Neverland Academy (22 page)

“Like
hell it does!” Trappe growled and released Daphne. Her fingers slipped from the
narrow columns and her body slid down. Finn leaped forward and managed to catch
one ankle. Her body dangled and as he pulled her up he swung her like a
pendulum so she could grab hold of the rail. He dragged her back over to safety
just in time to see Trappe thrust his sword toward him. Finn felt an explosion
of pain in his upper right chest and fell to the ground.
 
                
 

Daphne
shook her head to clear her vision. Trappe’s blade emerged from Finn’s chest.
In a panic, she groped the floor, looking for anything that could be used as a
weapon. Her fingers found the arrow that Trappe pulled from his hip. The blood
that coated the tip was still wet. She picked it up and plunged it into
Trappe’s stomach as he pulled the blade from Finn’s body. Trappe’s body tensed
and he dropped the sword. Finn was weakened, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He
quickly picked up the sword and poked another hole in Trappe’s gut. Then, using
all of his strength, Finn lifted the weakened old man by the legs and hurled
him over the balcony.

The
resulting thump was anticlimactic.

Chapter
Twenty-Four

A
New Home

A groan carried
from the floor below
like an injured dog, trapped at the bottom of a dry well. Daphne and Finn
leaned over the railing to find Trappe lying face up, still alive, but with his
left leg positioned at a grotesque angle. They didn’t know if he would survive,
but at this point neither really cared anymore.

The
sirens grew louder and the lights grew brighter as they approached the front of
the academy. Daphne knew her time with Finn was short.

“Quick,”
Finn said, “over here. There’s not much time.” Finn palpated the wall, finding
a loose panel and sliding it open.

“No,”
Daphne said. “I’m going home Finn.”

Finn
frowned. “You won’t stay with me? You really are leaving?”

“Come
with me,” Daphne pleaded. She wouldn’t change her mind about returning home,
but she didn’t want to leave him here all alone. Not when he could be with her.

“I
can’t,” Finn replied ruefully.

“You
can’t stay here, Finn. With Trappe and most of the professors gone, they’ll
shut down the academy. Then what do you plan to do?”

“I’ll
figure something out, Daffy,” Finn said as he stroked her cheek softly. “I
always do.”

“I
can talk to my parents. You can stay with us for a while. Until you get a job
and can find your own place. It won’t be so bad, really.”

Finn
rolled his eyes as Daphne somehow expected him to.

“I
can’t do that,” he whispered. “You know that.” He started toward the open wall.

“Finn,
you have to grow up sometime,” Daphne insisted. She was shaking, trying to hold
back tears of goodbye. “And after what I saw tonight, you’re ready.”

Finn
turned and went back to Daphne.

“I’m
going to miss you Daffy,” he said, cupping her face in his palm. He sighed. “I
don’t want you to go, but I know you have to. I wanted to tell you something
earlier. You were so angry with me and then I got angry and well . . . I never
got the chance.”

“What
is it?”

“I
think I’m in love with you.”

Finn
pulled Daphne closer with his left arm and her body melted the moment his lips
touched hers. There was something more to this kiss than any they shared.
Something deeper, more meaningful. She didn’t want it to end. But it did. And
too soon.

A
heavy pounding shook the front door, tearing the couple apart. The sirens had
stopped, but the intensity of their presence still lingered. Finn slipped
something into Daphne’s palm before pushing away.

“Goodbye,
Daffy.”

Finn
slid into the wall and began closing the panel. Daphne opened her palm and
found the cork from the bottle of Glenfiddich they shared.

“Finn,”
Daphne called out. He paused a moment. She swallowed. “I think I love you too.”

Finn
smiled sadly and nodded before shutting the panel and leaving Daphne alone. All
she wanted to do now was cry. So she did.

Once
the police were inside the building, everything turned to chaos. Pictures were
taken. Evidence was confiscated. Arrests were made. Daphne watched as Trappe
was hauled away on a gurney. They had wanted to take Daphne to the hospital and
do a rape kit, but she’d barely convinced them that she was fine and had not
been raped. A police sergeant was about to take her home, but as she was
leaving, she remembered the boys.

“They’re
in some room that the headmaster used for discipline,” she said. “But I’m not
exactly sure where it is.”

“I
do.” Lily approached Sergeant Lynn. She was wrapped in an oversized blanket and
Daphne wondered if she’d been questioned about her injuries. “I’ll take you
there, but you might want to bring backup.”

Daphne
accompanied Lily, Sgt. Lynn and three other officers as they made their way
through the garden and church to the discipline room. Underneath the church,
two professors stood guard, unaware of the flurry of activity going on above
ground. The officers arrested the professors, along with Father Warren, and
released the outcasts.

As
Sgt. Lynn took in the discipline room with shock and ambivalence, Daphne said a
quick goodbye to Lily and the boys. They would soon be going to their own homes
spread across the country, and she knew she’d probably never see them again.

“Don’t
forget us,” Hangman said wistfully.

“I
don’t think that’s even possible.” Daphne smiled.

“Give
me your email, and we can still keep in touch.”

With
nothing to write with or on, Daphne repeated her email to the boys. She hoped
they would remember.

