For Christmas I want A Heart

                The Grinch who stole Christmas, you could call me that but I’d probably…no… there's no probably I would attack you. But I can’t deny that I feel a little like the Grinch and Scrooge like, especially during the holidays. 

                I wasn’t always like this of course there is a backstory. I mean I use to smile, laugh, not attacked when someone was being an idiot. But that was before mom left, before daddy dearest married his , when being weak was okay.

                Now… I couldn’t afford to be weak, love, or be loved. And this Christmas all I wanted was for it to come and go. I don’t wish for Christmas presents under the tree, mistletoe. Or snow. Just for Christmas to be done with.

                So if you thought this was a story of one of my dead friends inviting 3 Christmas ghost into my house to show me evil my ways. Well I don’t have very many friends and all the friends that I do have are very much alive, so that’s out. So that leaves the cute little girl with an impossible adorable button nose that will help me find my tiny heart. Well I got news for you I avoid the cute little girls with button nose like the plaque so sorry.

                “Christmas Break,” I groan, as I dragged myself to the empty condo.  My father was most likely working like always and step-mother dearest either spend fathers money or found a new seventeen year old she could play sugar momma with.

                I had picked  the mail up on my way and began to flip through it as soon as I open the door to the hollow but pretty decorated home of mine. Half way I got bored and was ready to throw them on the coffee table that was until something caught my eyes.

                “Mom,” I gasped as I hurried to my room absentminded throwing the rest of the worthless mail somewhere in my rush. I held that piece of paper close to me heart as if it was my treasure, at that moment I was willing to die for the words written on the letter inside.

                I swung the door open the slammed it shut as I threw myself on my bed and ripped the envelope open.

                ‘Dear Na Lee,

                                You’ve turned 17 not so long ago. My little girl, I have missed so much, but I hope you will still allow me to call you mine. I’m sure you are mad at me, and I don’t expect any less from you. I have left you; the one thing a mother should never do to their daughter is to leave their little girl that will need so much from their mother. But if you except my offer I would like to meet you, I sent you a ticket…’

                That was all that I need to read to read as I ran to my closet and grabbed my suitcase and began to pack

❆

                “Hi,” I looked up from my spot on the plane to see a boy, then I looked back at my mother’s letter reading it for the second time since I got on the plane 10 minutes ago.  I love her hand writing it was so gentle and carefree.

                “I’m Choi Minho and you…”

                “Not interested,” I stated plainly. I heard him chuckled and whisper under his breath but I couldn’t care less what he had to say.

                “Shouldn’t you at least try to be nice since we are going to be spending some time together?”

                “No,” I sighed now bored. I my headphones and plugged them in my ears.

❆

                                I slowly open my eyes to see the shade of the window had been pulled down. I turned to the side to see the guy from earlier asleep.

                I studied his face, his skim was pale like most Korean, with thick eyebrows that complemented his faces his lips were plumb and pink. His hair was short and brushed neatly down. My eyes wondered downed to his body to see that disputed his long baggy t-shirt that he wasn’t too thin but tone nicely.

                “Not bad,” I whispered to myself as I laid back down to fall asleep. But sleep didn’t come as easily as before my mind began to wonder around about what was to come.

                In a few hours I would be in Seoul, South Korea. The home my mom had left me for. I’m not sure how I should feel about this, but now I had a billion and one question floating around in my head.

                Why did she leave me? Why didn’t she take me with her? Did she replace me? Did I have siblings? Did she ever thing of me? Did she regret leaving me alone with that man? These questions seemed to be the question that kept popping back up.

❆

                I stepped out of the taxi after paying the driver; I looked up at my mother home. I was finally here but what do I do now? I thought as I bit my lip. The taxi driver set my luggage next to me and I thanked him. And just as he drove off the thought of disappointment came to mind. I wanted to run at that moment I didn’t want to be disappointed, what if my mother wasn’t the mother I wanted. What if she did remarry and have other kids.

                “No point in running away now that you are this far in the game, baby sister,” I heard a voice just as I was about to grab the handle of my luggage and run away. I turned to see the man that sat next to me on the plane steal my suitcase.

                “Hey!” I shouted just in time as he walked into my mother’s house. Great not only was he a thief but now he was breaking and entering … wait, why was he even here,” OH MY GOD!!! STALKER!!!! Wait baby Sis?”

                He looked at me after my outburst and just smirked as a woman I recognized from my childhood ran and hugged me. She looked exactly the same she had aged a little but she was beautiful and untouched by the horrors of beautification this world called for to stay young forever.

                “Nalee, you came,” She cried into my shirt as she hugged me tight.

                I stood in place; I didn’t know what to do. To be honest with you it has been a while since I have given or received a hug. I looked up to see the thief gestured for me to hug her back. I didn’t have time to react as he had suggested as she pulled back and looked me over.

                “Beautiful,” She smiled tears still streaking down her face.

                “Mom, she is in shock,” I looked at the bag thief.

                “Leave your sister alone.”

                I looked at my mother in shock did she just said sister that would mean that he was my brother. But he looked older than me how was that possible.

                “Sister,” I finally found my voice.

                “You rode the whole plane ride with her and didn’t tell her,” She huffed.

                “I tried but she didn’t give me a chance to even finish my sentences,” He shrugged with a smirk.

