My New Tiny Christmas Tree

chapter 1

This stupid tree is getting glitter everywhere. Its all over my clothes and on the carpet and is sticking to my skin. I'm not even the one that wanted the tree but I'm the one putting it up because mums at work and she's been complaining about how she wants a tree up, well I'm starting to regret feeling nice today. The branches are just so stiff that I can barely get any of the decorations on the dam thing. Not that it needs all that many tree ornaments since it is covered with glitter. I can't deal with this stupid thing right now I need a break. That tree might be small but its hard to deal with. I go get a glass of water and sit on the floor in front of the tree when my older sister Laura walks out.
"Emily what are you doing?" She asked.
"Oh ya know, just talking to my boyfriend here" I reply, my words dripping with sarcasm.

"You could've just said your doing the tree, no need to be sarcastic" she commented.

Sometimes I can't believe she's older even though there is a 4 year age difference.

"Well if you noticed that's what I'm doing, then why ask such a dumb question?" I point out.

"I was just asking" she replied.

Yeah without thinking about it I thought as she went back to our room. That's right our room, we have to share a room because this house has 3 bedrooms and Laura isn't ready to move out just yet, much to my disgust.

I turn back to the tree staring at it, this is the second tree we have ever had. Before this tiny one we had a rather large tree that was almost always difficult to put a star on top of.

As I stare at the tree I realise this is going to be a Christmas with many changes. Tears start to make their way silently down my face as I realise all the things that will be different this year and how more is going to change in the next year. My older brother Adam is moving out in February, I'm traveling to France in April, and hopefully by May Laura will have moved out and found herself a job.

But this Christmas the changes that have already taken place that I'll have to deal with is that I no longer have a living grandfather and that there is a new edition to the family (a baby cousin) All these thoughts of the recent changes and the changes to come, are all thanks to my new tiny Christmas tree.