by Xavier Neal
In unison, Aiden and Eiden croak out, “Already on it.”
Suddenly, her glistening, pink and gold, intricately woven wings appear as she grabs Peter by his shirt. “You and I need to get home.”
Like a pouty child in trouble, he whines. “Aw, but baby, I—”
“Don’t even start. You reek of liquor and cheap lip gloss,” she begins to nag as the two of them stroll over the edge of the building and into the night sky.
After a long moment in silence, I look up and see Justin nod to Aiden and Eiden. The two of them politely say good night, leaving me alone with Justin who is making his way over to me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I immediately pipe up.
With a small shrug, he sighs, tilting his fedora back up. “It’s complicated.”
“Well, now I have all these questions, like what’s Neverland like? Where are the pirates from the stories? And, oh! How did Peter actually get to Neverland to begin with? Was Wendy real? Was—”
“Calm down.” His soft hand lands on top of mine, which is resting on my thigh. “There’s only so much I can tell you right now. Think about it like this. The world you know right now is like one of your sketches from your book. All you know are the black and white lines. However, those pops of color you love so much, those colors are me and the other Lost Boys. We’re about to be the appropriate detail.” After staring deep into his blue eyes, the very eyes I’ve come to sketch many times now, he smiles crookedly, “Think you can handle that?”
Leaning in a little closer to him, I sigh. “Do I really have a choice?”
“Flora Whittemore said, ‘The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.’ So, yeah, you always have a choice; just make sure that, whatever choice you choose, you don’t regret it.”
I lie back in the lounge chair and allow the late night wind to touch my face. Closing my eyes to the sound of the traffic horns and Justin’s heavy breathing, I do my best to digest not only the idea that my world isn’t the only world but that it’s about to be my job to help save it.
Chapter Five
“So, the hardest part of a con isn’t really the con itself.” The lecture begins once again. For the past several days, Justin has spent day and night introducing me into the art of lying and stealing or, as he describes it, acting at its finest. As we stroll past the jewelry counter in the department store, he lingers at the rings and bracelets longer than anywhere else. He tilts his hat down and sighs. “It’s all about having the confidence.”
Not sure if I’m more annoyed or intrigued by the day’s lesson, I lean against the glass and sigh. “Okay.”
Looking around, I assume for security, he mutters, “I want you to steal something before we leave here.”
My eyebrows dart down. “Um, I’m not really comfortable doing that.”
“I know you’re not. That’s the point, Peyton. In order to do the things you’re going to need to do, you’re going to need to build a new comfort zone—one outside the normal moral standards.”
How can he expect me to just change overnight? It is even possible to wake up one day and just decide, Today I’m going to be a criminal, even if it is for the greater good? Geez, that even sounds stupid.
I stare at him bitterly with an annoyed look on my face before he lets out a huff and pulls out his wallet, his car keys, a loose key, lint, and a crumpled up twenty dollars. “What are you looking for?”
“Gum.” He sighs, fiddling around in his pockets. “I have a feeling we’re going to be here for a while.”
“I think I have some in my purse.” I offer it to him. “Why don’t you look?”
“Because I’m not the one who wants the gum.” My snip causes him to snatch it from me.
While he’s digging, I place my elbow on the counter directly on top of the crumpled twenty dollars and lay it down innocently. Knowing he isn’t going to find any gum, I simply hold my hand out to retrieve the bag.
“No luck?”
Obviously annoyed, he snips back. “Does it look like I’m chewing any?”
“Snippy, snippy.” I shake my head and place my purse on top of the counter in front of my arm. As Justin grabs the items to start placing them back in his pocket, I slide the twenty dollars in my purse’s front pocket.
“Sorry.” He adjusts his black tie that’s lying on his gray button up. After staring at me, he sweetly smiles and nods. “I’m just a little frustrated.”
“I can tell.”
“I’ve never had to teach anyone anything like this before, so I apologize for losing my patience. You’ll get it. Just don’t give up.”
