Her arms were splayed outward, and her leg propped up, her face paused mid-laughter. The way the sun caught her figure made her seem to glow.
A strange stirring tickled Seth’s stomach. He scrolled onwards, his lips twitching.
I’m not stalking,he told himself.Just….catching up. Observing…
He noticed how her appearance had shifted, how the maturity settled on her eyes, on her cheekbones, and the way her jaw was more prominent. She still held youthful cheeks, and her smile was the same. The subtle makeup she wore made her look bolder, noticeable. He really liked how her hair looked now too, it’s short length seemed to frame her face really well.
Strangely, he felt his cheeks burn slightly as his eyes raked over her face.
Pretty.
But was it so much a realisation, or a reminder?
His pulse began to quicken, and he shook his head. He noticed that Nina didn’t really post much throughout the year, maybe four times at most. Scrolling further, he eventually reached the high school years. He could tell the year based on how she used filters for her selfies.
A smile tugged at his lips as he breathed in her old appearance with a wave of nostalgia.
This is how he remembered her.
A braided headband, long ponytail and fuller cheeks. And those eyes that always glanced his way, even when she thought she was being subtle.
He studied her face, and realised that even then, she was pretty.
Always had been.
Seth started to scroll again, but as his thumb grazed the screen, he realised it’d accidentally pressed the heart.
Shit!
The red heart stared at him like a mockery.
No, no, no!Even if he pressed the heart to unlike, it wouldn’t take away the notification.
Sinking into bed, Seth groaned. Suddenly, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Nina.
Nina: Stalking me, I see?
Warmth flooded onto Seth’s neck and cheeks as he read the message.
She saw it, she saw it, she saw him like the old photo.
He froze, unsure of how to reply, when she sent another.
Nina: Let me join
Right after, a notification popped up. Nina had liked one ofhisold photos too. A grin crept onto his face, his pulse quickening.
Seth: I bet you stalk me all the time
Nina: Of course. It’s all I do day and night, during classes, in between
Seth: Can’t say I’m surprised ;)
He pressed send, keeping his eyes glued onto their open chat. He saw as Nina read the message, and reacted to it with a laughing emoji. Then, nothing.
A minute passed. A second.
She didn’t reply.
