#widowlucas

She looks back at her father, gaze hardening, her stomach churning from both disappointment and disbelief. 

- I’ve got to go, she states, making no comment on their conversation about his request. 

- Wendy…

But she’s already spun on her heels and is halfway out the door. She refuses to hear any more of his bullshit. Why would he need her to do that? It’s not like the Red Wolves are struggling.

Are they?

For a second, Wendy halts on the stairs. What if they are? If her father can keep the story behind the Red Wolves’ rivalry with the Lost Ones a secret, who’s to say he can’t keep the Red Wolves’ success – or lack thereof – one too?

Another three beeps, more erratic than the last, snaps her out of her thoughts. That’s right. Car. She’s getting a lift from Tink to the local diner.

Knowing she’s probably wasted at least a minute on her thoughts, she takes longer, quicker strides down the stairs and out the door.

A small green car is parked along the path, directly opposite the front door. A wide, genuine smile stretches across Wendy’s face. Behind the wheel is Tink, of course, and in the back is Lily.

All three of them are grinning as Wendy walks round to the front passenger side and climbs in.

Tink turns to face her.

- Ready? she asks.

- Hell yeah! Wendy exclaims.

Tink’s eyebrows raise.

- Woah! You never say that. What happened?

- I’ll tell you at the diner.

Tink nods and restarts the car, pulling out onto the road.

In a few moments, the girls are off, heading towards the middle of the town where all the most-used shops and businesses are.

Finally, Tink pulls up alongside Granny’s Diner, run by Widow Lucas, who everyone just calls Granny because of her wise, friendly nature, with the help of her granddaughter, Ruby.

The girls climb out of the car and enter the diner, sitting at their usual table on their left by the front window. Wendy takes a seat with her back to the window, Tink and Lily opposite her.

- Alright. We’re here now. So what happened? Tink asks.

Wendy looks over her shoulder at their usual waitress, wondering if now’s a good time to tell them. The waitress, Ruby, looks busy leaning against one of the tables flirtatiously, chatting animatedly with one of the regulars.

Reassured that they won’t get interrupted, Wendy looks back at the girls and explains.

- It’s my dad.

- When isn’t it? Lily scoffs.

Wendy glares at her.

- Continue, Lily says after clearing her throat.

Wendy rolls her eyes but does so all the same.

- Anyway. My dad…he said he had a job for me.

- And you don’t want to do this job? Tink asks.

She shakes her head.

- No, he err…he wants me to seduce Pan and try and get some information out of him about his gang.

Both Tink and Lily gasp.

- He wants to play dirty? asks Lily.

- He’s a gang leader, Lily. He always plays dirty, Wendy states, raising an eyebrow.

- No, but…you know what I mean.

- I didn’t think the Red Wolves needed to sink that low. I thought they were doing well, says Tink, tilting her head in confusion.

- That’s what I thought too. Apparently, we’re not and he feels threatened by Pan. I guess their victory against us that night helped in his decision.

- But…why? Tink asks.

Why you? Why that? Those are the questions she means to ask. Wendy shrugs.

- He saw Pan and I kissing, Tink. He caught us that time in the car park and apparently he caught us again at his event.

Tink’s eyes widen.

- Seriously?

Wendy nods.

- And he wants me to seduce him at his club, the Neverland Spring, tonight.

- Wait…I’m confused. Is there something I missed? Lily pipes up.

Tink and Wendy look at her, nodding; Wendy more embarrassed and Tink more proud.

- Oh, you missed a lot, Lils, Tink says, throwing an arm around her. Our dear friend Wendy here has only gone and started something with daddy dearest’s rival.

It takes a minute, but finally Lily catches on.

- You sly fox! You kissed Pan: gang leader of the Lost Ones, youngest gang leader in years?

- Yes?

- Damn, girl. I wish I was in your shoes. So many girls throw themselves at him but not one has managed to catch his eye…ever.

Wendy’s eyes widen.

- You seem to know him quite well.

- Oh, I don’t. But I’m a model. Anyone who’s anyone in the limelight in the world of celebrities knows who he is. Well, his renowned side anyway. But if you’ve managed to catch his eye…maybe this job is a blessing in disguise. You two might hit it off, ya never know.

- But I don’t know anything about him.

- Well then, we’ll just need to do some investigating, Tink declares.

While she and Lily smirk, Wendy just shakes her head in disbelief.

Just as Tink leans forward, stretching her index finger ready to point to who’ll be doing what, Ruby steps up to their table to take their orders. Two Lattes and one ginger tea.  

Tink makes a noise of disgust at the back of her throat. Lily narrows her eyes at her, daring her.

After jotting down their orders, Ruby struts over to the counter to hand the orders over to Granny.

- How can you drink that?

- I like it. Problem?

- Yeah! I’m just trying to understand something. It has no taste and has a really strong smell. What’s there to like about it?

- You just have less taste buds.

- Guys! Wendy snaps, breaking up the pointless bickering. Can we get back to what we were talking about before ginger tea?

The two girls nod, taken aback by Wendy’s outburst. She hardly ever gets like this in public.

- Thank you. Tink, you were saying…

Tink shakes her head, snapping herself out of her state of shock.

- Right. Lily...

She points her index finger at Lily.

- You find out any small personal details you can. Pan’s favourite colour, what he likes to eat, etcetera.

Lily nods.

- Wendy,

She points at Wendy.

- You do any background research you can since you’re the one going into the lion’s den. As for me…I’ll try and find out what I can about this nightclub of his: the Neverland Spring. Agreed?

- Agreed, Wendy and Lily chorus.

Ruby returns to the table with the girls’ orders.

- Two Lattes and one ginger tea.