Neverland Academy

by Daelynn Quinn

“That sounds dangerous.” Somehow Finn’s smile deepened, stretching to his eyes. He didn’t just look happy. He had that same look her dad had when she’d won her fourth grade spelling bee. He looked proud.

  “You’re just like a fine wine, Daffy. You keep getting better with age.”

  “Well that’s a lame pickup line if I ever heard one,” Daphne retorted. Finn chuckled.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that you’re really fitting in here. So how’re you gonna do it? I mean, it’s locked up in his own bedroom. That’s pretty risky, even for me.”

  “Today’s Tuesday, right?”

  Finn shrugged.

  “It is. Lily said there is a weekly assembly every Tuesday and Trappe always goes to make announcements and talk to the students. I’ll just sneak in when he leaves and pick the lock. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

  “I can personally guarantee you, Daffy, it will not be as easy as you make it sound,” Finn warned as he carefully picked out dirt from under his fingernails.

  “Are you volunteering to help?”

  “Maybe if you ask nicely,” Finn turned away and crossed his arms.

  Daphne circled Finn so that she faced him. She placed her hands softly on his arms and in very sweet, overly vulnerable voice, asked, “Finn, would you please help me?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it,” Finn teased.

  “Pretty please?” Flirting with Finn came naturally to Daphne. She hated herself for how good it felt. Finn met her eyes and shook his head, grinning.

  “How could I say no to that? Of course I’ll help you! It’ll be just you and me this time.”

  “Okay,” Daphne agreed. “But before we can do anything we have to get this place clean. Lily was clear she did not want her birthday party in a filthy cave.”

  “You want some help?” Finn offered.

  Daphne pointed to a rag and a metal bucket filled with bubbly water. “You can start scrubbing.”

  Daphne, Finn, and the rest of the boys spent the next hour, wiping, scrubbing and scraping until every surface in the room was clean enough to eat off of. Once finished, the boys collapsed onto their piles of pillows and switched on a movie. Daphne opted for a nap, since it would be another hour before dinner.

  When Daphne awoke, before she could even open her eyes, a smell reminiscent of an Italian restaurant seduced her. Finn was sitting across from her, holding a steaming plate of lasagna and garlic bread ready to eat. He looked so comfortable, she’d wondered how long he’d been there watching her sleep. It couldn’t have been too long because the lasagna was still hot. They ate the meal together, though neither was able to take more than a few nibbles. The anticipation rising for her upcoming heist made Daphne feel a little nauseated. But she was excited. And she would not chicken out.

  Finn glanced at his watch and then back at Daphne.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath and shook out her arms to try and relieve the buildup of adrenaline. “Yes.”

  ***

  Climbing to the upper level of the main house at Neverland Academy was tricky. First of all, the paths inside the walls were like a maze, with dead ends all over the place. To get to Trappe’s room Daphne and Finn would have to take the route that passed through the administrative offices, through the curved wall that the staircase ran along, and up another ladder that had three rungs missing. Then, once the top floor was reached, you had to be fairly lean to even fit in the upper level walls. Finn was just barely able to slide by sideways without getting stuck between the posts.

  Finn checked the peephole to make sure the coast was clear. It wasn’t. Trappe was still in the room sipping on a glass of brown liquid as he peered out the window. The liquor cabinet was right next to him and between him and the window stood a long table that held shiny, clear glasses and a sparkling crystal decanter on a silver tray.

  “Is he there?” Daphne whispered. Finn placed his finger to his lips. His other hand rested against the wooden support, steadying him like a statue. He slowed his breathing to control his racing heart and remain quiet.

  There was a knock at the door. Finn watched as Trappe set his drink down on the table, shut the heavy crimson curtains, and answered it. Finn couldn’t see who it was since Trappe was in the way and the only sound he could make out was some mumbling. It didn’t matter. Trappe picked up his cane and left the room, closing the door roughly behind him. The silence enhanced the clicking sound of the door being locked.

