Chapter 9

The weeks and days leading up to Henry Donovan's seventh birthday were unlike any summer Henry  had ever experienced before.

Birthdays were special, important. This Henry  knew to be true, for Dennis celebrated every year without fail, throwing a big party with many of their classmates in attendance. Henry  looked forward to that particular day if only because it afforded him a small portion of birthday cake.

Henry 's birthday, of course, was worthy of no such party. This was a fact Henry  had long since accepted, knowing that to the Donovans and to his classmates at school, he would always be a freak. His inability to be normal was to blame for it all.

Henry  was not normal. Strange things sometimes happened to him. Things he could not explain no matter how hard he tried.

However, it was a special unexplainable thing that had led to the best event of Henry 's life so far:

Meeting his first and bestest friend, Mr. Matt.

Now that Henry  had a best friend, a wonderful friend, he also had some new ideas as to what was going on with the things he could not explain about himself.

Mr. Matt had magic powers and could do funny things. So maybe Henry  wasn't strange after all. Maybe he had simply been around the wrong people this entire time.

From the stories Mr. Matt told to him, Henry  gathered that there were many other people who could do strange, magical things. And even though those other people existed, Mr. Matt had chosen Henry  to be his friend, a fact that always made Henry  feel warm all over.

Henry  had never found friends in the neighbourhood or at school, but here was someone who wanted to be his friend, who could do weird things like him, only better.

So what Henry  hoped for, even daydreamed about, was that he could be magic, too. He could be magic like Mr. Matt, and then he would finally fit in.

If Henry  could have magic, if he could make sandwiches from thin air and heal his bruises with a wave of his hand, then Mr. Matt wouldn't need to worry so much because Henry  would be able to take care of himself.

This happy thought fueled Henry  through his daily chores. Finally, here was a hope that he could finally belong somewhere, even if that somewhere was with Mr. Matt and his strange, funny friends in the odd place where they lived together.

That hope, accompanied by the reminder that this year's birthday would be different, made Henry 's heart feel full.

This year Henry  had someone who not only wanted to celebrate with him, but would also be getting him a gift.

Just a week ago, Henry  had shyly informed his friend of the upcoming date. It had taken a bit of working up for him to get the words out, but Henry  had succeeded in the end.

Mr. Matt had proceeded to provide many reassurances that his busy schedule would be kept clear that day. Only, Henry  hadn't needed those reassurances. He already knew that Mr. Matt cared about him. Mr. Matt was his friend, and this was what friends did for each other—they had birthday parties together.

It was strange for Henry  to feel so sure about this. All his life, Henry  had thought he was—and would always be—alone. But now he was not. Now he had a friend, someone who made him feel safe. Someone who he trusted to tell him the truth.

On his birthday, Henry  would call Mr. Matt, and Mr. Matt would show up.

That was what was going to happen, and Henry  believed in this more than anything. He knew his seventh birthday would be the best birthday he'd ever had.

On the morning of July 31st, Henry  woke up in an excellent mood.

Dennis had not bothered him in weeks, and so Henry  had had free-reign of the neighbourhood and the warm summer weather. Henry  had never been more excited to escape the dullness of Weaston ave in favour of the outside world.

Usually Henry  would go to the park. It was his favourite spot because of the swings, and because of the new memories he had of his friends.

Friends!

It still surprised Henry  that he was able to claim more than one friend. When Mr. Matt came to visit, he would bring Bell with him, and Henry  now considered the little red dragon to be just as much of a friend as a human friend.

Some days Mr. Matt would be too busy to stay and play. On those days, he would cast a magic spell over the playground so no one could see Bell and Henry  playing together. The magic tickled, but after so many visits, Henry  was used to it.

Today, however, was his birthday, and so Henry  was expecting a full day of fun with both of his friends.

A loud shout of "Get up, boy!" startled Henry  out of his pleasant thoughts and into a fully-upright position. The voice was Uncle Cooper's.

That his wake up call was from Uncle Cooper and not Aunt Karen sent an uncomfortable feeling into Henry 's stomach. Requests from his uncle never led to anything good.

