Neverland Academy

by Daelynn Quinn

  “You know I was wondering,” she told Finn, thinking about the horrible smell that infected the pillows, “how do you guys clean up here? You know, take showers?” On the ‘tour’ Finn led her on earlier, he revealed a way to get into a few bathrooms in case she needed to relieve herself. And they had a large refillable water jug in the cellar that they used for brushing teeth, pouring the wastewater into a bucket to drain in the lake. But he’d never mentioned showers and she’d assumed that it would be too dangerous to do that with adults roaming the premises. It’s not like you could just slide down the drain if someone caught you.

  “I’ll show you in the morning so you can get cleaned up. Now get some sleep. We’ve got work to do later tonight.” Finn smirked.

  “Tonight?” Daphne asked, confused. But Finn had already disappeared, leaving Daphne to extinguish the lantern and get some rest.

  ***

  “Daffy,” his voice whispered. “Daffy, wake up!”

  A pair of strong hands clamped around Daphne and shook her viciously. She lazily rolled over, her eyes refusing to open. “Hmm?”

  “Daffy, it’s time to get up,” Finn cried. “I want you to come with us.”

  “It’s the middle of the night, Finn,” Daphne whined. “Can’t it wait ‘til morning?”

  “Not what we plan to do. At least, not if we want to avoid getting caught.” Grudgingly, Daphne got up and followed Finn out into the main cellar, where the other boys were waiting, lively and excited.

  “What’s going on?” Daphne asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “Your initiation,” Trick replied.

  “Huh?”

  “You definitely scored some serious points for clapping Trick,” Shag said, “but to really be one of us, you got to go through a test.”

  Finn laid his arm across Daphne’s shoulder. “Shut up, Shag. Don’t worry Daffy, they’re just messing with you. But tonight will be a little taste of what we do here. You and I are going to go shut down the power to the main building. Kevin, here, is going to use his genius to bring electricity down here to the cellar. It’s actually much simpler than some of the other stuff we do. It’s about two a.m. right now, so everyone should be asleep. Even if they’re not, it won’t take but a minute or two to get things hooked up. Right, Kev?”

  “Yeah, man. Everything’s set up. I just need to connect the wires upstairs. Two minutes tops.”

  “So that’s it? What about everybody else?” Daphne asked scanning the other boys.

  “Oh, we’re just here for the celebration,” Hangman offered. He held up a half-empty bottle of generic scotch with a mischievous grin. Toot rubbed his hands together hungrily. “None for you Toot, not ‘til you’re 14.”

  “Aw, come on, man. Quit teasing.”

  As the boys continued picking on Toot, Finn led Daphne back through the tunnels, weaving a course that would take them to the circuit breaker in the main building.

  “There it is,” Finn whispered, peeking through a crack in the panel that revealed an old maid’s chamber, which had been renovated into a janitorial closet. “We should be careful. We got caught last time we shut down the power, so Trappe may have taken some precautions. I’ll go first.”

  “Should I stay here?” Daphne didn’t want to admit the chills she felt crawling over her skin.

  “Only if you’re chicken.” Finn winked and slipped out into the room. His steps were cautious and silent. His head twisted around from side to side sucking in his surroundings, expecting a trap. But when he made it to the circuit breaker he turned and waved Daphne forward. He pointed her to the light switch on the wall next to the door.

  Daphne had gotten into plenty of trouble in Atlanta. But it was mostly just sneaking out with her friends, going to loud keg parties, and fighting obnoxious girls at school. She’d never broken into any place before. Sure, she picked a few locks, but they were usually locked rooms in her own apartment or her friends’ houses—nowhere that would get her into serious trouble. If she were caught here, the consequences would be disastrous. This was beyond her scope and even though she was terribly nervous, there was also a mysterious rush beginning to build inside her. She quickly joined Finn in the small, dark room.

