(A girls' bedroom, Christmas Eve.  Near midnight.  PATTY and MINDY, two young girls, are sitting up in bed.  They are dressed in nightclothes.  They speak mainly in stage whispers throughout the play.  The lighting is dim, but not too dim to see the girls clearly.)

PATTY.  You still awake?  (no answer)  Mindy!

MINDY.  What?

PATTY.  Don't go to sleep.

MINDY.  I wasn't.

PATTY.  You were too.  I could hear you snoring.

MINDY.  I don't snore.

PATTY.  You do too.

MINDY.  You’re the one who snores.  You sound like a garbage truck.

PATTY.  Just stay awake, okay?  And don’t snore.

MINDY.  You snore.

(Pause.)

MINDY.  He's never gonna come.

PATTY.  Of course he is.  It’s not even midnight yet.

MINDY.  How come we always have to be last?

PATTY.  We're not last.  How do you know we’re last?

MINDY.  It's almost Christmas.  He should be here by now.

PATTY.  Santa's very busy.  You think we're the only house he's got?  Just on this block there's Lori and Megan and Kamika and Takeela…

MINDY.  Lori's mean.  She doesn't deserve anything.

PATTY.  He's coming, okay?  Unless you keep talking, 'cause if he hears you, then he won't come.  So shut up.

MINDY.   (gasps)  You said a bad word!

PATTY.  Did not.

MINDY.  I wish Daddy were here, ‘cause I’d tell.

PATTY.  Well, he’s not, so you can’t, so there.

MINDY.  I miss Daddy.

PATTY.  How can you miss him if you never even met him?

MINDY.  All the other kids have Daddies.  Maybe for Christmas he could come back.

PATTY.  He’s not coming back.  They never come back.

MINDY.  Was he tall?

PATTY.  Of course he was tall.  All big people are tall.

MINDY.  Was he nice?

PATTY.  I guess so.  Mommy says he was.  I was too young, I don’t remember.

MINDY.  I wish he could be here.

PATTY.  (gently)  Listen, just be quiet, okay?  Think of something else.

(Pause.)

MINDY.  I'm tired, Patty.  I want to go to sleep.

PATTY.  Mindy!  Don't you want to see Santa?

MINDY.  Maybe we should do something.  Like walk around, maybe.

PATTY.  No!  If he sees us, he won't come in.

MINDY.  It's too dark to see.

PATTY.  Didn't you ever hear?  He sees you when you're sleeping.  He knows when you're awake.

MINDY.  But we are awake.

PATTY.  Alright, let's check our stuff, then.

MINDY.  What stuff?

PATTY.  The stuff we need for Santa.  You got the camera?

MINDY.  Yes.

PATTY.  Autograph book?

MINDY.  Yes.

PATTY.  Tape recorder?

MINDY.  Yes.

PATTY.  Cookies for Mrs. Santa?

MINDY.  They're on the kitchen table, along with the milk.

PATTY.  Right, I knew that.

(A door closes offstage.)

MINDY.  What was that?

PATTY.  It's just a door.

MINDY.  He's here, he’s here!