Henry  braced himself for the violent knock of a fist on his cupboard door, but there was no knock. Instead the door squealed loudly as it was wrenched open, revealing the pinched face of Karen Donovan.

"Get up!" she hissed, gesturing sharply with her hand. Her eyes trailed around the contents of Henry 's cupboard, neck craning, as it normally did when she was observing the comings and goings of their neighbours.

"We have guests arriving today," she added, when Henry  made no move to rise to his feet. "You will help me prepare the meal before they arrive."

Henry  felt his stomach drop into nothingness. "No!" he said, the shock of her words overwhelming him more than anything else. He couldn't stay in today of all days, not when Mr. Matt and Bell were waiting for him!

Aunt Karen's face reflected some of Henry 's shock back at him. "No?" she repeated, flustered. "No? We feed you and clothe you and house you, and you dare—"

Henry  could not focus on the rest of her angry words, he was so upset, so confused by this sudden turn of events. He should have known better than to assume he would be allowed out of the house on his birthday. He had taken for granted the freedom of the past few weeks, and now he was paying for it.

Aunt Karen seized him by the wrist and pulled him out of the cupboard. Henry  stumbled along, too dizzy to refuse or pull away. He could only hope that once he was done helping, he would be kicked out of the house for the rest of the day.

The entire morning passed in a haze. Henry  did as he was told, working as hard as he could to follow his aunt's instructions. If he listened, if he was good, then perhaps she could be persuaded to let him leave.

Once lunch was prepared, Henry  carried platters of food to the backyard. Uncle Cooper had purchased a lovely outdoor table last month, and they would now be putting it to good use. Henry  arranged the napkins and utensils in the way that Aunt Karen preferred, checking all his work twice before he went back inside.

"Take this," said Aunt Karen upon seeing him, shoving a sandwich wrap in his direction. "And go back to your room."

Henry  could not find it in himself to be disappointed. This birthday, compared to all his previous birthdays, was one of the better ones. He was getting food, and he would be left alone all day while the Donovans tended to their guests.

"Can I go outside, please?" Henry  asked, a final attempt to see his hopes come true. "It's my birthday," he added, voice meek. He didn't think this would sway her, but if there was a chance that it could, then he had to try.

Aunt Karen stared down the end of her pointed nose, mouth frowning, her hands settled on either side of her hips. "It won't do for you to be seen wandering about while normal people are going about their important business," she said to him. "You should be grateful for what we give you after your little—your little stunt this morning! Don't think I haven't forgotten that!"

Henry  winced, shrinking down. He should have been thinking harder this morning. He had messed up, had ruined his chances of having his first proper birthday.

And so, with a heavy heart, Henry  resigned himself to spending his birthday in the cupboard.

But it wasn't so bad, Henry  told himself. Because as soon as he was allowed out again, then he would be able to call his friends.

Mr. Matt wouldn't be mad about the missed call, either. They would still be friends, just like they would still be friends even if Henry  went more than a few days without calling.

This reminder helped Henry  feel slightly better about what had happened, but it wasn't enough to get rid of the bad feelings from realizing he had messed up this morning. He should not have said 'no' to Aunt Karen.

"Okay," Henry  mumbled. "Can I eat this and use the bathroom first?"

Aunt Karen stared at him again, for less time than before, then nodded stiffly.

Henry  quickly ate through the chicken wrap he'd been given, then rushed to the bathroom before the Donovan's fancy guests were due to arrive. It could be hours before he would be able to use the bathroom again.

Bladder relieved and hands cleaned, Henry  ran back to the hallway, where Aunt Karen was waiting for him.

"This is for you," she snapped. In her hands was a bottle of water. "Now get yourself out of my sight."

Henry  took the bottle and followed her instruction, stepping through the door that led under the stairs. Aunt Karen shut the door behind him with a thump, then closed the metal slats with a further clinking sound.

Now alone in his cupboard, Henry  took a moment to think about his situation.

Outside the house, the summer weather was very hot and humid. But here under the stairs, the air was cooler. Henry  had his bottle of water and an unknown amount of time to himself while the Donovans entertained their special visitors.

