what if i have a negatively charged plastic rod near a tiny piece of paper that is resting on a tabletop. Will the paper be attracted or repelled?

Attracted I believe.

Explanation:

A plastic rod is an insulator if rubbed by say a dish cloth and the "free" electrons from the plastic rod transfer to the cloth then the rod becomes positively charged because of the loss if it's electrons upsetting the balance of positive/negative charge The cloth receiving the electrons becomes negatively charged.

Positive and negative charges attract like when you rub a balloon on your hair and it sticks. Although they both were originally neutral "having the same positive and negative"

the balloon loses some of it's electrons becoming positive whilst your hair becomes negative although they just transferred from each other the two will still attract one another now that their is an unbalance.