Suddenly, the thought of Nina having feelings for him again consumed him. The thought of her blushing over him, the thought of her looking at him the way she used to back in high school…
“Dude, are you okay?” Nina asked with a chuckle. He’d been silent, he realised.
Clearing his throat, he glanced down at her. She was still much shorter than him, reaching up to just his shoulders.
“Hey, what are you doing this Saturday?”
Nina looked up to him in surprise. Her eyes had this habit of widening the slightest when she was.
“Well, nothing really,” she said, “Why? Did you want to do something?”
Seth flexed his hands, feeling that it was disgustingly moist with sweat.Ugh.
“Me and a couple friends are hanging out,” he said, “I was wondering if you wanted to come along?”
A moment of hesitation on Nina’s part threw Seth into a mental spiral.
Shit, maybe Nina wasn’t comfortable hanging out with people she didn’t know. Maybe she would be nervous. She was naturally friendly, of course, but that didn’t necessarily mean she hung out with justanybody.
Or maybe, Nina is remembering how much of a dick Seth was to her in high school, and rethinking their friendship.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.
Seth shook away these thoughts. Snapped out of it, when Nina said, “That sounds like so much fun, I’m overdue for a chill, fun time out, if I’m being honest.”
She was smiling up at him, looking genuinely excited.
“So, where are we going? I haven’t eaten out at the city in a while, and I know there’s so many good food options - oh god, now I’m salivating over the food -”
Seth couldn’t help the laugh that came out as he watched Nina’s excitement grow, feeling like he wanted to bottle up all her goodness and keep it for himself.
As they reached their streets, their conversation about good restaurants in the city came to an end.
“Well, I’ll see you Sat,” Seth said, lifting his hand in a small wave.
Nina stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She’d never hugged him before.
Not back then, not now. She was so short, but so full of warmth. Slowly, Seth’s arms settled around her too, careful not to hug her too tightly. Careful not to push her in, toward his chest.
He didn’t want her to feel the way his heart had exploded.
Too quickly, she pulled away, grinning.
“I’ll see you Saturday, it’s a date!” she exclaimed, voice carrying down the streets. As it always did.
He watched as she sauntered down her street and turned a corner, out of sight, and never hated so much in his life how she had to be the one to leave him, when all he wanted to do was follow her.
It’s a date.
11
Then
— An excerpt from Nina Mendez’ diary, July 10 2015
It was during the winter school holidays of ninth grade, when Seth was plagued by boredom. He’d gone out, once, during the two-week break, to hang out with Joshua and Gwendolyn, along with other peers in the grade, who were more friends with Joshua than Seth. But he tagged along, because he wanted to doanythingto get out of the house.
They’d gone out to a park to play some soccer and have a picnic.
