My Bully, My Neighbour

Chapter 12 (Edited)

I stood in front of the mirror, alternately holding the two outfits in front of me. Ronnie and I had found not one, but two perfect dresses that would be amazing for tonight. One was a metallic blue dress that had false spikes on the shoulders. The second was a wrap around black and white striped dress that had a belt around the waist. As I contemplated which one would look better, I heard a knock on the door. I held both dresses in one hand and went to answer the door. Leo stood on the other side, smartly dressed in a white polo shirt and blue jeans. 

"Hi." I said a little breathlessly. "Hey. You mind if I come in It's kinda lonely at my place." Leo said and I stepped aside to let him in. "Where's Prudence?" I asked as I lifted the dresses so that they didn't drag on the floor. "She got a call from someone and had to leave. She'll come back to pick us up." Leo said. "So why are you dragging those dresses around?" Leo asked me curiously. "I can't decide which one I should wear. Ronnie said they both look good, but that doesn't make the decision any easier." I said. "Wear the blue." Leo said suddenly. "You're sure?" I asked. "Yeah. Blue suits you." He said. "Okay, thanks." I smiled and went into my room to change while Leo waited in the kitchen.

I wore the blue dress and began to curl my hair, smiling at the fact that I was relying on Leo for fashion advice. "Aria! You're phone's ringing!" I heard Leo shout. "Who is it?" I asked, taking care that my curler didn't touch my face. "Some Alan." Leo said. "Could you answer it for me? It's my friend who's joining us today." I said. I heard Leo answer the phone and went back to curling my hair. After he finished speaking to Alan, Leo came into my room and kept my phone next to me on the bed. "Why did he call?" I asked as I switched the curler off and began to braid my hair. "There was some problem with his car, so he wanted to know of they could take a ride with us." Leo said. 

"How silly of him. He could take a cab." I said absently. "Woah, they're our guests. So invited them to come here by cab and we can all travel there together." Leo said. "Okay then. When are they coming?" I asked. "They should be here in five minutes." Leo said. I could feel his eyes on me as I lined my eyes with some kohl and applied a little lip gloss. He seemed to realise that he was staring because he cleared his throat and said, "I'll go call Rudy and let her know. I'll be near the elevator." He left before I could say anything.

I finished my make up and put on some accessories before wearing my boots and heading out. I only carried a small purse which held my phone, keys, id, wallet and lip gloss. "Are they here yet? I asked Leo, who had called for the elevator. "Yeah, they're downstairs. You look stunning." Leo said as he looked at from head to toe. I couldn't breathe as I watched him take in my appearance. "Thank you Leo." I smiled. 

Alan and Ronnie were waiting for us downstairs. Ronnie wore a figure hugging black dress with black stilettos, making her legs look really long. Alan stuck to rather casual clothing, showing up in a black shirt and jeans. The moment I came out of the elevator, Ronnie ran up to me and pulled away. I heard Alan introduce himself to Leo as Ronnie whispered, "Don't you think it was a brilliant plan of ours to come and join you in your car?" Ronnie asked excitedly. "Wait. So Al's car is not broken down?" I asked, aghast. "What? No. We wanted to make Leo see that Prudence is not the right person for him! So we came down ourselves to make sure the plan is executed to perfection." Ronnie said with that look in her eyes.

You know, that look your best friend gets when he or she has done something devious to help you get what you want even though the last thing you wanted was their help. That look. "What have you done?" I asked. I was feeling a little scared. Ronnie was known for doing crazy stuff to get what she wanted. She once set a girls uniform on fire because she had kissed Ronnie's then-crush Raphael. Needless to say, the girl left. Unfortunately, so did Raphael. The only reason Ronnie was still kept in school was because she was an exchange student and because I had convinced papa that Ronnie was defending herself. So I had every reason to be scared about her planning something crazy now.

