The Writers' Circle

Prologue

All my life he's been there. In every room I enter and every mirror I look in, his diamond eyes twinkling with a mystery I am never destined to know.
 I can picture him perfectly; his flawless cherry red mouth, fire bright hair and diamond eyes. I know his expressions, the slight turn at the corner of his mouth when he is amused but reluctant to show it, the way his eyes seem to go from diamond to stone in less than a second when he is angry, or sad. But best of all I love his smile, I love the way his eyes grow almost shockingly bright and his slightly pointed teeth shine dazzling white. 
He is my guardian angel, my one true comforter. He has always been there, and I know instinctively that he always will be.
He's my best friend, my only friend. Ever since I was a baby, alone in my crib I'd see him. He'd watch me for hours, keeping me company as my parents rested. With the sight of his cheeky smile I'd instantly feel safe. 
But here is the thing, we've never met.

Chapter 1
Birthday Blues

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
"Happy Birthday," I whispered, as the clock in the hall chimed midnight. I pulled the duvet over my head and snuggled into my pillow. I sighed; wondering if sixteen was going to be any better than fifteen? It surely had to be. What with the arrival of my fifth sister and second brother and my parents forgetting nearly every one of my school events, I can honestly say I have had better years.
My name is Peta Ford, and I know what you're thinking, Peta for a girl, what a weird name, but my dad had been desperate for a son named Peter, but had got stuck with me instead and had refused to choose a new name. So here I am, sixteen years later, Peta Ford, the social outcast.
I pulled back my covers and got out of bed, tiptoeing to my bedroom door, trying desperately not to wake up my two sisters who I shared a room with. I am one of eight. In order of age, there is me, my brother Michael, my sisters, Tilly, Lydia, Jane and Felicity, my youngest brother Steven and my youngest sister, Violet. I shared a bedroom with Tilly and Lydia, both of whom moaned extremely loudly if they were woken in the night. I glanced over at their beds, but neither had woken, so I slowly eased open the door and stepped into the hall.
I liked our house best a night, when I could go wherever I wanted without getting stern glances thrown at me by my parents or snide remarks from my sibling's. I was the black sheep of the family. Nothing I ever did was right and I had long since pasted the phase of trying to change that.  
I pushed open the bathroom door, peeking round it to check that it was empty. Thankfully it was and I stepped quickly inside and locked the door. I headed straight for the mirror, hoping that he would be there, though knowing that he had never let me down before.
I looked into the smooth glass and saw nothing but my own boring reflection. My dirt blonde hair messed up and my muddy brown eyes weary from lack of sleep. I was not a pretty sight! I waited holding my breath, not daring to let the thought that had always scared me, enter my mind. He was going to come, he always did. It was sillyto let stupid thoughts that after sixteen years of always being there that he would suddenly abandon me enter my head. 
I waited for five minutes before anything happened. One moment it was just my own boring reflection staring back at me, the next the most beautiful face I had ever seen was smiling out of the glass at me. It was my not so imaginary friend.
Most kids lost their imaginary pals when they reached ten, but mine had decided to stick around. This was Jack. He was my best friend in the whole world.