Skotis are small, misshapen, ebony-black shadows.

They follow Johnny everywhere, and Johnny is fascinated by them. He’s been seeing them since he was little, but early on realised that he was the only one who did see them. They are his dark companions at every moment of his rubbishy life. Yes, his life is boring! Especially since the birth of that loser Noah, who directs everyone’s attention his way. The skotis had told him that it would happen, as soon as his mother showed off her ‘baby bump’ from where Noah was supposed to hear everything.

“Can you imagine?” the skoti named Hera had said. “He is spying on you already!” And from that day on, Johnny knew he wouldn’t like Noah...

“Besides, why would you like him?” added the most famous of the skotis, Prince Periphanios. “You’re good looking, awesome, and you’re the strongest! You don’t need anyone, certainly not a little brother!”

Johnny gets a solid ten for his looks, it’s true. Regarding his awesomeness, well, the jury’s still out on that one. Strong, sure, especially when the skotis encourage him to start fights with Paulo. Outside on the school playground, he always manages to knock his poor classmate down in front of his admiring friends. When the skoti Acedia leads him into those feelings of misery because everyone is cooing over Noah, he takes it out on Paolo. 

Paulo for his part is constantly making fun of Johnny, when he sees him getting the worst literacy levels in class again or when he doesn’t even know Africa is a continent. Paulo knows that one, because he is African. And he has two passions: making fun of others and playing football. He laughs non-stop when Johnny plays football and tells him he wouldn’t even have the skills to play in an Olympic Games for donkeys! 

Anyway, whatever the motive, Johnny needs no encouragement to happily demolish Paolo. But not only him. Josiane and Tatiana are two more of Johnny’s victims. Josiane who looks like a “big turkey” and Tatiana, a conceited type of girl with those almond-shaped eyes who he calls “the artificial brain”. Always top of the class! 

His father and mother know nothing of his behaviour. Needless to say, they are busy people. His father is often away from home and his mother never stops running about. Early mornings always see her driving Noah to his day nursery before she starts work. Work that only stops late at night when she makes Johnny focus on his homework. With her usual advice to make sure he’s successful, just like his father. Fortunately, the skotis are never far away, and Johnny is happy to let himself be distracted by their grimaces, mocking his mother’s advice. “Anyway, you’ll make a great boxer!” Prince Periphanios prophesises. 

But Johnny’s favourite skoti will always be Gastrimargia. She stuffs him with images of her tantalising collection of pastries, ice cream, fries, mayo, and crème caramels. And at least she applauds when he swallows three portions of fries and the same amount of ice cream! It was when he did that the last time that the Queen Mother of the skotis, Philotia, congratulated him for doing as he pleased and thinking only of his own wellbeing!

Johnny is certainly very happy to welcome the skotis into his life. Of course, he has to ignore the aretis. They are quite the opposite of skotis! With their appearance of small golden flames and their innocent smiles, they irritate him. They are quiet and never impose themselves on him, which is lucky because the aretis don’t like the skotis at all. They do try to steer Johnny gently away from the skotis’ suggestions. But Johnny is not fooled. 

However, there is one wish that Johnny does grant to the aretis. Their wish for him to visit his grandad in the care home. The skotis get enraged, telling him that enough is enough and that those areti imbeciles can go visit without him, but Johnny never gives in to them on this one.

Johnny loves his grandad...