Chapter One.

First chapter to start us off.

            Everyday it’s the same thing, wake up in a room full of kids, eat a small portion of breakfast, chores, hoping someone will adopt you, and then go back to sleep. After being here for seventeen years you’re pretty used to it; you learn that hoping tomorrow will be different is quite pointless.  You also get used to friends being adopted instead of you.  In fact, I’ve meet more kids then a high school could hold.

            I guess there’s one plus to being a un-adapt-ee and that’s the Christmas parties. Whether the kids celebrate Christmas or not, we all get a whole week without chores and a big feast of food. It truly makes Christmas the superior holiday of the year.

            Since the orphanage really couldn’t afford any books, the managers, as I call them, usually pick out one of the older kids to write a corny Christmas book.  So this yea was my year of writing.  Most kids considered it as a, “Blessing” or an “honor”, I personally found it waste of time.

            When it came to actually writing the story, they spoon fed me the plot. The basic idea was to write about a little boy being adopted on Christmas day. How deep and original. Of course I had to finish it in two days, so I really couldn’t complain.  I started with the ending first. I used my real first name in the story since nobody really knew my real name since I was nicknamed by one of the foreign attendants, who couldn’t pronounce it right, Jay. My real name is Jackson. It was cute on my birthday when everyone would just write the letter J on my gifts and cards.

            After much distraction I decide to buckle down and write the story. Instead of just describing it to you, I think I’ll say it instead.

            Ever since Jackson was a young boy, he dreamed of being picked over the other kids. He could never stand out. People either wanted older or younger. He was a bland child.  One night on Christmas Eve, Jackson made a wish. Not just any wish, like those wanting a football or tinker toys. Jackson stared at that star atop of the tree and closed his eyes. He never makes wishes on the star, so it was a very important occasion.  “Oh please star, make me stand out, just enough to get me a family.” After his wish he shook his head and shrugged then went to bed.

The next morning was loud and boisterous, half the kids were already rushing downstairs in their pajamas while Jackson just laid in bed. It wasn’t until one of his friends came up the stairs excitedly.

“Jackson! Jackson!” He said as he threw open the door. “There’s a couple who are here to check out the kids!”

Hearing this Jackson threw on some clothes and ran down the stairs.  When he reached the bottom, there was a beautiful young girl that looked not a day over 25. Her brown, pixie cut hair looked elegant against her pale skin and blue eyes.  The man was tall and muscular, but not too muscular, and had a haircut that could almost be considered shag. He looked roughly around the age of 30.

“How about this one, dear?” The man looked directly at him. He had something in his eyes that were like a child’s. They were a lovely dark brown color sure to make any girl swoon over him.

The girl turned her head to Jackson, then smiled, “He’s adorable!” was all she said. Next thing I knew I was chosen. Jackson, the plain child was picked out of the other children.

Jackson still remember that Christmas, and all the others, at the orphanage.  Now that he’s a working adult, he’s planning a child of his own.

When I was finished telling the story, everyone was quiet. It wasn’t until one of the managers clapped that the kids chipped in. I wasn’t sure if it was out of kindness or of she really liked the story, but a little girl, who went by the name Kiki, came up to me and wrapped her little arms around my neck and gave a small hug. She then said to me, “Jay, that was a great story.” She tucked her long black hair behind her ears then hopped away. She couldn’t have been older then most likely six.

We all had about a half hour before it was time for lights out. I was sitting in the den when I heard some kids around the tree in the family room talking.

“Do you think that wishing on the star will give us a family?” One girl asked

“Don’t be silly, Lilly, that only happens in stories.”

“I don’t know it seems like a miracle job to me. Kinda like God, ya’know?”

“I guess,” He noticed me in the other room, “Hey Jay, what do you think?”

I stood by the wood frame that separates family room and the den.

“It could be possible; after all, what do you have to lose?”

As I walked away I heard them whispering their wishes to the flickering star on the tree. I felt a smile across my face as I walked up to bed.

To this day, I don’t remember what I dreamt about, but it’s not that important anyway. I was rudely awakened by one of my bunk mates. He was really tan with almost black hair. If you look at him when he has an average look on his face, he looked as if sad. Apparently, he was adopted a few years back by a couple not even married at the time, and the mother couldn’t handle the responsibilities, or the couple broke up, so she just left him at a daycare saying she was going to come back. It must hurt the kid, to be adopted then left like that.

Anyway, he shook me like I wasn’t breathing. He was fully dressed in grey slacks and a light blue shirt. His eyes were wide, but not an “Oh No!” wide more of a, “Whoo hoo!” wide.  It wasn’t until I sat up in my bed that he spoke.

“Took ya long enouf to wake up!” He said putting his small hands on his hips.

“Yeah, yeah.” I rubbed my eyes and yawned with a stretch.

“Well, anyways, dere’s tis couple down the stairs, ‘nd I was informed that I shuld come git you.” I never could figure out what type of accent his was. It was strange and very thick. 

I knew if I didn’t get up then he would never stop talking, so I shook my head and stepped out of bed with a groan. The kid smiled at me and ran back downstairs with a thump on each step.  I heard many voices from down the stairs, one was a man and he sounded very jolly, I quickly threw on some faded blue jeans, naturally faded of course, and a dark grey t-shirt.  

I slowly stepped down the stairs and scanned the room for the supposed couple.  I was just about to turn back up the stairs when one of the attendants stopped me. 

“Oh, Jay! Right on time, this is Mr. & Mrs. McCloud.” She said in a cheerful voice as I reached the floor and shook their hands. “Jay is Seventeen and is very handy to have around.”  She continued.

“Well, well, aren’t you something then?” Said the female, “Please, call me Kathy. Oh, and this is my husband, Tyler.” She nodded over to the male of her right. Tyler smiled and shook my hand. His handshake was firm but his smile was sweet. The couple seemed to be very happy together.

Kathy called Tyler over and they spoke quietly to the attendant.  All the other kids lost interest in the adopters and were playing with their new toys. I decided to sit down and helped Lilly build a castle with her new Legos.

It was quite awhile before the three walked back into the room. I was almost done building the multicolored castle when Kathy started to make an announcement.

“After a long waited decision, we decided to adopt Jay.”

Lilly smiled up at me, “My wish, Jay, it came true!”

I nodded at her with a smile and followed the adults to the office. I signed a few papers and then Kathy and Tyler signed a few papers.  It wasn’t until my birth certificate came up did anybody say anything of importance.

“Huh, your name is really Jackson?” The attendant said raising an eyebrow. “For your story, did you know this was going to happen?”

I shook my head, “I just couldn’t think of a name, so I used my own.”

With that we continued to sign papers then I was sent to my room to get my things. I didn’t have a lot, in fact in the end I only had a medium sized suitcase of stuff. I packed my favorite deck of cards, the little amount of clothes I had, and the few unopened presents from the other kids. I said so-long to my bunk mates and gave them all hugs. Then I was on my way.