  “Wait for my signal,” he whispered and pulled an iPhone from his pocket, thumbing a text. Daphne was puzzled. How did he have a phone? And why was he texting? The white glow gave an eerie atmosphere to the utility room loaded with cleaning supplies and various tools hanging on the wall until it shut off, enveloping them in black again except for Finn’s headlamp, which cast a centered spotlight on the circuit breaker.

  A few seconds later the phone lit up. Finn opened the panel and flipped the master switch. All around her, Daphne could hear and feel the electricity winding down. Outside, she heard the air conditioning unit stutter and stop whirring. The hum of electricity that one is normally accustomed to hearing as background noise faded into silence. It was the kind of silence that put you on edge, because you could hear every little nuance around you. Daphne could have sworn she heard her own heart beating.

  Finn pointed toward her and she understood. She flipped the light switch and, as expected, nothing happened. The room remained dark. Finn sent a quick text and motioned Daphne to join him.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “Texting Kevin. As soon as he replies I’ll turn the power back on and we can get out of here.”

  Daphne began to relax, until she noticed Finn tense up. Finn brought his finger to his lips and Daphne held her breath to keep silent. Just outside the door she could hear the inhale and exhale of somebody waiting for the right moment to spring. Finn sharply pointed back to the panel and Daphne followed orders, crawling back in and closing it until there was a crack just large enough for her to peek through.

  She had made it just in time. The door to the janitorial closet sprang open and a tall, dark figure pounced on Finn. But Finn was prepared, and tumbled out of the way. The hulking figure crashed onto the floor. The scuffle continued, with Finn always two steps ahead of his opponent, yet he never actually touched him. Finn always seemed to dodge or duck just before his attacker reached him. Perhaps the man was blinded by Finn’s headlamp. In a humorous way, the attacker appeared to be beating himself up, as he tripped over buckets and slammed himself into the walls. At first Daphne thought Finn was getting hurt before she recognized his crowing as laughter. There may have been dialogue between the two, but Daphne couldn’t focus on it. Her heart was racing so fast; the only thing she could hear apart from Finn’s chortles was a rapid thump, thump, thump.

  The glow of Finn’s phone filled the air. It was time for him to turn the power back on and get out of there. But as long as the attacker remained he couldn’t leave the way he came without being seen. Daphne wondered how he would do it, though she had no doubt he could.

  Finn shut the light off his headlamp. Now the room lay in total darkness. There were no windows so not even the starlight could trace any outlines. It was pitch black. Out in the room, she heard crashing metallic clangs and a few thuds, followed by a sharp click and the whirring of the house coming back to life. Daphne wedged her fingers through the opening of the panel, so that she’d know where it is. Next thing she knew, the panel slipped away from her fingers and she was pushed back, crammed against the wooden supports inside the wall.

  “You okay?” Finn whispered, barely loud enough to make out even though he was right in front of her.

  “Yes,” she replied, just as quietly. Daphne shielded her eyes when Finn turned the phone back on to type a final “Done.” Through the luminescent glow she could see the exhilaration in his eyes. This was what he lived for. Most thrill-seekers took to the skies or cliffs to get their adrenaline rush. But Finn sought out a different sort of danger. He liked to be hunted. He delighted in the challenge of outsmarting his pursuers. It was a combination of action and wit. Daphne could appreciate that kind of thrill. She felt exhilarated.

  Back in the cellar, the boys had a
ll gathered around, waiting for Finn and Daphne’s return. They were all sitting on the mound of pillows quietly laughing and goofing off. Kevin was at the front of the room next to the TV, which Daphne had noticed was plugged into the new outlet hanging loosely off the wall. Finn grabbed a couple pillows from beneath Trick and Shag and fluffed them up before dropping them to the floor on the other side of the room. Daphne sat next to Finn.

  “Now that we’re all here, let’s get started, shall we?” Kevin happily announced. “Can I get a drumroll please?”

  The boys made rolling drum noises with their mouths while banging their fists and feet on the stone floor. Daphne and Finn watched in anticipation as Kevin pushed a button on the front of the TV. A green light flickered on and off and the screen buzzed with life. Everybody cheered, but quickly quieted down so the sound would not carry. Next to the TV set, Kevin slipped a disc into the DVD player and soon the boys had all quieted down to watch The Sandlot.

