Santa's Helper • Luke Hemmings

Three - Christmas Shopping

I decide to head to the mall straight after school, hoping to find Luke working at his usual place by Santa's grotto. I know that he had told me there was nothing I could do to make him enjoy Christmas, but I felt determined to understand how someone could not enjoy the best day of the year. 

The mall was far busier than any other Tuesday afternoon any other time of the year, but everyone's currently getting prepared for Christmas. I love the mall around Christmas, there just seems to be a real buzz going with all the decorations and the smell of coffee. It's the little things like that, which make Christmas seem extra special - the fact that everyone is on such a hype. I like that children are pointing through the windows the toys they want, and parents are going all hunger games over grabbing the last toy on the shelf.

I head down the escalator, where at the bottom is Santa's grotto - where a long line of children, who had just came from school, were lining up to meet Santa. I spot Luke almost straight away, as he's the only elf sat on the ground playing a game on his phone at the side of the queue. The kids all look at him as they move forward in the line, to which Luke just gives them a dirty look back and continues with his game.

I walk over to him, hovering over where he's sat in front of me. He looks up, not looking overly pleased to see me as he shoves his phone back into his pocket.

"You were actually being serious," Luke groans and I nod. "Well, if you haven't noticed, I'm working."

I realize that to Luke I still am basically a stranger, although this wasn't me attempting to become his best friend - all I wanted to accomplish was for Luke to see a little light of the Christmas spirit.

"What time do you finish work?" I ask. "Not that you're doing anything productive, anyway."

Luke looks at me for a moment, before standing up and grabbing the broom resting on the wall of Santa's grotto behind him. "I'm sweeping, honey."

I watch Luke falsely smile at me as he sweeps back and fourth the same spot. "You don't even have to stay with me long, just love enough for the Christmas spirit to hit you like a bus."

Luke tilts his head and frowns. "I'd rather be hit by a bus than buy some tinsel."

Luke grabs his broom and walks off in the opposite direction, barging passed some children in the process. I stand back for a moment, wondering how I would get this to work. I didn't travel all the way down here, when I should be working on school work, to be rejected by some elf dude who hates Christmas. I came here to change this guy's attitudes and I planned on doing that. Giving up was something I never seemed to do.

I walk over to Luke, taking the broom out of his hands and throwing it to the ground. He looks at me as if I were crazy, although I prefer the term frustrated towards the fact that he hates the best time of the year.

"Ruby," Luke whines, rubbing his forehead, "I'm sure you have better things to do with your life than be wasting it on my opinions, which can't be changed."

I think for a moment, before responding, "I honestly don't."

Luke smirks, shaking his head. "I have a break in five minutes, just let me finish sweeping."

I nod, standing back as I wait for Luke. Luke continues to sweep the same spot a couple of times, patting the broom onto the ground and not really doing what he's supposed to. Luke shrugs as he throws the broom to the ground, pulls his elf ears off and smiles at me - walking off as he waits for me to follow.

-

I wait for Luke to come out of the changing rooms, back into his normal clothes before we head off around the mall. I could suddenly take Luke a lot more seriously when he's not wearing tights and pointy shoes, although his attitudes didn't change along with his appearance.