And Nina Mendez was the unfortunate soul who had a hopeless crush on him.
Who’d ended up getting her heart broken by him.
But that was four years ago, now.
Does she remember that?
Now, stranded in the present, the two of them studied each other, neither unsure of who will start the conversation. Of who will make the first move.
“What have you been up to? -”
“So are you still studying or working…?”
Their words tumbled together, and Seth noticed as Nina’s cheeks deepened.
A sight I’m not unfamiliar with.The thought slithered into his mind unwarranted, accompanied by all the times Nina had looked at him with those red, abashed cheeks. It both amused him and baffled him, so he pushed the memory away.
“You go first,” Seth offered. He’d already taken her bag seat. Well, technically, she had takenhis.
Nina smiled, but it was a little awkward.
“Well, I’ve been good,” she began, “Just, you know, getting used to being an adult. University, jobs, placements, all the messy, terrifying things.”
“What are you doing again?” Seth asked.
“Creative writing at UNSW. I’m in my last year this year. Would’ve been last year, but I took a gap year after graduation, and, well yeah.”
“Oh - that’s right.”
Nina had been notorious for being one of the best in English. During their HSC exam preparations, everyone would flock to her to ask advice on their creative writing pieces.
Nina nodded, smiling.
“And you, how are you going? You’re doing something in gaming, right?”
Seth didn’t remember mentioning that.
“At UTS yeah, also like you. Except I just took a year off to work. Wait - How did you know I was doing gaming?” he questioned, and he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips.
“Oh I-” Nina stumbled on her words, the red in her cheeks growing more prominent. “Well, I just remembered that you really loved gaming…back then.”
Of course she’d remember.
Nina’s crush on him wasn’t exactly…kept a secret. In fact, their entire grade knew, all because of an unfortunate incident that involved Nina accidentally declaring her feelings for him in front of theirentirecohort. Teachers included.
“You’re right,” Seth affirmed, “I’m in my third and final year too. We’re going to be looking at internships soon, I think as well.”
“It’s scary stuff isn’t it?”
She was still blushing.
“It is, it really is.”
Silence fell over them, one that felt almost claustrophobic to Seth. He wanted to say more, but he wasn’t sure of what to say. Nina was never hisfriend,after all.
How do you talk to someone who you hardly spoke to, back in high school?
At least the feeling was mutual. Nina was wringing her fingers together, visibly biting her right cheek.
