Never Grow Up by Karen Kingsbury & Tyler Russell

Author:Karen Kingsbury & Tyler Russell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Published: 2021-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

At school the next day, Mr. Garrett’s class was deep in rehearsal again, and Ashley was about to walk the plank. Which was the scariest part of being Wendy. She held her breath and waited.

The desks in Mr. Garrett’s class were pushed to the back of the room, and everyone was running through the play one last time before the talent show.

“I’ll get you, Pan!” Landon swiped his hook in the air and Elliot ducked. The hooky hand barely missed him.

“Not today, Hook!” Elliot pointed to the sky.

Landon took a deep breath. “We’ll see about that!” He looked mean. Not like the usual Landon Blake at all. “I’m going to tie up Wendy!”

He came to Ashley with a short piece of rope. They didn’t have an actual pole like a real pirate ship. But Ashley could see the pole anyway. Landon took her hands behind her back and tied them together.

“Not too tight.” Mr. Garrett sat on the edge of his desk watching.

“Okay.” Landon gave Ashley a quick grin. “Don’t be scared,” he whispered. Then very loud he said, “She’s my prisoner!”

Ashley almost missed her next line. She remembered to pretend. “Never!” Fear filled her voice. “Peter, help me!”

Chris stood next to Ashley. He held his teddy bear and he sounded bored. “Oh no, Wendy. Are we going to have to walk the plank?”

“Hold.” Mr. Garrett stepped forward. “Chris. You’re supposed to be frightened. The script says he is crying. You’re the baby.”

“I am not!” Chris shouted back, defensive.

“Not really a baby. But you’re playing one. It’s make-believe.” Mr. Garrett clasped his hands. “Please… try.”

Chris huffed and pulled his bear closer to his face. “Are we going to die?” He sounded better than before. A few of their classmates giggled.

“Very good, Chris.” Ashley nodded at him. “You sound just like a baby.”

“Thanks.” Chris scowled.

Mr. Garrett covered his face with his hands. “Let’s continue.”

Landon as Hook walked toward the kids tied to the imaginary pole. “Now… you will walk the plank.” He waved his hook so fast it came off and flew across the room. A group of nearby pirates had to duck so they wouldn’t get hit.

Hook was defenseless! Also his pirates were shaken up. Suddenly Ashley had an idea. She shook her hands free of the rope and quick did the same for her pretend siblings. “Come on, boys!” she yelled. Then she ran to the front of the imaginary ship. “Grab your weapons. This is our ship now!”

No one moved. Everyone just stared at her.

“Ashley…” Natalie was fluttering around as Tinker Bell. She gave Ashley an anxious look. “What are you doing?”

“What I should have done a long time ago.” Ashley walked over to the ship wheel prop and spun it a few times. She liked being captain.

Mr. Garrett waved the script in the air. “Ashley. You need to stay on book.” Shock was all over his face. “Please… follow the script.”

Only Ashley couldn’t really hear him. She wasn’t even in the classroom anymore. The wooden floor of the Jolly Roger creaked beneath her feet, and the salty Neverland sea sprayed her face.

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