by Xavier Neal
My body shoots up like a geyser, sweat pouring from ever orifice creating a very big wet spot on Kendall's bed sheets. Pulling my legs up to my bare chest, I run my fingers through my tangled wet hair and let out a heavy sigh. What is wrong with me? This can't be healthy. Hell, at this point is anything in my life really healthy? When did I even fall asleep? I rest my forehead against my forearm. The last thing I remember is replaying all the awful things the Lost Boys are up to every day in my head like a broken record. Drugs. Stealing. Smuggling. Girls. At the recollection alone I let out a deep groan, a familiar distaste plaguing my tongue.
“So you're awake,” Kendall's voice cuts through my moans of discomfort.
I look up and am pleasantly surprised to see him with a towel barely hung around his waist and his tooth brush in his mouth. How is it I always manage to see the hottest guy shirtless with towels around their waists? Is this the balance for all the bad luck constantly coming my way?
The idea of not staring doesn't even cross my mind. Come on! Where else am I gonna look? His six pack gives Justin's a run for it's money, but unlike my prince charming, his body is covered in tattoos and scars. The tattoo that was peeking out from under his sleeve yesterday appears to be a pair of handcuffs wrapped around and linked together. That's terrifyingly sexy, which sums up his existence in two words.
With a shake of his head, he turns, exposing me to a set of skull and crossbones on his back. The one on his left shoulder blade has a pink bow while the one on his right has a sideways baseball cap. I'm guessing, one in memory of his mom, one in memory of his brother. I wonder if the handcuffs are in memory of his father.
Before I realize it, Kendall has ditched the toothbrush and is leaning one arm on the door frame, a slightly cocky look on his face. Can't blame him. I have been ogling him like a desperate female would at a male model photo shoot.
Trying again he asks, “Did I wake you?”
“No.” I adjust the sheet as the air conditioner kicks on, chills breaking out on my arms. Where is the shirt I was wearing? I wiggle around checking to see if I have on anything on the bottom. I don't. Oh God! Why am I naked? When did I get naked?! We didn't...we couldn't have! Doing my best to maintain my composure I announce, “Bad dream.”
“Another one?”
“What do you mean another one?”
“I mean you woke up several times last night screaming in a cold sweat,” the information is new to me. “You were literally drenched after the fourth time you woke up, so I figured you'd probably keep cooler if you wore nothing.”
Relief washes over me. Wait, does that mean he saw me change?
“You kept repeating 'I'm sorry', 'Please don't', and 'What have I done?' Nightmares started coming so frequently I slept in the chase and did my best to cool you down until you could pass back out.”
I glance over to see a disheveled sheet where my clothes were laying last night. Taken a bit off guard I ask, “You did that for me?”
“I did.” After a beat he says, “You probably got infected by some of the poison from the sand and were just suffering minor hallucinations. Doesn't always take affect right away.”
“Am I gonna be okay now?”
“Most likely. We'll get you a hot shower and that should help.” Before he can say another word my stomach grumbles loudly. Embarrassed a hand flies over my face. With a slight chuckle he states, “And some breakfast. Afterward I'll take you to get your official papers.”
Nodding that I understand, I grip the sheet tighter closed and push my back against the pillows that are leaning against the wall. My eyes follow him as he slides his body from the door space into his room. Suddenly it hits me that we are both basically naked in this room. Oh my god! How did I get myself into this situation? How do I keep ending up like this?
Kendall's hand swipes the wall space to the right of the bathroom door exposing a walk in closet space. Casually he says to me, “You can go ahead and grab that shower.”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah.” Kendall steps inside and slides the door closed, making it appear to be a solid wall again.
Impressed I quickly gather the sheet and begin frantically searching for my clothes to take in the bathroom, not sure I want him to keep staring at me in just a sheet. Immediately, I look close to the chase since that's where I put them. No shorts. No shirt. No underwear. Crap! Crap! Crap!
Wearily I call out, “Um...have you seen my clothes?”
“I tossed them in the wash,” he answers from behind the wall. “Figured you wouldn't want to put them back since they were damp and covered in sand. I'll get them in just a minute.”
“Thanks.” I call back and step into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.
At first glance everything looks the same as it does back in my own world, but something is gnawing at me to look closer. After all I am on a different planet―er―star? Whichever. I know some things have to be different. After all the two way mirror window thing in his bed room was strange, the way he has all these hidden wall compartments, is like living in a James Bond movie, so I can only imagine something in his bathroom is special too right?
