Blue Striped Tie

Chapter 4: Ridge and Kirin

Sunlight poured into Ross' bedroom with unwanted friendliness. Groaning, he rolled over, trying to shield his eyes from the rays. Eight in the morning was an ungodly hour, he decided, pushing his face further into the pillows. Ross' peace was short lived, however, as his phone decided to interrupt his slumber with its high pitched alarm. Rolling back over and stretching his arms above his head, Ross sighed. He was exhausted and it was only Tuesday.

"Get up!" His sister, Gemma, called from downstairs. Ross groaned loudly back at her, but sat up anyway. Dressing in his stupid shirt and stupid blazer and stupid blue striped tie, Ross grumbled incoherently under his breath as he plonked downstairs.

"You're looking fresh this morning." Gemma grinned. She was stood at the oven, frying bacon on the hob. Irritatingly, she was a morning person, her chirpy attitude annoyed Ross to no end. At least he got a cooked breakfast though. He sat down at their small oak dinner table.

"I got a letter from Dad this morning." She said, pulling two plates out of one of the cupboards.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, some bullshit about getting caught up for another few weeks in Hawaii."

Ross chucked, they both loved to hate their father. Gemma slid the bacon into slices of bread, and put the sandwiches on the plates.

"Anything from Mum?" He asked, grinning as she slid the plate along the table to him. She sighed.

"No."

There was a silence as they both ate their food, a few appreciative moans from Ross as he marvelled at his sisters cooking. An executive chef for one of the best restaurants in town at only twenty six years old, critics loved her. She was pretty too, her short cut hair was dyed a light lilac colour, and her face was sweet and symmetrical. Her only similarity to her brother was their eyes, both a sharp ice blue that defined their faces and made their jaws stand out.

"Have you done something with your hair?" Gemma frowned, looking at him intensely over her cup of coffee.

"No." He said, defensively.

"Yes you have."

"It's the same as it always is."

"Why is it extra flicky today? Have you put volumizer in it?"

"It's the same!"

"Oh my god." She grinned. "My little brother is trying to impress someone!"

"I'm six foot two!"

"Who is it? Someone from your new school I bet."

"Shut up!" Ross yelled, burying his face in his hands.

"This is too cute."

"Go away."

"It's alright Ross, you're too young for a relationship anyway."

"I'm seventeen this year!"

"You don't even know what sex is."

"I'm not talking about this with you." Ross said, standing up to dump his plate on the counter by the sink.

"Sex is natural!" His sister sang gleefully. "Some people want it and some people don't, and that's fine. But by the way you're blushing -"

"Shut up!"

His sister laughed into her coffee as Ross stormed from the room, cheeks burning. It was half eight by now, and he had to walk to school. Grabbing his bag, Ross paused in front of the mirror in the hall. His hair wasn't that obvious, was it?