a/n: at the time you are reading this, this chapter will have been written earlier because I'm doing a major updating spree since my exams are OVER!!! enjoy :). *UPDATE: since net neutrality votes happen tomorrow, I'm uploading these next three Christmas imagines in case I don't get to anymore. I love you all so much*

The best time of year was here again, and you loved that you could buy different types of Christmas decorations.

It could be inflatables, that ranged from different movie characters like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

It could be different lights that ranged from white to multicolored or even a solid colors like red or green.

It could be stand ups that were pieces of pallet wood painted with a snow man or Santa on it and they could stand up in your front yard.

It could be smaller things, like Christmas wreaths that had ribbon and glitter and even fake berries decorated onto them.

Or it could be your favorite.

Ornaments.

You weren't sure where your love of ornaments came from, or where it began, but you got a new one every year and you fell in love with each and every one.

Your mom had really fanned the flames of your love for the ornaments by buying the new ones each year, and your friends always got you one or two.

You even had a separate tree for the gifted ornaments and the ones you bought because you loved seeing how many you owned and people loved to look at them whenever they came over.

A few knocks on the door made you jump from your bed, rushing quickly down the stairs to see your best friend, Lucas, standing with a small wrapped present in his palms.

You looked curiously down towards it.

"What's in there?" You asked him.

He smiled. "Can't you wait until Christmas? I want you to open it then, when I'm with you."

You sighed. "Oh, alright. But Christmas is in two days! I have to wait that long, Lucas?"

He laughed, inviting himself in as you shut the door behind him. You followed him into the den where your mom and dad were happily talking about your Christmas Eve and Christmas plans.

"Hey, Lucas! What's the gift for?"

Your dad watched Lucas carefully, observing how he held himself when he walked and the tone of voice he used whenever he talked. (Not meant to rhyme, lol).

You glanced towards your dad, trying to tell him to stop, but he ignored you and kept his staring.

"It's a gift for ___. I want her to open it Christmas, and I hope you don't mind me coming over to watch her open it?"

Your mom gave a perky smile. "Of course not! You're always welcome over here!"

Lucas smiled, placing the gift delicately under the tree that had all your ornaments from friends hanging delicately on the branches. Most were pictures of you and the friends together or ones that you had asked for from Dustin or Mike and they had eventually gotten it for you.

"I'll see you on Christmas then, ___." Lucas said, before he quickly left the house and into the cold night air.

—
It was Christmas Eve and the present still sat untouched underneath your friended ornament tree, the bow taunting you to rip it open.

But you contained yourself.

You wanted to know what it was so badly but you agreed to what Lucas said. You also wanted it to be a surprise on Christmas morning.

You turned your gaze from the present back to the meatloaf resting on your plate, small bites taken out of it while your parents talked merrily about tomorrow morning and the events to come.

"Honey, are you okay?" Your mom asked, turning briefly away from the conversation with your dad.

You looked up at her, setting down your fork and napkin, slowly standing up to go upstairs.

"Yeah, just not very hungry. I have some stuff to do..." You trailed off, not sure what else to say.

Your mom gave you a puzzling look but didn't question why you were acting weird and instead allowed you to leave, turning back to her conversation.

You quickly ran up the stairs, shutting your door, and grabbing your walkie-talkie.

"Hey, is anyone there?" You asked, desperate to do something to get your mind off the gift.

Silence passed by for a few moments before you heard the crackling noise of someone talking away from the microphone.

"Hello?" You asked once more.

"Yeah, ___?" You heard Mike's voice.

You sighed out of relief.

"Hey, can you come hang out with me down at the Cafe or something? I'm bored to hell."

You waited for a response.

"Sure. I'll meet you there in five minutes."

"Copy that."

You set the walkie down and opened your door, grabbing a sweatshirt and slipping it over your head, and rushing out the front door.

—
The Cafe wasn't busy at this time of night but smokers tended to crowd around the dumpsters at the back, a place you never wanted to venture.

You saw Mike's bike pull up as you tried to warm your hands up from the cold.

"Hey." You greeted him as he walked up.

"Hey."

You stood awkwardly for a moment. You weren't very close with Mike but he was the first to answer and he was still your friend.

You cleared your throat. "Wanna go inside before I freeze my hands off?"

He laughed. "Sounds fine to me."

You both walked into the Cafe, sitting down at a booth next to the window where the Christmas lights were visible, as a waitress named Isabella came to serve you.

"Hey, kiddos. What can I get ya?"

You gave a smile. "What do you want?"

"I'll just take whatever you get."

You smiled. "Alright. In that case, I'll take two strawberry milkshakes with whip."

Isabella nodded, walking away to get the drinks as you played with the hem of the sweatshirt.

"Something on your mind?" Mike asked.

You looked up. "No. I mean- yeah. Lucas," You paused. "He gave me a gift but told me not to open it yet until tomorrow and it's bugging the shit out of me."

Mike smiled. "I'm sure it's for a good reason."

"He knows I'm the curious one in this party." You replied, watching as the strawberry milkshake was set down in front of you.

Isabella walked off after you gave her a few dollars for the drinks.

"Well, I think it will be worth the wait."

You smiled but the curiosity still burning a pit into your stomach as you sipped on the cooling drink.

—
Christmas morning.

Your feet were downstairs before you realized it and the gift was in your hands as your mom opened the door and Lucas came to sit down next to you.

"I'm so excited!"

Lucas smiled, your mom laughed, and your dad sipped his drink.

You began to quickly unwrap the present. Throwing off bows, ribbon, and wrapping paper as it collected around you.

Inside, there was another box that said: Open Now.

You popped the lid off, peeking inside to see a round, bright red ornament.

You picked it up delicately and observed it. You saw the words:

"Friends Forever?"

You smiled over at him.

"Of course. I love you, Lucas Sinclair."

Your mom smiled as your dad gasped. Lucas only looked taken aback. "W-What?"

You leaned in and hugged him. "As a friend, silly."

"Oh."

You pecked his cheek lightly.

"Thank you for this ornament, Lucas. I love it, really. And it was definitely worth the wait."

—
YO YO YO

MY EXAMS ARE OVER

but in all seriousness, im so happy exams are over & I love you all for reading & waiting to read these.

I put a lot of work into them & hope you enjoy them.

thanks for reading & stay strange(r) (things) my friends.

-katherine

—
time of writing this: 6:52 pm
date: December 12, 2017
words: 1353
last updated: December 13, 2017
last time: 5:00

1️⃣1️⃣