Second Star to the Fright (Disney Chills 3)

“Right, nice prank,” he said, plopping down next to them.

“What prank?” John said, not laughing or breaking character. “We’re serious. What’s your name, anyway?”

They both stared at him.

No. No! This is not happening! Barrie thought.

“Guys, I’m Barrie…your best friend…” he said. “We do everything together—”

“Barrie? Barrie…We don’t know anyone named Barrie,” Michael cut him off. “Do we?”

“Nope. And I’m pretty sure we’d remember our best friend,” John added.

They both snickered at Barrie.

“Nice try, dude,” Michael said. “You’re just some elementary school loser who wants to hang with the older kids.”

“Right, we’re in junior high now,” John said. “Go play with someone your own age. We’ve got way more important stuff to do.”

Barrie stared at his two best friends in the world, waiting for them to break into grins or tell him that it was just a sick joke. But they remained stone-faced. Being stabbed by a sword couldn’t have felt any worse than this.

How could they not remember him?

Feeling heartbroken, Barrie collected his board and sulked away. He could hear them laughing at his expense. “What a weirdo,” Michael whispered to John.

“Trying to pretend to be our best friend?” John jeered. “Like how desperate do you have to be?”

This was worse than not being called at graduation. And missing the concert. And not getting to have a birthday party. Nothing could be worse than this.

Why is this happening to me? Why did I ever make that wish?

Was he really never going to grow up?

As he skated away from the park, he spotted the elementary school in the distance.

There was only one way to be sure.

* * *

Barrie crept around to the side of the school, sticking to the shadows. He ran his hands along the redbrick wall as he went.

It was eerily quiet and deserted now that school was out for the summer. The various summer camps and programs wouldn’t start up for another few weeks. He scanned the place for security guards, but even they seemed to have packed up and gone home, as grateful for a break as the kids.

Barrie usually loved the summer. He loved the heat of the sun even when the temperature crested one hundred degrees, which seemed to happen more often every year. He loved the chill of ice cream on his tongue; the long, lazy days spent skateboarding with his friends. My former friends, he thought with a shudder, remembering their cold expressions at the park.

Summer would not be the same without them. They were the Lost Boys. But without them, Barrie just felt…lost.

S

till clutching his skateboard, he tried the back entrance by the playground. But it was locked and wouldn’t budge. Too easy, he thought, releasing the handle.

He crept around to the side of the library, peering through the window. It was dark and empty inside. He could see rows of books spanning back, vanishing into the dark recesses of the spacious room. Clusters of desks with computers and lamps and padded chairs for reading took up the more open areas. The checkout desk was dark and empty.

Glancing around to make sure that nobody was lurking nearby, Barrie pulled the hook out of his backpack. The sharp tip glinted in the midday sunlight. Sweat beaded on his forehead, both from the heat and his nerves. Then he slid the hook under the window’s latch, twisted it, and popped open the lock.

He glanced down at the hook, impressed. Then, he stuffed it back in his backpack and stashed his skateboard in the bushes outside. In one smooth motion, he slid the window open and slithered through it. Being small still had some benefits. This wasn’t the first time he’d snuck into a place he didn’t belong, and at this rate, it was unlikely to be the last.

The air inside the library smelled stale and felt warmer than normal. Usually, it was kept at subzero temperatures by the blasting air-conditioning. Even so, Barrie felt a chill as he crept around the stacks. He kept expecting a security guard to bust him—or worse—for Captain Hook to appear.