It could have been worse, Henry  told himself. For some reason, this thought did little to banish his sadness.

Not for the first time, Henry  imagined calling Mr. Matt here to Weaston ave. The Donovans would be outside having lunch, leaving the entire house empty. It would be so easy for Henry  to don his ring and make a wish.

Almost like a birthday wish, but not exactly. Many of Henry 's past birthday wishes involved dreams of a tall, kind stranger coming to take him away.

Henry  had spent less time on that daydream lately, mostly thanks to Mr. Matt and Bell. But when Henry  did have a moment to spare for that imaginary scenario, it was Mr. Matt's face he saw, not a stranger's.

The imaginary Henry  who lived with the imaginary Mr. Matt was the happiest boy on earth. Henry  didn't dare ask about where Mr. Matt lived, but he thought it might be a large, fancy house—the kind that Aunt Karen often talked about in her glossy magazines.

There was a secret thought that Henry  kept quiet in the back of his head. A special thought that, if it grew too loud, might be scared away. And so Henry  only let this thought out when he felt safe, when he was alone and missing his best friend more than anything in the world.

The thought was this:

Someday, if Henry  was a good enough friend, Mr. Matt would be willing to take a chance on him and take him away from the Donovans.

Henry  pulled away from the door and flopped backwards onto his bed. The funny feeling of before was back in his stomach.

He was a good friend, wasn't he? Mr. Matt smiled at him a lot and laughed at his jokes.

Henry 's hand came up to touch at his ring, as was his habit to do. The ribbon looped around his neck was all tangled up. Henry  ran his fingers over the ribbon and began to work at undoing the mess.

What Henry  really wanted, more than anything he had ever wanted before, was to have Mr. Matt here for his birthday.

But Henry  couldn't do that. He couldn't. What if his aunt and uncle convinced Mr. Matt that he wasn't worth it? What if Henry  ruined his friendship just like he'd ruined his own birthday by not keeping his mouth shut this morning?

While Henry  was sure that Mr. Matt wasn't sticking around just to be nice, that did not mean Mr. Matt's mind could not be changed. They were good friends now, but maybe that wouldn't last.

However, this doubt did not stop Henry  from imagining nice things happening.

It took a moment for Henry  to think up the proper idea, mostly because he was fairly sure Mr. Matt would not fit inside of his tiny cupboard if called right now, but eventually Henry  settled on watching, in his mind, as imaginary Mr. Matt knocked on the Donovan's front door.

Mr. Matt would be dressed fancy, in a nicer suit than Uncle Cooper had ever worn, and he would smile with white teeth that could also be sharper and pointier like fangs.

Henry  would creep out of his cupboard, full of surprise at seeing his friend.

Mr. Matt would greet Henry  by name, would hold out a hand for Henry  to take, and Uncle Cooper would splutter and turn red the way he did when someone told him he was wrong.

And then Mr. Matt would announce that he would be taking Henry  to live with him.

Henry  played with that idea in his head for a long time, dreaming up the nice big house from Aunt Karen's magazines.

There would be a huge backyard with lots of plants and trees for him and Bell to play tag in. Maybe even a treehouse! Dennis was always asking for one of those, and Henry  would love to have something that Dennis did not.

Mr. Matt would use his magic to make them things like food, and he would offer to teach Henry  how to do magic, too. Henry  would be really good at magic. So good that Mr. Matt would be proud of him, would never regret letting Henry  into his home. Henry  would never be hungry or thirsty or sad, and they would be best friends forever.

The sound of the doorbell rang loudly, followed by the further sounds of people talking in the entrance hall. The sudden noise of the door scared Henry  out of his nice dream. With the arrival of the Donovans' visitors came the reminder that his amazing dream was only that—a dream.

Henry  rolled onto his side, away from the cupboard door. He curled his body up, then wrapped his hand around Mr. Matt's ring.

This ring was a reminder, too. This ring gave Henry  hope that someday his dreams could come true.

Even if Henry  had to be inside all day, he could keep himself busy with his happy thoughts. He would see Mr. Matt again soon, as promised, because friends never lied to each other.