  “Let me guess,” Daphne whispered as she leaned in to Finn. “You borrowed those too?” Finn smiled.

  “Actually Kevin borrowed the TV. Shag and Trick borrowed the DVD and player. We’ll probably be borrowing a few more DVDs, though, now that we can actually watch them.”

  “I wanted to ask you,” Daphne said after a pause, “how is it that you guys have working phones? How do pay for service? And how have you been charging them if you haven’t had electricity until now.”

  “They actually belong to the school. We only use them when we have to, so nobody’s discovered them missing yet. As for your other question, that kind of goes along with the shower thing. I’ll show you in the morning.”

  Daphne wanted to go back to bed. She was about to say something when Finn leaned back with his arms behind him and his hand rested against hers. The feeling jolted Daphne awake as if she’d be zapped with mild static electricity. He didn’t move his hand. She didn’t want to leave now. Not yet. There was something about his touch that she found comfort in, something that warmed her deep inside. It was like a fuzzy woolen mitten on a crisp autumn morning. She didn’t want to lose that feeling. She didn’t move her hand either.

  Chapter Ten

  Josh and Max

  When Daphne awoke the following morning, she felt alive and vibrant. She couldn’t remember a time in her life when she felt so good. Last night’s events brought out an energy in her that she didn’t understand—and didn’t want to. It was a feeling she couldn’t quite explain because she’d never done anything so reckless. Not intentionally, anyway. Finn had already delivered breakfast to the boys. He’d saved her some toast and an orange, which she gratefully scarfed down.

  “What time is it?” Daphne asked between bites. Some orange juice dribbled down her chin, leaving wet spots on the pillow beneath her. She vigorously rubbed it with her thumb, embarrassed at her sloppiness.

  “Does it matter?” Finn returned as he padded his iPhone with his fingertips. Daphne recognized the jaunty jingle. He was playing Angry Birds. “Time doesn’t really exist here, Daffy. What time do you want it to be?”

  Daphne’s eyes did a somersault. “I mean how late did I sleep?”

  “By society’s standards, it’s eleven-fifteen. But, like I said,” Finn’s stretched his last word into a yawn.

  “Yeah, yeah. Time doesn’t exist here. What about calendars? Do you even know today’s date? The month?”

  Finn chuckled. “Yeah, I know the dates when I need to, but only to keep track of birthdays and academic events. Need to know that kind of stuff when we plan our pranks. I even know the year too, if you’re wondering.” Noticing that Daphne had finished eating, he tossed the phone to the side.

  “You ready?”

  “Ready for what?” Daphne stood.

  “You wanted to take a shower, right?”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot.”

  “I didn’t. You stink.” Finn’s lips curved up as he judged her reaction.

  “Gee, thanks. You’re not exactly a Yankee Candle Factory either.”

  Finn chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll clean up today too. And so will the boys. Right guys?” Finn said exaggeratingly loud. The boys all moaned, but agreed.

  “Let’s go.” Finn took her hand.

  Daphne stopped off at her room to pick up her backpack that carried the necessities, and then Finn led her deep into the tunnels. Once again she tried to make mental notes of the turns, but still couldn’t feel confident trying to maneuver it on her own. The route they took now was longer than any Finn had taken her on the day before. She found herself wondering what was going on at home. By now her parents would have discovered her missing. Had they reported it yet? She was the archetype for the typical runaway teen, having gotten into trouble so much and being angry with her punishment, so it’s possible that they may have decided to wait it out and see if she came home on her own. Then again, her father was a district attorney and he had connections. It was unlikely that he’d let even an hour slip by without alerting the authorities to her absence. Her father’s hurtful words echoed in her head. Daphne felt smug. She wanted them to suffer, to know how much they’d hurt her. Her steps picked up to a skip as she followed Finn.

  It seemed like they’d walked for miles when the tunnel finally came to a dead end. A rusty A-frame ladder stretched across the span of the tunnel from wall to wall.

