Don't let me go

After party

Chapter 2: After party

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Christine's debut has been the talk of the town for a couple of weeks, and it seems like it won't stop for more weeks to come.

She lived in a small town in Italy, where all Filipinos knew each other.

"That was such a beautiful party." That was what most people, who met Christine after the party, would say with giddy and sparkly eyes.

Even her family kept ranting about her debut. Although she was supposed to feel happy and giddy about it, Chris would just blush and nod or smile at whoever would compliment her debut.

Because that was just a reminder of when she realized that she had feelings for her best friend's brother, Nash.

Josh: Drew is gayyyyyy

Drake: y?

Cyrah: damn right, he is! he's also what he sucks: a dick.

Rachel: he missed out on a great party

Drake: Y??????????

Josh: STFU Drake, if you don't understand the reason on your own, then you're dumb

Drake: -.-

Christine laughed at the sight of her friends' convo on Whatsapp. She still felt a pang of disappointment towards Drew, a childhood and family-friend who she used to like a lot. That's why she asked him to be her escort in the first place.

Too bad, apparently he had a soccer match on the same day of her party.

Josh: u know what, guys? i think it was better off that way, nash and chris looked perfect together ;)

Christine blushed again. There was something that changed in her small group of friends. And that thing that changed was the way everyone saw and approached her and Nash.

The whole group kept teasing them, saying that they made a good couple.

Christine didn't really mind getting teased about being a couple with Nash, deep inside she actually found it cute and hoped for it to become true.

The thing that got to her was how things got incredibly awkward between her and him.

"Chris? Is something bothering you?" Mary, Chris's seat mate and close friend at school, asked her with a worried look "You've been spacing out the whole day. They were packing up their things and getting ready to leave school as the last bell rang loudly.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Christine just put up a smile and pushed back her worries, not really wanting to talk about what she felt for Nash with anyone.

The only ones who knew that she liked him were Paul and herself.

'I'm sorry Cyrah, but I can't possibly tell you that I have a thing for your brother.' Christine thought to herself while she and Mary made their way out of the school building.

"Seriously, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Mary insisted making Chris smile.

"Of course..." She was considering the possible outcomes and aftermaths if she told Mary her problems. Mary was a beautiful italian girl, she had no connections with Chris's group whatsoever. So why not tell her? "Alright... remember that guy at my party who accompanied me the whole night?"

Mary nodded with expectant eyes. "Of course, No-bangs's little brother, right?"

Chris chuckled at Mary's way to distinguish Rachel (who had bangs) and Cyrah (who had no bangs) "Yeah, Cyrah's little brother... I may or may not have developed a little crush on him that evening."

Her seat mate's blue eyes widened in surprise, as she put her hands over her mouth, suppressing a scream of joy. Mary was the expressive and exuberant kind of girl. "Oh my gosh! Really?! That's fantastic, Chris! Oh my goodness, you know what, you two looked great together! You'd make a great couple! No, scratch that, a perfect couple!"

Chris laughed at her friend's reaction, probably expecting it since she knew her so well already. "Alright, don't go gaga on me now, Mary."

"Sorry." Mary sheepishly smiled "I'm just so happy for you." Her smile slowly disappeared when she noticed Chris' blank eyes "Or should I be unhappy about it?"

Chris blinked at Mary's last phrase, but then smiled sadly "I don't know... It's just that, you know, this... thing is something I didn't plan..."

Mary pursed her lips "I still don't understand what the problem is."

Chris looked up at the road with lined up trees on each side of it "Having a crush on my best friend's brother is just... weird." She buried her face in her hands "I can't possibly tell this to Cyrah, I'll never hear the end of her teasing and she'll surely tell either Josh (her boyfriend and Nash's best friend) or Nash. And that's not good."

"What's not good?" Asked Chris's father when she and Mary finally reached the parking lot.

"The weather. It's not good." Chris quickly covered up and climbed in the car, signaling Mary that she'd talk more about it on Whatsapp later.

_____

"So, our parents will be out of town this weekend... And we wanted to organize a slumber party with everyone!" Rachel cheerfully said, clapping her hands together.

"Sounds great." Said Michael and glancing at Chris, waiting for her answer.

"I'm in." Cyrah grinned and everyone else agreed. Except for Chris.

"I don't know guys... hopefully Papa will say yes." She smiled hopefully while the others nodded, understanding, because they knew how strict her parents (specially her Papa) could get when it came to going out with her friends. Specially with sleepovers.

"I can talk to him, if you want to?" Rachel offered kindly, but Chris just shook her head.

"Let me ask him first. If I need help, I'll let you know."

_____

"Ok, that was easier than expected." Chris twirled her locks around her finger as she and Cyrah walked alongside towards Rachel's house.

"Who cares, as long as you're here." Cyrah smiled and clapped her hands together "So, you ready for an awesome slumber party?"

Chris chuckled "Of course, C. I'm so excited, this is the first time I get to sleepover at a friend's house!" She couldn't help but glance forward every now and then, where Nash and Josh walked in their usual fast pace.

Her heart fluttered in an unusual beat whenever she saw him, and it bothered her.

Having sudden crushes on guys was not something unusual for her. It was actually something that happened quite often. The feelings she felt with her ex-crushes and Nash were quite similar.

The difference was that she actually had many special moments with Nash, so whenever she saw him, those kilig moments would flash in the back of her head.

The way he cared for her at her debut, the small things she did for her to get comfortable, their slow dancing at the 18 roses.

That evening she saw him as a man, not as 'Cyrah's-little-brother' like she usually did.

Chris was smart and sharp, but she could get easily influenced by what others say. So when her friends keep teasing her and Nash about being a couple, she cannot help but wonder 'Hey. I wonder if...'

Chris's 'I wonder if's usually lead to hope, hope for something to happen.

This time, she was hoping for something to happen between her and Nash.

As soon as she realized how Nash invaded her mind, she shook her head. 'Get a grip!' "So... sleeping arrangements?" She tried to distract herself by talking with Cyrah.

"I don't know... do you really think we'll even sleep?"

The two looked at each other and laughed. "Nah!"

Chris nodded to herself 'I can easily forget about him. Just like how I easily got over my other crushes.' She looked forward and met Nash's eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. 'At least, I hope so.'