My Bully, My Neighbour

Chapter 6 (Edited)

I slept like a log and only woke up when I heard my phone ringing. It was Leo. I answered, my head still heavy with sleep. "Hello?" I said as I rolled in bed and pulled the covers closer. "Aria, wake up. I give you twenty minutes to get ready. We are going for breakfast and then we're setting up your apartment." Leo didn't sound much better than me, but at least he was trying. "We're both sleepy, yeah?" I asked. My eyelids began to droop and I shook my head to keep me awake. "Yes. We are. But I'm going to get you the strongest espresso shots you've had in your life, so move it. You have twenty minutes." Leo said sternly and ended the call.

Somehow, I pushed myself out of bed and walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth and have a shower. I wrapped myself in my favorite bath robe and padded into my walk-in closet. I picked out my back long sleeve top and a red, checked frock to wear over it. Even though New York was close to the end of summer, it was chilly compared to the climate back home. I put on a little make up and pulled on my knee length boots, just as Leo knocked on my door. I had no time to do my hair, so I let it stay open. I opened the door and ran back to my room to grab my purse which had money, my passport, my phone and my house keys.

"So where are we going?" I asked him as we waited for the elevator. "Okay, the plan is to go Java down the street. They have really strong coffee and awesome breakfast. Then we go to Ikea, get some furniture, then we go to Walmart and buy essentials. And then if you're up to it, we'll drop the stuff home and go for some sightseeing." Leo said. "That sounds good." I said and grinned at him. We walked out of the lobby and Leo got his car. "A Volkswagen. Not bad." I said when the car to a halt in front of me. "Get in already." Leo said and I climbed into the passenger seat. He drove a few blocks down and parked outside a cafe. "Java's." I read aloud. "They have strong coffee, you say?" I asked him after we had gotten out of the car. "Yeah, they do." Leo answered. "Stronger than the coffee back home?" I raised an eyebrow. Leo considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope. They're not even close." Leo said.

We went inside and the waitress gave us a seat near the window. It was almost full, it was obviously and favorite spot for breakfast. The waitress handed us the menu and I went through their list of breakfast items. In the end, I settled for pancakes and Leo ordered a grilled sandwich. Leo also ordered a cup of strong coffee for each of us. "So you come here often?" I asked him once the waitress left. "I don't know. I come maybe once in two weeks, when I'm out of bread or cereal. Do you want to continue the questions game?" Leo asked, leaning forward. "Okay. You go first." I said.

"Do you know anyone in New York, apart from me?" Leo asked. "I do. I have two friends here who live here now. Ronnie and Alan." I answered. "You know a lot of guys." Lo commented. "What? No, Ronnie's a girl! Her name is Veronica but she hates the name. So we call her Ronnie." I laughed. "How did you meet them?" Leo asked. "Alan and Ronnie were exchange students in my second school. The principal thought that it would be good if I helped them, seeing that I was the princess and all. So we became friends." I said. The waitress returned with our coffee and I thanked her. "Did you miss anyone from our school there?" Leo asked. I laughed. "Not really, I mean, I was glad to leave. I had so many bad experiences there." I shook my head and took a sip of coffee. "Oh, that is strong." I said and Leo smiled.

"Okay my turn." I said and sat straight. "Since we're discussing friends, who have been your best friends since you moved here?" I asked. Leo laughed. "There's no thinking for that question." He grinned and continued. "Their names are Jake and Derek. I met in school, and we have stuck together ever since." Leo said. "What are they like?" I asked. I loved the way Leo's face lit up when he spoke about his best friends. "Jake is an absolute player. He falls in love with about four girls everyday and dates at least one of them for a week. The thing is, he is the one who gets dumped. So he usually comes out of a relationship hurt. But he's a good guy."

"Derek is the opposite. He was the football team captain with the looks and the money and stuff. All the girls wanted to be his girlfriend but he just wasn't interested. In fact, he had never been in a real relationship till the last year of high school." Leo said with a proud face. "Where are they now? Do they have girlfriends?" I asked him. "You're over your tag question limit, princess." Leo said with a raised eyebrow. I opened my mouth to apologise, but he cut me off. "I'll answer both because we're talking about my best buds." Leo said. "Jake is in New York, he's studying in NYU with me. He's single because he's living with his aunt. Derek is in Chicago University doing law. He's living with his girlfriend Melissa, who's studying to become a doctor." Leo told me. "That's amazing." I said.

The waitress came back with our food and we put the game on hold to enjoy our food. The pancakes were amazing. Full of flavour. Leo's grilled sandwich looked amazing. "Stop eyeing my food. You're not getting any." Leo said with a mouth full of food. "Okay." I laughed and put my hands up in surrender. "After this, we hit Ikea. So fill yourself up." Leo said warningly. We didn't speak for the rest of the meal.