A Very Kinney Christmas

Brian wasn't looking forward to the holiday vacation. He actually liked being in school. When he was in school, his father wasn't hitting him. The teacher asked them to write about what they wanted for Christmas. How could he possibly tell her what he really wanted? He had to write one full page about it and he had no idea what to write.

He was sitting at his desk at home, trying to think of something to write. It was the last assignment before the holiday vacation started so he had to get it done. It was also due the next day. He sighed heavily as he listened to his parents arguing downstairs. It seemed that if his parents weren't arguing, they weren't talking to each other at all. He laid his head on his folded arms on his desk and started to cry. It wasn't often that Brian cried, especially now that he was older. At twelve years old, he tried not to cry at all, but there were times that he just couldn't hold it back. Brian jumped as his bedroom door flew open.

"Are you crying, Sonny Boy?" Jack slurred. He was obviously drunk and finished with Joan, so he came to take out his residual anger on Brian. Jack walked over and grabbed Brian by the arms, pulling him out of his chair, the chair falling backwards. Even though Brian was tall for his age, he was still short enough for Jack to practically throw him around like a rag doll. "What did I tell you about crying? What are you, a sissy? Real men don't cry!" Jack said as he threw Brian against the nearest wall.

Brian cried out as he hit the wall, something having jabbed him in the back. He lay there on the floor for a minute, then started to get up. Jack came over and kicked him hard in the ribs. Brian collapsed to the floor again, coughing as the wind was knocked out of him.

"I didn't want you, you know that? You never should have been born, but your mother insisted. Now all you do is cost me money. With your school and your soccer. I don't understand why your mother can't just send you to public school. She has to make me work extra hours so we can shell out the money for you to go to Catholic school. Her and her fucking religion, and now she's gotta foist it off on you."

Jack continued to rant as he kicked and hit Brian. Before long, the boy lay there, perfectly still. His eyes were closed and it was almost impossible to tell if he was breathing or not. Jack just laughed and left the room. After a little while, Claire came in. When she saw Brian lying on the floor, she actually screamed. She ran downstairs and got their mother, who came up and went pale. She moved over to Brian, thinking he was dead. She quickly located a faint pulse and called an ambulance. How they would explain this one, she'd figure out later.

She had just gotten off the phone with the operator when Jack ripped the phone cord out of the wall.

"I didn't want him in the first place, let him die." He then went out into the garage, beer in hand, planning on getting even drunker than he already was. When the ambulance arrived, thankfully, Jack had passed out. They loaded Brian into the ambulance and took off. Joan didn't know what she was going to do. She was just glad that they had insurance to cover his bills. She loaded Claire into the car and headed to the hospital.

Brian woke up the next morning and sighed heavily. He didn't figure either of his parents would be there. When the nurse walked in, he looked at her a minute.

"Can you bring me some paper and a pen?"

"I'll have to check with the doctor about that. You're supposed to be resting. Any reason you need it?"

"I have a paper due."

"I think they'll understand that you can't turn it in."

"Look, you can see that my parents don't give a shit about me. Just bring me something to do so I don't go crazy, okay?" The nurse nodded and got the paper and pen and brought it to Brian. Then before leaving the room, she rolled the table over so he could write. Brian started writing his paper about what he wanted for Christmas.

Brian was able to get home before Christmas. He was able to walk into the house on his own and he started to head toward his room. When he looked under the tree, he noticed there weren't as many presents as there had been before he left.

"What happened to all the presents?"

"Needed the money to pay your medical bills, so we had to take some back."

"I'm sorry." He looked down even though he knew the insurance should have covered the medical bills.

"Don't be, yours were the only ones that got taken back," Jack said with a smirk. Brian looked up at him with pure hatred in his eyes. He just stood there, staring at the man for a moment before going up to his room and locking the door. He lay down on his bed and once again started crying. Jack was punishing him for something that wasn't even his fault. Would it ever end?

Brian threw out his original paper and sat down, deciding to write a new paper. He’d been given an extension and was allowed to turn it in after the holiday. After finishing the new paper, Brian lay down on his bed and decided to get some sleep. The next day was Christmas and he knew he would be spending it in his room, as he had the last five years. Jack always found a way to deny Christmas to Brian and he managed to do it yet again.
 
Read the Essay
 
Mrs. Hawkins, Brian's English teacher, had to grab a tissue when she finished reading Brian's essay.

"That poor boy." She gave him an automatic A+. She would report to the authorities that she had in writing evidence of child abuse, but she knew that there was nothing that could be done. Even with his recent stay in the hospital, and the several injuries he'd come to school with, the police would take his parents' word at whether or not the boy was being abused and leave it at that.

She took the paper and put it in the pile with the others that she would hand back out to the students. She was pretty sure that Brian would want to keep this paper.
 
 

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