                “Yah, Choi Minho,” She shouted irritated but he just shrugged again. She sighed as she turned to me once again and smiled. “Nalee met Minho, your step brother.”

 ❆

                So with in the first day all the important questions I had were answered. I did have a sibling but only one and that was Minho he was older than me and not my mother’s but my brother never the less. She had regretted leaving me but my father wouldn’t allow her to take me with her when she had tried. And I believed that my father may not care whether I am alive or dead but he was the type of person to take something that you wanted just because he knew you wanted it. And though it hurt to do so, she had to leave a loveless marriage. Never in their 7 years of marriage had she felt any type of love towards him.  She thought of me every day, of every month of year since she had left me. Her words not mine. 

                She then explained how she met Minho’s father. It seems they were high school friends way back when. And she came back to Korea he helped her get back on her feet and love just happened.

❆

                “Minho, take your sister out to see Seoul,” Minho’s father demanded as he put down his paper, “Mother and I would but we feel that it would be more enjoyable if someone her age would take her.”

                I was about the offer, when I heard Minho chuckle.

                “I was already planning on doing that today; I’m just waiting for my hyungs and Taemin.”

                “Omo my lucky Na, she is going to be surrounded by SHINee," Our mother squealed for some odd reason this didn’t sound very pleasant, to be surrounded by Shiny, what the hell is shiny, will it hurt.

                “Shiny what?  Is that some kind of initiation into the family because if so…”

                Minho’s father booming laugh filled the room and stopped my rant all at once, and mother looked like she was having an inner war with her own laughter, she lost just if anyone was wondering.

                “S-H-I-N-e-e,” Minho was oh so kind to spell it out for me. But I still didn’t get it and I was sure my face showed it. “It is what they called me and my friend in High school. It our Kingka’s name.”  

                “Kingka,” I asked confused for the billionth time since I have arrived to South Korea. Minho just chuckled as he pulled me into a hug, he does that a lot I think he likes the fact that I am his sister, that and he enjoyed to torture me and knew that hugs made me realllly uncomfortable.

                “My baby sister is soooo cute,” He chuckled again. Another one of his torturing method calling me a baby I hated it more than the hugs.

                “But not as cute as my son I should hope,” I heard a strong but slightly feminine voice. I turned to see four guys standing in the living room, have they ever heard of knocking? I scanned the guys getting at the group.

                One with straight, slick, light brown, neck length hair carrying a bucket of chicken, I’m not lying either he was actually holding a bucket of chicken and eyeing it. I think he was having an inner war as to whether start digging in or not. Another guy had spiky black hair and looked like a major player. The next one had half of his hair shaved off the other side pulled to the side, I loved his fashion sense.  The last one was all smiled he had a cute baby face and light brown hair that was so long.

                “No Key Hyung,” Minho as the fashionista smirked in triumph, so he must be Key. “She is so much cuter.

                “We shall see.” Key looked at me up and down.

                “Hay Nalee,” chicken guy smiled. “Don’t mind Kibum he just very cautious on who he allows to hang out with us. Those two are Jonghyun and Taemin by the way.”

                Taemin was the boy with the baby face while Jonghyun was the player.

❆

                It is Christmas day and a week since I had come to Korea and with every day here I seemed to find myself closer to call Seoul, South Korea home, closer to call Minho oppa and closer to call his father appa, something I haven’t even called my own father. All of this was kind of scare.

                I heard my door open and felt my bed go down.

                “Noona,” Taeminnie shouted, “It’s Christmas.”

                “Ugh, who cares,” I whined as the blinds were opened by Jonghyun, I threw the covers over my head.

                “Come on Grinch,” Key laughed as he pulled the covers.

                “No, Bummie Omma,” I whined hold the blanket to my head as my body being pulled in a sitting position as a result. “Don’t be me to me.”

                I know usually I would beat the living hell out of someone that dared to call me Grinch, but it was Key and I couldn’t do that.

                “It seems we might have to use our SHINee power,” I heard Jonghyun laughed as I finally gave up on the blanket and threw the pillow over my head.

                “Uh oh,” I mumbled sarcastically, “Not the SHINee power what ever shall I do?”

                “Okay SHINEE, ready,” Onew voice was heard.

                “Set,” Minnie giggled, I didn’t like the sound of that though but I am Lee Nalee and I refuse to show my fear.

                “Go,” Minho Shouted.

❆

                I huffed as I plopped myself on the couch, yes they had gotten me out of bed at 7:30 in the morning. And if you were wondering what was the SHINee power, it was the power of tickle until you give up or pee your pants.

                “Idiots,” I groaned as I laid my head on the person was next to me. It was Appa, he looked down at me and smiled patting my leg gently. I blushed at this, my real appa would have found away to get me away from him.

                I looked at the boys who shared a smile, and so I stuck my tongue at them.

                “Here Nalee,” My smiled as she and my step dad handed me a wrapped gift. I smiled as I took it but didn’t open it.

                “Thank you,” I smiled.

                “Aren’t you going to open it,” Omma asked worried.

                “My present was the plane ticket to home that was enough,” I smiled. And for the first time I willingly gave my mother a hug. “Thank you, mom.”

                “It seems our scrooge was visited by three ghost last night,” Onew winked at me.

                “Yeah called SHINee, omma and appa,” I looked at each person I was referring to. Soon I was in the middle of a huge love fest and for the first time I was happy that I was love and loved them back.