Happy Birthday To You

• Scarlet Hopkins, Grade 8, Pacific Lutheran College
• Short Story
• 2014

Excellence Award in the 'Write As Rain 2014' competition

Ally's feet hit the crumbling ground as she walked along the dry grass towards her house, she wasn't happy at all. When Ms. Winters pinned an 'It's-My-Birthday!' badge to her shirt and asked her about her special day she just grunted. "Birthday's are meant to celebrate the importance of a person and the event of getting older, they are unnecessary, it's just celebrating a day closer to death. I am no one important," With Ally's reply she knew Ms. Winters was going to call her Mum and recommend a therapist, she didn't need one though.
"You have a very grim mind for a nine year old," Was all Ms. Winters said.
So now Ally was in the sweltering heat walking down the road to her small house, and just like every day she saw Dean and Sam Hamsworth tormenting just another kid, until today they had never sparked her interest, she knew to keep away or she might be next on their list. But today the scrawny boy with the dark hair made her curious.
The Hamsworth boys were chucking about the kids knapsack. In between them he sat on the hot ground clutching his knees to his chest crying. Ally was sick of watching those boys do rotten things to innocent children, so gathering up all the anger she had towards Ms. Winters, she stormed over to the Hamsworth boys. "Stop it!" She squealed, the boys, who were not much taller than her, turned to face her.
"Stop what shorty!" Sam laughed, it sounded like nails against a chalkboard.
"Whatcha gonna do? Tell your Mummy!" Dean taunted.
"No!" Ally protested but the boys had dropped the knapsack and were now advancing towards her, acting on instinct she punched Dean in the face and he went tumbling backwards just missing the dark-haired boy, before Sam could react she did the same to him. Grabbing the knapsack and the scrawny boy's hand she ran along the road with him not far behind. The sounds of the Hamsworth boys running behind them pushed them further, before Ally was frantically knocking on the door to her house. Ally's Mum, Audrey, opened the door. The Hamsworth boys were marching up the dry lawn towards Ally and the boy. Audrey ushered the kids inside before turning around and locking the door, hiding from the angry teenagers.
"Who's this darling?" Audrey asked Ally as she gestured to the boy, he introduced himself with a queer accent.
"My name is Henre," He smiled, almost making the bruises on his face disappear," and I'm from New Zealand," He proudly announced. Audrey laughed as she ruffled Henre's hair. When Audrey left, Henre turned to Ally. "Thank-you," He noted.
"For what?"
"For saving me," He laughed, “Oh- and Happy Birthday," He sung cheerfully as he pulled something out of his knapsack, placing it in Ally's hand he left her standing there with a mix of emotions running through her. Oh, right the badge.