Élisa was still on Nasser's lap, looking at him, trembling. Nasser, embarrassed, felt Élisa's chest brush against his shoulder. Turning bright red, he abruptly let go of her.
BAM!
— Ouch! Why did you let me go so suddenly?! Élisa exclaimed, rubbing her foot while sitting on the floor.
Nasser, very embarrassed by what he had just felt, crossed his arms and turned his gaze away.
— Uh... I don't know, hey... You're the one who came and laid down on me like that...
Élisa glared at him with an annoyed expression.
— That's not a reason to just throw me off like that...
She stopped suddenly, remembering Ino's words:
"Don't look at him. Avoid him."
Without another word, she hurriedly stood up and headed towards her father.
Nasser, a little confused, wondered:
— Why did she leave like that?
Ortho, who was right next to him, rolled his eyes with an exasperated look.
— Seriously, she already left? Not even a goodbye?! He looked at Nasser and grumbled: This is all your fault, huh, Nass. If you hadn't let her go, we could've talked. But no, Mr. Can't-Hold-A-Girl...
Annoyed, Nasser crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
— Shut up.
— Never, Ortho replied, snickering.
While Ortho kept teasing Nasser, Élisa quickly walked towards her father, repeating the words of Ino over and over in her head.
"Don't look at him. Avoid him. Don't look at him. Avoid him."
When she reached her father, she found him hugging Kethia, Nasser's mother. Both were crying with emotion.
— Aaaah, Kethia, I've missed you so much! It feels like it's been more than a month since we last saw each other! André, Élisa's father, exclaimed, crying.
— I missed you too, my dear André! It also feels like it's been a month... but actually, it's only been six hours! Don't leave me again, okay? Kethia replied, tearfully.
Élisa, watching them with amusement, smiled.
— Wow, you can tell they totally like each other!
A voice behind her startled her.
— Yeah, that's totally true.
Élisa quickly turned around and saw Nasser's older sister, leaning against the wall with a tablet in one hand and a drink in the other.
"Oh, it's Nasser's older sister! Wow, she's so beautiful... She looks like a real top model!" Élisa thought as she observed her long black dress glittering with sequins.
The sister approached and spoke in a neutral tone.
— It's true that Kethia and your father get along well. Unlike you and Nasser...
Shocked, Élisa widened her eyes.
— What?! What do you mean you don't call Kethia "mom"? And... what does Nasser have to do with all this?! she added, confused and slightly embarrassed.
Grâce raised an eyebrow.
— I saw when he threw you on the ground.
Élisa immediately became downcast and murmured, a tear at the corner of her eye:
— Oh yeah... My back still hurts...
Grâce stared at her and said coldly:
— Don't worry. He'll pay.
Élisa panicked and started to fidget.
— Oh no, it's not necessary! You don't have to punish him for something so small...
Before she could finish her sentence, Nasser's mother, Kethia, ran through the crowd, shouting:
— My future daughter-in-law!
Totally shocked, Élisa waved her hands around, not understanding what was happening.
Kethia grabbed her in a hug and squeezed her tightly.
— Oh, my daughter! How are you?!
A bit unsettled, Élisa nervously laughed.
— Yes… I'm fine…
— I'm so happy to see you here with your father! added Nasser's mother.
Still full of energy, Élisa smiled and replied:
— Me too! Wow, your hair is so silky! How do you make it so smooth?
Kethia laughed.
— I don't know… I'm of Filipino descent, so it's always been like this.
Nasser's uncle, who was sitting nearby, grumbled:
— Kethia, there's no more wine!
She jumped.
— Oh, that can't be!
Her gaze landed on Grâce and Élisa.
— Grâce, go get some wine with Élisa. It'll give you some time to get to know each other.
Grâce shrugged, completely uninterested.
— Don't count on me to go down there.
Kethia sighed.
— With your weird manners, you...
She looked around for someone else and spotted Nasser.
— Nasser, come here!
He immediately stopped arguing with Ortho and walked toward his mother.
— Can you go get me some wine with Élisa, please?
Nasser sighed, looking tired.
— Fine, okay... Where's the key?
— It's already on the door, just go in and get the wine.
Grâce smiled mischievously.
— And you go with your future sister.
Nasser looked at her with an annoyed look. Élisa, panicked, looked down.
— Oh no... Not him again...
Finally, Nasser and Élisa walked together toward the hallway. They descended the stairs to the basement in heavy silence. Élisa kept looking at the ground, repeating Ino's words in her head.
Nasser, curious, wondered to himself:
"Why isn't she talking to me? What did I do?"
Once they reached the cellar, Nasser opened the door and found the wine crates inside. He pulled out four. Meanwhile, Élisa struggled to lift even one.
Nasser started the conversation.
— Élisa, why aren't you talking to me? If it's because I made you fall, I'm sorry... It wasn't nice of me.
Élisa lowered her head and sighed.
— No, it's fine... I shouldn't have clung to you like that. It was weird on my part too.
— So, will you forgive me? Nasser asked.
— I was never mad at you...
While they were talking, Ortho walked down the hallway of the basement. Seeing the crates already out, he said:
— Ah, that's enough!
He noticed the door left open… and locked it behind him.
Unaware of what was happening, Nasser asked:
— Why are you avoiding me?
Ino's words echoed in Élisa's mind.
She stammered:
— It's not your fault... It's just that... I wanted to see my father quickly, so I left...
She tried to open the door… but it wouldn't open anymore.
— Oh no... Nasser, the door won't open!
Nasser tried as well, but nothing worked. He sighed and touched the handle, visibly frustrated.
Élisa looked at him, worried.
— What's wrong?
Nasser looked at her with depressed eyes.
— We're stuck...