Exchange Gift

CAROL OF THE BELLS

By: @tenshi_serenity

To: @Lyen523 (Mamy Jen)

Prompt:
You're the only gift that I ever wanted for Christmas

****

Richard is used to being rejected.

After all that's where he came from, an orphanage: home of unwanted kids. A home where love is given because they need to not because they want to. A home where kids would feel their importance for a while only to be set out in the world when they are "ready".

Love is an overrated emotion, a huge ugly reality that not everyone basks in its warmth.
The constant need of affirmation and acceptance has always been knawing at his heart ever since he knew that nobody will be there to care for him. Richard spent his days at the orphange away from the other kids, trying to detach himself from everyone and most especially rejection.

The first heartbreak he encountered is when his father abandoned the family which prompted his mother to wallow in depression and seek constant happiness from drugs. His elder sister then too abandoned him to ride with a boy she barely knew off to the sunset, an excuse she made just to get out of her responsibility to care for him.

It was then he was found and brought into the orphanage. Richard was a quiet boy, he never played with the other kids and was counting the days till he gets out of there.

At 15, he finally became free of the orphange he secretly despises and worked hard to get into a local community high school to finally move on and build a life.

That's where he met Maine.

Maine who has it all: looks, money and popularity. She instantly became the apple of his eye. He works hard for good grades to at least be her friend. Richard once mustered the courage to talk to her but she just smirks at him, flips her hair and walks away with her posse. But that didn't stop Richard from trying to get her attention.

It was then one December afternoon when she decided to talk to him.

Maine approaches Richard who is busily getting his books from his locker. She stands beside him much to his surprise.

"Maine?"

"Hi, Richard. I would like to invite you to my birthday. Will you go?" She says sweetly.

"I will, of course. I will."

"Okay, be at my house tonight." She says and walks away.

Of course, Richard is excited; after all this is the first time she had a full conversation with him, something he's been wanting the whole time. Finally, he's going to build a new life, away from his past.

That night, Richard goes to her house and sees that the party is in full bloom. Every one is in the party mood and as he passes by them, they look at him blankly like he doesn't belong there not until he sees Maine's smiling face, that he reassures himself he's been invited.

"You came!" Maine says as she drags him inside. She gives him punch and talks to him a bit, they even danced together which made him smile. Finally, someone that could accept him for who he was.

"Thank you for inviting me." He says.

She smiles and whispers "I have to go, I'll be back for a bit" she walks away and he is left there once again.

Hours went by and still no sight of the celebrant. Richard walks to look for her to at least say goodbye. After all, what the hell would he do there especially when he doesn't know anyone at the party.

"Good job, Maine." Jen says to her friend.

"Well, Richard is sooo into me that he would do what I say. So he came. Where's my money?"

"Maine?" He says, shocked.

Jen scrambles to get out of the room as Maine sees him, eyes widening. "Richard, why are you here?"

"You invited me here because of a bet?"

Maine looks at him blankly "Yeah, so?"

He looks at her, trembling "You're no different. You're just like them." Richard says and walks away.

Richard decided that he won't bother anyone anymore. Good riddance to the world and to mankind!

"Have you seen her?"

Richard decided from then on that he would move on from everyone as he walks home. He opens the door to his apartment and smiles.

This is his breaking point.

He smiles at the person who is looking at him with widened eyes, ropes tightened around her.

"Hello, Maine." He smirks at her as she tries to scream despite her gagged mouth. He walks towards her as her eyes reflect a frightened stare.

Yes, this is his breaking point.

He walks towards her as he holds a flier of Maine filed as a missing person for two weeks.

His breaking point.

He whispers in her ear and says "Love me."

T H E  E N D