Apparently he had been here earlier that
day, probably when I was out getting that hat for him, because there was a small table
with two glasses of sparkling cider and some veggies, obviously from a five finger
discount. I told him this was a great environment to live in and Peter told me it had great
influence on his life. I didn’t hide my excitement; he was taking me to a masked ball
dance in the woods. The question I most wanted to ask was, how the heck did we fly
here? I told him that last kiss of his was amazing. He was only grinning and reassured me
that he felt the same way.
It felt so good to dance in his room of the forest, dancing in his arms. There was
no way I would ever get enough of him. We both felt cheated whenever my parents
expected me to submit to some higher authority, like the ‘educational’ institution. But we
surely were making up for it. I could have stayed all night but my mom texted for me to
come home immediately. Neither of us were ready to move but he told me that he would
see me later tonight and we could try the flying thing some more. I promised him that the
window would be unlocked. That window remained unlocked from now on.
Dinner was ready by the time I got home. I hugged my mom, much to her
surprise. I smiled to myself all throughout dinner and by the time we were done mom
couldn’t handle my glowing aura.
“What’s gotten into you? You didn’t come home with another tattoo, did you?”
my mom asked.
Several weeks prior, one of Peter’s and mine’s first date was getting matching
feather tattoos behind our left ears. My punishment was no listening to punk music for a
month. Which wasn’t so bad, Peter played to me on his flute.
“Can’t a girl be happy?”
“A normal girl can but you’re not normal.” Thanks mom, I thought. “You didn’t
attend that liberal rally downtown today, did you?”
“Mom!”
“Hm, then it’s got to be another punk show, right?” mom said.
“That’s right.” I eyed my mom suspiciously.
“Well, since I caught you in a good mood, there’s something dad and I would like
to tell you.” I froze with my mouth open and my fork midair. I knew it. “We’re going to
need your help at the theatrical production this weekend. We’re also requiring you to
come with us for a tour of the college campus on Sunday.” I dropped my fork on my
plate. The hits just kept on coming.
“Where, what? You chose a college already for me?”
“Here,” my mom replied. She busted out a university map, a blueprint for the next
prison for my soul. “Here is where you’ll move into your dorm in August. The building
next to the dorms is the auditorium.”
“Isn’t this all a bit sudden?” My happy mood was quickly dissipating.

6. “It may seem that way but it is the best college to get a Master’s around here,
Maimie. I didn’t make this decision lightly. You should be thrilled I’m doing all this for
you. Your father always wanted his little girl to earn a degree.”
“Well then, congratulations to me. I suppose.” My mind was still processing.
My mom swooped me into a bear hug. “Don’t worry, Maimie. Everything will be
alright.” She spoke into my ear and I gave her a reassuring pat on the back. This would be
bad. How could I learn to adjust to living with others not Peter? My mom was always
going on about how lovely it would be to have a daughter with a degree. It was almost a
sick rhyme she would sing around the house when she was sure I was listening. I never
gave much thought about living in an institutionalized environment before. My mom was
wrong; it wouldn’t all work out as she’d planned.
The doorbell rang.
“That must be those politicians going around asking people for their vote next
week. Do you mind answering it, Maimie? I simply cannot be bothered.”
“Sure mom.” I thought about how much getting used to I would have to do, and I
didn’t want any part of it. I ambled to the door in no rush to open it. My jaw dropped
when I saw who was at the door.
“Peter Pan?”
“Hey! Ready to have some fun on that date we had planned?” He said it loud
enough for my mom to hear in the other room.
I was screwed.
Here I was, torn between my mother who really only wanted the best for her
daughter, and the love of my life who wanted nothing more than to never grow up. It
should have been possible to work to change a household like mine from one that is
numb to love into an environment that encourages it. Mom’s set of demanding regimen
activities were not for me. I was ready for the revolution. We were, Peter and I.
“Everything remains to be done, my love. All the adventures are still out there,
awaiting us, the adventurers,” she said quietly to me. “Let’s go find some meaning in this
life, Tinkerbell.”
“Mom, I’ll be right back,” I hollered behind me, grabbed my keys and bag with
the shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer I had stolen the other day and left my house.
“You…” I whispered on my way past Peter.
We ended up back at the edge of the forest sitting next to a campfire. Peter started
boiling some water for tea. He was on a tea kick lately, specifically the matte kind. I told
him about my mom’s planned oppression. I asked him why, why couldn’t we just fly
away to some never never land where we’d never grow up and we could be in love
forever? He said that wasn’t a bad idea. We could be dirty hippies somewhere far from
here and get other kids like us to join our cause.
I didn’t go home that night. Or the next night, or the night after that because Peter
Pan and I flew towards the second star to the right and went straight on until morning.
We opened a printing company – the very best – and after years of preparation
and development we printed massive quantities of published ‘zines. We did things our
way, just like we always had. Peter wrote a column about how to start gardens in urban
areas and I would do horoscope readings every week. I even got Peter a pet goat. He
named her Wendy.

7. Peter Pan and I dissolved the reality around us and then constructed one we had
desire for, which was based on love and doing what we loved. In that way, we never did
grow up, or share the secret of flight. I guess he always played his cards close to his
chest. Our lives were our own and we were going to do with them what we chose, not
under a presubscribed doctrine. Sorry mom, sorry dad.
Yeah, I fell from grace a bit. But I also fell in love with life on a highway four
hundred miles away while Peter held my face under a pink sky. I felt the world spinning
around its invisible axis, the solar system around its visible star, my heart dizzy from his
gravity. I fell in love with the face I kissed. His mouth called me Tink and his eyes said
magic. Some days I lost myself entirely, all because he existed.
Some days he would look at me and I would remember his name for me,
Tinkerbell, and I would fall in love oever and over, again and again, adding another tally
on my heart. He told me he loved me not only because of who I am, but also because of
whom he was when we were together. We stayed young and strange and we transformed
space. What savage desire moved within me? We felt a wild strength inside of us as the
orange sun slipped behind dark hills.