Hand in Hand || Stanford x Reader

Chapter 5 • Ford

After a full week of waiting, it was the night of spring formal.  I wrestled with the bow tie around my neck, desperately trying to get it under control.  "Stanley, how the heck do you tie this thing?!"

My brother rolled his eyes. "You have a 4.3 GPA. Figure it out."

After a full five minutes, I managed to get it tied the best I could. 

Stanley sized me up.  "You look like a pastel nightmare," he said, motioning towards my baby blue suit. 

I smirked.  "Says the guy in the light pink tux."

Stanley pretended to be offended.  "Pink is in right now, thank you very much."

"Whatever you say, knucklehead."

I walked out the door, tingling with adrenaline. This technically your first date, and it's at the biggest dance of the year. Don't screw this up, Stanford.

I got into my car and turned on the engine, glancing at the address Y/N had given me.  618 Hedron Rd, Apt. 3B. I think I know where that place is. I went down the road, eventually stopping at one of those mini apartment complexes. I attempted to straighten the cursed bow tie one more time, walked up to the main door, and hit the buzzer for her apartment.

I only had to wait a few seconds for Y/N to appear, and she looked positively stunning. She was wearing a red satin party dress that went down to her knees, the bold color offsetting her eyes. Her hair was brushed and down, and as always, her glasses were slightly off. For some reason, I found that extremely attractive.

"Wow, Y/N, you look... wow."

She blushed a rosy pink, unintentionally making her impish features cuter. "You don't look so bad yourself, Stanford." Y/N rubbed her stump, which I noticed was in plain sight, not hidden in a sweater sleeve this time.

Y/N caught me staring and tried to hide her wrist in the folds of her dress. I reached for her hand and wrist and held them. "Hey, listen to me Y/N, you don't have to hide that, not anymore. It's not something to be ashamed of. You're not any less of a person because of it, and if we're being honest here, when I saw your stump that day in the hallway, that's when I knew I liked you."

She smiled shyly. "Thanks, Stanford. You don't know how much I needed to hear that."

Then it was my turn to blush. "Anytime."

We got into the car in silence, but it was a comfortable kind of silence. It wasn't long before I pulled into the school parking lot. Y/N got out of the car, and I offered her my right arm. She raised her eyebrows and pointed at her handless left wrist. I mentally facepalmed and offered her my left arm. Nice going, Stanford.

"Much better," she said as she took it with her single right hand. We walked into the school side-by-side, and were suddenly surrounded by upbeat new music.

"I haven't heard this band before, who are they?"

Y/N stopped suddenly. "You're joking. You're telling me you've never heard of the Bugs?"

I shook my head, embarrassed.

"You truly do live under a rock. They're one of the best bands ever!" She smiled and shook her head. "You have much to learn."

Y/N bobbled her head slightly to the music. "Do you mind getting us some drinks? I would do it myself, but..." She glared at her stump.

"Say no more, I'll be right back." I weaved through the crowd of students to the refreshments table, relieved to find a punch bowl there. I filled up two cups and leaned against the table, spotting Y/N across the room, a smile on her face as she swayed to the music. I couldn't help but smile myself as I saw her dance. She was beautiful tonight, not just because of her dress, but she had a glow to her, something that made me fall head over heels for her that day in the hallway.

"Whatcha looking at?" A sarcastic voice asked. Diana Mills, the most popular girl in school, glared at me, expecting an answer.

"Uh, Y/N." Why did I say that?! I sounded like a creep.

Diana wrinkled her nose. "Her? Seriously? I knew you were a loser, but I didn't think you'd stoop that low. Whatever. You freaks deserve each other." As a final insult, she dumped her own punch on me, dripping everywhere and staining my suit.

I wanted to curl into a ball and disappear forever. This went from the best night ever to the worst night in only a minute. I should've stayed home, never asked Y/N out.

Slowly, Y/N maneuvered around the sea of dancers over to me. Her eyes widened when she saw the bright red juice on my tux. "What happened?!"

I sighed. "Diana," I mumbled.

Y/N narrowed her eyes. "She sure knows how to ruin a moment. What'd she say to you, anyways?"

"Er... she basically said that we freaks deserve each other," I mumbled.

Y/N slammed her fist on the table, making the punch lurch in the bowl. "She's crossed the line. Diana's been dissing me since I was a freshman, but she has no right to rag on my boyfriend simply because she doesn't like me. I am not going to let her ruin this night. Give me your punch."

"Wha-?!"

"Trust me."

Confused, I handed her my cup. Y/N took it and snuck after Diana, not making a sound. It wasn't long before I heard a high-pitched shriek. I caught a glimpse of Diana before a crowd gathered around her, and what I saw made me smile. She was doused in bright red punch, ruining her designer dress.

Y/N casually walked up next to me. "Oh, what a shame. She must've spilled her drink."

I was wonder struck. I had quite literally ran into this beautiful girl, who was willing to drench the most popular girl in school for insulting me. I had no idea what I had done to deserve her heart, but she certainly owned mine.

I tried to give her a hug, but remembered I was covered in juice. Y/N just laughed, grabbed another cup of punch, and poured it on herself. She pulled me onto the dance floor, where a slow dance was just starting.

Y/N rested her head on my shoulder as the song started up, and for a while, we just slowly moved back and forth to the music. I never wanted this night to end, and here, covered in sticky punch, was the girl of my dreams, who had stolen my heart.

The words from the song crept into my mind. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes, I'm certain that happens all the time. I wasn't sure that was true, but it had certainly happened to me. I looked into Y/N's e/c eyes. "Did I ever tell you I love you?"

She smiled, making her eyes sparkle slightly. "No, but don't stop now."

"I love you, Y/N. I really do."

"I love you too, Stanford. I really do."