FicWad

"So, Mr..?" Hope looks at me, the corners of her lips pulling into a bashful grin, a questioning glimmer in her eyes as we slowly walk down the dimly lit street. The bitter frigid cold seems to have died down, my hands stuffed casually in my pockets.
"Whitford," I chuckle softly. "it's Whitford."
"Oh! What an odd name!" Her laugh twinkles, giving me a warm relaxed feeling throughout my body. "Well, not odd. Like a name I rarely hear or something." An awkward giggle slips from her mouth and she begins to fidget with the buttons on her jacket pockets "Well you know what I mean."
I casually shrug. "What's your last name?"
"I'm Sandoval. Ya know, "sand" and "oval" put together." Another giggle rings from her, a more relaxed one.
"It's more common in California."
"You're from California? I raise an eyebrow at her and grin as I stop in my tracks for a brief moment, the wind howling in my ears but not feeling the cold. "What's it like over there?"
"Not so different 'cept for the heat and the amount of people walking the streets. I moved to 1325 not so long ago."
"So you're basically new to the area?" I stare at her in awe and interest.
Hope nods, a tiny smile plastered onto her face as she continues to walk at my side. "Yep. Moved into 1325 almost three months ago. You?"
"Almost tow years ago. I'm 21 so I moved into 1325 with the band when I was 19."
This time, she stops in her tracks and grins widely in some sort of amazement.
"You're in a band?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure if you've ever seen a guy with quite the lips and sense of style." I laugh softly.
"Looks like he can pull off cross dressing?"
"That's him. Steven, the band's lead singer."
Beaming, Hope bounces over to me and takes a hold of my arm, giving me a rush of an static-like current through my body, just from a simple grab. This girl had me around her finger in an instant.
"Mind introducing me to them? I've always been curious about bands ever since I was a kid!" A childlike wonder fills her eyes as she pulls on my arm gently, leading me down the block. But a dreadful thought fills my head:
"I don't want Joey to think that her and I are together. What if Tom or Steven try something? They're bound to make try and mess with her. What do I care? What if Joey gets upset? Well, he doesn't love me.. at least not anymore.."
"Hope, wait." I gingerly pull my arm away from her grab and sigh deeply. "The guys are pretty rowdy. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
"Listen Brad, if I feel that way, you can always take me to my door,"
Her door?
"..but I promise you, I'll be fine. I truly promise." Holding her hand out to me, she gives me a bashful smile and quietly chuckles. "Your arm, buddy."
I slowly lift my arm to her hand as another wave of nervousness and embarrassment washing over me as my heart beat races and my cheeks burn. This girl could kill me without trying.