Lingering Melody

“Oh!” I mumble in surprise. “Umm… thanks?” I give a small smile because I feel myself becoming shy again, and quiet.

“Pete, and Pete’s number,” he grins, handing me a paper. I look down to read it. While I’m not paying attention, Pete pokes me. “You didn’t give me a hug,” he informs me.

I look at him blankly for a minute. Since when was I supposed to give him a hug? He puts on an irresistible baby face. I slowly open my arms a little. He grins and gives an amazingly good hug.

Lait comes shuffling by. “When we send you to the mad house, I’m sure they’ll be willing to pay the bill,” he says with a firm handshake. His hands are equally sweaty, but they are the biggest and most calloused.

It takes a minute to understand that he thinks I’ll be driven crazy by these boys. I grin then I feel myself jerked back, Liam barely keeping me up. “Shhh,” he stage whispers to Lait. “Don’t tell her just yet!”

Lait rolls his eyes and goes back to his drums. I don’t get to see what happens next because the last one to show, Brac, throws me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Hey!” He announces. “She weighs a lot less than my guitar!”

The guys snigger. “No, she’s not an option,” Lait says in a mock stern voice. Brac gets sad and I feel myself getting red. Where’s Webster? I think these boys are ready to kidnap me…
“Awww, she’s blushing! Can we keep her?” Liam asks everyone.

“Hey, she’s all mine!” Brac argues.

“Who came up with the idea in the first place to bring her up?” Sebastian protests.

“You can have half.” That makes Sebastian to a victory dance.

“Ummm…” I find myself muttering. The blood is really getting to my head now. Brac swings me back, but then somehow he lifts and resets me to sit on his shoulders. I don’t know what to do with my hands at first as he holds my feet down. In his hair? I place them on my separated knees and look down at all the boys.

“Hey!” Liam bursts, finally something dawning on him. “She’s really shy!”

Pete laughs openly at him. “I wouldn’t have guessed, Mister Obvious.”

“Captain Obvious to you,” Liam corrects, sticking his nose up. “But she is,” he can’t help to add and they stare at me again, as though studying me. I bite my lip and it feels too weird to look any of them in the eye so I play with the hem of my shirt. “That’s what makes her so purty-ful!” Liam decides.

“Captain Obvious needs grammar lessons,” Sebastian sings in falsetto.

“Sebastian needs singing lessons,” Liam responds at him.

Sebastian puts on a mock scowl. “How dare you!” And he jumps on Liam and they begin a tussle…fight.

I watch for a minute, and then I decide I’m really nervous being on Brac’s shoulders. It could hurt him badly or something might happen and I could fall off. I tap his head hesitantly. “It might be best if you let me down now,” I said softly.

He does. “Hey! We have to go say hi to our fans!” He suddenly remembers. He grabs my arm along with Pete’s and he heads off through a few rooms and there we are in a hall surrounded by… their fans. Looking back, the other boys have followed.

I can’t ignore the shrieks of delight and recall most of those in the crowd were girls. Of course. How could I have forgotten? There’s a small thought in my head that complains how they haven’t even met the boys and they… well, I push it back in my head- far back as possible.

Sebastian grabs my arm and makes me wave with him. “Sorry, we were… held back for a few minutes, if you know what I mean,” he winks to the crowd and I stare at him, because of what he’s making out to the crowd.

Me and him. Him and me.....??

I just met him tonight! He catches me frowning at him and he gives me a shrug and grin. The grin…. It reminds me of a little boy’s but in a grown up sort of way. I find I sorta like it. My heart thumping, I turn away quickly. A slight blush is running up my cheeks and pictures keep getting taken. I even end up signing a few autographs in the next hour, listening to the boys chatting.