Finding where I fit

Chapter 10: Life changes

The next morning, everyone was sat around the breakfast table. Usually Robert and Maryse couldn't hear themselves think over all of the children talking, but this morning everyone was silent and looking down into their food. Maryse looked around the table, trying to start a conversation, but failing to get responses that were more than two words. Alec had come downstairs earlier to watch the TV before anyone else and had found Magnus sleeping on the sofa. He had been cross ever since. Maryse had tucked one of Alec's favourite old blankets over Magnus while he had slept, and Alec had looked at him unimpressed as he had held it up to his face in his sleep. Most of the food that was usually fought over had remained untouched between them all.

Jace cleared his throat and took a sip of his orange juice. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and spoke hardheartedly across the table. "Magnus, I was wondering if you would like to go to play basketball by the park...?" All the other children looked up except Alec. Izzy and Max glanced at each other at the strange suggestion. Magnus was friends with all of them, of course, he'd grown up with them, but it was a first for him to be going out and not have Alec by his side. Izzy glanced over at her brother. He was stirring his cereal around his bowl in circles, but he hadn't touched it yet. He usually ate his cereal quickly because he hated it going soggy, but he lifted and dropped his spoon in the soggy flakes without looking up. Izzy had seen her brother upset before but that usually made him tearful. A quiet Alec was an angry Alec and it made her uneasy. Izzy bit down on her toast and looked down sadly. She didn't get what the argument was about but everyone had made it clear that she wasn't to ask. She was hating the hostility in the house, but she didn't know what to do. Her Dad had said that the argument would be fixed soon, and Alec and Magnus would be best friends again, but it couldn't come soon enough.

Alec scraped his chair back and walked out of the room, ignoring his mother when Maryse said that he hadn't eaten anything. "I'm not hungry Mom, I'm going to my room."

Robert rubbed his eyes in frustration as Jace and Magnus got up and went to the back garden to get the basketball. They hadn't eaten anything either and it wasn't very often that food went untouched in the house. Robert didn't want to get involved too much so he had to wait and hope that all the pointless arguing would be resolved soon.

***

Jace missed the hoop by about four feet as Magnus laughed into his hand. "Gee...It's a good thing you're pretty Jace..."

Jace grinned and shouted as he went off to get the ball for the tenth time. "I only heard pretty, Magnus!"

Magnus threw himself down onto the concrete floor and sat with his legs crossed as he waited for Jace to come back with the ball. He was still exhausted from staying up so late the night before. He had woken up early too. Alec had sat down next to him and fallen asleep as he watched TV. When Magnus woke up, the corner of the blanket that was over him was tucked into Alec's hand and Magnus had half realised that someone must have put it over him as he spent the night on the sofa. It had smelt like Alec's hugs. A voice came up from behind him, bringing his attention back to the present moment. "You want some real competition?" Magnus turned around, squinting with his hand over his face as the sun burned at his eyes. It wasn't a voice he recognised but he'd seen the boy around the village before.

"You're Jonathan, right?"

The boy held a bag over his shoulder as he towered over Magnus. He'd seen him hanging around on his own sometimes. He looked pretty threatening, and while Magnus wasn't sure about him joining in, he didn't exactly want to refuse him either. Magnus gulped. Although they wouldn't admit it, both him and Jace were quite attached to their pretty little faces, and neither would probably be up to fighting with this boy.

Jace jogged back over with the ball, brushing his hair back over his head. Pausing when he noticed the other boy who was standing over Magnus. "I got it the-"

Jace stared into the eyes of the other boy. He'd bumped into him in school a few times. Usually Jace stood his ground with the other boys in school, but there was something about the fact that this one was always on his own that had just sent him running.

The boy took in the sight of Jace with a steady expression. He went to pull something from his bag and Jace's eyes widened. Magnus inched back slightly. Jace lifted his chin, trying to make himself look bigger. "What have you got?! A rock?! A water pistol?!"

Jonathan didn't break eye contact with Jace as he reached into the bag...

He smiled with a confused look as he pulled a packet out. "Anyone want gummy bears?"

***

Izzy looked over into the distance. It had been a few hours since the boys had gone out, and it was nearly midday. Magnus' Dad had arrived to pick him up and Maryse had sent Izzy out to fetch him while she spoke with him.

She looked both ways carefully before crossing over the road to the park area. "Magnus! Your Dad is here!"

Magnus looked up as Izzy shouted over. He wasn't surprised that Maryse had sent her, but it still saddened him to know that it wasn't Alec shouting his name for a change. Izzy panted as she reached the boys who were sitting on the floor and talking. "New friend guys?" Jonathan stood up from the floor, brushing the gravel off his trousers. He walked over to Izzy quickly and before she had even introduced herself, he hugged her tightly, so her feet came off the floor. She looked at Jace and Magnus in confusion. "And this is...?"

Magnus smiled as he rubbed his arms painfully. "That's Jonathan. He's a hugger."

Jonathan set Izzy down as she spoke to her brother. "Max is messing on your keyboard by the way Jace." Jace shot off to the house with Magnus following slightly behind. Izzy turned to Jonathan. "Brothers, eh? What can you do?" Jonathan shook his head as he shyly played with the cuffs of his sleeves. "I've...I've got a little sister actually. You look a similar age to her. Maybe...maybe you'd like to meet her sometime?"

***

Maryse hugged Magnus as he stood with his bag by the door. His father was speaking to Robert, showing him their new car. Jace tilted his head as he sat on the door step. Maryse had said that Magnus' father was a CEO, whatever that meant. Jace thought to himself that he would consider becoming one too if he got to drive cool cars like that when he was older. Robert and Asmodeus walked back to the house. Something looked off. Usually everyone went to wave Magnus off, he wasn't able to visit often after all, but Alec had not come out of his room since breakfast. Jace patted Magnus shoulder as he hugged everyone, searching for Alec and then remembering that he wasn't there. It was heart breaking for Jace to know that both Magnus and his brother were suffering so much, but there wasn't anything that he could do. He had to let this play out. Jace spoke quietly as Magnus turned to walk away. "Don't be a stranger Magnus, okay?" Magnus nodded, but it wasn't until a year later that Jace saw him in person again.