Saving Me: Ruinene

The First Stage Fright (5)

Rui

The day of the show is finally here. I can feel my heart pounding as we get everything set up backstage. Nene's running around, making the sure the glitter and confetti are in place, and I double-check the fireworks.

"Everything's going to work, right? No surprises?"

Nene looks over at me, grinning as she sets up the lights.

Nene: "Of course it's gonna work. We've practiced a million times, remember?"

I nod, but the nerves don't go away. This is it. Our biggest show yet. The one where everyone's going to see that my ideas aren't weird— they're amazing. I just hope everything goes the way we've planned it to.

Nene: "Hey, stop worrying! We're gonna blow everyone away!"

I look at her face for a moment in surprise, but not making it too obvious. I never expected her to be so confident; she always climbed to her mother and was embarrassed to even speak. But I know it's a good thing. She's not gonna mess up in front of this audience, right?

Nene

Rui's always like this before a show, nervous and quiet, like he's thinking a thousand things at once. I try to keep things moving, setting up the last few pieces. But I can't stop the butterflies in my stomach. I've made finales with Rui and performed them in front of people, but it was only people we knew. I don't know what these people will think about me...

Rui smiles at me, but I can tell he's on edge. It's almost time to go on stage again. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the nerves.

"Okay, let's do this..."

The lights dim, and the curtains rise. The first part of our act goes perfectly. The confetti falls right when it's supposed to, and the glitter sparkles like stars. But then... it's my turn to do the big entrance. I take a step forward, and—

I trip.

Rui

Nene trips right when she's supposed to step into the spotlight. My heart skips a beat. I know she gets embarrassed easily, and I can see the look on her face as she tries to recover.

Nene: "Ah! Oops, I...um..."

There's a moment of awkward silence. The audience shifts in their seats, and I can feel the tension rising. But I have to help her. Without thinking, I jump into action.

"And now, for the greatest trick of all— Nene the Magnificent's secret move!"

The crowd looks confused for a second, but I give Nene a wink, hoping she'll catch on.

Nene

Rui jumps in just in time. I can't believe I tripped, I'm so stupid!! My face is burning with embarrassment, but when I hear him call out my name, something clicks.

"Uh, that's right! I... meant to do that!"

I spin around, trying to make it look like part of the act. The audience starts to laugh, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I still feel embarrassed as hell, but at least I didn't completely ruin it.

"And now, for the grand finale!"

Rui

We both rush into the final act, and I can see Nene pulling it together slowly. The lights dim, and the fireworks go off just as planned, filling the stage with color. Glitter rains down like stars, and for a moment, everything feels magical.

The audience starts clapping, louder and louder, and I can't help but smile. We did it.

Nene

The applause is loud, but... I don't feel so good. I'm breathing heavily, and my stomach is so knotted right now. I can still feel the heat on my face from tripping earlier, and even though the crowd's cheering, all I can think about is how I messed up.

I stare down at the stage, trying to block out the noise. My heart's racing, and I feel like everything's closing in on me. Why did I have to trip? Why can't I stop feeling like everyone's watching... and judging?

Rui

I notice right away that something's wrong with Nene. She's never like this after a show, and I place my hand on her shoulder.

"You were great, Nene."

But she doesn't seem to hear me. Her breathing's shallow, and she won't look up. Something's off, and I don't know how to help...