The Bone Academy

by St Pangolin

This is my first attempt at a series and it's Charlie Bone! It's set in the year 2028 and for now I'm just gonna be uploading seperate chapters written from the POVs of the character's kids. I own nothing by Jenny Nimmo and any similarities to real-life things are just coincidences. Honest! Review please and enjoy! BY ONE OF ACCOUNT'S OTHER AUTHORS

4. Chapter 4

Paula Torsson

Born 28 March 2015 to Tancred Torsson and Emma Tolly

Unendowed

I swear to God, I am going to kill Matt.

He thinks he's got it tough. Well, he hasn't. He will never have it tough. He has the most... un-toughest life ever. He's not the one with spending their whole life coddled. I am a 13-year-old now! I am responsible. But no, Mum's constantly fawning over me. Do this, don't do that, it's not safe. Matt's fine, of course. He can go out with his stupid mates whenever he likes. And Georgina is constantly disappearing for hours on end and reappearing that evening with a pile of new rubbish in her bedroom. Mum doesn't even bat an eyelid. But no, she's still telling me to look both ways when I'm crossing the road. Never them, only me. And dad's in no state to help. I know he needs this job, but can he please acknowledge my existence for once?

And then there's Matt. He is constantly grumpy. And now, he goes and throws a strop for no reason! And I'm the one who gets punished! Why can't he be a normal person for once? Why can't anybody other than me be a normal person for once?

And that's another thing. Why am I not endowed? I am the only one in this family who isn't and it's really getting to me, no matter what I've told myself. The curse of the middle child has never been more literal.

I've spent my whole life watching my friends and family doing magic tricks and it's never bothered me at all. So why do I suddenly feel the need to do the same? It's not like I'm not special in plenty of other ways (wink wink, nudge nudge). And they haven't been mean to me about being unendowed. I sometimes wish they had been, just so I understood what's going on and so I could do something about it. But no, I'm far too pretty and clever and popular and nice and...

Sorry, I got carried away there. Still, all true, clearly. Why would I ever lie to anyone? I don't need to hide dark secrets about nocturnal habits or dead family members. And I even if I did, I'm sure I'd be great at it. I don't need hypnotic powers to convince someone that I'm innocent. I can cope perfectly fine with an endowment. They just... Complicate things, and make your life a mess. Look at mum and dad! Their life was so so tricky apparently. And the way my life is going, I'm glad it's not any more difficult.