Only Yours

25

Jonty's P.O.V

When I wake up, Will is sitting next to me in bed, watching me.

'Good morning, Jonty. I am honoured to be the first to wish you a happy day of birth.' He says in that daft voice I love. He pats my arm and I ruffle his hair as I sit up, stretching and checking the time. Half past seven. We leave for school in half an hour.

As I rush around getting dressed, Will sits on the bed, sitting in the Buddha position, eyes closed and hands under his chin like he is praying. He's already dressed.

For a moment I watch my brother. He wears the same black slacks and buttoned down purple shirt, just like Daddy, that he does most days. His hair is even longer than it was when he cut it all off, random curls everywhere, some of them touching his shoulders. His skin is slightly less pale than Daddy's, his face slightly shorter and his nose and chin a little less prominent, but they have the same eyes. Papa says they look gorgeous on Daddy. I think they look gorgeous on Will.

No, Jonathan. He's your brother. He's related to you.

Though only by Papa...

I shake my head and start talking, trying to ignore the thoughts. I've been having them frequently recently. Always about my little brother. It's sickening.

'Did you sleep at all last night?' I ask him. He avoids the question but opens his eyes and bends under the bed, picking up a big silver box and putting it in front of me. 'Open it. Go on.' he looks really excited and I smile as I rip off the silver wrapping paper.

'Ta da! It's a rugby ball! But not any rugby ball. This rugby ball can fly! It really can! Let me present, Buford the flying rugby ball!' he throws it in the air and it grows little wings, ducking and diving through the air.

Although it is an amazing gift, and he obviously spent a lot of time on it, as I watch it fly around the room my heart sinks. 'Joseph helped you with it.' I don't like Joseph. Partly because I don't trust him, but also because of the relationship he has with Will.

After Will was kidnapped when we were five, the Moriarty family left. Briefly. Then about three years ago, Mr Moran, Joseph and his brother Jiles, who is a year younger than the twins, saying that James had gone to outer Liberia and left them all. None of us believed them, but Will was happy that Joseph was back. I was not. I didn't want to share Will with anyone.

'Yes, a little bit. Is that a problem?' he says, eyebrows together, looking all confused. I sigh. 'No. Of course not.' As always he just nods and scampers off the bed, heading for the door. He's terrible at seeing other people's emotions.

We go out of the door, closely followed by Buford the flying rugby ball. Immediately I am attacked by Blackbeard, Hamish's black Labrador.

The lights are off and when I reach for Will's hand, he isn't there anymore. A little scared, I reach for the light switch.

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATHAN! I see Buford's working, William.' Daddy shouts, jumping out from behind the sofa, brandishing an envelope.

'Happy birthday Jonty!' the twins appear as well. Hamish jumps on me and Saphira punches my leg. Saphira's hair, once so like Daddy's, has gone a darkish brown. Hamish's, once as blonde as mine, is the same colour. Although Will is biologically related to both our father's, he looks much more like Daddy. The twins are a real mixture.

'Sherlock, we were meant to wait.' Papa gets up and punches Daddy's arm before turning back to me. 'Happy birthday, Jonty! Eleven years old! Look at you. It seems like just yesterday you were- you were-'he looks like he is about to start crying. Will glances at me, rolling his eyes, and I try not to laugh. I don't want to hurt his feelings.