Locked (l.h)

Twenty nine

"Merry Christmas!" Liz grins, placing the large turkey onto the table.

Instantly we all begin tearing away at the dinner, hungry after a morning of opening presents and playing video games in our pajamas.

"You sure you don't want me to drop you off at your parents house?" Andy, Luke's dad, asks.

"Uh-uh, they didn't invite me, so I'm not going." I say. I'd been really stubborn about not visiting my parents despite the fact that Andy, a strong believer in family bonding, had been persuading me to visit for weeks.

"Andy, leave poor Jane alone." Liz says, lightly smacking Andy's arm. "If she doesn't want to go, she doesn't have to."

Knock. A single, loud tap on the door interrupts the meal. I assume it's the wind, until it happens again. Knock, knock, knock.

"Who wants to visit on Christmas Day?" Liz mutters, getting out of her chair to answer the door.

I get up from my chair just before her. "I can get it."

"No, don't worry, I'll do it Jane."

Before I had a chance to reply, I'm already halfway down the hall. I shuffle through the corridor in my fluffy, purple slippers as the urgent knocking continues.

"I'm coming!" I call.

Opening the door, I see a bright red head before being engulfed in a tight hug.

"Happy Christmas, loser." Michael smiles, pulling back from the hug and holding out two large presents, in wrapping paper an identical color to his hair, along with a bag full of smaller green ones.

"Great wrapping skills, Clifford." I chuckle, taking the shoddily wrapped presents. "And merry Christmas to you too."

He pulls his sleeves over his hands, forming the adorable sweater paws I'd come to associate with winter. "How's Christmas with the Hemmings then?"

"Good, I've basically played video games and ate chocolate all morning."

He chuckles lightly. "Pretty much the same as in my house then."

"It's so different to all my other Christmases! It's so much fun!" I squeak, almost jumping with my new excitement for Christmas.

"I'm honestly scared of what Christmas with your parents would be like."

I feel the goosebumps appearing on my arms as the cold wind blows into the house, "Yeah, well I should probably get back to dinner now."

"Tell Hemmo that I hope his Christmas sucks." Mikey says, running through snow back into his car.

"Will do!" I laugh.

The conversations in full flow when I return to the table. "I come bearing gifts!" I exclaim, holding Michael's presents in the air.

"We can open them after lunch, Jane. Who were they from?" Liz asks.

"Clifford." I reply. "Oh, and Luke?"

"Yeah?" He replies through a mouthful of turkey.

"He said he hopes your Christmas sucks."

He doesn't answer apart from a muffled chuckle, I've become used to Luke and Michael's weird friendship by now so I don't question it.

-

"Oh my god." I laugh, tearing the remaining wrapping paper from the present. "I knew he was a softie on the inside."

Luke holds up his presents, almost identical to mine. Michael had gotten the both of us each a blanket, a selection of DVDs and music , matching pajamas and a huge stash of sweets and chocolates.

Attached to the gifts were letters which both read simply, Have a final date night.

Luke's eyes look up to meet mine. "28th."

"What?" I ask.

"The 28th of December, we'll have our last date night before I leave. Nothing extra special, just a night on our own."

I smiler at the thought, a peaceful night with only the two of us. Talking, watching movies, listening to music. Our last time for a couple of months.

The three days soon past and on the 28th December we final got some time alone. Don't get me wrong, I love living with the Hemmings, I'm just not used to the amount of people there is here. There's Liz and Andy along with Molly, their dog, as well as Luke's brothers who, even though they don't live here, turn up randomly.

Liz and Andy went out for dinner, taking Molly with them, so we have the house to ourselves.

"What're we doing for New Year's Eve then?" I ask, finishing the bowl of m&ms as mean girls end credits scroll down the screen.

"I was gonna ask you exactly the same thing."

"What do you normally do?" I ask.

"Me and guys usually go to a party somewhere, it all gets a bit crazy." He replies.

"I can imagine." I laugh. Judging by my last experience of them partying, they're always pretty nuts.

"Would you rather stay at home? We could, if you wanted."

I shake my head. "No, I'm happy to go out, as long as we're not interrupted by Liz again."

"I don't think that'll happen." He chuckles. "And maybe we can finish what we started last time."

I put my lips close to his but not quite touching. "Maybe."

"Can we make that maybe a definitely?" He whispers as his lips brush against mine.

I peck his lips lightly. "Maybe."