Neverland Academy

by Daelynn Quinn

  “Yeah, but it was all under the table.” Lily smiled. “It was okay, though. It gave me a head start on saving up for college. I’ll be the first in my family to go. And my children will be the first to not be tied to this horrific place.”

  “So, you don’t go to school?”

  “I’m homeschooled. Actually, my mom tried teaching me years ago, but I ended up just teaching myself. It’s not that hard really, with an endless supply of books at the library and internet access. Plus, going at my own pace meant I could finish faster. I’ve already done the SAT and got my GED.”

  Daphne strolled over to the dresser and let her eyes fall over the books. They looked like sci-fi or fantasy, but she wasn’t too sure. She wasn’t really that interested either. The urge to ask Lily about her relationship with Finn was strong, but Daphne was trying to come up with a subtle way of asking. “How does Finn feel about you leaving? For college, I mean.” So much for subtlety.

  “I guess he’s okay with it. I don’t know. He’s got plenty of friends here so it won’t be much of a loss when I’m gone.”

  “But you two, were . . . a thing, right?”

  Lily laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I mean it was never anything close to being serious. It was a couple years ago. We were both young and testing the waters so to speak.”

  “So what happened?”

  “We’re just too different. Different priorities, you know? I wanted to leave and he wants to stay. It would never work out in the long run.”

  “But what if he wanted to make it work? What if he decided to go? He can’t stay here forever, you know.”

  “Tell that to Finn!” The laugh the girls shared seemed to diminish the light tension of the conversation. Lily shook her head. “Finn won’t ever leave unless he’s forced to. And believe me, they’ll never catch him. He’s like a ninja. Except, without the nun chuck thingies. Besides, even if he did leave by choice we wouldn’t want to be together in that way. That boat has sailed. We’d rather just be friends.”

  “Oh,” Daphne hummed, trying to soften the slight curve pushing through at the corner of her lips.

  “You like him, don’t you?” Lily took off her glasses and squinted at Daphne, a smile spreading across her cheeks.

  “No, of course not!” Daphne was quick to deny, a little too quick. “I mean, he seems like he’s fun to be around. As a friend of course.”

  “Uh-huh. Did you know you’re face turns a funky shade of hot pink when you’re embarrassed?”

  Daphne slapped her hands to her cheeks and flew to the tiny mirror hanging just beside the door. Lily was right; she was blushing.

  “It’s okay, Daff. Finn’s hot. Everyone knows it. That’s why Belle hates you. She wants him, but he’s just not interested in her. She’d rather see him alone than with another girl.”

  “Sounds like a great friend,” Daphne mused sarcastically.

  “She’s got a lot of growing up to do. Besides, Finn seems to like you too, though he’ll never admit it.”

  “What do you mean?” Daphne spun around with a combination of hope and dread.

  “Look, don’t get your hopes up. He’s not the kind of guy you can sweet-talk into changing his ways for you, if such a guy exists. I’ve known Finn for half of my life and I can see that he’s fond of you. And the fact that Belle detests you only proves it further.”

  “Okay, yes,” Daphne admitted. “I think Finn is cute. But I just got dumped myself. I don’t want to be involved with anyone right now. That’s part of why I’m here. I just needed to get away from life for a while.”

  “Okay, well, just be sure to return to it before it’s too late.”

  Daphne pulled a brush from her backpack and combed it through her hair. She slid an elastic from her wrist, pulling her damp hair back in a ponytail, and pinning the straggling wisps into place. The talk about Belle reminded her of her brothers. Belle had made a comment about Josh the day before. Daphne wondered what he and Max were up to. She really wanted to see them.

  “Are you about ready?”

  “What, trying to kick me out?” Daphne smiled at Lily’s reflection in the mirror.

  “No, I’m on break, remember? I’ve got the administrator’s lunch shift.”

  “Hey, can I ask a huge favor?” Daphne asked, turning to face Lily.

  “Sure.”

  “Can you get me into the boys’ dorms?”

  “Now that would be a huge favor.”

  “Can it be done? Without being seen?”

