Get Lost (7 page)

Giggling, I assume from whatever’s in his cup, Peter laughs. “Right, and give up being a Lost Boy? I don’t think so.”

“A what?” My voice tries to interject.

“You think being a Lost Boy is worth risking my life every time I turn the corner?” Justin yells furiously.

“Did you forget you don’t have a life outside of being a Lost Boy?” Peter  growls, popping the  collar of his green, fitted T-shirt. After a long stare off, he smirks. “That’s right. You  work for me. You do what I say. I make the rules. Without me, there is no you. Don’t you forget it.”

“That’s not…” Justin’s voice pauses and trails off. “That’s not even—”

“What are you two talking about?” I flag them down from the opposite side of the roof.

“You brought her here for what? Sympathy points?”

Peter points at me with his cup hand.

“I brought her here because I’m keeping up my end of the job!” Justin yells, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I brought her here because, if you want a shot at this stupid plan of yours working, she’s going to need a little more than what you’ve allowed me to tell her.”

Peter slowly strolls toward me and takes another drink. Through the cup, he mutters, “You look sexy.”

“Thanks.” I hear myself  say.

“I really like the cut.” His hand caresses the split, while his tongue caresses his lips.

Justin clears his throat loudly. “Peter.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist,” he grunts at him. Peter sits down on a lounge chair, insisting I sit in the one beside him, while Justin leans between the twins. “You have some questions for me?”

“Kind of,” I chirp out nervously. “Are they dirty questions?”

“I…um…well…uh…”

“You’re easy.” Peter laughs under his breath. “You must be to be interested in a guy like—”

“Watch it.” Justin snaps. “Answer her.”

“Well?” Peter takes another drink. “Ask.”

“Um,” I mumble and twirl my hair around my finger a few times. “Uh,  well…”

Peter croaks out, annoyed, “Geez, Justin, I didn’t realize the kind of girl you were working with.”

“You’re such a jerk.” He points a stern finger at him. “Maybe if she didn’t have to ask an inconsiderate moron like you.”

“Oh, I’m a moron.”

“If the forest leaves fit.”

“You know what—”

“They’re not in season?”

“You  know—”

“I know I’m tired of the two of you and your fighting.” A soft, feminine voice chimes in.

My head immediately turns to look behind me where a gorgeous girl is floating over the edge onto the rooftop. I admire her long, thin, tall figure, which is cloaked in a pair of short leather shorts and a pink T-shirt with the words “Think Tink” on it.

“Are those wings?” I croak out, falling back in my seat.

With a touch of her blond bob, they disappear. “It’s not polite to stare.”

“Sorry.” I sheepishly hang my face, which is when I see the cup that was in Peter’s hand lower and get scooted back by the heel of his foot.

“Who’s the girl?” she asks, immediately looking at Peter.

“Hey, don’t give me that look.” He innocently tosses his hands up. “This time she’s not my doing. Blame the loser who got our painting stolen.”

“You got the painting stolen?” the girl croaks loudly. “I didn’t get  anything  stolen!”  Justin snaps back.

“I merely went to retrieve it when, once more, I was ‘magically’ attacked by the Dark Watchers. Funny how, every time Peyton’s with me, they attack, Peter.”

“What are you implying?” He leans forward. “What! You think I called the Dark Watchers up and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you run interference for us? Justin could use the practice.’ Even though you could.”

With annoyed breath, Justin responds, “Oh, I could use the practice? When’s the last time you picked up a sword, pretty boy?”

Doing his best not to slur, he points. “Hey, hey, I can pick up a sword.”

“But can you use it?” The attitude causes Peter to open his mouth to retort when the girl cuts them both off.

“Give it a rest already.” She stomps her pink stiletto covered feet. “Seriously, you fight like an old married couple, and you’re not even the ones dating!”

“Thank goodness for small favors, Belle. I don’t know how you date such a pompous jack…”

“Hey,” she points to Justin, “calm down.”

A silence settles on the rooftop, which I believe is a perfect time for me to chime in. “Um, excuse me?”

“What is it, Art Queen?” Peter mumbles, slamming his back against the chair, annoyed most likely from his girlfriend putting her foot down.

