The thought of it made him smile a little.
Which was silly.
Did friendship make yousmilethis way?
Unless…
No.
No way. She was Nina Mendez, from high school.
He didn’t like her, neverhasin that way. What would be different now?
It was just the thrill of forming a new friendship. It was the serotonin of gaining a new friend, someone who shared the same high school history as him, who had the same things in common, someone who was quite fun to be around, who kept him company on the train rides.
Just a new friend.
“Seth!”
He heard her voice carry across the platform.
Turning, his eyes landed on her figure as she descended the platform stairs and made her way to him. Portions of her hair were held back by a claw clip, and stray wisps of it fell over her face. Her lips were a different colour, a darker shade of reddish-brown, and she was wearing a red singlet with a bow at its centre, reminding him of that Strawberry Shortcake character.
God.
She was sodamnpretty today, and it annoyed Seth. It annoyed Seth so much.
How did she look this good? Has she always looked this good?
And why, ohwhy,was his heart beating this way for Nina Mendez?
8
Now
“You’re uncharacteristically quiet today.”
It wasn’t…untrue.
Seth had lost all ability to talk to Nina, the moment the glass shattered before him, and he began to see her in an entirely new light two days ago.
He’d tried to ignore it that Wednesday morning, when his heart first started to quicken at the sight of her. He tried to ignore the way his breaths would quicken when she’d reply to one of his messages.
But now, two days later, he couldn’t ignore it anymore.
How was it that every movement of her lips - from the quirk of a smile, to the way she sipped her mint hot chocolate - sent his stomach into a whirlwind?
Why did his brain care so meticulously over the way her hair stuck to her cheeks sometimes?
Or the way that she’d laugh whenever he’d tell her a ridiculously lame joke, as though he was the funniest person she’d ever met.
Pushing his scattered brain aside, he said, “Nothing uncharacteristic about it.”
Then he regretted it.
God, he sounded so uncool. Why couldn’t he think of cooler things to say?
Nina sat back, confused, and a little bemused. He could tell with the way her brow twitched the slightest, and her lips deepened into a small smile.