  “Where are we?” Daphne asked as she peeled some of the chipped paint from one of the ladder rungs. Finn was already halfway up and knocked against the ceiling where a door would be. It reminded Daphne of the attic in their home.

  “The old foreman’s home,” Finn replied as he stared up at the door, waiting for an answer. “This is where Lily and her mom live.”

  “I thought you said the tunnel was sealed off here.”

  “Actually, the tunnel branched off a little ways back. The other one, which went to the main slave quarters, is the one that was sealed off.”

  The door swung open and sunlight beamed down from above. Daphne squinted as she climbed the ladder behind Finn, sneezing twice once she finally opened them fully.

  “Hi Daff!” Lily called out as Finn helped her onto the floor. She gently dropped the trap door back into place. Daphne scanned the room. It was an old home, charming and quaint, with dark wood floors and plain white walls.

  “Daffy wants to use the shower,” Finn said.

  “Finn!” A large woman with big, bright brown eyes just like Lily’s wiped her hands on a damp dishrag and hugged Finn as if he were her own child. “My boy, where you been? It’s good to see you, son.”

  “This is Lily’s mom, Janine,” Finn introduced. “She was like a mom to me when I was in school.”

  “Still am, especially now that you’re not in school,” she chastised. “And who is this?”

  “This is Daffy. She just came for a visit. And she’s going to borrow your shower, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course. Come with me Daff,” Lily said as she took Daphne’s hand and tugged her away. They passed a room on the right, where an older man lay on a recliner watching TV. Daphne followed Lily up a flight of stairs, down a short hallway and ended up at a small bathroom.

  “Don’t worry, my mom’s cool,” Lily said.

  “So she won’t tell the headmaster where Finn and the others are?”

  “No. None of the staff will. They have an agreement: Finn doesn’t mess with them, they won’t give him away.

  “He really does have an effect on people here, doesn’t he?”

  “You have no idea,” Lily said, handing Daphne a towel. “Take your time. None of the administrators ever come here so you’re safe. My room’s right there. You can come in when you’re finished.”

  “Thanks, Lily.” Daphne squeezed into the bathroom and twirled around. The toilet and single sink were crammed together along one wall. On the opposite wall was a shower, no bathtub. Daphne noted that this was the smallest bathroom she’d ever been in. There was barely enough room to turn around. Even the half-bath at h
er new home was bigger than this. She’d almost certainly have to get dressed in Lily’s room.

  After what felt like the longest shower of her life, Daphne shut the water off, wrapped a fluffy towel around her, securing it under her armpits, and peeked into the hallway. It was empty. She tiptoed carefully to Lily’s room. Lily was sitting on her bed, leaning her back against the simple wooden headboard, reading a book. Her head popped up when she heard the door creak open.

  “Feel better?”

  “Where’s Finn?” Daphne asked, peering around the scarcely decorated room. She was shocked at how little there was in here. Daphne’s old room had as much furniture as she could fit, and every surface was covered with electronics, lamps, makeup, jewelry, and her collection of mermaid figurines. Her walls were filled with mirrors, posters of Rocks’s band, and ticket stubs. She hadn’t gotten around to decking out her new room after she’d moved in, but it was still somewhat bright. Lily’s room, in contrast, had nothing but a small 8 x 10 mirror on the wall. There was a small dresser with a stack of books and a white nightstand next to the twin-sized bed that held a cheap Wal-Mart lamp and a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

  “He left while you were in the shower. I told him I’d help you get back when you’re ready. You can get dressed over there.” Lily pointed to a standing tri-fold screen in a corner. Daphne quickly shuffled over there. Once she was comfortably dressed in a pair of short denim shorts and a black peasant top, she towel-dried her dripping hair.

  “So you don’t work today?”

  Lily dog-eared the page she was on and swapped the book for the glasses.

  “I do, but I’m on break.”

  “Oh. So how long have you been doing this?”

  “I’ve been working here since I was twelve.”

  “Twelve? Aren’t there, like, child labor laws against that?”