Nightingale

Nightingale- Chapter One

Hi! This is my third book, Nightingale. Please leave a comment, helpful criticism is welcome and please correct any grammar or spelling mistakes in the comments. My guess on when Part 2 will be out is probably around the 12th November. Thanks to Fan47 for helping me with this. It was really difficult coming up with the storyline for this one.

     'Alright, Mum?' Jonathon tapped his foot to a beat, standing with his hand on his hip at the top of the stairs, while Mum struggled down them , three washing baskets in her arms.

     There may have been an answer to his question, but John wasn't listening. He had already taken to beating his brother at getting the most keepie- uppies, or whatever it was called. Four minutes in, John was winning, with a score of thirty- two at a time, compared to his brother's three. 'Aw, Mikey, don't cry little baby. It's not your fault you suck at football.'

     'I'm twelve.  You know that. Why are you always so mean?'

     John twisted his face into something resembling a baby on the verge of tears. 'Aw, cry little baby.' Then he forced a smile, 'At least I know stuff. All you know is how-'

     'How do you divide a fraction?'
      Mikey had always been the more intelligent one, and bringing it up was John's weakness. Ask him to complete a sheet of maths, while reminding him that his brother completed it two years before, he would race through it, determined to be better than his younger brother.
    'You- Uh, - So you take the- Uh- the first number. The one on the top, you know?'

     'The numerator.'

'Yeah, that. Anyway, you take the numerator and you divide it with the... the divide sign!'

     And you can bet that Mikey took this chance to wind up his older brother.

    Half an hour later, Mikey had his hair combed, teeth brushed, face washed and was wearing a clean Arsenal football T-shirt. He had put on some ironed football shorts and his new trainers.

John had thrown on a hat and some Manchester United football boots. They were four years old, but John hadn't grown much since eleven, when he got them. Surprisingly, they (almost) fitted.

     Mikey waited at the door for his brother, who was scribbling down the answers to a question sheet given four weeks ago, when he felt an annoying thing peering over his shoulder.

   'John, when is this due?' Came a familiar voice. Seconds later, the sheet was snatched from his hands and John looked up to see his mother scanning over the answers he had given.

   He knew what was coming next: "John, this is due today? Why didn't I hear about this? I will be talking to your teacher, for sure!"

And sure enough:

'John, this is due today? Why didn't I hear about this? I will be talking to your teacher, for sure!"

  When they finally reached school, Mum marching a few paces behind them, Mikey went to his usual spot, under the trees and pulled out a book. He sighed quietly as he read in peace, his favourite book, A Christmas Carol, in his hands.

   John, however, went off in the other direction, and fist-bumped his gang of the 'cool boys.' They were the ones with the hottest girlfriends, the ones who mouth off to teachers and land themselves in detention, almost every day. They were basically still twelve- year- olds.

     'Nerd.' Mikey looked up from his book as a group of boys trundled over, their shirts untucked, one smoking a burnt-out cigarette. Mikey leant back against the tree as the biggest, toughest one knealt it down in front of him, whispering something he could barely hear, the rest of his gang laughing along with what he said.

     'Are you even listening?' He spat in Mikey's face, ripping the book from his hands and staring down at it. He hesitated for a moment, then decided on a final shout of 'Nerd!', throwing the book back to Mikey. He and his gang marched off,  clearly very pleased with themselves.

It was then that he saw a figure at the front that he hadn't noticed before. John.
He decided not to say anything. He just went back to his book as his brother rounded a corner, followed closely with his gang of bullies and jocks.

Hi! If you enjoyed reading this, please leave a comment, vote and leave critisism and suggestions in the comments as well.  If you enjoyed this part, keep a look out for part two!