Tears or the Sea II: Lee

Liandri... each time his thoughts found their way to her, all he seemed to remember was that tattoo; the one synonymous with the Titanium ring that adorned his left pinkie finger.  It was a tattoo of a pretty bow carefully knotted like the ones his dear Mom intricately fastened around Rouge’s pigtails in their KG-days.

That day he had met Rouge's absence, Liandri's very beautiful face answered the door. She didn't wear a smile, didn't even try to fake one. She seemed cold, yet insisted Rouge had asked that he wait. He wasn't sure if she needed this intrusion, but he quietly walked to Rouge's half of the room and sat himself on her maroon chaise and left his sight fixated on the window, people watching.
"Here, have some water, Rouge always has an empty fridge and you look dehydrated," she said interrupting his habit. He smiled in appreciation. His gym bag bore his "nourishments" and he sure wasn't dehydrated, he was uncomfortable; but his mother prided herself in having raised a gentleman and he didn't want to disappoint her.
Moreover, Rouge's drop-dead gorgeous, weird new roommate was making an effort, he imagined this was pure torture, probably playing to Rouge's scripts, no, demands standards. Rouge had told them all about her new roommate, although his parents weren't comfortable with her sharing her room with someone so different, Rouge didn't seem to mind, they were course mates and well... his little sister was quite the bully, who had the attention span of a goldfish. Perhaps, the weirdo will help Rouge focus on actually getting her degree.

He felt her watching him and realised he was meant to drink her water offering, he wasn't sure what to do, he had no intentions of drinking it. Sensing his hesitancy, she reached out for the bottle and forced it open, savagely gulped half the bottle of water in an instant, then handed it back whilst brushing across her cheeks with the back of her arm, she managed a sly smile, "see? Not poisoned."
He rewarded her with a smile and generously ended the existence of the bottle's content. "Thank you, Lee?"
"Liandri," she offered with a lusophone accent he hadn't noticed till that moment. "Liandri Nchama! Everyone calls me Li though," she explained, accenting the difference between "Lee and Li"; clearly Rouge had so conveniently missed this memo, but before he could say a word, she laughed and added "and You're welcome Al...

"XANDRE!!!" Rouge's highpitched squeal broke into whatever moment they seemed to have been having. They hadn't heard her come in.
They shared a hug and she turned her gaze to her roommate, looked at her critically as if to warn her against getting "whatever" she had witnessed, on the road.
She proceeded to take both his cheeks in her very soft, manicured hands, pulling at them like he needed a stern lecture on avoiding stories that touch.
"Ouch Rouge, stop tugging at a grown man's cheeks, atleast not here," he pleaded.
"Y'o num vah? A girl's missed her favourite  brother," she responded mockingly.
"I am your only sibling, Rouge and I'm fine, thanks for asking," he managed.
"Blah, blah," she retorted, letting go of his cheeks.

Her eyes scanned the room until they fell on his habitual gym bag, her gaze flirted with the now empty bottle of water in his hand, she casually shook her head.

"You found the gym and my room easily. Talk about a sister who's great at giving directions," she said, flashing him a smile.
"Ummmm..." Liandri whispered, finally finding her voice.
He should've known at this moment that Rouge didn't like Liandri enough to consider her ever being a part of his life or Liandri was actual bad news, cos honestly Rouge, bully that she was, entitled as she still is, was the sweetest human in the world. She had so much love in her heart to give, once you made it past her excessive-ness.
Rouge looked her way in indifference and made an attempt at an introduction:

"Oh hé Xandre, I see you've met Lee