Money: Luke Hemmings

23

7th of December 2015

I hated Christmas. Every thing about the month of December was everything I hated rolled into one.

I hate Christmas music and I hate Christmas movies. I hate the whole idea of giving presents and receiving presents and pretending to like a present when you actually do not.

Everything about Christmas makes me want to vomit. I guess that's what happens when Christmas in your family is an obligation rather than a celebration.

This is why Luke has taken it upon himself to bring me into the heart of Sydney, to go Christmas shopping and force me into liking Christmas, which is my own personal hell.

'I can't believe you are making me do this,' I sighed as we walked the streets of Sydney in the middle of summer, which is another thing I hate. It is not even cold here during winter, so the allure of the white Christmas fantasy is non existent.

'Come on Christmas is the best time of the year,' Luke laughed and I just shook my head as we walked into David Jones, Michael Buble's Christmas album immediately filling our ears.

'I bet everybody at school would love to know how much you like Christmas,' I said, rolling my eyes at the standard coloured Christmas decorations that the department store has chosen.

'Fuck off nobody can know about this' Luke said sternly. 'Ever.'

'Yeah yeah yeah,' I said waving him off, earning an eye roll from Luke as we headed up the escalators, to the floor Luke claimed would 'change my life.'

'When my brothers and I were younger my Mum would always take us here and we would spend hours just looking and doing whatever we wanted, it was the best,' Luke said with a grin.

'Your Mum seems wonderful,' I said with a sigh and Luke nodded as we headed to the sixth floor of the department store.

'She is, I'm very lucky with my family,' Luke said adjusting the silver Rolex watch on his wrist, which he never seemed to take off.

'I wish you had told me to dress up slightly,' I sighed, looking at my very casual outfit of a grey graphic t-shirt, a denim skirt and low black and white converse.

'Oh come on you look fine Annabelle, you always do,' Luke said and I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was just being nice.

Luke was wearing a white long sleeve shirt, with tan short chinos and brown Birkenstock's, a pair of Ray-Bans sitting on the top of his head.

'I look homeless compared to you,' I laughed as we reached the sixth the floor, walking into what appeared to be a Christmas winter wonderland.

'Welcome to one of my favourite places,' Luke said with a grin as we stepped off the elevator, his hand resting on my lower back, sending chills down my spine.

'I've got to admit, this is kind of cool,' I said with a smile as we begun to walk around. There were hundreds upon hundreds of Christmas trees, thousands of presents lining the wall, all complemented by a different colour scheme of silver, pink, white and gold.

'See I told you!' Luke said as he ran his hand along some pink tinsel, a small laugh escaping his lips.

'So I know this is cool and all but what exactly are we doing here?' I asked as we wondered around.