Santa's Helper • Luke Hemmings

Seven - Awkward Family Dinners

The drive back home took almost an hour, with the traffic. I didn't really mind though, there was something pretty comforting about driving in silence down the dark highway, with Luke's muffled singing along to whichever album he had playing. The more time I am spending with him, the more I begin to enjoy his company and that scares me. There's something different about how I feel when I'm around him and I have no idea why.

Luke pulls up outside my drive, where the Clifford's black range rover is also resting beside my Dad's. Luke lowers the radio and then looks at me with a grin. We hadn't spoke much the whole ride home, although it was clear that we both had a pretty good time. "I had fun tonight, Ruby."

I smile, enjoying the softness of his happy tone. "Me too, we should do something like that again soon."

"How comes Michael's dad is round?" Luke questions as he looks to the range rover in my drive.

I shrug. "Michael and his family come round every year for some dinner before Christmas."

Luke nods, biting on his lip - which he seems to do a lot whenever he's thinking about something. I always want to jump into his mind and know what goes on in there, although maybe one day he'll like me enough to want to tell me. Stop being such a school girl, my conscious hisses at me and I quickly take her advice.

"That's nice," Luke says coolly - not giving anything away. He seems to be in his own little world. Ugh, just tell me what you're thinking. 

I blurt out dumbly, "you could come in for a bit," I offer and Luke's eyes widen as if he's shocked by my words. Me and dumb mouth. "If you want, obviously, like you probably have other things to do."

Luke shakes his head and lets out a soft chuckle before returning to his blank expression face - once again leaving me questioning what he's thinking exactly. "I don't want to be intruding or anything..."

"You won't be," I quickly say and I'm not too sure why I keep talking. Do I really want Luke to come inside with me (while I get in trouble for being late) and ask my mom to set another plate for a boy I've known five minutes? Oh god.

"I think I should get home," Luke shrugs, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, "Darren's probably waiting for me."

Luke rolls his eyes at the mention of his mom's boyfriend and I begin to feel bad again - not that I'd ever tell that to Luke. "It's pretty clear that you'd rather not be with Darren right now, so please just come inside. We'll sit away from everyone else."

Reluctantly, Luke gives in and walks with me to the door of my house. He stands nervously beside me, as if he's not so sure about this - although, neither am I. How do I introduce him? What's my excuse for being home so late? Jeez, maybe I should have thought all of that through before stepping out of the comfort of the warm car. Perhaps I shouldn't of opened my mouth to Luke in the first place and saved both of us the trouble. I just couldn't bare saying goodbye to him yet, parts of me just want to spend all the time I possibly can with him and know everything there is to know. Fuck, maybe I am in deep. 

The door swings open and Luke shifts beside me. My mom is stood at the door with her oven mitts on and wearing her Christmas apron. I force a smile onto my lips and I hear Luke breathing heavily beside me.

My mom grins at me and then furrows her eyebrows as she glances with the corner of her eye at Luke. She hisses to me, "there appears to be some sort of good looking male beside you, Ruby."

Woah, thanks mom. Spoken almost as if she's shocked someone so attrative would even be stood next to me. "This is my friend, Luke. We didn't realize the time, I'm sorry."