Lost Boys

Five

Image shows Tootles

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We all have our plates in front of us but I realise that I don't have anything to eat it with. This hasn't affected any of the boys because they are all shovelling their food into their mouths. I'm being protected by a bunch of pigs. They are really using their hands and I even see one of the twins licking the plate too once he has done.

I let out a sigh and bring my arms closer into me. Tootles noticed, swallowed his mouthful and moved closer.

"Is there something wrong?" He whispered to me. It wasn't a private conversion anymore because everyone looked up at me, wide eyed.

I let out a breathy laugh. "Did your mothers not tell you to eat nicely? Table manners and such. You're all eating like pigs." I blurt out. I don't know why I confessed it; they are going to think I'm so goody-goody.

We know that my situation at home isn't the best but I was always raised to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Manners are key. My mum raised me this way so that whenever I went out anywhere I looked like a perfect child and nothing came back to her to make her look like a bad mother.

"No actually." Tootles told me like it were a fact. "None of us know our mothers. There have never been parents on the island."

I regret asking now.

"What's it like having a mother?" The shorter of the twins asks, Bugsey I think. All of the guys shift so that they are facing me, listening intently. First I think that they are joking but no they really want to know. Their faces all become youthful, like my story will fill the hole of not having a mum.

"To be honest I'm not the best to ask. I am clueless as you on what a real family is like. You guys must have had mothers. How did you get on this 'Island'?"

The boys don't fight to talk so Peter takes over the conversation for the group. "Well we do have mothers back at the main land...the place you come from. They say we got here because as babies we fell out of our pushchairs, funny I know. But if we weren't returned to our families, we were sent to Neverland." I want to laugh at the made up story but by the way he said it made me think it was the truth.

"But that's not how I got here." I say across the fire at him.

His half smile is back. "Well girl babies are smart enough to not fall out of their pushchairs. So we don't really don't know anything about our fa-"

"-Speak for yourself. Just because you're jealous you don't know that much about your family." The blond guy, Slighty, cuts him off.

"Not again." Tootles said under his breath like this was a regular occurrence.

"I heard that. You know I have proof. I'll get it, Olivia will be on my side." he jumps up and walks back to their place to get this 'proof'.

"He's got it in his head that he's better than us because he's got some information about his past." Peter goes back to explaining. These beautiful boys are just so different from anything I'm used to. Very confusing at the least.

Slightly is back and shoving something blue in my face.  I take it and flatten it out on my lap. It looks like an old baby blanket. That's when I see it right in the corner. "Slightly Soiled" printed in a handwriting styled font.

"See look!" Jabbing his finger at the printed label. "Last name and everything. I'm probably the only remaining heir to the Soiled family legacy." He stands up straight and proud. I keep my laughter hidden. It's not fair to laugh at his pride even though I know it is only the brand name written on the blanket. Well now I know how he got his name.