• My birthday should have been great—my mother and dad had spent months planning the party, from the beautiful rosebud cake to the exclusive guest list and sparking décor. I had never seen them so excited—but, of course, nothing was what it seemed; not in my life. I had possibly the worst luck in the world, so it figured that something so important to me would be ruined.
    They had been fighting for months before the day. I should have expected that it would happen again. But I wanted to be free and be happy. I allowed myself to be naïve; I let myself think the fights were over. I had never been so wrong in my life.
    Sitting on the rotting wooden bench of Rosswood Train Station, I thought back to that afternoon, when my world had begun to fall apart:

    A girl’s sweet sixteen is supposed to be the highlight of her teenage years, I thought to myself, gazing through the mirror, and yet, I can’t seem to get into the mood. Somehow, I had sensed the tension between my parents. I sighed, putting the thought aside and trying to focus on my new dress, a silky sea-foam gown adorned with sequins and beads. Whenever I wore it, I felt like a princess, and tonight I wanted nothing more than to be royalty.
    The calendar beside bed read “July 14, 2006”. Below the date, in my own messy scrawl, was written “Leigh’s birthday”. I noticed vaguely the little balloons I had doodled around it in my favorite green pen. There was only an hour left until the party began. My heart fluttered nervously as I checked myself in the mirror, fingering the silver locket on my chest. A gift from my grandmother…I smiled at my reflection as a crash echoed from the kitchen below. My smile disappeared, as if it had never existed. I sighed, knowing a fight had begun.
    My mother’s shrieks filled the house, followed by my dad’s angry bellows. The crashing continued, suggesting that they were throwing things at each other. I could feel the anger rise in my face—this was my day! Who were they to fight and ruin it all?
    I couldn’t take it any longer. Grabbing my school bag, I stormed down the stairs. Tears streamed freely from my eyes; I made no attempt to stop the flow. Before the door slammed shut behind me, I caught a glimpse of my mother’s face. I could faintly hear her cry…
    “...Leigh…don’t go…please!”
    I ignored her, sprinting down the road, sobbing, until I stumbled upon the train station. I couldn’t tell how far I’d run, but I was exhausted. I made my way to the bench, where I sat, waiting. For what, I had no idea.
    It was ten o’clock at night before anyone else came into the station. I had already spent a dollar on a Snickers bar and a bottle of Gatorade, neither of which I had touched. I had just enough money left for a train ticket…if I ever decided where to go. I was staring blankly into the clock, counting away the seconds, when I noticed them.
    The girl looked about my age, with short, frizzy dark hair and milk chocolate skin. With her was a boy, who I assumed was her brother. He couldn’t have been more than five or six. I sat silently, willing the girl to come over. I was tired of being alone.
    Slowly, she turned and made her way in my direction. The little boy followed, skipping a few steps ahead of her. When he reached me, he stopped and stared, with a huge, goofy grin on his face.
    “He-ey!” he giggled, looking at me from beneath a mass of dark curls, “Look at my dinosaur!” He pulled a small plastic toy from his pocket, cradling it as though it were gold. “I love dinosaurs!” he announced, beginning to dance around me in circles, “I draw ‘em, and I play with ‘em, and sometimes, if I’m real nice, Kassy reads to me ‘bout ‘em!”
    I had to smile. The muscles in my mouth felt tight from the lack of use. I wished I were still a kid. What I wouldn’t give to be so carefree!
    The girl, Kassy, looked at me, blushing from embarrassment, “I’m so sorry,” she started, “It’s just, he loves meeting people—“
    “It’s cool,” I cut her off, “so…why are you here this late?”
    Kassy cocked an eyebrow. “I could ask you the same. Anyway, Tommy and I are off to visit our dad for the weekend,” she replied smoothly, “Our parents are divorced. What about you?”
    “It’s my birthday,” I sighed dully, as if it explained everything.
    The girl looked confused, and I decided that I should elaborate a bit.
    “Well, see, my parents…they kind of had a fight earlier…” I found myself explaining my whole problem to Kassy. I could tell from her sympathetic eyes that she knew how I felt. She had, after all, been in a similar situation. She comforted me, and I knew that I wasn’t alone. When she announced that her train had arrived, I longed to go with her. Over the long hours, my hurt had formed a painful knot in my stomach. Kassy’s gentle soothing had been an antidote, melting away my anger and pain.
    “Thanks,” I whispered as she stood up to leave, “for everything.”
    Smiling again, she pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket and scribbled something on it.
    “My phone number,” she explained, “call me whenever you need help.”
    In a second the train had arrived. Kassy grabbed her brother’s hand and pulled him along. At the train’s door, she turned to wave goodbye. I waved back, realizing how much better I felt. Meeting her had been the best birthday gift I could have received, and I silently thanked my parents for picking that day to argue. As the train rushed away in a flurry of metal and steam, I picked up my bag and stood up.
    I was finally ready to go home