  “Well, it was built a while after the tunnels, so there’s no access from underground. But I might be able to sneak you in on my way to the kitchen. There’s a back entrance that can’t be seen from the main building. It would be good timing—the boys will still be in the cafeteria so it will be empty, and most of the professors will be arriving for lunch. Why do you want to go to the boys’ dorms anyway?”

  “My brothers are there. I just want to let them know I’m okay. In case word gets out that I’m missing.” Daphne thought of her father and his ties to the police. “If it hasn’t already.”

  “You don’t think they’ll rat you out?”

  Daphne shook her head. “Not Josh and Max.”

  ***

  Finn climbed back down the ladder into the darkness of the tunnel and switched his headlight on. He squinted and peered down the tunnel, certain that he would find something, or someone, of interest. He was searching.

  “You can come out now,” he said, his voice bouncing off the cold brick walls. “I know you’re here, Belle.”

  Around the corner shuffled the strawberry-blonde, dressed in a denim miniskirt and tight lime green tee shirt. Something glittered at her neck, but it was hard to make out under the enveloping darkness.

  “How did you know?”

  “I always know when you’re around Belle. Plus, I could hear your breathing earlier while we were passing by the fork.”

  “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “So, talk,” Finn said indifferently. He walked past Belle and she followed him like a lost puppy dog.

  “I said I was sorry, Finn!” Her voice shook, trying to hold back the sobbing she felt breaking through.

  “They could’ve killed her.” Finn knew he was being overly dramatic. The boys didn’t have it in them to actually kill somebody, but Belle needed to know how serious he was. “And they would’ve too, if I hadn’t shown up in time. I can’t believe you Belle. You wanted them to kill her!”

  “I was wrong Finn.” Belle touched his shoulder, but he jerked away. “Please don’t be mad at me.”

  Finn turned so abruptly that Belle nearly ran into him. She stumbled back.

  “Tell me why,” Finn demanded. “And don’t lie this time.”

  Belle took a deep breath. Finn was furious. This wasn’t what she’d had in mind when she’d imagined telling Finn the truth about her feelings. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, maybe even romantic if he’d returned the affection. But his anger pushed her down. She felt like a tiny violet about to be stepped on by someone’s hard-soled shoe. More like hard-souled. This was wrong, so wrong. If she told him now, while Finn was clouded with anger, the outcome could be disastrous. On the other hand, every day he spent with Daphne was one more brick in the growing barrier between them.

  “I did it . . . for us,” she murmured.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I mean, I-I didn’t want anyone to come between us. Our friendship, that is.” Belle turned on her doe eyes and gazed up through her lashes. She hoped that she’d evoke some sympathy from Finn. It worked.

  “Oh, Belle. You know we’ll always be friends. Unless you pull a prank like that again.” Finn reached out and gave her a one-armed hug. “That wasn’t cool.”

  Belle’s excitement grew. Maybe this was a good time to tell him, after all. Her skin tingled from her shoulders downward, like a rain shower of fairy dust.

  “So what’s up with your clothes?” Finn
asked, scrunching up his nose.

  “Don’t you like them?” Belle did a quick ballerina twirl trying to put on her irresistibly cute face. Her lips curved up in a sensuous tease.

  “Nah. It’s too girlie for you. You should just stick with the jeans and old tee shirts. You’re one of the guys, remember?”

  Belle’s excitement had diminished. Maybe there really was no hope for Finn and her.

  ***

  “I’ll be back in two hours to help you sneak out. If you get caught, don’t let on how you got here, okay?” Lily said through the cracked door at the back end of the boys’ dormitory.

  “I won’t,” Daphne replied. “And I won’t get caught.” Daphne hadn’t perfected her ninja moves yet, but she was pretty sure she’d be able to sneak in and out of the dorm undetected. She’d done it so many times in Atlanta she was almost a pro.

