Christmas and Wrapping Paper

"Daddy! Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" I yelled, frantic to get his attention.

"What?" He snapped, from his place on the bed.

"We're rich." I was blunt and to the point.

"Why, what do you want?"

"You should give money to those poor little orphans." I never thought I could want something this much, it was an overwhelming desire that I couldn't control.

He grunted and muttered something I couldn't decipher.

"Daddy?" I said quietly.

"Why should I give money to greedy little orphans?!" He yelled, "The little monsters think that just because they don't have anything, that other people should give them stuff. If your parents are dead than maybe you don't deserve love! Have they ever thought about that?" His words were cruel and horrible, it made my head ache.

"But-"

"Don't but me, they aren't going to end up like you! If people give them things then they'll end up greedy and horrible, just like you!"

His words stung. It felt like a slap. No, worse than a slap, it felt like I just got hit by a bus. "You think I'm greedy and horrible?" My voice was small and timid.

He scoffed at that question. "You don't know the answer already? You have everything! You haven't worked a day in your life and you think you have a bad life? Don't pretend I don't hear you on the phone with Kennedy, 'My life sucks! This is so unfair!'" He did an imitation of a snotty girl from tv. "You have everything handed to you on a silver platter and you think you have room to complain! I'm not about to give those orphans money so they can end up like you."

Somewhere deep down I knew he was right, but I just didn't want to believe it. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks, I wanted to get them under control, but I just couldn't.
Dad pulled the covers over his head and said something. It was faint and probably for his ears only, but I still heard it. "She needed to know," it was like he was reassuring himself that he did the right thing.

A plan started to form in my head, and I knew it just might work. If he thought I was a horrible brat, then I would just have to go and prove him wrong.

I grabbed some PJ's and a change of cloths and headed for the door. Jerking it open I glared back at the lump in one of the beds. "Goodbye, Daddy." I said he words mean and manipulative. I stomp out and left before he had a chance to stop me.

I walked down the street and thought about what bad people could be lurking in the alleys. I should have brought my pepper spray, I thought. I was about trembling when I saw any shadow. By the time I reached the orphanage I was thoroughly frightened.

As I was knocking I thought about how horrible of a plan this was. Then after a few minutes the door was jerked open and amber eyes looked at me strangely.

"Chris?" Nick looked confused. But he also looked cute, in a little kid sort of way, with his checkered PJ pants.

"Can I stay here tonight?"
Shock registered on his face, he was probably wondering why I would want to sleep at a dumpy old orphanage when there was a five star hotel right down the street.

"Okay." He moved aside and held the door open for me as I stepped through the frame.