My Life As It Is

Bonus Chapter: Johnny

I giggle at something my father said, squealing when he made a move at me.

"I'm going to get you my darling! Rawr!" He laughs, moving his hands to my small waist to tickle me.

I squeal louder, attempting to push his big hands away from me. I push and pull on his rough hands with my tiny ones, giggling as Johnny comes along and joins in on my torment.

"No! Dad, Johnny, stop!" I squeak, "Please!"

They both stop, Johnny with a huge toothy grin on his face.

"You little toad, I'm going to get you!" I taunt as I run after him, catching him easy as he trips over his short stubby legs.

I pick him up, struggling with his tiny squirming figure.

With me being eight and him being four, it was interesting for me to be able to pick him up at all, even if he is small and light. I am strong, dad and mum say so.

"No! You gotta let me gwo, I'll set mummy on you!" He says loudly to me, almost screaming at mum to help him when I refuse to put him down.

"Storm, put your brother down, it's time for cake!" She says with a smile, walking over to the table with the dog shaped cake on it, that mum dad and me made.

Johnnys turning five today, and there is five small candles sticking out of the creamy vanilla lemon cake. The flame burns brightly, waiting for the wish to blow them out.

Johnny squeals, wabling over to the table.

We all start singing happy birthday, and Johnny blows out the flames.

I glow in pride, my baby brother is five.

I turn and see mum and dad smiling as Johnny grabs handfuls of cake, mum wincing when he drops chunks onto the floor.

Dad has his hand around mums waist and is holding her close to him. He is wearing a massive smile, wrinkles showing around the eyes.

Mum smiles at him, and he pecks her on the lips, mumbling something to her that makes her laugh, a rosy heat spreading across her cheeks.

I giggle, not understanding fully on what dad just said.

"Hey, weresis' my pressies?!" Johnny says with a mouth full of sweet pale cake, a joyful spark lighting up his eyes as he looks around for his presents.

"Aw, well," my dad takes a deep breath, shrugging. "Since you have already finished half your cake without sharing any with us, I guess now's the time to tell you. We didn't get you any presents this year."

Johnny stops dead in his tracks, his bottom lip quivering. He looks at mum, then at me.

Big pleading eyes look at me, making me pout mockingly back at him.

Slowly, my brother looks at the cake and grabs a big hand full, then starts to walk towards dad, holding the messy, frosting covered desert out in front of him.

Dad's face changes from that of a untrue pity feature, to that of a smiling one.

Taking a small amount of the cake from Johnnys hands, he not so politely eats it, then walks over to a table, opens a drawer, and pulls out a small, brightly rapped gift.

"Happy birthday my big five year old,"