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Jared laughed and looked back and forth between the both of us. "This is Julian your "UPS" man. He's actually a dear friend of mine that agreed to play the part."
Julian shook his head and smirked. "Interesting things you can find on Ebay: entire delivery man uniforms. Convincing though, wasn't I?"
"I'd say so." I mirrored his look with a raised eyebrow.
"Damnit, that means I actually do have to pay you." Jared faux grumbled and we all laughed. My eyes scanned over to the unnamed girl and Gabriella followed my gaze. She gestured hastily as if she felt scared for ignoring the female up to now.
"This is Pandora Isley. She's also a good friend of ours."
Pandora's gaze was cold, her smile clinical. She didn't lift her hand but instead cocked her head stiffly. "Hello."
"Pleasure to meet you." I raised my hand but she let it float there, watching it as if it was a stray dog.
"I wish I could say it was." She sniffed. Jared and Julian stared at her in shock and Gabby gasped at her rudeness. "I know all about you, Miss Stalls. Supreme existential narcissist disguised as a mousy, sweet little girl. You're all over the tabloids. It isn't hard to read celebutants, regardless of the PR from respectable magazines you've received or gutters trash magazines try to throw you in. You, little girl, do not fool me."
I took an uncharacteristic step back. Who was this girl and what made her think she had the right to talk to me that way? "Excuse me, but-"
"I'm so sorry Olivia. I apologize on Pandora's behalf." Jared put his arm across her and pushed her back a bit. "Her tongue is a bit too sharp at times. Please don't take offence."
I scoffed and lifted my chin. I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off again.
"Don't apologize for me. Because I do not." She chided Jared, turned for the door and sashayed back inside.
Julian let out a nervous laugh before clearing his throat. "She never was one for subtlety. Don't worry about her, Olivia. She just believes the world is her throne and that no one is her equal, but we love her anyway."
"Interesting company you keep." I held his gaze firmly.
"Of course. Just the way I like it." He stared back.
"Okay!" Gabriella sensed the tension coming from us and cut through it, probably not wanting to figure out what kind it was. "I'm going to head back inside to entertain the guests before the show starts. Jared?"
Show?
He turned to me once again before he followed his sister. "It really is nice to meet you. Stay for a bit after everyone clears out. We'll all get to know one another better over some snacks and wine!"
"Wait, before you go." I swallowed back my ever-present nervousness. "How exactly did you know I was moving in today?"
"I have my sources." He winked and flounced away to follow his sister.
I looked down, still frustrated at not knowing how I could so easily be stalked. The Aveses were nice people and I believed I could trust them to not be psychopathic maniacs at this point but I still considered my safety. For the sake of my father, because he would have a coronary if he knew what I did by coming here tonight, my new kitty, who was upstairs all alone, completely vulnerable to every and anything, and myself. Half of me wanted to run back up and see if Jay was doing okay even though it had probably been no more than thirty minutes. I pressed my hands down to smooth my dress, distracting myself.
"You look nervous."
I looked up into Julian's eyes, remembering I wasn't alone. I put my hands back at my sides and gave him a small smile. "No, just thinking."
"Pretty hard by the looks of it." He ran his hands through his hair, mussing it up a bit.
"I was just wondering what all of this is. It's cool and everything but... a bit off. I mean maybe I'm just not used to these kinds of things because I've been pretty sheltered my whole life, so being invited to something like this by people I barely know isn't exactly my cup of tea."
"I understand. If it helps, I can relate." He laughed and looked to the side. "They did the same thing to me when I first got here too."
"Really?"
"Yes." He went over to the patio set and sat down, looking out to the city. "Not the exact same way but, to an extent."
"What happened?" I followed suit, folding my dress beneath my legs as I sat down.
"When I moved into my apartment I was sixteen, had been living with my parents just like you and didn't know anyone here. I was fresh from Australia, having lived there for two years thanks to a whim/business opportunity of my mother's. My dad wanted to move back here but my mum still had things dealing with so he set up a place here in Anton City where we could live and he could fly back and forth from just to make everyone happy. "
"That's sweet." I casted my eyes downward, admiring his father's sacrifice.
"My father would do just about anything for my mum."
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the pain of remembrance pass me by like it always did anytime I was reminded that I was lacking in the mothering department. When I opened them again, Julian's facial expression betrayed his emotions, showing me that he noticed he had struck a chord. He cleared his throat before beginning again.
"During my first week here, I kept bumping into Gabby. All I kept thinking was 'who is this strange little girl who keeps coincidentally running into me every time I get into the elevator'?" He shook his head as if he was fondly remembering. "Eventually she invited me out to a movie where we met up with Jared and we soon all became good friends with the same people."
I glanced at the buildings in the city, happy to have finally been reassured that I made the right choice tonight. The sky was a beautiful backdrop of midnight blue, the life of the city making it glow.
"So don't worry about them. They can be a bit crazy sometimes but they're good people."
"Thank you. For telling me all that." I looked back at him and we smiled at each other.
"You're welcome." He lifted his chin at the balcony door and grinned. A new beat pulsed from inside the house and I could no longer see gyrating bodies through the muddled wave-glass windows. "Ready to be amazed?"
"By what? Do they host some sort of talent show?" I asked skeptically as we rose from our seats.
"Something even better." He gestured for me to take his arm. I raised my eyebrow at him. What year did he think it was?
"Oh come on already." He rolled his eyes and smirked at me.
I laughed and took his arm. He rolled the door open and it was like we were entering a whole different room.