I let his attitude go, assuming it’s the result of too much Trashcan Punch. I scoot to the edge of my chair. “What exactly do you mean, you’re Lost Boys?”

The girl looks at Justin, who nods slightly, which is when she looks back down at Peter, who does the same motion. “Don’t you know who the Lost Boys are?”

Immediately, I ask, “Like from fairy tales?”

“Exactly.” 

The  answer doesn’t really yield what I need it to.

“Didn’t the Lost Boys follow Peter Pan around?” The question receives nods from everyone.

“Unfortunately,” Justin mumbles, making  the twins laugh.

“But that’s all make believe.”

“Is it?” Peter coldly asks. “What! You can believe people can poof  into smoke, but you can’t  believe I exist?”

“You exist?” The query forces me to scratch my head. “You, like, as in you’re Peter Pan?”

Proudly, he extends his legs out on the chair and places his hands behind his head. “The one and only, baby.”

“But I thought Peter Pan was an awful, rotten, little boy who refused to ever grow. He was like twelve, not seventeen, whiny, and just downright awful.”

“Sounds like she hit the nail on the head.” Justin chuckles again as Aiden and Eiden join him.

Annoyed, he glares at them. “Do you mind?” Once their giggles run out, he sighs. “At some point in time, someone decided that my life story would make more sense if I were younger and worried about not being able to play with toys, blah, blah, blah. Truth be told, there’s more to it than that.”

“Like what?” I instantly interrupt.

“Another time and place.” His hand waves me off. “Anyway, the part about the Lost Boys is somewhat true. Aiden, Eiden, and my all time favorite, Justin.”

“You’re a Lost Boy!” My mind can barely fathom the words, let alone form them.

“Guilty.” He smirks sweetly at me.

“Oh a lot.” Peter’s mutter causes Justin to shoot him a look.

Slowly, I turn my head to the girl who had wings on her back upon arrival. “Does that make you Tinkerbell?”

“Belle.” They all recite in unison.

“Belle.” I correct myself.

With a small finger wave, she winks at me, and Peter continues, “Those things that have been chasing you and your knight, the shining dingle brain over there, are called the Dark Watchers.”

“I don’t remember that part in the stories.” I innocently scratch my arm.

“It’s because that part didn’t quite make it into the cookie cutter fairy tale. Dark Watchers are a rival group from Neverland. Their mission is to take over this dreadful world. Yet, in order to do that they need, well, specific items. One of those items is a map on the back of a very famous painting that you have an incredible amount of knowledge about—a very famous painting that they stole the replica of.”

“Sous Clef?”

With a nod, Peter continues, “Now, if they get the map, this whole world is at risk from a threat bigger than you could wrap your mind around, but if we have the map, we can continue to protect this planet the way we have for years.”

“So, that’s why they’re chasing me?” I ask. Quickly, Peter answers, “Yes.”

My eyes wander over to Justin, who’s leaning against the edge now in a more protective way. His hat is lowered, so his eyes are harder to see and his body language is no longer angry but rather difficult to read.

I open my mouth to ask something else when Belle sighs. “Think you could help us?”

Baffled not only at the amount of information but the content, I stutter. “Um, I’m not really sure how. I mean, I can’t fight. I’m not really that clever or—”

“But you are the one person we’ve met who knows enough about Sous Clef to help us. That’s why the Dark Watchers were trying to kidnap you. They want you on their side, but we need you on ours,” Belle interrupts. “Look, there’s a plan in motion, but this is not time to reveal the details—not before we know we can trust you and that you’re willing to help protect your world and all the people you care about.”

“I want to save the world I care about.” I inform her slowly.

“Good. We’ll start putting the first part of the plan in motion. From this moment on, Justin and you are dating.” Belle, pleased, claps her  hands together.

My head slowly turns in Justin’s direction, and he shrugs innocently in an attempt to respond but is once more interrupted by the queen bee.

“But..”

“It’s important that you two appear to be inseparable.”

“But I…”

“Justin, I expect you to teach her some tricks of the trade and how to survive with us. As for the rest of you…” She looks around and points to Aiden, Eiden, and Peter.

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, an 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.”