Was he too late?
No, he wasn’t. He couldn’t be.
He passed by a coffee shop on the way to the light rail, and took a moment to order a mint hot chocolate. Today, it was a little bit chillier. Seth knew how much Nina loved her mint chocolate.
As he waited for the order to be made, he shot a quick text to Nina.
Seth: how’s class?
Nina: fun!!! Just looking into the origins of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein. She’s so cool
“For Seth?”
Seth glanced up, the voice tearing him from his little Nina bubble. He caught his reflection against the mirror behind the counter and hadn’t realised he was smiling widely.
“Thank you,” he said to the barista.
He held the cup between his hands, keeping it warm. He hoped it’d still be warm when he reached Nina.
Within minutes, Seth arrived at the UNSW stop. Stepping off the light rail, he made his way across the road, already spotting the long pathway that wound through different buildings. Hespotted a basketball court in the distance, and thought about how nice this place was. It gave him the impression of those American high-schools he saw in movies.
There was no way of finding out which building Nina was in, so he sat at the first free bench he could find. His heart thrummed uneven patterns through his body.
He set the mint chocolate down, feeling a chill run through him once he let go. How long until Nina was finished for the day?
To pass time, Seth updated himself on his social media, scrolling mindlessly through posts from distant peers that meant nothing to him. Half an hour flew by, and he was growing restless.
He sent Nina another text.
Seth: You finishing soon?
Nina: Lucky you, just finished now!
Boom. Boom.
His heart reacted violently, beating against his chest. His legs vibrated, making the wooden bench shake. A crowd of students passed by him.
Was Nina among them? He curled his fingers, squeezing his hand closed.
He heard her laughter, first, before he saw her.
He glanced up, and there she was, her smile wide as she spoke with a couple of peers. His breath was sharp, catching at his throat, and he swallowed.
Nina hadn’t noticed him yet. Seth stood from where he sat.
“Nina,” he called out, once she was close enough. She perked up the moment her name left his lips, her neck whipping to andfro, trying to find him among the crowd. He was taller than her, granting him an advantage.
She swivelled her body, and the moment her eyes landed on him, her grin widened.
“Seth!” she enthused, approaching him. She pulled him into a hug, her fingers pressing against his back. He felt her touch seering through the fabric of his shirt. “Why are you here?’
Once Nina pulled away, he handed her the mint chocolate. Her eyes glistened in surprise, and if it wasn’t already possible, her grin stretched more.
“For me?”
“Yes. I wanted to surprise you, and thought you might be cold.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet.”
