"Children waiting for the day they feel good. Happy birthday, happy birthday..."
-Adam Lambert, Mad World
PROLOGUE...
Seven-year-old Megara sat in the corner and watched the other kids play. She arrived in the Corona Orphanage the night before. The head of the orphanage, Leah Queen, told her her mother died of breast cancer and her father had a heart attack shortly after. Meg was sure that couldn't be right. She just saw her father last night. He tucked her into bed and read her a story. She woke up in the middle of the night and there were lights flashing. Men came into the house, took her dad away on a rolling bed and then put her in the backseat of a car and brought her here. She didn't even know what an orphanage was. Leah told her it was where kids go when they no longer have their moms and dads until a new mom and dad come take them to their home. Meg tried to tell her that her dad was sleeping on the rolling bed. Leah just gave her a sad smile and showed her to her room, which she shared with an eight-year-old red-head named Anya.
Now Meg sat alone wondering when her dad was going to show up with her birthday cake. It was her seventh birthday and her dad had promised to get her a big chocolate cake. But he still hadn't come. The other kids ignored her and she wondered why they weren't celebrating her birthday. Part of her didn't care, though. She was more worried about where her dad was.
"Eugene! Tell us a story!"
Meg's thoughts were interrupted by a younger boy's voice. A group of really young kids had gathered around a boy about her age. The boy sat down on one the chairs and the kids sat on the floor in front of him. He started telling them a story about a man named Flynnigan Rider. Meg lost interest and tuned him out.
"Meggie?"
Meg looked up to see Leah standing over her. "Yes, Miss Queen?"
Leah smiled at her. "Will you come with me?" She held out her hand and Meg took it.
Leah led her to the dining area where they had breakfast. A couple of kids were sitting at one of the tables. On one end there was a cake with candles stuck in it.
"Happy birthday, Meggie," Lead said as she helped Meg sit down on the chair in front of the cake. The other kids echoed her birthday wish. "Make a wish."
Meg stared at the cake. "Is this the chocolate cake my dad brought?"
"No, sweetie. Your dad didn't-"
Meg jumped down from the chair. "I want my dad and the cake he promised me!"
She ran out of the room. As she ran to her bedroom, she ran into the boy who had been telling the story earlier.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
It was then that Meg realized she was crying. "I want to go home."
"What's your name?"
"Meg."
"My name's Eugene Fitzherbert," he told her. "Listen, Meg; you can't go home until a new mom and dad take you to their home."
"But, I want to go back to my house with my dad."
"Your dad is gone, Meg. That's why you're here."
Meg was quiet for a minute. "So, your mom and dad died, too?"
Eugene nodded. "I've been here my whole life."
Meg wiped her eyes. "How old are you?"
"Seven."
"Me too. Today's my birthday. Leah made me a cake, but I want the chocolate one my dad promised me."
Eugene thought for a moment. "Come with me."
Meg followed Eugene to his room. He reached under his bed and pulled out something wrapped in a napkin. He carefully opened the napkin to reveal a cupcake with blue frosting.
He held it out to Meg. "It's chocolate."
Meg took the cupcake from him. "Thank you, Eugene."
"What's the matter?" Eugene asked when he saw Meg eye the cupcake.
"There's no candle; I can't make a wish."
Eugene leaned in and lowered his voice. "This is magic frosting."
Meg raised an eyebrow at him. "It is?"
Eugene nodded. "After you make your wish, lick the frosting. If it turns your tongue blue, your wish will come true."
Meg was skeptical, but Eugene gave her a reassuring smile. Meg closed her eyes.
I wish a mom and dad will take me home...
Meg licked the frosting off the cupcake and then opened her eyes. Eugene was still smiling at her.
"Is my tongue blue?" Meg stuck out her tongue.
"Yes."
OOOOO
Meg blew out the candles, then opened her eyes. Leah and the other kids were smiling at her. Leah was holding a box wrapped in light pink paper with a white bow.
Meg was seventeen now. Ten years had gone by and still no one had come for her. A foster mom and dad came for Eugene, though; just a couple weeks earlier. Meg only had a year left until she would be released from the orphanage and out on her own. Every year Meg had wished for a new home, but this year Meg wished to see Eugene again instead. She missed him already and was afraid she would never see him again. In the last ten years, all of the other kids had gotten adopted, found foster homes or turned eighteen and left (like her roommate, Anya). Eugene was the only constant in her life. But, now he was gone, too.
One of the kids, maybe about twelve-years-old, handed Meg a piece of folded white paper. Meg took it from her. On the front someone had written Happy Birthday neatly in purple marker. Meg assumed Leah had written it. On the inside all of the kids had signed their names in marker and crayons. She was surprised to see Eugene's name scrawled out in blue crayon. She smiled and ran her fingers over his name.
"I have a present for you," Leah said, setting the box down on the table in front of her.
Meg ripped open the paper and took the lid of the box. Inside was a tan filing folder with her name written on it. She opened it to see a small stack of papers.
"What is this?" Meg asked.
Leah smiled at her. "We found a foster home for you."