Because We're Here

Chapter 2

“Leo why did you have to do that?” This was the fifth time Aria asked since they've gotten to her house. The hundredth since lunch time at school. It didn't seem to be the last time she would today either.

What was even his life, anyway. 

"Now he's going to think we're weirdos. That I am a weirdo. Who the hell just goes up to someone they've never talked to before and asks to be their friend? We're not in fourth grade,” her voice was muffled by the pillow she buried her face in, but if she was facing him Leo knew she would be rolling her eyes. 

A childhood friend knows that much. 

He was sitting on the corner of her room trying to read one of those motorcycle magazines. Trying, because her worries kind of started getting to him as well. Why had he done that?

“Wasn't it you who wanted me to befriend him because you weren't brave enough to do it on your own?”

A month had passed since she asked him that. Aria had somehow fallen head over heels for the new guy. She asked Leo to talk to him so he could help them get close. Leo had accepted because bless you if you knew someone capable of rejecting Aria when she attacked them with her puppy face. It was an instant K.O. 

A couple of weeks later, and Leo hadn’t approached the guy, at all.

I mean, how could he do it in a natural way? So Leo got stuck watching the guy for an entire month, to find an opportunity of course; which he never did. Today Aria got tired of waiting, and started blaming Leo for not doing what he said he would. And Leo got tired of her nagging and went ahead and did it. Now Aria’s mad.

Girls man, you’re f****d if you do, you’re f****d if you don’t.

“I hate you. My love life is ruined," Aria sat up on her bed finally, looking at Leonard. Her face was red and her eyes a little puffy. Jesus.

Leo shrugged. “You need to have a love life to begin with, I can’t ruin something that isn’t there.”

Aria’s eyes welled up.

“Prick”

"You love me though,” he answered.

"Not today!" Aria's voice was followed by a the feeling of something soft but firm hitting Leo's face.

"I thought we weren't in fourth grade. Do seniors in high school throw pillows at people when things don't go their way?”

"This senior does”

With a sigh, Leo got up the floor and went to sit next to Aria on her bed. "Ari don't be like this. You know I didn't have to help you but, because I'm such a good friend, I did. You ungrateful little wench.”

"Right, if you call embarrassing someone in front of her crush ‘helping'"

"You're very welcome," he pinched her pink cheeks as he would a kid. She hated it when he treated her like that. He then liberated her from his grasp and collapsed on her bed, "I mean what do you even see in him? He just looks like a plain, really pale guy.”

Which, wasn’t a lie. But he did see the appeal, maybe. In an objective, speculative kind of way. Leo didn’t lean that way. As in, he’s not gay, or anything close to that. At all. But when you get stuck watching a person for a month you start noticing things about them. 

Like how the guy doodles on the margins of his notebook, when he’s bored, which seems to be always. Or like how his smile doesn’t reach his eyes. Or his black hair compliments his pale skin. Or how he says he doesn’t know something in class even though he does. Or how his— 

“ His eyes,”Aria interrupted his thoughts. "I know they're just plain black but there's something about them. Sometimes they look so innocent, makes you want to corrupt him.” 

She smiled, this was serious. 

Leo was reminded why things with him and Ari didn't work out in the past; they were too similar. Not that he wanted to corrupt the guy or anything, he just kind of understood what she meant.

"So you're crying because you might not be able to corrupt the new guy,” Leo laughed and Ari hit him on his vulnerable belly.

“Ow"

"A girl has her priorities,” she got off the bed and directed herself towards the door. "Are you staying for dinner today? Mom's making curry.”

"Not today, I need to be in the shop at five. Mike said he would give me a ride but the fucker hasn't called yet." At that moment the phone on the night stand started buzzing, "and that's him.”

Leonard got off the bed and took his phone. “Tell Liza to save me some of that curry.”

"Don't think you're relieved from your duties just because of today's mistake Mr. Holton, and tell Mike I said hi.”

Leo laughed, "yes ma'am" with that Leo was out the door, not knowing if he had agreed to Ari's former command or the latter.