Annabelle walks through the crowded cafeteria of her middle school, weaving and bobbing through the chaotic abyss that is, Ellsbury Junior high. As Annabella sits down, she feels people watching her. Amelia Shelton walks up to Annabella and throws milk on her shirt for no apparent reason. Anna stares at Amelia with amazement and fury both at the same time. Amelia gets up close to Anna and whispers in her ear.
“You are a loser, and you always will be.” Jeering at her Amelia shoves Anna out of her way.
Anna looked down at her lunch realizing she was not hungry anymore she stood up and threw the rest of her food on Amelia’s table and ran away, tears streaming down her face.
Annabella faced the mirror in the bathroom next to the lunchroom. She cried until she could not see straight. Her identity was so far gone to her that she thought she was loser and was not worth anything. Curling her fingers and holding her face Annabella cried. She released all her pain once again. As Anna cleaned her face off with the remainder of her paper towel, she also wiped the mirror that she had gotten dirty. As Annabella cleaned the mirror her eyes unfocused and then focused back on herself in the mirror. Anna thought she saw a figure in the corner in the mirror’s reflection. Suddenly, a shadow moves, and Anna shakes her head and her body,
‘Am I seeing things?’ Anna thought to herself.
Anna stands still and looks where she had seen the figure. She waits for about one minute. Nothing happens. A dazed Anna, ready to go and call this paranoia, suddenly heard a jolt. A burst of light appears and right there in the Bathroom of Elsberry Junior High Peter Pan himself appears, feather hat and all.
Annabella stands in the bathroom facing Peter Pan in awe and amazement.
“Peter Pan! Wha- what are you doing here?”
Annabella fumbled out with confusion.
Peter Pan walks up to Anna and Boop’s her nose, smiles and jumps up on the sink and looks Anna right in the eyes.
“Annabella, I heard what happened today and I want to take you somewhere, hold on to my hands and close your eyes, ok?”
Anna’s eyes widen.
“Oh—uh…Okay...!!” Anna says as she walks up to Peter and grabs his hands.
Peter closes his eyes and holds on tight to Anna’s hands, they both disappear into a portal of light.
Annabella and Peter went through the light portal and land in none other than Neverland it’s self --in all its splendor and glory. As Anna and Peter were rapidly dropping out of the sky from the light portal, Peter yells loudly,
“Press the button on your belt!”
Anna fumbled to find the button. Finally, she finds the red circle button and she promptly pushes it with all her might. A parachute expands and saves Anna from her plummeting doom. Peter did the same and they both landed on Neverland’s Island, off near a tree. A tree also near a cave where a group of boys were located. The Lost Boys.
Peter summoned Anna to follow him down the pathway to a door in the tree. He knocked two times, and the door swung open.
“Hi Peter, come on in.” One of the boys said.
Peter walks in motioning for Anna to sit down on a nearby stump that was sitting by the warm fire. The boys looked at Anna like she was an alien.
“I want you to meet the Lost boys, Anna.” Peter said with a smile
Anna looks at Peter and then back at the boys in confusion.
“What do mean lost.” Anna asked bluntly
Peter turns to Anna and explains
“These are the children, the boys that are here in Neverland to be kids forever. At a young age these boys were abandoned and left by the wayside. They are not taken care of by loving parents and only fend for themselves and are often lonely and feel unworthy.”
Anna feels a wave of sadness come over her and then she thinks of her own parents. She ruminates on how if she even got lost her parents would fight tooth and nail to get her back. Her parents would be so sad and terrified. Thinking about this too long made Anna Shiver. Suddenly a wave of realization sweeps over Anna, and she realizes that she is loved, if not by many, Anna is most assuredly loved by her parents. This realization hits Anna differently and all of this is enough for her to not feel like a loser anymore. She feels worthy for the first time in a long time.
Peter looks at Anna knowingly as she starts to cry.
Anna pours out everything that happened that day to Peter and the boys. From her always feeling lonely to the girls, mainly Amelia, and her relentless bullying and degrading. Through sobs Anna explains how she did not mean to forget that she was loved despite what people did not know her worth had to say.
Peter smiles and walks forward to Anna and asks her if she needs a hug. Anna nods and he gives her a big hug and says,
“Anna you are absolutely loved by your parents, your family and your friends. That is all you need to focus on. When people choose to be mean it is your choice to take it in and let it ruin you, or walk away with the confidence and the knowledge, that you are an amazing and powerful being.”
Anna cries again, but this time they were tears of joy.
“I have you too, Peter pan! I can count on you to save the day and show me my worth yet again.”
With that Peter Pan smiles and tells Anna to hold his hands again.
“You have learned what you needed to learn, now you must return.”
Peter Chanted.
Anna looks down at her hands as they disappear along with her whole body, she goes through a light tunnel and comes back out in Elsberry Junior High. Anna is faced with the mirror again. This time she walks up confidently and speaks life back to her reflection.
“I am loved, I am cherished, and I am me. I am not defined of what others label me as. I am not a loser, and Amelia is just a hurt person who needs help.”
Saying these words, Anna felt a rush of calm ready to face whatever came to her when she walked out the bathroom door. Just as Anna went to walk out the door, Amelia walks out of a nearby stall. Anna freezes and looks at Amelia with a concerned look. Amelia approaches Anna calmly and tries not to alarm her any further. Amelia nervously tries to spit out a sentence when Anna moves closer and says,
“It’s ok Amelia, go ahead.”
Amelia swallows and continues,
“Anna, I want to apologize to you, you just made me realize we are all worthy no matter what. I am going through a hard time, and I am trying to find my worth, but I cannot seem to find it.”
Anna felt a wave of knowingness and thought of Peter Pan.
"Amelia, I would love to help you discover your worth, just as someone once helped me." Anna said with kindness.
Amelia looks at Anna and starts to cry, with joy that she found someone that understands her and forgives despite the incident that happened earlier today.
Anna hugs Amelia and walks around with the knowledge she has gained with the help of Peter Pan. Both girls walk on to face the challenges of Elsberry Junior High head on, but this time they would do it together!