  Daphne remembered the layout of the dormitory from her tour here. Even though she was bored and not really paying much attention, it would be easy to find her way to the room that Josh and Max shared. Thankfully they’d been bunked together. Had they been in separate rooms, with separate roommates, she wasn’t sure how she’d reach them to talk. Josh and Max lived on the upper floor, in a room that faced the garden. She wasn’t quite sure the number, but she was confident she’d know which one it was once she saw it.

  Lily was right, the dorm was empty, but it wouldn’t be long before the boys showed up after lunch. Daphne dashed to the center of the long hall lined with numbered doors to the staircase. As she placed her foot on the first step a gust of wind filled her hair. Voices carried down the hallway. The boys were back. Daphne zipped up the first set of steps and turned to leap up the rest. Grateful that the steps had been carpeted and solidly quiet, she lightly jogged down the corridor. The industrial carpet in shades of burgundy and navy blue muffled her footsteps further.

  Was it 236 or 238? Daphne asked herself. Down the hallway, she could hear voices rising up through the stairwell. She closed her eyes, trying to think back to the tour, anything that could jog her memory. She’d remembered trailing behind her brothers, who were following her parents, who were following the headmaster and the professor. She had been staring at the cane that Trappe walked with, admiring the crocodile-carved handle and engravings that stretched all the way down the rod. Then her eyes fixed on a stain in the floor in the shape of a crescent moon. That’s it! Daphne thought. She searched the floor carefully until her sight found the crescent moon stain just in front of room 236.

  Daphne pulled a pin from her hair and inserted it into the lock. The voices were nearly at the top of the stairs now. She turned the pin and . . . it bent. Pulling it out, Daphne twisted it back into shape, reinforcing it for strength. Then she reinserted it, turned and heard a quiet click.

  Daphne slipped inside the room and gently shut it behind her, letting out a gusty sigh of relief. She noticed the muscles around her shoulders ached, probably from all the high intensity moments she’d experienced over the past few days. She’d probably have the shoulders of an Olympic swimmer by the time she’d left the academy. If she’d left.

  As voices passed by outside, Daphne thought she’d better hide, just in case Josh or Max had met any friends they might bring into their room. She spun slowly in a circle. On either side of the single window straight ahead were two twin-sized beds, between them a single nightstand. At the foot of each of their beds stood a low dresser and, just beyond that, a small desk. On the other side of the walls flanking Daphne, were two cramped closets. Daphne climbed into one and waited, accompanied by Josh’s white school shirts and the stench of unlaundered socks.

  The door clicked open and then shut. Daphne watched through the cracked closet door as Josh dropped his books on his desk, opened his laptop, and began typing.

  “Josh?” Daphne uttered. Josh swung around so sharply his glasses flew off and nearly hit Daphne in the nose.

  “Daph? What are you doing here? Are mom and dad—?”

  “No! They don’t know I’m here. And you can’t tell them if they ask.”

  Behind her, the door flung open and Max shuffled in, staring at the floor. When he finally looked up, a smile grew widely on his face.

  “Daphne!” he shouted. “I’m so glad you came to visit us! This place sucks.”

  “Actually, I’m not visiting. I’m staying for a while.”

  “What do you mean?” Josh demanded. “How? Where?”

  “Um . . .” Daphne contemplated how much she could tell her brothers. She didn’t want to mention Finn specifically by name, nor the tunnels underground. Even though she trusted Max not to betray her confidence she was having second thoughts about Josh. “I’m staying with some friends.”

  “Friends? Who could you possibly know here?”

  “Well, I just met them when we came for the tour. But they’re not exactly students here.”

  Max gasped. Josh and Daphne both looked at him curiously. It was as if he knew some deep, dark secret. Like he knew about Finn.

  “You mean the outcasts?”

  “You’ve heard of them?” Daphne asked.

  “Yeah. They’re legends here. They’re like the gremlins of the school: going around and pulling tricks on the teachers, shutting off the power and driving the headmaster insane. I heard they’re the real reason he walks with that cane. Something they did messed up his foot pretty bad. Sounds cool to me.”

  “How come I’ve never heard of them?” Josh wondered aloud.

  “Because you’re a book nerd and haven’t made any friends,” Max teased.

