And then, he’d be all alone at school too, just like he was at home.
“What?” Joshua scoffed.
Seth shut down. Let the voices of his friends take the wheel in his mind.
“Don’tinsultme, mate,” Seth repeated, a heartless laugh sounding from his throat, “Me? Liking a girl likeNina? Fuck man, have youseenthe other girls in our grade?”
Joshua’s lips twisted, amused. Satisfied.
“But you were so defe-”
“Bro, she’snothingcompared to the others. God, how could you think I’d go for someone likeNina? She’s not my fucking type, never has been, she’s not evenpretty,and I’m not about to throw theUword out there but just -”
“Okay, okay, we get it,” Joshua guffawed, throwing his head back.
Seth felt sick. He didn’t even feel like himself. Everything felt distant, like he’d just astral projected right out of his own body. He watched his lips form this twisted smirk, like he was so pleased with himself.
Joshua clapped him on the back, this resounding thing that rung through Seth’s bones.
That’s when he heard it. The sniffles.
Then -
“You’re anassholeSeth. What iswrongwith you?”
Bianca’s voice echoed across the hallways. They hadn’t been as discreet as they’d hoped - their classmates were now forming a single line outside the classroom now, ready to come in.
One of them had been Nina.
Outside the classroom, Seth could hear Nina, quietly sobbing, as she whisked away, the camera she was filming with before, still in her grasp. He heard her friends call out to her softly, but she ignored them.
Each sound, a bullet against his heart.
Veronica stepped into the classroom, her eyes shifting between the two boys.
“Are you happy now, dickheads?
“Bianca - Veronica - Now -” Seth began, his voice quivering, and anxiety squeezing his chest. He released a shaky chuckle.
“It’s no big deal,” Joshua interjected, rolling his eyes, “God -”
“You know what, fuck you both,” Bianca yelled, before she and Veronica exited the room, following in Nina’s direction.
“Girls are so dramatic, geez,” Joshua retorted once more, as he took his seat.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. Seth tried to catch Nina’s attention, to somehow apologise to her. What could he even say though?
His words played on a torturous loop in his mind. He hated himself for saying that, but most of all, hehatedhurting Nina.
25
Now
Nina: I think I might actually heed your advice
Seth: Oh? Please, do enlighten me more
Nina: Well….I might be hanging out with Carlos today. Just friendly! Not a date! But I might listen to what you said and idk…tell him I have a crush
