I's first time seeing Maureen in high school when she is "Coming Out" at her Debutante Ball. Fwee, cuteness.
This isn't one of my greatest stories, just a spur of the moment one. Like a "I wanna write a RENT fanfic today"
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I shuffled my feet on the carpet. My blond hair was slicked back, almost pulling back like it was stretching my face. My thin wired glasses hid my raw, bloodshot eyes from the world. I tugged at the neck of the tuxedo, thinking of how incredibly uncomfortable it was. I then smoothed my tie out, and looked at the Filet Mignon on my plate. I stabbed it with my fork, and picked a piece of it up. It fell back to my plate, and I looked up at my mother. She was chattering away with someone who had just come over to our table.
"Oh Joyce I just can't believe your daughter is doing this!" my mother exclaimed. I took a sip of my water.
"I know, I was surprised myself," Joyce said. I looked up at the two women.
"Why?" I asked suddenly. My mother looked at me, like I better shut up now.
Joyce seemed confused. "What was that dear?"
"Why is surprising?" I restated.
"Oh, well, Maureen isn't exactly the type of girl to do thisuff," Joyce said. I suddenly froze and tugged at the neck again.
"Maureen?" I asked.
"Yes, my daughter's name is Maureen. Maureen Johnson," she said.
"Uh…" I reached into my pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, all crumpled and folded. I opened the paper, and smoothed it softly, and looked at the name:
Maureen Johnson
"Uh…I'm escorting your daughter," I said quietly, looking down at the paper. My mother looked at me, and snatched the paper.
"When did you get this?" she asked.
"When I went back there to see if I could eat a bit," I confessed. My mother looked at me, then back at Joyce who was now studying me.
"They say that if the debutante is presented five times, she will marry one of her escorts," Joyce said. I looked up at her and got a good look at her. She had short brown hair, and dark eyes. Her face had fine wrinkles in it, and her eyes heavily laden with eyeliner. She was small and just smiled at me. I felt myself blushing
"My, why don't you go on ahead and head back there," my mother said. I nodded and put the napkin on the table and pushed the chair back. I stood up, and slowly walked away from the table. I looked back to them, and sure enough, there they were. Talking amongst themselves, and giggling.
Don't look back, don't look back. Don't look back.
Too late, I looked back again. Joyce was looking after me, as my mother babbled on about something that requi motions that looked like bottles. I tugged at the neck of my suit again, and went back behind the stage.
I looked around. All the girls sitting around, discussing their escorts and such. I looked down when I past four girls standing together.
"I bet Maureen got him," one of the girls hissed.
"She loves nerds like that," another one whispered.
"She's so weird, I don't know why she is doing this," the third one said.
"Me either. She deserves every nerd she gets," the first one said. They all giggled and then continued gossiping about their new cherry lipgloss from…MAKE? Yah, something like that.
I went up to a woman in a large hat.
"Uh…excuse me…"
"Oh! You must be an escort, what's your name darling?" she asked him.
"Uh…Mark Cohen."
"Oh, you're beautiful debutante is Maureen Johnson," she said. "Lucky boy."
My heart leapt. Even though I knew it was just some old hag trying to make feel special, at least there was something positive about Maureen. I mean…she must be like a recluse or something. Everyone talked lowly about her, even her own mother.
"She's right over there," the lady said, pointing to a vanity in the far corner. A girl was sitting alone, listening to a tape player.
"Thanks."
I walked towards the girl, who was completely zoned out. She had headphones in, and was reading some book. I came close, and then tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and then looked at me.
"My God, you scared the shit out of me," she said. I froze when I saw her.
She had long chocolate hair that fell into beautiful curls. They were pulled back into a fancy up-do. She had gorgeous brown eyes, and bright red lips. She smiled at me, and stood up. Her long white dress fell to the ground and the dress came too low. I suddenly found myself gaping at her breasts.
She smiled at me. "What's your name?" she asked me.
"Uh….Mark…Cohen," I muttered. She looked at me, and then I felt a hand come under my chin. I felt my eyes widened, and Maureen got close to me. I could feel her breath against my skin.
"I'm up here," she whispered in my ear. I felt my face redden uncontrollably. She smirked at me.
"You're kinda cute," she said.
"MARKY!"
Maureen stopped and looked towards the voice that just called out. I turned and cursed under my breath.
Nanette Himmelfarb.
"Nanette," Maureen cheered. Nanette looked at her oddly.
"What are you doing here?" Nanette asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Being presented into the public of course," Maureen asked. "What else could I possibly be doing here?"
"Trying to crash it! And now you're trying to steal my boyfriend you little slut," Nanette exclaimed, and grabbed my sleeve.
No Nanette. Not here, not now. Don't you dare claim you're my girlfriend in front really…really pretty girl.
"Boyfriend?" Maureen asked.
"Yes, my boyfriend," Nanette snapped. "So, Marky, ready to escort me?" Nanette asked. She put her hand through mine. Shit.
"Sorry cupcakes, he's my escort," Maureen stated. I felt Maureen slowly tug me and put her arm through mine.
"No, he's mine! He's my boyfriend!" she grabbed me back.
Now, many guys probably know what it's like to have two girls fight over you. I don't. Nanette barely even acknowledged me 99 of the time. Only when she "needed" a boyfriend was I there. She flirted with all the other guys at school, and even kissed about three of them. But I didn't care, she pretty much forced me to be her boyfriend after tango lessons. But that's not the point. Two were fighting over me, over me. I could get use to this.
Then the pain returned.
"Stop it, you're hurting me," I mumbled. Nanette looked at me cruelly and dropped my arm.
"Mark…is there something you want to tell me?" she asked. Narrowing her small brown eyes at me.
"Nope, nothing at all."
"Debutantes and escorts! Line up!" the woman called. Nanette trotted off, and realized some tall guy was her escort and forgot about me. Maureen came over to me.
"What a bitch," she muttered. "You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
She looked at me, and then smiled.
"Why don't we blow this joint?" she asked me. I looked at her.
"W-what?"
"Let's get out of here," she restated. "We could go downtown somewhere, stay out late and have some fun."
I looked at this girl. Maureen just wanted me to trot out of this place with her in a tuxedo. "We have to do this," I retorted to her.
"No we don't. Who says that we have to do this?"
"My mother."
" your mom. Come on Mark, come with me," she said seductively, touching my arm. I looked at her. I felt my heart leap, I think…I was actually going to do this. She made me want to float on water and dance with the clouds. She was making me high, and I don't know why…
"I'm in a tuxedo."
"We'll change," she whispered in my ear. "Come on, the exit is this way," she said, pushing me towards the door. Pushing me towards freedom, pushing me towards my first love.