“I won’t.” I wink and turn my head as a saleslady approaches us.
“Did you want to look at something?” Her brown, bobbed haircut falls in her face.
My head shakes quickly as I pick up a silver ring with a heart shape cut out of it off the display. “I’d like this, please.” Justin hangs his head, disappointed, as I sigh. “My boyfriend will be paying for it.”
Slowly lifting his head back up, he reaches in his pocket and asks, “What’s the total?”
“It’s $15.65.” The saleswoman smiles, putting the item in the bag.
Justin fiddles around in his pocket, searching desperately for the money. Confused and slightly embarrassed, he empties it back on the counter, distraught. After contently watching him panic for a while, a small, green light goes off in his head, which is when he makes eye contact with me.“Honey, it seems I’ve forgotten my wallet. Do you mind getting it? I’ll pay you back.”
“Sure, sweetie,” I say through gritted teeth and pull the bill out of my purse. “Here you are, ma’am.”
With a crooked grin, Justin puts his stuff back in his pocket while waiting for her to hand me the bag. Proudly, I slide the bag under my fingers and stroll out of the store with my arm wrapped around his.
Halfway toward the food court in the mall, he asks, “Did you plan on telling me you stole that from me?”
“Nope.”
“I’m glad you’re willing to steal from me, but…”
“Technically, all you told me was that I needed to steal something before we left the store, and I did. If you want to make it even better, the ring was technically stolen because I bought it with stolen money.”
“Outsmarted me twice.” His arm wraps around my shoulder to pull me in closer. “Now, you’re learning.”
Stealing from Justin wasn’t too hard; stealing from my parents though would be harder. Well, I wouldn’t be stealing from them. Technically, I would be stealing from the museum. And nobody really owned art anyway, right? The two of us slide into a booth at the food court, where I take out my new ring to place it on my ring finger. With a soft whisper in my ear, Justin declares, “I think I like it on that finger.”
My jaw slips open when Aiden and Eiden plop down in the booth in front of us. Quickly, my eyes divert to the two of them, who now that I see them side by side, are a little easier to distinguish. Aiden’s hair is gel tipped and slicked back. His dark brown eyes complement the dark polos he wears, like this blue one. Eiden’s hair is a black buzz cut, his eyes are a bright brown, and his choice of a navy T-shirt with the word “swag” printed on it reveals that they do indeed have completely different styles.
In between slurps on his soda, Aiden pulls out his phone. “Good news or bad news first?”
“Bad.” Justin slumps down in the seat, adjusts his tie with his free hand, and gives me a glance to put away the jewelry, which I do.
“Your car has a tracking chip in it.” He slides his black smartphone onto the table. The two of us lean over to see a picture of small microchip. “This is how they knew every place you were going to be. It’s not just a tracking chip but also a wiretap, if you will. They eavesdropped on your conversations—”
Justin interjects, “That’s how they knew Peyton was going to paint a replica.”
“And how you were going to use it.”
Before Aiden can continue, a
n all too familiar chuckle approaches. My head immediately turns to see Peter strolling by with his arm draped around a petite, blond girl, whose white mini skirt and swimsuit top inform me where he was before this important meaning. The two them stop a few feet in front of us, allowing us to see him plant a kiss of the type to make Cupid blush on her.
“Um.” My finger twirls to point in that direction. Justin puts my finger down and sighs. “Yes, it is normal. And yes, she knows.”
“She knows and she lets him get away with it?” The question pours out of my mouth.
“Pandora’s box.” Eiden grumbles, shaking his head as Peter grabs a chair, spins it backward, and pulls it up to the table.
“Miss anything good?” He twirls his green baseball cap backward; it matches his green swim trunks.
“Did we?” Justin’s question is followed by a cocky smile on Peter’s face.
“Aw, jealous?” He chuckles lightly.
“That I’m not sleeping with clones of my girlfriend? Not really.” Justin’s retort gets a small snicker out of the three of us.
