Written as part of a Christmas Instagram challenge for the twelve days of Christmas, this very HSA Christmas is a unique series set in no particular time within the series; written simply for some festive cheer.
“Please turn that shite off,” Jasper grumbled.
“You’re such a Grinch,” Susannah giggled, turning the radio down but not off. She loved Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You and wouldn’t let her anti-Christmas friend ruin her holiday spirit.
Ripping another piece of tape off the roll, she stuck it down haphazardly on the last present. She wasn’t the best at wrapping but gift-giving wasn’t about the aesthetic. It wasn’t even about the gift but the giving itself. And Susannah was in a giving mood this Christmas as she stared around at the pile of presents sat all around her on the dorm room floor.
“She is a tone deaf Normie who gets wheeled out every Christmas like Michael fucking Bubble.”
“It’s Bublé, you uneducated swine,” Sticks smirked, making his way through the maze of presents to pass Susannah a napkin of Emily’s freshly baked sausage rolls. “What is your issue with Christmas, anyway? Didn’t get that Hot Wheels from Santa one year?” Sticks teased around a mouthful of pastry and meat with his best friend, Bender who was also stuffing himself silly with Emily’s Christmas treats that weekend.
Susannah, thankfully for Jasper, kept her giggles quiet. When her eyes danced up to meet his, there was a bashful expression on her face that Jasper couldn’t ignore. Looking to the presents, he considered the one he’d bought for her. Would he be able to give it to her in front of everyone on Christmas Day?
No – that one’s special.
Lowering his head to disguise his glowing cheeks under Susannah’s gaze, Jasper turned his attention back to where Sticks and Bender were singing White Christmas at the tops of their lungs; Bender taking the female notes, of course.
“Christmas is just a ridiculous ceremony the Western world partake in because of convention and social norms,” Jasper muttered, his words quickly being drowned out by Sticks and Bender’s booing. “What?! It is! And furthermore, it’s not even the real birthday of Christ.”
“It isn’t?” Bender gaped, pastry dotting his mouth.
Sticks thumbed the pastry away with his thumb and a shake of his head. “What do you look like?” he sniggered.
“Shut up, Mum – no, Jasper – babes? Seriously? It ain’t Baby Jesus’s bday?”
“No,” Jasper scoffed. “The Church of England just did that to smother the Pagan festival of the Winter Solstice.”
“Here we fucking go.” Sticks rolled his eyes.
“But – Baby Jesus?” Bender said, eyes wide and a hurt expression clouding his face.
“Ignore him!” Susannah said, leaping to her feet. Bending down, she turned up Wham! singing Last Christmas on the radio. “This is my favourite song. So if you could stop being a Scrooge, Jasper, maybe you could all help me put these presents into the big Santa sack so we can get these loaded in the band van and on their way to the children’s home.”
“Wait, what?” Bender paused, looking from Susannah to Jasper to his best friend, Sticks, who was glowering over at Susannah. “I tought dat Santa bought all da gifts?”
Susannah hesitated, her eyes dancing to the two other boys who restrained grins. They still hadn’t told Bender the truth.
Boys.
“He does…” Susannah started, stepping over to Bender who no longer looked particularly interested in his fifth mince pie. “But this year, he’s asked us to deliver these presents. The elves, they’re just so overworked. Do you think you can do that?”
“Help Santa?” Bender beamed. “Course, babes.”
With a pat to his back, Susannah watched as Bender hurriedly and carefully set about placing all the presents in the large Santa sack. Susannah only hoped he didn’t see the label attached to the sack; PROPERTY OF BARNSTAPLE CHILDREN’S HOME.
“Alright, come on, then,” Sticks said, car keys jingling in his hand as Bender heaved the sack over his shoulder.
“Ho, ho, ho, bitches,” Bender grinned.
“That’s exactly what Father Christmas says,” Jasper grumbled.
“Cheer up, Jasper,” Susannah said, noting as his expression softened. Her heart warmed all over again. Standing this close, the Christmas lights of the tree reflecting in his sunset red hair, Susannah could almost count every single freckle on his pale face. Every adorable one.
“Yeah, cheer up, Casper,” Bender jeered from the open dorm doorway. “Sticks’s has got the entire Christmas album in the van. Crimbo tunes all the way to town.”
“Fucking fantastic,” Jasper mumbled, following after Susannah and only stopping to switch off the radio and silence the insipid sound of Christmas cheer piping out of its speakers.
He hated this time of year.
A very HSA Christmas Copyright © 2020 Jodie May Mullen