“Come
visit any time,” Lily said as she hugged Daphne. “They may shut down the
school, but this is still my home, and I’ll be here until I start college.”

“I’ll
try.” Daphne wiped a tear from her cheek. One by one, Daphne hugged each of the
boys. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling, but smiled and slapped Shag
playfully, when he tried to cop a feel.

As
she was leaving, Daphne turned back to Lily.

“Take
care of Finn?”

Lily
smiled and nodded.

Reluctantly,
Daphne went home.

***

As
the police cruiser pulled into the driveway, Daphne noted the unfamiliarity of
the home. When she ran away, she’d only been living here for about two weeks,
hardly enough time to get attached. The tunnels underneath Neverland Academy
felt more like home than this place.

The
light in the kitchen switched on and Daphne saw her mother step out onto the
porch, wearing her fluffy red bathrobe. Behind her, her father stepped out and
held her mother by the shoulders.

Daphne
waited for Sgt. Lynn to open her door. She stepped out tentatively, wondering
if her parents would be angry with her for running away. She wanted to tell the
police that Trappe had kidnapped her, but that seemed too contrived, so she
told the truth. She didn’t need to embellish it anyway, since he
had
actually held her prisoner, even if it was only for
a few hours.

She
walked slowly toward the house, painfully aware of the bloody nightgown that
she still had on, and her parents rushed to meet her, cradling her from both
sides in a hug to end all hugs. Daphne thought she might suffocate if her
parents didn’t let go soon.

“Don’t
ever do that to us again, Daphne,” her mother cried. “We were so scared. We
thought you were . . . were . . .” She broke off into a gushing of sniffles and
gibberish.

“I’m
home now, mom,” Daphne assured. “I’m okay.”

“We
missed you so much, Daph,” her father added, squeezing her tightly before
releasing her. He looked down at her gown. “Is that . . . blood?”

“Uh,
yeah. Can we talk about this tomorrow,” Daphne yawned. “I really need some
sleep.”

***

It
was like moving into a new home all over again. The house looked the same as
how she had left it, but it was still so new. There was little comfort in her
bedroom where, despite it being a different room, all of her prior belongings
remained just as she had left them.

The
next morning it was not only in the local paper, but every nationwide news
network was reporting on the scandal at the renowned Neverland Academy. Daphne
sat between her parents on the couch in the living room, eyes glued to the
wide-screen TV mounted above the fireplace. Her brothers were home now, too.
After learning of what had happened at the academy, Mr. Werring rushed off in
the middle of the night to pick them up. Max lounged on the loveseat while Josh
stood behind the couch, unable to take his eyes off the screen.

Byron
Trappe had been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, sexual assault of
a minor, unlawful restraint of a minor, endangering the welfare of a minor,
false imprisonment, possession of child pornography, and murder of two
professors. He was currently in the hospital under high security while he
recovered from his injuries. Six professors and Father Warren had also been
arrested and charged with aiding and abetting on all seven counts. In addition,
two of them had been charged with embezzlement and tax evasion. Video footage
of Neverland Academy showed a maelstrom of activity while frantic parents
searched for their children. It was a madhouse there. Some boys
enthusiastically stood for interviews with the press. Most were happy to be
going home. Daphne watched the screen intently searching for Finn, though she
knew he wouldn’t be there.

Daphne
thought often of the green-eyed boy that ignited that blazing fire deep within
her. Some nights she would stay up late and wait by her window for hours,
hoping to see him, and wake up still leaning on the sill. She would stare out
at the darkness, reminiscing on the good times they’d had together and some of
the bad. He never came. She missed him dearly. But it was clearly time for her
to move on.

 
               
Epilogue

The humidity was
drowning the students
on that mid-afternoon in May. Young adults in gold and burgundy gowns streamed
down the football field in disheveled lines. Many were excitedly dancing and
throwing their fists up in the air triumphantly. Some young ladies were blowing
their noses into wet tissues and wiping away tears. Still others were calm and
resolute.

Daphne
took her seat alphabetically in the back row of the folded chairs that had been
set out for the graduation ceremony. Her parents worried that her escapades at
Neverland Academy would have caused her to miss so much school she’d have to
attend another year to catch up, since they cancelled summer school in the
district. But she wouldn’t let that happen. Daphne worked hard, putting in
extra hours that she might have spent socializing into studying at the library
and in her bedroom. By the end of March she’d almost caught up to her
classmates and surpassed many in her academic progress. She even skipped prom,
though she had little interest in attending anyway. She’d done so well that she
had signed up for some college computer science courses over the summer.

In
truth, it wasn’t just her lagging behind in academics that motivated Daphne to
busy herself with work. She truly missed Finn. She’d thought about him every
day. A few times, she’d called Lily to talk, and it was always about Finn. Lily
said she didn’t see him much anymore, but she’d always promise to tell him
Daphne said “hi” if she saw him. The last time they’d spoken, Lily had told
Daphne that Neverland Academy had been taken over by the bank since the owner
would be in prison for the rest of his life and had no living relatives apart
from Belle, who wanted nothing to do with the place. The remaining staff that
lived there, including Lily and her mother, pitched in to hire an attorney.
After all, Lily and her mother were Trappe’s kin and if they could prove it the
academy would be theirs. Lily even spent her savings that was allocated for her
first year at Brown. She said it was worth it. They were going to reopen the
academy the following academic year, hiring all new professors and welcoming
female students. She didn’t know who the new headmaster would be, but she
sounded confident that whoever it was, would be nothing like Byron Trappe.

