Hollywood Hills and Suburban Thrills

William and I had returned to the couch, a bowl of popcorn between us, with out feet kicked up on the coffee tale in front of us. Neither of us had said anything in a while, but I didn't mind. I didn't have anything to say and if he didn't either than that was fair.

"Tell me something about you," he says then. I spoke too soon.

I reached up and tugged on the ends of my reddish-brown hair. I had never been told to tell someone about myself. And I wouldn't say I was flattered either; more embarrassed.

"What do you want to know?" I counter-questioned.

He shrugged and I felt his shoulder brush mine as he relaxed again. "I don't know," he turned to look at me. "Anything."

"If I tell you something about me will you tell me something about you?" I ask him, meeting his chocolaty eyes.

"Sure,"

"Ok," I buried myself in thought. "My favorite color is silver,"

He grinned. "Green,"

I raised an eyebrow. "Ok your turn,"

"No, you lead this game," he denies, shaking his head. But I shrugged deeper into the back of the couch, stubbornly crossing my arms over my chest and pressing my lips together. He sighed a laugh. "My favorite food is vegetarian pizza,"

I looked at him with a victorious grin. "Anything Italian," I reply. "If I could have my way, I would wear sweatpants and t-shirts everywhere."

That made him laugh out loud. "Ditto," he says before adding. "With a bandana around one knee because that's how I roll." He shrugged nonchalantly before putting on his thinking face. "I'm ambidextrous,"

I raised an eyebrow at him in surprise; I hadn't expected that. "I'm not," I reply and he pouted at my poor answer, but I didn't amend it. Instead, I spat out another random fact and he smiled nonetheless.

We continued with this game for well over half an hour. We were both recovering from a fit of hysterics when I looked at the clock. It was ten-forty five and I remembered I had to be at work at noon. That wiped the smile off my face in an instant, and William noticed the change in my facial expression as quickly as it had happened.

"Something about the clock pissing you off?" he asks with a laugh in his voice.

"Yes," I answer, glancing at him and then back at the clock, watching the red second-hand tick away the time I had until I had to go to work. "The time it's portraying."

"Something wrong with it being ten-forty-five?" he asks, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes with his fingers.

"Yeah," I climbed off the couch and headed toward the stairs. "I have to go to work at noon."

William sighed as he, too, climbed the stairs. "I don’t want you to leave," he whined. "This is the most fun I've had away from the band in the longest time."

"I can agree with you there," I say. And honestly, I had been having a great time with William. I had been friends with him for barely two hours and it felt like we had been friends forever. He was one of the most genuine guys I had met in my nineteen—almost twenty—years of life.

"Then why don't you blow off work and stay here with me?" he asks innocently and I tripped on the top step.

I whirled to face him. "Because if I blew off work to stay here with you, my mom would chain me to a pipe in the crawlspace and feed me nothing but Tang and saltines."

William blinked at me before flashing a goofy smile. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that your mom is a pain?" he asks, following me again as we neared my room.

"A royal pain," I corrected, stopping in front of my open door to face him again. He looked back at me curiously—expectantly. "As much fun as we've had in the last couple hours, I don't think you've earned your right into my room just yet." I explain politely.

William smiled. "What do you think I'm going to do, Dani?" he asks incredulously and when I didn't reply, he sighed, smiling still. "Ok, fair enough. I'll be downstairs. Surely it doesn't take you a full hour to get ready so when you're done, come join me."

He turned and went down the stairs, leaving me staring after him. Did he just give me orders in my house?I thought in shock. I shook the thought away and went into my room.

I grabbed some clean clothes and then bolted to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door before jumping in the shower. I made sure I didn't subconsciously sing today; having a lead singer in the house would make me seem mediocre, and that's one hell of an understatement.

I finished showering and dressed, did my hair and makeup, and gave myself a once-over before walking back to my room to slip on my socks and shoes.

Sure enough, it was only eleven-fifteen by the time I was ready, but I wasn't going to swallow my pride and admit to William—this almost-stranger—that he was right. So, I moseyed around my room for a while, straightening things on my dresser, rearranging books on the bookshelves, and making my bed several times.

But despite how much time it felt had flown by, when I looked at my clock, it was only eleven-thirty. I sighed, accepting defeat, and went toward my bedroom door, which was closed.

I pulled it open; my eyes cast downward, and took a step forward. Only one, however, because as I was about to step again, I ran into something—or someone, rather.

I recognized that black jacket and striped v-neck shirt, immediately. William's cologne was strong, but at the same time, soothing; something that reminded me of my father. He laughed, almost sounding nervous, and took a step backward. But when I looked up at him, the anxious edge that I was anticipating was gone from his features, replaced with a victorious smirk.

"I told you you'd be finished before noon," he says quietly.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you want me to stay here with you until noon or would you rather I go to work now?" I challenge, pushing him back a few more steps with one finger on his chest. I walked down the stairs at my normal pace, but a black blur passed beside me and when I looked up, I saw William sliding down the banister, landing gracefully on his feet and beaming at me.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd sort of like it if you'd stay here until 11:58," he smiles sweetly at me.

I put on a faux consideration face and he pouted. I smiled, caving. "If you insist, love."

His eyes sparkled in that way that almost made me jealous and he grabbed my hand, pulling me back to the couch where a new movie was playing—Edward Scissorhands.

Weirdest kid ever, I thought as I sat down. He smiled sideways at me before turning up the volume and we both snuggled into the couch cushions.