  “Now,” Finn said as he shuffled three times to the right. The panel here was more difficult to remove. Finn had only used it once when he tried to steal Trappe’s laptop unsuccessfully, but never again for fear that he wouldn’t replace it correctly and Trappe would discover the cracks, leading him to the tunnels. Trappe’s bedroom was wallpapered, so if Finn didn’t line up the panel correctly it would be too obvious. When he pulled the panel away he sighed in relief. A tall bureau stood just in front of the opening.

  Carefully with his knee, Finn pushed the bureau away from the wall. He could hear some china rattling on the bureau and stopped pushing. Then he started again and stopped, repeating the process until there was just enough room for him and Daphne to lower their bodies through the open panel and slide past.

  The room was darkened behind the curtains, even though the daylight still broadcast outside. But Daphne and Finn were used to the darkness. And she didn’t need too much light to do her work.

  “You know what you’re doing?”

  She nodded. “I’ve broken into all kinds of liquor cabinets, Finn.”

  Trappe’s liquor cabinet wasn’t simply lock and key. It had a digital combination and Finn worried that using the wrong code repeatedly might set off an alarm. He took a sip of Trappe’s leftover drink and enjoyed the burning sensation he felt as the bourbon glided down his throat. Then he stood by the bureau, ready for a quick escape in case Daphne failed.

  “Finn,” Daphne whispered. “I need the flashlight.”

  He handed it to her and watched as she carefully shined the light from different angles over the numbered keys.

  “Can you do it?” he asked.

  “Yeah, this is the easy kind. Usually we would need a UV light to do this right, but this has been used so often we don’t really need it. See this?” Daphne pointed to the number four, which had been rubbed off slightly from overuse. “Luckily, this is an older system. When the code was set, the security system only recognized the numbers used, not the sequence in which they were used. I can punch the numbers in any order and . . .”

  Finn eagerly watched Daphne press a set of numbers. He heard a click, and admired her as she opened the doors to the cabinet. She turned and waved a bottle of Captain Morgan’s in one hand and Bombay Sapphire in the other. Finn joined her, taking a bottle of Grey Goose and what looked like a really expensive bottle of scotch whiskey. He felt like a kid on Easter morning.

  “I’ve got one more thing to do,” Finn whispered. “Go ahead and lock it back up.” He grabbed one of the bottles from Daphne to lighten her load and then set the bottles on the nightstand next to Trappe’s bed. He snatched the decanter from the tray.

  “What are you doing?” Daphne asked as she shut the doors.

  “Sending a message.” Finn pulled back Trappe’s bedspread and dumped the contents of the decanter all over the pristine white sheets. Returning the bedspread to its original position he had another idea. He dropped to the floor, laying his face against the surface to check under the bed, but was startled by the crashing sound of broken glass. Something wet grazed his cheek and he turned his head to see a large clear puddle peppered with shards of glass. Just beyond that, were two pairs of feet. Daphne’s, naked with glossy red toenails, and behind them, a pair of shiny, black leather boots.

  Had Finn been alone, he would have heard Trappe coming long before he had a chance of being caught. But he’d been distracted. He’d let his guard down. And now Trappe had Daphne. Had it been one
of the other boys, he might have escaped and left the boy to fend for himself. But he couldn’t do that to Daphne. He needed her.

  “Preston Price,” the old man hissed. “It’s about time you showed your face, you little coward.”

  Finn rose to his feet, his eyes fierce with fury. Trappe’s arm sank into Daphne’s chest and his other hand clutched her neck. She could have been an ice sculpture, frozen with fear.

  “I see you’re letting girls into your little club now, hmm? What’s your name, darling?”

  Daphne remained silent. In the darkness behind the closed curtains he wouldn’t recognize her.

  “Let her go, Trappe,” Finn demanded. Trappe snickered.

  “Gladly, Preston. Turn yourself over to me and all of your friends may go free. I’ll even forget about the attempted burglary, theft, and vandalism of property.”

  “You want me?” Finn sneered. “Come get me.”

