"Normal is Boring"

The Magnussens were your average successful family living in the rural county of Sussex. They lived on a road surrounded by fields and scattered with buildings varying from cottages to great manors. The nearby schools offered the best education they could and each of the four Magnussens attended them.

The name 'Magnussen' was one know through generations for their ownership of several newspapers. Charles, the father of this particular generation of Magnussen, had inherited his father's ownership and at the age of twenty-five, he had made a name of himself.

Known as the 'Napoleon of blackmail' Charles had ties to people all over the Western World and made enough money to keep his family happy. He aimed for his eldest- Isaiah- to carry the Magnussen name through the business and immediately offered seventeen-year-old old an apprenticeship when he passed his GCSEs with straight As.

His other three children showed promising grades and already he knew they would be successful. David, his second eldest strived to join the Metropolitan Police Service and had already been promised a place in their training program. Trinity was excelling in her cadets course. Already she had become a leader and was offered a job assisting at the local leisure centre. His youngest, Genesis, showed extreme curiosity in all he did. She begged him to show her his work and he would often find her snooping around his office- the child was extremely agile and streetwise it was almost concerning.

All of his children were born with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, a trait they inherited from their mother. They were all relatively tall and lanky, their metabolism working faster than they could chew but- despite onlookers worrying for their health each child was happy and healthy.

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Genesis wasn't allowed friends. It wasn't her fault or her parents' fault or the school's fault. It was her name. When parents of children learnt that Genesis was a Magnussen they feared her father- she couldn't blame her loneliness on the man because it was their fault for being afraid.

She had kind teachers- specifically Miss Murdock. The English professor had left her position at the local university to teach the younger children for a reason unknown to all but her. Immediately, Genesis had latched onto the woman. She wanted to learn everything she could teach her and Miss Murdock was happy to offer the year 5 advanced tutoring- with permission from her parents of course.

It was during the lunch and break times they spent together did Genesis begin to notice things about the teacher she hadn't before. Miss Murdock- alike to herself- was lonely. Whether she secluded herself in her small cottage by choice was unclear but Genesis knew that they were each other's only friend.

Miss Murdock had taken note of the child's love for reading instantly and- as it turned out- the likes of Shakespeare inspired her immensely.

It was one cold day in November, after Genesis had handed in a copy of Romeo and Juliet after reading it for the third time that year, did the moment everyone had been waiting for happen: the announcement of the Christmas Mayhem. The one time of year where the entire school pitched in to make the last day of school memorable.

Students were allowed to dress in their own clothes for the day before being invited back to school for 4 o'clock entertainment. The musically inclined students would perform for half an hour before the students were given a full Christmas dinner and fruit mocktails. Each classroom was set with a different form of entertainment: some a movie, some group activities, some solo activities. The hall was cleared completely and a disco ball hung from the ceiling. The students were issued with glow sticks upon entry and encouraged to dance to the latest hits the DJ issued.

Everyone looked forward to the Christmas Mayhem. Everyone except Genesis. It was a night where everyone dressed as adorable as they could in an attempt to be noticed by their crush and complimented by their friends. Friends the word left a metallic taste in Genesis' mouth whenever she said it- which was rarely.

She would stomp home that day clutching Hamlet to her chest with a scowl on her face. The festivities were for normal people. She's never been normal... She's abnormal.

It isn't normal for a student's only friend to be their teacher. It isn't normal for a ten-year-old to read Shakespeare like it was Biff and Chip's adventures. She wasn't normal.

"That's alright." Her mother- Holly- stated as she shuffled around the pantry for a garlic clove while Genesis stood at the door watching her flit around.

"Normal is boring, Gen." Behind her, sat at the kitchen island with her work scattered out in front of her, Trinity bit into an apple and smiled around the mouthful. A small smile creeps onto Genesis' face and her shoulders loosen up.

Her mother ruffles her hair lightly as she hurries an armful of ingredients out of the pantry. Trinity looks up from her homework as an onion rolls onto her book.

"Watchya doing?" Pushing the onion back to where it belonged, Trinity places her pen and apple down.

"I figured I'd make a lasagna today." Perking up, Genesis hops over and grins up at her mother with a hopeful glint in her face.

"Can I help?" Holly's face lit up and both girls grinned at her contagious smile. The front door slams shut and heavy footsteps ascend the stairs. "There goes, David." Sighing, Genesis shakes her head at her brother's antics before gathering her hair into a ponytail.

The front door opens once again and immediately the sound of Charles' yelling echoes throughout the manor.

"David Rutger Magnussen, do not slam this door on me again!" Another pair of footsteps rush up the stairs as Isaiah trundles into the kitchen puffing out his cheeks in exasperation.

"Afternoon ladies." They greet him happily, too used to David and Charles' bickering to even be phased any more. "Hows the Trig coming along, Trin?" He leans over his sister's shoulder and shakes his head with a grin as she rolls her eyes. She knew he knew that she had no clue what she was doing. He takes a bite from her apple receiving strained protests before circling the island and throwing his arms around his mother and little sister. "And what are my two favourite cooks concocting today?"

"We're making lasagna! Did you learn anything new today?" He smiles down at her and collects the step from the top of the cupboard for her.

"Indeed I did." She steps up and watches him intently.

"What?" Her curiosity made her eyes sparkle and the most entrancing blue engulfed her irises. Isaiah bends to her height and boops her nose.

"It's a secret." She frowns and crosses her arms causing him to laugh. He returns to Trinity and sits next to her. As Isaiah begins to explain trigonometry to his eldest younger sister Holly passes the garlic press down to her daughter and Charles steps off the bottom step.

"Where are my girls?" Who asks as he approaches the kitchen. As soon as he appears in the doorway Genesis drops the garlic press and runs to him.

"Daddy!" He catches her as she runs into his arms and squeezes her tightly.

"Urgh! Garlic fingers!" He scrunches his nose playfully before laughing. "Do I get a wish today, Genie?" Nodding she furrows her eyebrows.

"This is your second wish, you will have only one more." He smiles and nods understandingly.

"That's alright. I wish for David to cheer up." Grinning Genesis nods and runs from the room without another word. "And wash your hands!" He calls after her.

It seemed David was prepared for her to run into his room at any moment, when his door swung open he didn't flinch or jump at the noise it made as it collided with the wall nor did he hold his frown as his little sister leapt into his arms.

"David!" She yells, stretching his mouth unwillingly into an unrealistic smile. He tried to laugh through the grip he was trapped in and found it coming out strained. As the noise tickled the back of his throat he spluttered and coughed leaving the two of them in fits of giggles.

"What did Miss Murdock give you to read this time?" Genesis crosses her legs on the mattress in front of her brother and glances up to the wall at all of the crime show and movie posters. A small smile played on her lips.

"Hamlet. We didn't have much time to talk today because everyone was really loud about the Christmas Mayhem."

"Will you go this year?" The smile spreads and she looks up at him.

"Perhaps." He smiles and ruffles her hair lovingly.

Of all of his siblings, David preferred Genesis because she was so genuine. Her intelligence wasn't forced unlike Trinity- who is downstairs on the verge of tears as Isaiah restarts his explanation for the sixth time. Charles had yet to manipulate her into joining the business when she grows as he had tried with David and Isaiah. She did not have the burden of knowing their father called a gift.

Genesis was just a ten-year-old Shakespeare fanatic who- despite her seemingly isolated social life- always played the leading role in each play the school held. It would be madness if he didn't admit that he was proud of his little sister and could see her following the theatre route should she be left alone by their father- a situation which was unfortunately unavoidable.