4am

eight

Noah has never understood the point of social interactions, like the lunches his parents attend on a regular basis. That's what he thinks when his mother knocks on his bedroom door to inform him that she and his father are going out with the people from the golf club.

    He doesn't even look up from his laptop as he says goodbye, feeling thankful for his parents' hectic social calendar which leaves him alone to do pretty much whatever he pleases.

    Well, except for when his sister is home.

    "Noah," she groans, stomping into his bedroom. Her jaw is set into a hard line and she has one hand on her hip.

    "What?" he asks meekly as comes to a stop right by his bed, looming over him.

    He slowly shuts his laptop on which he had been scrolling through Tumblr; when Leila is in a mood, she demands your full and undivided attention.

    "What the hell do you think you were doing when you decided to get up at some ungodly, pre-dawn hour -"

    "It was nine AM,"

    "Some ungodly, pre-dawn hour," Leila repeats, undeterred. "And wake me from my beauty sleep?"

    "Oh, so that's why you look so horrendously ugly this morning!" Noah says, chuckling. In an instant his sister has picked up a pillow off his bed and whacked him round the head with it.

    "Shut up, idiot," she grumbles, scowling. "But seriously, what were you doing awake?"

    "Dunno; I woke up early." Noah shrugs.

    "So you just decided to go for a drive? In my car, I'd like to add."

    "Sorry borrowing your car with out asking, Leila," Noah's voice is monotonous. "I just had to go buy some stuff, is all."

    Leila's lips are pressed together in a thin, stern line. "Please elaborate on what could be so impor — ooh, what are these?"

    "What?" Noah mumbles, wondering why Leila's expression has suddenly transformed to one of glee, until he spots the packet of GloStars in her hands.

    "Oh my God, I love these!" she exclaims, coming dangerously close to tearing open the packaging before Noah snatches it from her.

    "They're not for you."

    "Well, who are they for?" Leila asks. "Oh, I know! They're for the cute girl next door, right?"

    "Yeah, they're for Saffron," Noah tells her, trying to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible. "How did you know?"

    When she answers, Leila puts a hand to her heart and sighs as though she's recollecting on something that happened a hundred years ago. "I was young and in love once too, you know."

    Noah snorts. "Firstly, you're twenty not eighty," - she waves her hand dismissively at him - "And secondly, I am not in love."

    "Are too."

    "Am not."

    "Are too."

    "Am not."

    "Whatever... what I think is that you really ought to just ask her out," Leila instructs him in the same way she might tell him to go buy milk. Noah sucks in his breath deeply through his teeth.

    "Uh, in case you don't remember, I already tried that one out and it didn't exactly work out." Noah huffs, flopping back on his bed.

    As though this is the most childish thing he's ever said, Leila rolls her eyes at her younger brother. "Yeah, but I mean ask her out properly. Not like 'oh Saffron I just found out you're in touch with your ex-boyfriend but I love you so please marry me and have my babies!'"