  Trappe kicked the door shut behind him and pushed Daphne away. Finn stood still, feigning surrender. But as Trappe approached he dropped down and slid under the bed. The darkened room worked to Finn’s advantage now, because Trappe couldn’t be sure which side he’d come out of. Trappe launched himself over the bed to the other side, waiting for Finn to reappear.

  “Get out of here, Daffy!” Finn cried from under the bed. He watched as her feet scurried back behind the bureau and disappeared into the black hole. As he turned back he noticed that Trappe’s boots were not visible on all three sides of the bed. He must have been sitting atop it, waiting for Finn to make his move.

  He had to get out of there. After all these years of never letting himself get caught, there was no way Trappe was going to ensnare him now. Not ever.

  Finn tried to find something under the bed that he could use to distract Trappe, but there was nothing. Most people take advantage of storage area under the bed, but not the headmaster. All Finn could find was a handful of dust bunnies. With no other options, he slipped out the side he came from.

  Large fingers clamped the back of Finn’s shirt, the collar cutting into his neck, and he was lifted from the floor. Finn writhed and flailed his arms, desperately trying to escape. He could hear Trappe’s sinister laugh behind him. He reached out, grabbed the neck of the whiskey bottle he placed on the nightstand and flung it around, making contact with Trappe’s brow. He cursed, but did not release Finn. Finn slung the bottle again, striking the back of Trappe’s head. His grip tightened. The next time Finn swung the bottle, Trappe’s hand met it and ripped it from Finn’s grip. As Trappe’s arm stretched back, ready to pay back Finn with the same attack, Finn stomped his heel down on Trappe’s left foot. Trappe howled and dropped the bottle.

  Relieved that the bottle remained unharmed, Finn scooped it up and dashed to the hole in the wall. He could have stayed and tormented Trappe some more, but he was worried about Daphne being alone in the wall waiting for him. Trappe followed Finn, but when he reached the dark opening he was much too big to fit. His arm reached into the hole and thrashed about. Finn looked back and made sure he laughed loud enough for Trappe to hear him. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. This was his best adventure yet. And he’d had Daffy to thank for it.

  ***

  Back inside the walls, Daphne waited for Finn at the bottom of the rickety ladder that led to the upper level. She wanted to go back down to the cellar, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him, no matter how confident he was. When she heard his laughter carried down the ladder, she felt instant relief. But she also felt regret. She had been so frightened when she ran out of the room that she’d left all the bottles behind. She’d put herself and Finn in danger, and it was all for nothing.

  “How did you do that?” she whispered as he descended the ladder.

  “I told you, Daffy. I never get caught.”

  Finn switched on his flashlight and displayed to Daphne the bottle of whiskey he’d snagged. His eyes sparkled with pride.

  “Oh, thank god!” she cried. “I totally bailed out up there. I’m so sorry, Finn.”

  “No worries. This should be enough for all of us. Plus, the bottle will make an excellent souvenir.”

  “Thank you, Finn. I’d never have pulled this off without you.” Daphne leaned over and kissed his cheek gently.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A Kiss to Regret

  Finn was revved up. Though Daphne was ready to go to sleep at this early hour, Finn convinced her to join him out by the lake. He had some major adrenaline to burn off and didn’t want to be cooped up underground all night. He wanted to celebrate with the girl who helped him pull off this grand stunt.

  The sky over the lake was painted in neon oranges and pinks with the setting sun. The mirror image reflected in the water intensified the magnificent sunset. Daphne could hardly take her eyes off it. It was the most beautiful thing she’d seen in a long time. While the air was cool, it was still somewhat humid and mosquitoes were making a meal out of Daphne’s arms and legs. Her slaps almost sounded melodic.

  “Here,” Finn said, as he pulled a can of OFF from the hole in the ground.

  “You really are prepared out here,” Daphne commented. “Sure you don’t mind me smelling like eucalyptus and DEET?”

  “I can live with it.”

