The Date Plan

Christmas Tree?

"Roooodalph the red nose rain deer! Had a very shiny noooossssee!"

Yup.

My sister is one of those little kids who LOVES Christmas songs. I mean I get it since it's Christmas Eve but still....

"Jenny shut your mouth!" I yell at her. She gets up from our leather green couch and goes to the kitchen off to the left.

"Mommy! Esther told me to shut up!"

"Did not!" I yell back, I really didn't! But Jenny is Jenny, a blond three four year old who feels as if everyone should bow to her.

"Did too!" Jenny snaps back. Rolling my eyes I turn the channel off that I was watching and stomp up the stairs to my room.

"Get rid of that rude attitude Esther or you're not getting any presents from Santa!" Mum yells up the stairs.

Santa, yeah, Santa disappeared when Dad died. Well for me anyway. I guess it was fair because I was fifteen by then but still.... I guess I just wanted to be assured that a fat old man who says "ho ho ho" will break into my house and give me 'presents.'

Dad.... Dad died last year. Right before Christmas too. Huh.

Shaking the memory out of my mind I plug my iPhone in and put my earbuds on.

The Killers blast through my ears and I hum along with them.

Laying on my bed I look at my ceiling. The stupid ceiling that is covered in photos that I took.

There's a lot of dad and I at the zoo with the zebras. I love zebras.

"Oh Esssttthhhher!" Jenny drawls as she hops her short legs up the stairs.

Unlike her and my mom, I tower over them, I also don't have blond hair. I have black curly hair that is untamable!

Taking out my ear but I holler, "Yes Jen Pen?" What can I say, she is my sister!

"Let's frost cookies! Mom made all sorts of colors! I even get to use a REAL butter knife!"

"I heard cookies and then blanked out," I say with a goofy smile on my face.

I fly off my bed and then scoop a surprised Jenny up in my arms.

I run down the stairs already smelling the cookies!

Food!

Food!

Tree?

Before I know what's happening we run into the tree and it topples over with us in an "omph!"

"Owwwwwiiiie!" Jenny yells starting to cry. "MOOOOMMMMY!"

Oh great.

Mum rushes out of the kitchen to see what all the commotion is. Her bright green eyes widen and she says, "What on Earth have you done know Esther!"

Jenny gets untangled from the lights and runs into Mummy's arms. "I smelled cookies," I murmur.

Mum rolls her eyes at me and walks over to where I lay tangled in the trees branches. The tree is a mess of broken branches and lights, we didn't put on any decorations because.... Dad always did that.

"You okay?" Mum asks worriedly.

"Yeah," I reply.

Helping me up she brushes off all the extra pine needles.

"MOOOOMMMMY! The tree! We don't have a tree for Santa to leave presents under!" Jenny stands by the fireplace and starts to cry again.

Mum looks at me and something sparks in her eyes.