The little girl and Michael walk out to the main hallway and run into the couple that had been gone for the entire day. “Aiden! Damian!” The barely 10 year old girl shouts as she runs into the arms of the two oldest boys of the group. They catch her and wrap her into a hug which she happily stays in. “Aiden! Damian! Guess what?!” The older boys look at the excited child in front of them intently. “It’s a happy day! It’s my birthday!” She smiles at them cheerily.

           “Yeah, we know Abi.” The oldest of the three say as Aiden wraps his arms around his shoulder. Damian melts into Aiden’s embrace and Abigail giggles. “Happy birthday.”

           “Damian, are you and Aiden dating? Like a… couple?” The little girl asks innocently, “Li.ke… forever?” Her eyes are wide and the reddish irises stare deeply into the orbs of the two boys. “Forever isn’t real.” Her voice becomes lighter and airier. “Forever is a fake promise. It won’t last.” 

           The two boys blush but deny her statement. “Abigail, we’re not dating, but if two boys or two girls are dating, it’s okay. It’s not wrong. Two boys that are dating are gay. If a boy likes another boy, the boy is gay.” Aiden pauses. “Damian and I are gay but we’re not dating.”

           Abigail giggles. “You two should date. I may act like I’m younger but I know that you two like each other. It’s… kinda obvious.” She pauses. “Okay, it is obvious.”

All three boys look at each other at the quick personality change but say nothing. “Well Abigail, you may be right.” Aiden says as he and Damian look at each other, sharing a small smile, unnoticed by Abigail but seen by the keen eyes of Michael. “I’m hungry, let’s get dinner.” He says as he grabs Abigail’s hand. 

           Abigail follows the older boy as they walk to the psyche ward’s cafeteria. The doors swing open and the patients that have gotten close or became friends with the girl jump out. They see the little girl and all smile at her. There were no birthdays in the ward. That was, other than Abigail. She was always the exception. The exception followed by everyone other than the staff. She giggled happily at the reminder of outside traditions– traditions followed by free people. Traditions followed by people that weren’t like them. 

           The young girl- younger than anyone else in the ward stepped into the cafeteria as all of the acquaintances and people she had a loose relationship with wave at her. It was abnormal behaviour. It was abnormal behaviour even for people in the ward. She was scared, it wasn’t right. She looks around and all the faces melt into the face of the man who defiled her- all the faces crumble to the man who sent her here. It wasn’t safe. She wasn’t safe. The walls feel like they’re closing in and the people are coming closer and closer to the little girl when everything turns black. She’s in her room. The nurse is knocking on the door signalling breakfast. 

           She looks around. It was her birthday, 8:00. It was all a dream. Everything was a dream, she was fine. She was safe in her room. He wasn’t here. He was arrested. She was safe from him and his reach. She was away from her. Forever. She walks out to the hallway and into the cafeteria. Everything was a dream, the people and the party were all a dream. Michael, Aiden and Damian all greeted her with a ‘happy birthday’ as they ate breakfast. They remembered. She smiles. That was more normal. She was waiting for that normal and she found it. 

           She follows the youngest of the three boys, Michael, as the two older leave to Aiden’s room. She walks into Michael’s room. It’s dark. It’s quiet. She feels like she’s alone. Just like the dream, just like her dream, she’s scared. She didn’t want to feel alone, she should have gone with Aiden and Damian. She looks at the older boy. He stares back at her with those same empty eyes as in her dream. It couldn’t be happening again. That’s wrong. It’s fine now. 

           She walks out into the group therapy room, ugly rainbow carpet staring at her and the window to the “courtyard” taunting her. She looks around, noticing chairs and a table. She could use that. She could break out. She looks around and sees more things that could help her as she giggles. No one would notice her missing. No one would notice if there was a hole in the window until they’re in the room. Right? Maniacally tossing the chair, the window shatters and she walks into the courtyard. 

               The wind around her feels nice. It’s a feeling she doesn’t get often. The flowers blooming bring some light into the dark and monochromatic world of the ward. It wasn’t really colourless. It was just bleak and empty, walls filled with lies and fake phrases to force people to seem happy. It didn’t work but they pretend it does. The sun feels hot on her skin. It’s comforting. It’s better than the stifling heat of the summers because air conditioning is dangerous when the only people around are mentally unstable leeches to society. Nobody likes us, nobody likes them. 

           The alarm sounds as a nurse walks into the group therapy room. Her freedom is now gone. At least she got to hold a butterfly. Birthday success perhaps. 

- Happy birthday to me I guess…? -