  Finn plopped down on the ground next to Daphne and pulled the cork from the bottle. He offered it to Daphne first and she took a long swig, the liquid burning as it descended her throat. As she handed the bottle back, she noticed Finn’s leg brushed against hers and she felt that warmth zip up her body again. She embraced it. The two seemed almost inseparable now. Not just physically, but emotionally. Daphne was growing more comfortable with his closeness now. She tried to fight her feelings but every day chipped away a little bit of the wall she’d built around herself. She knew it would end in disaster. She couldn’t help it. She was falling for Finn.

  Daphne knew Finn had some secrets. He hadn’t told her very much about his past, and until now, that was okay. But she wanted him to open up. She wanted him to trust her. Even though she knew he might distance himself, she finally worked up the nerve to ask him about his name—his real name.

  “Hey Finn,” she said shakily. “I heard the headmaster call you Preston. Is that your real name?”

  Finn remained silent. A wave of tension splashed between them, but Daphne wouldn’t back down this time.

  “Finn?” Daphne prodded.

  He sighed. “Yes. Preston used to be my name. But I haven’t used it in almost five years. As far as I’m concerned my parents killed Preston Price. He doesn’t exist anymore.”

  “Do you ever miss them? Your parents?”

  “No,” he replied tersely. After a short pause he asked, “Do you?”

  Daphne thought for a moment. She liked being here. The freedom. The unfettered fun. The sheer excitement you only get when you break the rules and escape discipline. But sometimes, when she was alone, she’d think about the parts of life she was missing. Going out to the movies with friends. A hot, home cooked meal made by her mother. Driving around town with the windows down and the wind gusting through her hair. The musical interlude of city traffic. The way her father would sing to her, out of tune, on her birthday.

  “A little,” Daphne admitted.

  “You’re not thinking of leaving, are you?”

  Finn’s lime eyes sank into hers and any thought she might have had of leaving melted away.

  “No, of course not. Not yet anyway. I just miss them a little, that’s all. Besides, if I went back now I’d probably be grounded for the next year and a half!”

  “Good,” Finn said, placing his hand over hers, “I don’t want you to leave.” Electric shocks raced up Daphne’s arm and into her chest. There was a fire in his touch that seemed to ignite something deep inside her. The cooled embers of her heart were being rekindled. It wasn’t just the excitement of new romance—she’d never really felt this with Rocks. Not the same way. The feeling excited her, but frightened her at the same time. She
didn’t want to feel this way. She just wanted to enjoy the last of her teenage years being a kid before she was forced to grow up. That’s why she came to Neverland Academy. She didn’t need a relationship. The look in Finn’s eyes deepened, and she knew she must change the subject quickly. She thrust her face away, staring into the muddy lake water.

  “Did you decide what to do about Trappe?” she asked.

  “Trappe?”

  “Yeah, you know, when you went away this morning? To be alone? I know the bourbon on the mattress wasn’t the best you could come up with.”

  “Oh!” Finn smacked his head and leaned back on his arms. Daphne was almost sorry that his hand left hers, but it was for the best. “Yeah, I know exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to poison the faculty’s lunch tomorrow.”

  “What? Finn, you can’t do that!”

  “Don’t worry, it won’t kill them. It’ll just make them so sick they’ll be on the toilet for two days. And the students will be reprieved of going to classes. Hell, I’ll be a hero to them! Besides, I need to send Trappe a real message. Something that I know he’ll take seriously.”

  “Maybe you should just let it go, Finn.” Daphne’s mind was back in Trappe’s bedroom. She remembered how scared she was, not for herself but for Finn. She worried about what consequence might be in store for both of them if this battle escalated too quickly.

  “Let it go? Are you crazy?”

  “Whatever you do to them, he’s going to try to do one worse to you and the outcasts. And me. Finn this is going to get out of control, I can feel it.”

  Finn grabbed Daphne by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He looked hard into her eyes. “It won’t get out of control. Everything here is always under my control, not his. Besides, once you break into his account and get the evidence we need, it’ll all be over, Daffy.”

  Daphne panicked. How could she get him to stop this insane plan? “What if I’m not here to do it?”

  “What are you saying? You’ll leave if I don’t give this up? You just told me you weren’t going to leave.”