“At least I’m sleeping with someone.” His eyes lead in my direction before he adjusts his white T-shirt. “But, on to more important things, like why this meeting was called. What do you have, Hardy Boys?”
“I was just telling Justin that his car was bugged with a chip that could track his movements and record all car conversations.” Aiden attempts to show him the picture, but Peter waves his hand, indicating that he doesn’t care.
“I told you! I told you I didn’t set you up.”
“This time.” Justin tosses a glare.
“Can we focus?” I chime in.
“Good call from the gorgeous girl in green.” He refers to my low cut tank top. “Did I mention you look good in my signature color?”
With a soft bite of my bottom lip, my face blushes
as I feel Justin scoot in closer to me.
“So, that’s the bad news?” Justin asks quickly.
“Oh no, there’s more. Checked out the security system of the museum. Child’s play, especially on the main floor. I could hack it with my eyes closed.” Aiden takes another sip of his soda, while Eiden munches on a sandwich.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” I ask innocently.
“If I can hack it with my eyes closed, one handed—”
“Oh, one handed now?” Peter interrupts.
Ignoring him, Aiden continues, “That means our pals, the Dark Watchers, who are way less qualified than me, for the record, can hack into it also.” He slides his phone back into his jeans.
“What was the good news?” Justin asked.
“Oh, I can disarm the chip, and that problem will be solved.” Aiden proudly smiles.
“Where is the chip?” I ask, curious. “How come you haven’t noticed it?”
“What’s the first thing you do when you get in your car?” The question seems mildly dumb.
Quickly I answer, “Buckle your seat belt?”
“You’re fun.” Peter’s sarcasm causes the twins to stifle their chuckles.
“Start the ignition.” Justin gives my arm a soft rub. Eiden chimes in, “Right. It’s wired to your ignition, so every time you start the car, it starts recording and tracking. Quite clever actually. Reminds me of that one time we were on planet—”
“Not now.” Justin shakes his head and tilts it at me.
Aiden continues, “Also, while I was conducting my normal scans of background checks, file searches, schedules, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, I came across a couple of red flags. Those names you two brought me a week ago—Dark Watchers on the inside. Somehow, they managed to get a couple of people transferred out, and they transferred in.”
“At least you did something right,” Peter says to Justin as he snatches the bag of chips away from Eiden.
Eiden, who tries not to look too upset about the loss of his chips, says, “They also jumped the gun and tried our plan a little prematurely. It’s not going to be showcased that evening.”
“What evening?” I quickly question, realizing I’m still not completely in the loop about everything.
“You haven’t even told her that?” Peter snaps. “What could your mouth possibly have been busy doing instead?” As Justin starts to defend himself, he’s quickly cut off, “So, the museum has its annual fall showing, right? Well, usually your family attends, but this year, your father overbooked his schedule and has to be out of town, returning late that night.”
“How do you know that?” My body clenches up uncomfortably.
Aiden innocently raises his hand, and I nod slowly, before Peter continues, “You are the in to the painting. You’re going to volunteer to take your father’s place, Justin’s going to be your date, and from there, the rest is yet to be determined, thanks to our friends, the Dark Watchers.”
“That’s the day before my birthday. I mean, that’s less than two months away.”
“Time is a concept created to control the minds of the weak.” Justin tilts his head at me with a familiar, soft smirk.
“So, while once again, you haven’t brought me any good news, I assume your brother has the same to report.” Peter turns his attention at Eiden, who places his sub down only to have it taken away by Peter as well. Eiden leans back with a defeated look on his face. “Jimmy’s in the wind right now. No signs. No contacts. I even tried to see if anyone had heard from him back home. Nothing.”
“Great, so right now, we have nothing.” Peter takes a bite of sandwich, dripping tomatoes out of the bottom. “Great. Just great.”
Annoyed by his attitude, Justin looks at him, tilts his hat to the side, and sarcastically smiles. “We have you.” Running his tongue across his teeth to suck food out, he crumbles up a napkin, stands up, and sighs. “I suggest you find the answers to these problems. And I mean quickly.”
