Not when his parents had started spending more and more nights away from each other. The week before, his Dad was away for almost three nights.
He wouldn’t be surprised when they finally announced that they were divorcing.
But just because he didn’t care about sex so much, didn’t mean he hadn’t enjoyed the thrill of shameless flirting. As long as it never led anywhere, never led him to be close to anyone.
When Seth joined the boys table, he heard Joshua’s loud groan from across the room. He glanced back, with a scowl burning his eyebrows.
And that’s when his eyes fell on Nina. She was sitting beside Celine, pointing and smiling at her laptop screen.
The glow from the screen spilled onto her features, making her appear illuminated.
It distracted him a moment, that he lingered a little too long on her. She must’ve felt his gaze, because her eyes fluttered up. Met his.
And he looked away immediately.
During Term 2 of high school, their family car had to be sent to the mechanic. It had to be there for around two weeks, meaning that Seth’s Mum used the car for work, and his Dad used public transport to carpool to his. They could’ve easily carpooled together, but no.
Seems like even convenience couldn’t mend a broken marriage.
There was no bus stop built near Seth’s house, and he definitely didn’t count the dodgy one on the side of the road that guaranteed a twenty minute walk home. He’d hoped that the new train station and shopping centre being built nearby would hurry up.
Before, it was Seth’s Dad that would pick him up from work, since he finished on time. But now, that wasn’t possible.
And Seth’s Mum finished an hour after Seth’s last class did. So he had no choice, but to wait at a nearby park just a tenminute walk away, because Seth’s Mum didn’t like driving in through the office school gate.
His friends all took the bus, so he had no one really to walk with.
On the first day that he stood at the traffic light crossing, he noticed a flash of chestnut brown hair tied back into braids.
Nina.
His heart sped up curiously, but he lingered back, so she didn’t spot him.
She was walking on her own, with wired earphones connected. Together, they crossed, with him a few steps behind.
He watched her as they sauntered toward the park, and even though there was a crowd of students around them, he felt oddly as if it was just them two alone.
She swayed her head to whatever music she was listening to. The sight of it made Seth smile.
He continued to linger back, concealing himself behind some trees when they reached the park, and pretending to be occupied on his phone. She hung near a swing, and was picked up within five minutes.
The second day, he caught her at the traffic light again.
And on cue, his heart began to speed up.
Why don’t you just talk to her?
Joshua and Will weren’t around, and really, who cares if anyone saw them? They were both from the same classes, it was normal that he’d chat with her.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he sidled up beside her. The action startled her, because her shoulders jerked backward, and she’d yanked the earphones out.
“Oh gosh, Seth!” she exclaimed. Then, she placed a hand just above her heart, “You scared me.”
“You scare easily,” he laughed. She looked really cute when she was scared.
“Well, I can’t really argue with that, sadly,” she replied.
Then, they walked on in silence, not knowing what to say.