The master bathroom is about the same size as his bedroom. I totally was not expecting this. The floor is covered in large gray tile squares. The marble counters match the rest of the apartment while the lighting from overhead is the same neon blue that was in the fish tank. Dead ahead, I notice the toilet is gray and larger than I remember toilets being and sitting right underneath a small glass window. There's a shaggy slate colored rug in front of it. To the right of me is a long bathroom counter, with lights that dance all the way around it. Strolling over I hit the light switch beside it, which turns them on and the blue ones off. Thankful the bathroom is now a normal lit space, I open cabinets under the sink to find towels, extra toiletries, and a First Aid kit. Nothing special. In the middle of the bathroom there's a bathtub built into the floor like some sort of Jacuzzi with sparkling faucets. I bet a bath in that would be amazing. Continuing to look around I spot a different color tiled area against the furthest wall. Puzzled I stalk over to the anomaly and look around the space. Is there a point to this? Is there a reason he would just get the corner tiled with this neon blue color but nowhere else?
Suddenly, I hear a voice over my shoulder. “It's voice activated.”
Startled I jump, trip over the sheet I'm still clutching, and fall backwards into Kendall's arms. With his soft smile he asks, “You okay?”
“Yeah.” My heart races as I scamper to cover my body back up with the bed sheet Obviously rattled, I wiggle back up onto my own feet and huff, “Where'd you come from?”
“The other side of the door.” Before my eyes have a chance to lower to a glare, he offers me my clothes neatly folded. “You didn't lock it. Besides I figured you might want these.”
Holding the sheet closed, I graciously accept the folded laundry, my undergarments thankfully not at the top which would've made this moment even more awkward. How could I not lock the door? Isn't that rule number one when entering a bathroom?
Slightly ashamed at the mistake I mumble, “Thanks.”
My eyes give his body another glance noticing he's still shirtless while his underwear band is barely peaking over the edge of his black work pants. The vision takes my breath away with minimal effort.
“You're staring again.”
Shutting my eyes, I croak, “Sorry!”
After a soft chuckle, he says, “Anyway, the shower's voice activated. So, tell it what you want it to do and it'll do it.”
Confused I pop my eyes open and say to the area, “Shower.”
The wall opens a hole and a basic shower head pops out spraying water. At the same time tile covers the side walls.
Impressed my jaw slips open.
“You can be more specific than that. Go ahead.”
After a long thought I try, “An eight prong golden shower head, with bright purple water at the perfect temperature for steaming the entire
bathroom. Oh! And a shower bench.”
The shower head changes, the water color becomes bright violet, and steam starts to fill the bathroom. Just as requested there's even a bench waiting to be sat on.
Still grinning Kendall nods. “Good job. The purple water was a nice touch. Enjoy your shower.”
“What about a shower curtain so the water doesn't go everywhere?”
“It's there.”
“Invisible?”
“Yeah. Parts for you when you enter and exit, but invisible unless told otherwise.”
“Awesome...” my voice sighs without thought. Now this is way cooler than any kind of shower set up I've ever seen or even think we have back home.
“Enjoy.” And with that Kendall exits the bathroom, clicking the door locked before shutting himself on the other side.
I place my clothes on the counter, drop the sheet, and rush into the shower thankful to be under running water again. As the warm water falls over me, my eyes automatically close. In no time, I get wrapped up in the thoughts swarming in my head. I can't believe I'm finally here. I can't believe I finally made it. I mean after all the talk and all the trying, I finally made it to Neverland, yet I feel more alone here than when I was back home. Frustrated, I rest the side of my head on the tile wall, feeling helpless and once again like a victim. Why am I always the victim? How does this keeps happening to me? Maybe this is why my father wanted me to go his route. Maybe he knew I wouldn't be able to make the right choices myself. Maybe he knew I wouldn't be able to grab the reins and steer it straight. Stand up for myself. Protect myself. You know back in Landlin I proved I could hold my own. That I could be more than I thought. If I don't learn to take care of myself I'll always be a victim and that's something I am not okay with. For most of my life I've been this...meek, fragile, sheltered thing, but since hanging with the gang, that albeit abandoned me, I hope for good reason, I've learned some independence. I've learned I can do more than I dreamed. I've learned that I can have control and don't have to lie down for submission. I matter. Whether or not they want to admit it, they need me. Belle needs a girlfriend to giggle with. Peter needs someone to remind him the world doesn't revolve around him. Aiden needs someone to assure him even if he's a little nerdy he's still charming, Eiden needs someone to inform him there's more to life than work, and Justin... I'm not sure exactly what he needs from me, but it's something. For my sake I hope it's more than these damn clues. Now the question is how do I fit into this world where they're submerged in more trouble than I could have ever imagined?
I hop out of the shower, brush my teeth with the extra toothbrush I find, and get dressed as quickly as possible, knowing that I shouldn't milk Kendall's generosity by making him wait an extended amount of time.
Once I'm changed, I open the bathroom door spotting my hat on the edge of the bed. As I go to grab it with a smile, I hear another voice that's not Kendall's. A voice I oddly enough recognize. Carefully I crack open the bedroom door and barely peek my face around the frame.
