Baby, Just Say Yes
I'm standing there - on a balcony in summer air. See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.
As soon as the customary presentation of young ladies was over, Katharine weaved through the crowd, keen to avoid the pretentious polite conversation she was expected to partake in. She finally reached the large balcony - a welcome respite from the crowded ballroom.
She breathed in the crisp summer air as she contemplated taking off her beautiful yet uncomfortable dress and diving right into the inviting waters of the gurgling fountain immediately below her. But of course, her situation made this highly impossible. The mental picture of the looks on everyone's faces when they found out that one of the debutantes had jumped into the fountain amused her for a second.
Then again, she realised, these people did not mean anything to her. They were merely similarly-aged ladies from the upper crusts of society, only invited by her parents to be presented with her so as to give the impression to the rest of society that their daughter had plenty of friends. However, this was far from the truth. Katharine had never had any real friends at her old boarding school down South - she had found the girls there too shallow and uncouth, obsessed about their looks and the similarly distasteful boys attending the school down the road. Now, back home at last, she found herself excluded from her old group of childhood acquaintances; breaking into a circle of tightly knit girls was never easy. And as for boys, well, she had never known many; only a few children of her parents' that she had been forced to converse with in the few months she had been home. Hence, fearing for their daughter's impression in the social circle, her parents had thrown a lavish debutante ball for her and the remaining young ladies yet to be presented.
Just then, a shrill cry disrupted her thoughts. "Katharine Sterling!"
Katharine whirled around and saw a blonde beauty with soulful doe eyes curve her lips into a smile at her.
Katharine's eyes narrowed and she took a forceful step towards her.
"Rhiannon," she curtly acknowledged her presence.
"Kath, honey, how long it has been? I was so surprised to see you here! After all those escapades we had back at school. I still remember the time when being childish girls we were, I and Rebecca pinned that sign on your back and you did not notice for an entire day! But how time flies. I can't believe you are being presented already!" Rhiannon exclaimed fakely.
Katharine raised her eyebrows but other than that, dropped no hint of her annoyance. "Oh, Rhee, I didn't see you being presented."
"I wasn't presented, silly! I happened to be in the area and heard that you were, so I decided to drop by."
Katharine attempted to escape. "Well, it's nice to see you, but I really must go talk to Mia and Isobel over there, they look pretty lonely."
Mercifully, Rhiannon replied, "Well if you must, but do keep in touch!" and Katharine, seizing her chance, gave her a brief smile and started to walk away.
She breathed in the crisp summer air as she contemplated taking off her beautiful yet uncomfortable dress and diving right into the inviting waters of the gurgling fountain immediately below her. But of course, her situation made this highly impossible. The mental picture of the looks on everyone's faces when they found out that one of the debutantes had jumped into the fountain amused her for a second.
Then again, she realised, these people did not mean anything to her. They were merely similarly-aged ladies from the upper crusts of society, only invited by her parents to be presented with her so as to give the impression to the rest of society that their daughter had plenty of friends. However, this was far from the truth. Katharine had never had any real friends at her old boarding school down South - she had found the girls there too shallow and uncouth, obsessed about their looks and the similarly distasteful boys attending the school down the road. Now, back home at last, she found herself excluded from her old group of childhood acquaintances; breaking into a circle of tightly knit girls was never easy. And as for boys, well, she had never known many; only a few children of her parents' that she had been forced to converse with in the few months she had been home. Hence, fearing for their daughter's impression in the social circle, her parents had thrown a lavish debutante ball for her and the remaining young ladies yet to be presented.
Just then, a shrill cry disrupted her thoughts. "Katharine Sterling!"
Katharine whirled around and saw a blonde beauty with soulful doe eyes curve her lips into a smile at her.
Katharine's eyes narrowed and she took a forceful step towards her.
"Rhiannon," she curtly acknowledged her presence.
"Kath, honey, how long it has been? I was so surprised to see you here! After all those escapades we had back at school. I still remember the time when being childish girls we were, I and Rebecca pinned that sign on your back and you did not notice for an entire day! But how time flies. I can't believe you are being presented already!" Rhiannon exclaimed fakely.
Katharine raised her eyebrows but other than that, dropped no hint of her annoyance. "Oh, Rhee, I didn't see you being presented."
"I wasn't presented, silly! I happened to be in the area and heard that you were, so I decided to drop by."
Katharine attempted to escape. "Well, it's nice to see you, but I really must go talk to Mia and Isobel over there, they look pretty lonely."
Mercifully, Rhiannon replied, "Well if you must, but do keep in touch!" and Katharine, seizing her chance, gave her a brief smile and started to walk away.