  “Neither have you,” Josh rebounded.

  “Yeah, but at least I hang close enough to the social circles to actually hear the important stuff.” Max threw his pillow to the foot of his bed and flopped down on top of it, his chin cupped in his palms. “So what are they like?” Max asked Daphne.

  “They’re a lot of fun. I haven’t really gotten to know all of them that well yet. Funny thing is, when I first got here they tried to kill me.”

  “What?!” Josh cried.

  “It was a mistake,” Daphne shot back. “Just a misunderstanding. It all worked out okay.”

  “Daphne, don’t you realize that’s why we’re here in the first place. Because of the people you were hanging out with back home? How could you be so stupid? What would mom and dad think—?”

  “They won’t think anything because you won’t tell them.” Daphne moved her face only inches from Josh’s, glaring hard at him. “I ran away Josh. And when mom and dad ask you guys if you’ve seen me you are going to say no. Do you understand?”

  Josh blinked. He turned away and paced toward the window.

  “Josh. Please. I’ll go home eventually. I promise. I just needed to get away for a while and think things through without them in my face all the time.”

  “What about school?” Josh asked. He continued to stare out at the gardens, refusing to even look at Daphne.

  “It’s my last year, Josh. Plus, I’m in a school. What better place to run away too, right? I’ll study on my own and by the time I leave here, I’ll be ready to get my GED. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” Daphne took a step closer to her brother. “Please, don’t tell.”

  “Okay,” Josh sighed, defeated. “But I want to meet these guys. You know, make sure you’re safe.” Daphne smiled at her little brother’s attempt at heroism.

  “Me too!” Max exclaimed.

  “Okay.” Daphne laughed. “I’ll let the guys know and we’ll come get you. When’s your next class?” Daphne saw a small digital clock on the nightstand.

  “Afternoon classes start in about an hour,” Max said.

  Daphne spent the next hour telling her brothers about her adventures so far at the academy, intentionally leaving out some details that could get her new friends caught should her brothers decide to share the information. They were entranced. Even Josh’s insecurities about Daphne’s presence seemed to vanish and be replaced by wonder and curios
ity. Soon, it was time for the boys to return to class, and Daphne stayed behind to wait for Lily’s return.

  Chapter Eleven

  The Graveyard

  When Daphne arrived back in the cellar with Lily, Finn was nowhere to be found. Most of the boys were watching the movie again. Daphne was surprised they hadn’t borrowed a larger selection of DVDs. Hangman sat in the back corner of the cellar, drawing on a notepad. Daphne wasn’t really sure what to do without Finn around, but she knew she had to get to know the boys a little better if she was to stay at the academy.

  “I’ll see you later, Daphne,” Lily said.

  “You’re not staying?” Daphne was glad to have another girl to talk to. And she was a little apprehensive about being with the boys alone, even though she knew they weren’t going to kill her this time. It was just so weird being in a room with them when Finn wasn’t around to the break the tension.

  “I’ve got some applications to fill out and essays to write. But maybe we can hang on the weekend.”

  “Sure,” Daphne sighed.

  “Hey Lily,” Hangman called from behind his notepad.

  “Hey Hang, I’ll catch you guys later.” With that, Lily disappeared, leaving Daphne to swallow her pride and attempt to socialize with a group of immature teenage boys.

  Of all the guys here, Daphne thought that Hangman seemed the most open and harmless. Since he was alone, she decided to go talk to him for a while. She’d break the ice with the others when she felt more at ease.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Hangman looked up from his paper and patted the floor beside him. Daphne sat down, crossing her legs. She noticed the intricate details of his sketch. He had drawn a hand, complete with wrinkled knuckles and protruding veins.

  “Wow, you drew that?” Daphne asked.

  “That’s what you wanted to ask me?” He looked incredulous, eyebrows angled, he stared down at her. Even sitting, he towered over Daphne.

  Daphne blushed. “No, sorry. I wanted to ask about your name. Why are you called Hangman?” She thought it may have been his lanky, stick-figure build, but she didn’t want to make assumptions.