“Enough Kylar.”
“No! Not enough! You bailed a criminal out of jail-”
“I didn't bail her out! And she's not a criminal. She has yet to commit a crime-”
“In this world!”
“Which is what matters,” he states firmly.
“She's playing you. This is some sort of clever, thought out rouse to get to us. Did you show her anything?”
Kendall, who's sitting in the same chair he was for dinner last night, runs his fingers through his hair. “No.”
“Why don't I believe you?”
“Because trust isn't something you're very good at big brother.”
“Don't get smart with me,” Kylar's voice booms, his head making the motion to check over his shoulder, so I slip back into the unseen. “Pan has a plan...”
“Which is?”
“I don't know yet, but he's using that girl.”
“He's always using everyone. It's what Pan does.”
A growl, one I'm thankful I'm not in close proximity to because it would be hard not to be even more terrified, escapes Kylar. “This is different. She is different. He's never had a girl in the crew before. They left her on purpose.”
“Kylar-”
“They left her to infiltrate. To get to us. They wanted an inside man and are looking for a weak spot...” He doesn't even sound like he's explaining something to Kendall any more as much as thinking out loud. Is that true? Did they leave me behind to see what the Hook brothers have on them? Wouldn't that make me even more the female version of Justin?
“Ky-”
“They knew you were attracted to her,” the accusation isn't denied. I smirk. “They knew that you would save her.”
“How could they know what I didn't even know?”
There's another growl. “What did you show her?”
“Nothing!”
“What did you tell her?”
“That her friends were dangerous. Nothing she didn't already know.”
He's clearly lying for me, but why?
In a cold tone he asks, “And once she laid on her back for you, what other information did you give her?”
I gasp. Oh my gosh! Did he just imply that I slept with him for information! I mean Peter makes those kinds of implications all the time, but to hear that that's what the rest of the world actually thinks of me causes discomfort. Severe discomfort.
“We're done here.”
“Get that girl out of your goddamn apartment.”
“I have to finish getting ready for work-”
“That's right. As a what again?”
“Goodbye Kylar,” Kendall says and slams the door behind his brother.
Cautiously I peek around the corner once more, this time seeing Kendall alone, running his hands through his hair again, frustration clear on his face. Can't blame the guy. If my big brother was as much of a jerk as his is, accusing me of outrageous things, I would probably be upset too.
Slowly I head towards him. Doing my best to pretend I heard nothing, I ask in the calmest voice I can muster up, “Was that your brother I just heard?”
His body stiffens. “It was. What exactly did you hear?”
“I heard him say 'as what again'. Whatever that means.” I brush it off and thankfully he relaxes almost instantly. He's not the only one who can lie to someone to spare their feelings. “Does he live close by?”
“Do you consider three floors up close by?”
“Wow.” The word leaps off my tongue before I can stop it.
Kendall lets out a small chuckle, rolls his eyes, and grabs his shirt from the couch we're now standing beside.
My attention helplessly falls back to his body where I start tracing the scars with my mind. He would be so beautiful to sketch. Between his perfectly symmetrical features and the way the scars are nestled on him like perfect imperfections, he would make an amazing work of art.
Not being able to control myself I lightly touch a scar on his upper right pec. “What's that from?”
Kendall looks down, “Boxing in the Canyons.”
“You box?”
“Used to. Was one of the best. Hold 3 titles.” He tries to fight his smile while using his thumb to point behind to the framed photos above award plaques.
“Wow.” I divert my eyes to the wall above the couch. After admiring the pictures of him in just a pair of boxing shorts with gloves, looking just as delicious as he does in front of me, I say in a total fan girl voice, “Impressive. How long has it been?”
“Years.”
“Why'd you stop?”
“Dealing with Pan sort of clouds your judgment. Takes up all your time.”
“Amen,” I whisper in agreement. Liking the nostalgic look instead of the anger that was painted in his eyes earlier, I glance back at his chest, hoping to keep him talking. Hoping to erase the emotions and distrust Kylar brought up. “You have a lot of battle scars.”
Kendall nods. “I do.”
I
point to one beside the first one I questioned. “What's that from?”
“Hunting Croc' with my dad and brothers.”
“That one?” My finger bravely slides down his chest to a mark by his ribs that's peering around the corner of his open work shirt. I can't believe I am touching him like this!
Seductively he raises his eyebrows. “Snowboarding in Synalia. Mom's favorite getaway.” There's suddenly a pause and I watch him shift away from flirty back to the look from earlier. Mistrust. “Kody's too.” With a fake smirk, clearly trying to mask the obvious change, he begins to button up the bottom of his shirt forcing my finger off of him. “Ready to head out?”