Like the arrogant jerk I’m learning he is, he strolls off immediately, wrapping his arm around two innocent girls walking by, who instantly giggle at whatever escapes his mouth.
“This has been as much fun as taking an algebra test naked in front our graduating class, but we need to get going. Could you two take care of that chip?” Justin asks, sliding out of the booth like the others.
“Yeah. It’ll just take a second,” Aiden answers as the three of us walk out of the food court toward Justin’s car.
Three weeks later, I’m smiling in the cafeteria while watching Justin chug down his orange juice as if he hasn’t drunk anything in days.
“Hey, Peyton.” A girl from my chemistry class waves at me as she strolls by.
I wave back, proud that I’ve gone from invisible to most desirable in what has to be record time. Between countless nights at Justin’s apartment with him, Aiden, and Eiden, working on plans and ideas to try to steal the painting, I’ve been forced to attend my normal social functions for my parents as well as those that will build an ironclad cover that Justin and I really are a couple. In fact, between the romantic dinners at five star restaurants and late nights at the art gallery, even I’m beginning to buy into it.
Realizing that I’m staring at him, he stops and asks, “What?”
“Nothing,” I smile innocently as I add the finishing touches to a new sketch of him drinking his juice.
“Are you sketching me again?” He casually wipes the remainder off his lips.
“Maybe,” I playfully answer as he turns my sketchbook once more to see himself. Innocently, I sigh. “I can’t help it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I spend all my time with you.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
Slightly taken off guard, I blush. “I never said it was.”
“You know what is a bad thing?” Justin leans in closer. “That we’ve been dating for about three weeks and I haven’t had the chance to kiss you yet.” Flabbergasted, I nervously cover my lips with a couple of fingers.
To no surprise, we are interrupted by the sound of Peter, who’s being escorted by two c
heerleaders who are in their game day outfits, which consist of dark green, gray, and black miniskirts and halter tops.
Once he arrives at our table, Justin leans back as Peter smiles at them. “If you ladies will excuse me, I have some business to do.”
“Of course.” They lean over, and each places a kiss on his cheek.
Once they’re out of sight, he adjusts his school tie. “How is my favorite couple today?”
“We were good.” Justin emphasizes with a wide smirk as he rubs the back of my hand.
“Wow, you guys are so good at this that you’ve almost convinced me this is real rather than a giant ploy.” The words force a deep swallow out of Justin, and he removes his hand.
“What’s up, Peter?” He uncomfortably adjusts himself and his tie.
“Couple of things.” He shrugs simply. “Aiden has a way into the museum but needs a little help from the two of you.”
“What’s he need?” I place my hands gently in my lap. Here it is. Protect my parents or save the world, world wins.
“Aiden needs a way for them to switch security systems to one that he can access—one he can install and have all the codes and passwords to. But in order for that to happen, there needs to be a reason for a change in the system.”
“Like if a rumor were going around that some juvenile high schooler hacked into it to get access to nude paintings.” Justin inputs and strokes his chin.
“Exactly, but we need it to get all the way to the principal because Principal Wilfred will be at the same showing you will be tonight, and from what I’ve heard, he and Ms. Middleton, the museum’s head manager, are quite cozy.”
“So, you figure that, if I mention something about a kid bragging, Principal Wilfred will confirm that it happened and suggest a security system. Then, that’s where I can suggest Aiden’s made-up company, and we’re in.” The puzzle pieces are much easier to put together once you’ve done this a couple of times.
“Exactly. However, we need Principal Wilfred to hear the rumor the only way that would really catch his attention.” Peter smiles and waves at a couple of sophomores passing by. “An e-mail sent by Secretary Lisa. We’re going to need to get onto her computer, forward an e-mail to her from an anonymous sender, and forward that to Principal Wilfred. They both need to be out of their offices in order for this to work.”