Chapter one: Of Redheads and Doorknobs

"Hey, I have to go, someone's at the door,"

My roommate's annoyed voice filters into my sleep-fogged mind as it does every morning, the click of a phone put back in its cradle sounds, as it does every morning, his loud footsteps echo loudly on sturdy wooden floorboards, just like every other morning. I had slowly drifted into a continuous ritual that organized my life, I didn't question and so wasn't questioned.

I often ponder the fact that, should my ritual be thrown out of whack, I would slowly but surely recede into madness.

I wait for Baron to start yelling at the brunette who was no doubt standing outside our apartment door attempting to look as though she wasn't irritated by Baron's anger. Every Saturday without fail my roommates ex-girlfriend shows up at our apartment door, every Saturday a screaming match ensues and every Saturday they end up having loud make-up sex in the bedroom next to mine.

The covers of my bed are shrugged off and I pull on the same large cotton shirt as always, the hem reaching down to my knees and hanging loosely over my slim figure. I sleepily trudge from my room, lock the door and grab the cup of coffee waiting on the bench, just starting to cool down, figuring I should greet Chelsea as usual.

I am mildly surprised at the lack of screeching from the front door, but figure that it would start up soon enough, however, I am more than mildly surprised at the fact that, instead of the vicious brunette I was expecting, a redhead male is leaning against the frame of the door, trying his very best to look innocent.

I blink groggily through my shaggy black hair and he beams in response, waving cheerfully at me. I screw my eyes shut and then snap them open. He's still there.

Its only then that I realize Baron is talking to the short and insanely cheerful random person.
"No seriously man, why were you licking our doorknob?"

My eyes widen in disbelief and I look to the redhead for confirmation, he just smiles wider and replies happily with, "What? Like you never have. I mean, damn, its orange."

I shuffle forward slightly until I can see Baron's face and his expression is mirroring my own.
"Dude, nobody licks doorknobs unless they're nutters."

He looked thoughtful for a moment before catching my eye yet again, "Hi! I'm Kai, can you lick this doorknob to prove I'm not utterly insane to your moron of a roommate?"

I shrug and extend my tongue to the doorknob, giving it a dismissal lick before straightening up again, Kai is practically skipping around the hallway and Baron is looking at me like I've grown an extra head.
"Jet…?"

I tilt my head, looking as confused as possible in a situation where I just want to laugh. Or cry. Either would be fine.

"Yeah Baron?"

He opens his mouth as if he's about to say something before changing his mind and snapping it shut, his brows furrowing in consternation.

"Hey, loony, I'm closing the door now, I'd better not catch you molesting my doorknob every again, alright?"

Kai just grins happily as Baron slammed the door in his face, pressing his ear to the door until his footsteps could no longer be heard.

"Jet? Care to explain?"

I stifle a sob/grin and reply, shrugging, "You said he was insane right? Who knows what he would have done if I had refused."

I then finish my coffee, drop it on the bench, walking back to my room and flopping gracelessly on my bed. I was confused. This wasn't how Saturday mornings started. Ever. I eventually drift back into a restless sleep; it's too damn early to be awake.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

My sleep is rudely interrupted not twenty minutes later by the loud noises from a serious bout of lovemaking echoing in the room next to mine. I grin, this was okay, this was part of my routine, and I'm pleased that the untimely arrival of Kai hasn't upset the delicate balance of my boring and repetitive life.

I grab a pair of torn jeans and a crimson 'The Ataris' band shirt and navigate my way through the clutter of my bedroom and towards my personal bathroom. I am displeased to discover I have to shorten my shower in order to make it back on schedule and make it to my only class today on time. I fully intend to put the blame on Kai.

I'm in my last year of high school, doing pathways to make up for the incredible amount of days I had off whilst I was running away from home and attempting to escape to Mexico. I only made it to the other side of town before giving up and renting an apartment with Baron, an acquaintance I made last year, but sadly, the damage was done.

My greatest issue with repeating the year again was putting up with the little snots who believe they're superior to me because I'm nineteen and still stuck in twelfth grade. That and my social awkwardness, which leads to my third and final issue; I know absolutely no onehere, despite the fact I have been told there are two other students also doing pathways.

I spend most of my time with a cute, but very socially inept girl, Chloe Lee, who, like me despises the human race and is in most of my classes. Most people have decided that Chloe and I are 'an item' despite the fact that she is quite clearly a lesbian and is dating another of my occasional friends, Ruth Highman.
I pay extra attention to the clutter of twelfth graders in my history class and am excessively pleased to note there are no insane redheads in any of my classes, which probably meant I was not starring in a badly written teen story. Thank the Gods.

…Or not.

Faded blue jeans, tight black shirt and…bingo, red hair and bright blue eyes. I should have guessed, after all, he'd thrown my morning out of whack, why not my entire day?