Today would not be the best birthday ever, but it certainly would not be the worst.

By the time the Donovan's guests were gone, Henry  was feeling weirdly sleepy. The important lunch had stretched well into the afternoon, followed by a further invitation to tea time. Which, thankfully, Henry  had not been invited to help prepare, maybe because Aunt Karen wanted him kept out of sight.

Supper was a different story. Henry  got to stretch his legs out for a few precious seconds before Aunt Karen was dragging him to the kitchen to help peel potatoes.

Henry  stifled yawn after yawn while he worked, hoping to get it all done quickly so he could go back to his cupboard and his nice dreams.

Unfortunately, Henry 's yawning was enough to catch Aunt Karen's attention. Henry  was scolded for being lazy, but even the scolding was not enough to convince his mouth to stop it.

Perhaps being locked up all day after ages of running around had done something funny to him. Henry  tried to keep his yawns to himself, or else only doing so when his aunt wasn't looking.

Once supper was finished and the dishes were put away, Henry  was finally allowed to escape for the night after a quick meal.

The hour was late, as the Donovan's guests had delayed dinner well past its typical time. Aunt Karen, Uncle Cooper, and Dennis had all gone upstairs to prepare for bed and spend time in their rooms. Soon the house would be quiet.

Henry  stopped one last yawn from escaping his mouth as he fell onto his bed for the second time that day, his hand reaching for his ring. After all the touching he'd done to it, the ring was warm. Henry  slipped it onto his thumb, where it fit the best, and rolled the shiny metal around and around. The feel of it in his hand made him feel safe.

Tucking his blanket over his legs, Henry  shifted into a more comfortable position. The thought of going to sleep tonight was enough to remind him that he'd spent his birthday alone. Henry  gazed up at the slats in his cupboard door. There was very little light coming through, but if he pressed his face up against the metal, he could just make out the moonlight that came in through the frosted glass window next to the front door.

Moonlight, thought Henry . From the moon.

The sneaky idea of before was back. Henry  had tried to squash it down, but it was very stubborn and refused to go away. The idea was that maybe he could call Mr. Matt right now.

Henry  sat up in his bed, the better to see the imagined moonlight coming into his cupboard. It was night time now, Henry  reasoned. So Mr. Matt would not be at work. He would be at home, maybe with Bell, and the two of them would be getting ready to sleep.

Mr. Matt would not be angry if Henry  called, would he? He would be happy and relieved to know that Henry  was safe and alright.

Henry  knew that Mr. Matt worried about him a lot. More than he ought to be worrying.

What Henry  worried about was that Mr. Matt would be distracted from his work because he thought Henry  was in trouble.

Every time they met, Mr. Matt would always ask if Dennis had been bothering him again. And when Henry  said no, Mr. Matt would say he was glad to hear that.

Henry  didn't want to worry his friend. He didn't want to distract Mr. Matt from his job.

But Henry  also did not want Mr. Matt anywhere near the Donovans.

Still, Henry  wished that Mr. Matt was here. He wished that they could have spent his birthday together.

Somewhere in the house, the clock chimed. It was a new hour, now.

What hour exactly, Henry  was not so sure, because his day had been long and confusing. But it was late enough that Henry  remembered there was one thing he had almost forgotten to do.

"Happy birthday," Henry  mumbled to himself.

Then he listened to the silence of the house that offered no response. Idly, Henry  wondered what it would be like to hear Mr. Matt say 'happy birthday' aloud.

Henry 's eyelids were getting droopy. The ring in his hand was heavier than normal as he rubbed the fingers of his other hand against the smooth metal. Yawning again, Henry  lay back down and let his eyes shut, holding his ring close to his chest, imagining the funny hum that happened whenever Mr. Matt was being called.

The hum would grow louder and louder, the ring warm as ever on Henry 's finger, and then it would start to glow like a flashlight. Or maybe like a star.

The glow would get brighter, bright light, and then—

Light. Henry 's closed eyelids fluttered a bit, then flew wide open.

Light?

Wide awake, Henry  stared at his ring. It was both humming and glowing, loud and bright, calling, and there was no way for Henry  to stop it.