"You'll see. Just know that Leo will come back to you very, very soon." Ronnie said before dragging me back to the crowd. Ronnie introduced herself to Leo who greeted her politely. Within minutes a car pulled up outside. The window came down to show a dressed up Prudence sitting in the drivers seat. "C'mon you guys! We have lot to catch up on!" She called out. "Ooh! I call dibs on the front seat!" Ronnie squealed as she clambered into the passengers seat and put her seatbelt on. Alan got into the back and Leo, being the gentleman that he is, let me in before him, which meant that I was sandwiched between Alan and him. Alan snickered as I uncomfortably shifted myself between him and Leo.

The drive to the club was quick and thankfully, painless. Prudence and Leo mainly spoke to Ronnie and Alan. I only interjected when I felt like they were missing out details in their stories or if I had to object to some horrid comment they made about me. Once we reached the club, the valet took the car and Prudence came forward to engulf me in a choking hug. "I missed you too, Prudence." I choked out when she let go of me. We entered and the receptionist led us to a table in the corner, where we could talk in peace. Leo sat next to Prudence and I purposely let Ronnie and Alan sit before me, so that I could put some distance between Leo and myself. 

A waiter came forward and Prudence asked, "So guys, what are you drinking?" "Nothing for me." Leo declined politely. "Fresh lime soda for me." Alan said. "Get me a long island iced tea." Ronnie chose. "A virgin Mary for me please." I said. "Oh, why are you being such pussies!" Prudence exclaimed. "I'll have a gin and vodka." She said to the waiter, who noted all our orders and left. "So, where are you guys now?" Prudence asked us. "I'm at NYU. Ronnie is working with a weekly magazine as a reporter." Alan replied for both of them. "Oh, I'm at NYU too! What are you doing there?" Leo asked. "Mechanical engineering." Alan said and Leo looked impressed. The talks continued, but I was silent, only speaking when asked a direct question.

By the time our drinks arrived, I was seething jealous of the way Prudence was bragging about her relationship with Leo. "I'm hoping that he'll propose soon, but he never does." Prudence complained. I grabbed Ronnie's drink and with he approval took a long drink. Leo grinned a little uncomfortably and said, "It's too soon babe." I could see that it wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss. Prudence leaned in to kiss him and I stood up abruptly, shaking the table. "Excuse me." I said and walked towards the exit. I pushed through the crowd of people at the entrance and thankfully gulped the cold air. Calm down Aria, there's nothing to get so jealous of, I scolded myself. An arm gripped my wrist and screamed. "Hey, it's just me! You okay?" It was just Leo. I steadied myself and took my hand away. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said without looking at him.

Prudence came out of the club next. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, placing an arm on my shoulder. "Yeah." I repeated and stepped away from her. "I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable." Prudence started to say, but Leo cut her off. "Not now Prudence." He said sternly. "I thought it was you. Prudence White!" An unfamiliar voice said and we turned around to see an man about two years older than us, come upto us and wind an arm around Prudence's waist. Leo frowned. "Long time, babe!" The man said, smiling at Prudence. "Who're you?" Leo asked. He was getting annoyed. "Oh, name's Troy. I was Prudence's boyfriend till last month, in Washington." He grinned. He was obviously drunk. Prudence's face was white.

"Her boyfriend till last month. Why did you break up?" Leo asked softly. "Oh, I don't know man. She said something about going back to some guy in New York. She's a total cheat that way. I pity her boyfriend. Anyhow, you guys enjoy." Troy giggled and stumbled away, only to pass out a few feet away. I watched the scene unfold in shock. Ronnie and Alan were coming towards us and I stared at them, warning them not to come any closer. Ronnie got the message and held Alan by the arm to stop him.

"Prudence?" Leo asked coldly. "It's not true. I-I swear Leo. I have no idea who he was." Prudence stuttered. "To be honest, it's not the first time. I've been suspicious for a while, but that's the last straw. You should pre-pone your flight to DC." Leo said and walked back into the club to pay for the drinks. In just moments, the night was ruined.