Chloe must've guessed who I was staring at in such utter shock that it hadn't even registered that my mouth was wide open, because she nodded her head in the direction of the doorway Kai was standing in and murmured quietly, "Newbie."

I hastily closed my mouth and tried to regain what was left of my dignity, "What kind of dolt enrols to a new school in their last year?"

The teacher clears his throat and silences whatever Chloe was going to say in response, which was okay, because it was sort of a rhetorical question.

"This is Kai Xuane, he's just started at our school and will be in the same classes as all of you."

Kai gives a slight wave and a quiet, "Yo." To the class, but his eyes are locked onto mine and that grin I already know far to well is spreading across his lips. His pink tongue darts out to wet his lips and I subconsciously do the same. For a moment I can't hear anything but my own quiet breathing, can't see anything but his ocean-like gaze and I suspect he knows it.

Chloe elbows me in the stomach, breaking the spell and all the noise filters back into my mind, I shake my head to clear my thoughts and avoid looking back to Kai for fear of being caught in his cerulean gaze again.
I catch Chloe's questioning look and shake my head slightly again, forcing a grin for her sake. She doesn't look convinced, but turns back to the teacher who is rambling something about welcoming us back for our final year at Martin Catholic College, I'm too busy trying to regulate my breathing to take note of what he says.

I have to pull myself together, I mean, for God sakes, he was a fetish for orange doorknobs and is last name is Xuane. Not to mention the fact he had the potential to ruin this tidy little schedule I had worked on for 18 years of my life. And his hair is red. Baron always said never to trust a redhead.

I subtly watch him amble over to his seat across the room next to a blond boy, James? Jason? Something with a J in it. I take a moment to study the light scatter of freckles over the bridge of his nose and the way his crimson hair flops rebelliously into his eyes, no matter how many times he sweeps it behind his ear. I make sure he's still attentively watching the teacher before continuing to his slightly tanned neck and feminine figure, admiring the way his shirt rides up ever so slightly when he leans forward.

I feel someone's gaze tugging at me and I reluctantly return my eyes to his face before stiffening in utter shock as I realize I had been caught. Sprung. His eyes twinkled mischievously as he winked at me and returned to the teacher, leaning forward slightly and making his shirt-

He's doing it on purpose. Little bastard. I stubbornly turn my eyes back to the front of the class, willing my mind not to focus on his stifled laughter, which seems ever so loud to my bruised pride.

The lesson continued onwards, with me trying to ignore Kai's repetitive attempts at making me look like an utter idiot, which I believe succeeded quite well.

When the bell finally rang, signalling the end of first period, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and stumbled out of the classroom as quickly as possible. I wasn't running from Kai, I was just strategically planning how best to avoid him. Or at least that's what I told myself as I practically sprinted to the student parking lot, narrowly missing an evacuating car.

I almost let out a cry of relief as I spotted my rusty little Toyota pressed between a four-wheel drive and motorbike. My relief quickly turned to distress as I realized just who was preparing to mount the flashy black motorbike next to my poor little junk-heap.

Wowee. He sure was looking different to the innocent little redhead at my door this morning. He was wearing a black leather jacket that must've cost one hell of a lot of money and was currently pulling on some black fingerless bike gloves, which accented his delicious tan quite nicely.

Despite his bad ass look, the second he spotted me (still rooted to the spot of course) his lips curved into an adorably wide grin and he shifted so he was leaning against the bike, head tilted questioningly in my direction.

…Is it even legal to look that cute while you're dressed for some possible puppy-kicking action? I think not.

I slowly and shakily walked to my car door, digging anxiously for my keys in my pathetically large book-bag. Only too late did I realize how utterly trapped I was, between him and my little blue Toyota. I felt his heated breath against my ear and spun around, tangling my legs in his and falling backwards against the car, breathing heavily in shock at our proximity.

I pushed nervously at his shoulder to get him to move, so he did, but not in the direction I had hoped. His accelerated breathing ghosted across my lips and I felt his hand clasp my pale one, pulling it between us with a look I couldn't fathom.

I let out something like a terrified squeak and pressed myself further against the car when his lips gently fell upon my hand. The squeak turned into a scream of pain and I cradled my head in my hands, screaming for someone to please god stop it. The last thing I saw before crumpling to the ground in an unconscious heap was Kai Xuane, features twisted into a grimace of pain and concern as he clutched me as close as physically possible.

Then my vision was filled by an explosion of white dots closely followed by merciful darkness, the tearing pain faded into a gentle throb and I gave in, closing my eyes, nestled in Kai's arms.

Fucking Redheads.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Many thanks to Slifer-sama and Lys for beta-ing this chapter in an attempt to make my writing appear much grander then it really is. No, really, worship them.

Criticism (of the constructive variety) is very much appreciated, in fact, its recommended, because I think we all know my writing could be better.

Oh! One last thing, redheads: Seriously, don’t be offended. I love redheads, they are awesome. Yhey.

Hugs, tackles and whatever else.

Elfie.