Don't let me go

Debut

Chapter 1: Debut

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Christine speed dialed her best friend and nervously bit her fingers. She was in trouble.

"Hello?" Cyrah lazily answered after three rings.

"C, I have a problem." Chris blurted out as soon as she heard Cyrah's voice "Drew bailed out!"

"..." Cyrah took a moment to let the information sink in her brain. "... SAY WHAT?"

"I need to find a new escort, and the party is next week." Chris fumbled through her list of 18 Roses, in a desperate search for a decent guy who can accompany her on her debut.

"Okay, don't panic." Cyrah sat up on her bed and started tapping her finger on her lip. "Why don't you ask Mike?!"

Christine clicked her tongue in disapproval "No. Not Michael, please. I don't want him to misunderstand."

"Oh come on, he won't!" Christine didn't say a word, but Cyrah could already imagine her best friend raising an eyebrow as if to say in her sarcastic tone 'Oh really?' "Okay, so Michael is a no... What about one of the twins?"

Chris pursed her lips "Eh... That would mean that I'd have to choose one between the two. And they'd think that I like one more than the other. Also, Rachel likes them, so it's a no."

Cyrah frowned and thought of other possible candidates for the role. "Drew is a douche, by the way." She commented in the middle of her thoughts, making Chris snort "Hey, what about Drake?"

"WHAT?" Cyrah pulled the phone away from her ear "You're crazy! He may be Rachel's brother, but he's a flipping maniac!"

"Okay, geez, calm down." Cyrah rolled her eyes. "What about Paul?"

That made Christine laugh "He's gay. I'd like a straight guy as my escort on my debut, please."

"Oh damn it, take Nash then." Cyrah sighed, tired of hearing no from Chris "Just say that he's like your little brother so that no one will misunderstand."

Chris was quiet again for a minute and considered the possibility of taking Nash, Cyrah's 1-year-younger brother, as her escort. "I don't know, C." She groaned in frustration "Stupid Drew and his stupid soccer match on my birthday."

"Yeah, stupid." Cyrah yawned "So, problem solved?"

"No." Chris whined.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay? It's 3-fucking-am, for heaven's sake."

Christine laughed at her bestfriend's grumpiness "Okay, then. Talk to you later."

Cyrah just groaned and hung up.

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Her heart beat loudly in her chest as her mother put the tiara over her head.

"Anak, remember to keep your back straight." Her mom smiled sweetly as her daughter rolled her eyes "This is your moment."

"Nash, if you neglect Christine, you'll be in big trouble, young man." Beatrice, a beautiful married woman who was a very close family-friend to Christine, warned Nash.

Nash didn't comment, while Bea turned to look at Chris with adoring eyes "Enjoy your moment, baby girl. Oh, what am I saying!? You're no longer a baby!"

Chris chuckled and thanked Bea and her Mom from the bottom of her heart.

"And now, let's welcome our beautiful debutante, accompanied by her escort, Christine Villa!"

Chris took a deep breath and looked at Nash's offered arm. 'More like, forced.' She thought to herself remembering how she had to find an escort for her debut at the last minute. She smiled at him apologetically while he looked passively at her. As she took his arm, the two started to make their way down the curve stairway, to be greeted by a round of applause from the guests.

Chris felt suddenly overwhelmed, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she scanned the room and saw everyone's familiar faces.

While the two walked down the stairs, she looked down at her feet, holding onto Nash's arm and her dress' long trail, so that she wouldn't trip and fall.

Photographers took countless photos, and the continuous flashes their cameras made, made Chris feel like they were paparazzi.

The host of the party was Chris's cousin, Reanne and her older boyfriend, Antonio.

Chris and Nash walked up on the small stage and sat on the two chairs that were waiting for them.

Everything seemed so surreal to Christine. The beautiful restaurant, the guests, her friends, her family. Everything was amazing.

The night went on and Christine had the time of her life.

After eating lots of food, having fun, having teary and emotional moments, it was time for everyone to go back home.

Chris sat by one of the big round tables with her gay friend, Paul. The two chatted as a couple of waiters started cleaning up the room and Chris's parents were busy chatting with the last few guests.

"Well... that was a great party." Paul commented while he fixed his bow-tie.

Christine put her head in her hands and let out a long and loud sigh, surprising Paul.

"You should be happy, not sad, you silly little girl." Paul raised his eyebrow, finding weird that Christine wasn't being her usual cheerful self, specially after that amazing party. "What's bothering you?"

Chris looked up through her mascara-coated eyelashes at the now empty stage, where the two chairs used to stand by next to the table that held the cake, the roses, the candles and other props for her debut. She blushed and hid her face in her hands once again.

Paul got even more curious at her reaction. "Well now, I really wanna know what's going on through your head."

Christine blushed even more, as she remembered Nash's gentleman ways that evening.

They way he spoke to her (although it wasn't so frequent), the way he danced with her and accompanied her that night.

He was so charming, so kind and considerate towards her.

"I think..." her voice came out in a soft tone "... I think I like Nash."