Child's Heart

Chapter 2:Something Doesn't seem Right

The next morning Jay awoke to noise coming from downstairs he got dressed before heading to the source of the noise, which happened to be coming from the kitchen.

"El can you watch the pan for a minute I need to check on your father he said he wasn't feeling well last night, I hope it isn't a bug." Maureen said already walking out of the kitchen only to almost crash into Jay. "Oh James are you alright, sorry about that, breakfast should be ready soon why don't you go help your sister?" Leaving before he could answer her, Jay walked into the kitchen softly smiling at the scene in front of him.

Eleanor was holding Nathan on her right hip as she slowly moved the scrambled eggs, a small bell sounded from the oven causing Eleanor to face a little bit of trouble.

"Nath I can't keep carrying you, it's dangerous to carry you while I'm getting the tray out of the oven," she tried reasoning with her little brother as he wrapped his arms around her neck securing his place on her hip, "Nath come on if I don't take out the tray it could burn the food as soon as I put the tray on the table I will carry you as much as you want okay?" she pleaded, as Nathan shook his head in pure refusal.

"Hey need some help Ellie?" Jay asked deciding now was the time to make appearance known.

Eleanor visibly relaxed at the sight of her older brother as she quickly nodded, "yes please! Mum decided to do lunch as well and told me to take the lasagna out of the oven when the alarm went off, but Nathan doesn't want me to put him down..." she trailed looking at the boy as he continued to keep his grip on his sister's neck.

"Okay, come on Nate," Jay softly grabbed Nathan by his arm pits making him giggle a bit and loose the grip he had on Eleanor, Jay then adjusted Nathan on his hip with a surprised look, "either you're getting lighter or I'm getting stronger kiddo" he have a small chuckle but held a frown.

"No! Stop I want Ellie!" Nathan stared pulling away from Jay trying to get to Eleanor, "hey hey hey Nate, Nath how about we go to the living room? Yeah? We can play a board game? Whichever you want you get to choose" Nathan stopped struggling as he heard the proposal, finally he nodded allowing Jay to carry him to the living room and after looking over the section of board games that there were he finally decided on 'Monopoly'.

"Ok take a card" Nathan reached out and grabbed a card looking at it for less than a minute before giving it to Jay to read, "if you pass go collect $200" smiling Nathan collected the 200 dollars. Another three rounds passed before Nathan once again got a card that he once again passed onto Jay who took it and read it out loud, "go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200"

By the third time that Nathan got another card and gave it once again to Jay caused the latter to roll his eyes while suppressing a groan before once again reading it.

"Four, so one, two, three, four,"

"Hey you landed on my property so you got to pay me! You counted wrong on purpose!"

"Me? No, no I didn't I just... Okay I was just kidding, Here the 25 dollars of rent."

Nathan smiled in triumph as he rolled the dice and moved his little figure, he then picked up a card.

"What does the card say?" Jay asked as he saw Nathan's face turn slightly from a frown into a slight annoyed look, Nathan looked up at Jay showing him the card so that he could read it, but Jay simply pushed the card back towards his brother, "no come on Nathan you can read it" Nathan shook his head looking at the card before looking at Jay.

"I want to play something else," he mumbled already starting to get up to go see what other board games there were.

"Wait why?" Jay asked looking at his brother, "come Nate" Nathan hesitated before heading back sitting next to his older brother, Jay wrapped his arm over his shoulders holding the card in his hand so that they could both read the card. "Okay now slowly and calmly yeah, try to read out loud what the card says okay?"

Nathan took a deep breath before he tried reading the card, "Adance token... to the neerest... ralrod and pay oner mice... " Sighing in frustration running a hand through his hair before trying to continue, "the rental to mich he is otermise..." He let out a small growling sound as he tried to get up.

"No, come one Nath, you're fine"

"I don't want to play this I want to do something else"

"Nathan you can't say you don't want to play this anymore just because you're feeling frustrated, you need to calm down and then we can continue playing alright? Look the card continues on to saying, read after me yeah; 'otherwise entitled. If railroad is unowned, you may buy it from the bank.' "

Nathan sighed in annoyance and frustration as he ripped the card from Jay's hand before throwing it away and kicking the board game as he got up running up to his room.

"Nathan!" Jay called after him before sighing and starting to pick up the game.

"Hey, what happened?" A voice asked behind him.

"Not sure Nate and I were playing and when he had to read one of the cards he blew up throwing a fit and ran to his room. I swear he is sometimes a huge brat."

"To be fair Jay you know that Nath is sensitive when it comes to reading and writing, even if it was playing you shouldn't have pushed him."

"He does need the practice Luke, based on how he read right now it sounds like his reading is getting worse."

"Well mum says she's been helping him with his reading..."

Jay looked at his older brother a bit annoyed that Luke did not seem to be too concerned over the fact that his youngest brother's ability to read and write wasn't getting better. He shook his head as he finished cleaning the board game putting it away before heading to his room where he collapsed on his bed a part of him thinking back to before he joined the band, how he would always read to Nathan and he'd simply follow along mouthing the words. Smiling to himself he picked up his book and began to read.

"Come on Nath you need to finish this, this is why I, along with everyone else always ask you if you have homework when you come back from school on friday, and every time the same thing happens, you say no and you leave it until sunday night."

"Yeah yeah yeah I get it Tom."

"If you know then why do you keep leaving it to the last minute?" Wisely Nathan chose to ignore him as he continued to read out loud. After an hour Nathan had only read one and a half pages, he kept snapping at Tom every time he was corrected, finally Tom sighed as he told Nathan he could go play. As Nathan ran out of the room Jay was walking in a confused look on his face as he saw his little brother run so fast out of the living room.

"What's up mate?"

"Nothing" Tom shook his head rubbing his eyes, Jay walked towards his twin sitting on the couch next to him, when the book on the table caught his attention.

" What the? 'Six Dinner Sid'? " Jay thought, he remembered he read that book when he was in like year 3 or 4 but why was Nathan reading it? Wasn't he suppose to be in year 6? Why wasn't he reading a book in his grade? "Maybe it was just for practice"

He looked up towards his brother's room as he thought, "there is something off about him. There is something almost wrong here and yet why am I the only one that seems worried? Or even concerned that there may be something wrong with Nathan?"

A/N: I know it's a bit short sorry about that plus th lack of updating :S

Next I will be (or try at least to) updating either another chapter here or "The Wanted One Shots" hopefully soon.