As
the graduation ceremony came to a close, Daphne sneaked out among the falling
caps and tassels to greet her parents who were watching nearby.

“Don’t
you want to say goodbye to your friends?” her mother asked.

Daphne
looked back at the crowd. She didn’t really have many friends at school, none
as close as Lily and the outcasts. Somehow everyone seemed so much younger than
her, in spite of his or her age. They hadn’t experienced the blinding trauma
and unforgettable time she had spent with the boy with the green eyes. Somehow,
all of those people seemed irrelevant.

“No,”
Daphne replied. “Besides, Athens is a small city. I’ll see them around. Most
will probably end up at UGA next year anyway.”

And
as silently as the quiet life she made for herself, Daphne slipped away
forgotten and unnoticed.

***

Tossing
her cap and gown on her bed, Daphne sat down at her vanity table with her
laptop resting against her crossed legs. She had an email from her old friend,
Carrie. They’d had little communication since her time at Neverland
Academy—only one short email asking for details, which Daphne ignored.
Daphne deleted the message without even reading it. That part of her life was
over and she didn’t want to bring back the memories or make her old friend hang
on to their nonexistent relationship. There were also three emails from Rocks.
Two of them were simply announcements for upcoming shows. Daphne deleted them.
The most recent one seemed to be addressed directly to her.

Hey Daphne,

I know u probly hate me
since u wont return my messages. Just wanted to let u know I’m moving w/the
band to LA. Already got some gigs lined up. If u change ur mind I’ll save a
spot on the bed 4 u.

Rocks

Daphne’s
stomach twisted with nausea. She couldn’t hit delete quickly enough.

“Note
to self,” Daphne murmured. “Change email address.”

In
the background Daphne heard the doorbell ring. She groaned and planted her face
in her palms. Her mother had invited some relatives to come celebrate Daphne’s
graduation and her grandmother had actually accepted. This seemed to be a new
thing with Mrs. Werring. Since Daphne returned she found excuses to celebrate
anything and make a party out of it. She’d actually taken the entire family out
for a celebratory dinner after Daphne passed her first calculus test. She’d
even offered to invite Daphne’s classmates for a huge end of the school year
bash, but Daphne vehemently insisted she didn’t. She just wanted to be alone.
So her mother invited close family instead.

“Daphne!”
her mother called out.

With
a frustrated sigh, Daphne slapped her laptop shut, pushed her chair back with a
screech and ambled downstairs to greet her visitor.

When
she’d reached the bottom step she found her mother still standing at the door.
Daphne wondered why she would leave her grandmother waiting outside. When Mrs.
Werring stepped aside, she saw why. Daphne’s legs suddenly couldn’t move. All
the energy in her body seemed to be sucked into her chest cavity as her heart
beat like an uncontrollable jackhammer.

Finn
stood on the porch, his bright green eyes searching Daphne for some kind of
reaction.

“Hey,
Daffy,” he said quietly. He’d hoped for acceptance, but if she’d reject him, he
was ready to leave. But Daphne didn’t reject him. Her eyes glistened and a
smile broadened her face. Finally her legs found movement and she leaped into
Finn’s arms.

“What
are you doing here?” Daphne asked.

“Do
you want me to go?”

“Don’t
you dare!” Daphne commanded, squeezing him tighter. She looked back briefly at
her mother, who eyed the two with wariness, and insisted that they be alone.
Mrs. Werring stepped away reluctantly. Daphne took Finn by the arm and led him
out onto the swinging bench on the front porch.

“Where
have you been? Why haven’t you come to see me? I’ve been waiting, calling Lily
to ask about you. I thought you’d forgotten me.”

“Oh
Daffy, I could never forget you.” His finger stroked her face, just like he’d
done the last time he saw her. “I haven’t come to see you because . . .” Finn
paused to find his words. “Because I love you.”

“You’re
not making any sense, Finn.”

He
sighed. “It’s Preston now. Finn is gone.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Daffy,
after you left I spent a lot of time thinking. Things just weren’t the same.
With you gone and the boys gone—even Belle left to go live with her
cousin—everyone gone really, it just wasn’t fun anymore. You were right.
It was time to grow up. There just wasn’t anything left there for me. Life got
boring. So, with Lily’s help, I got a job working with a landscaping company.
Got my GED. And I registered at the university. I start next semester.”

“Really?”
Daphne could hardly believe her ears. He’d really done it. He’d really grown
up. “You really did all that?”

“I
did it for you, Daffy. I told you. I think I’m in love with you.”

In
the orange glow of the setting sun, Preston Price took Daphne in his arms and
kissed her. While her grandmother and a few of her mother’s friends came to
wish Daphne a happy graduation, the couple remained on the creaking bench swing
mapping out their future and basking in their happy ending.