Page 10

Then

Nina Mendez was clumsy .

There was one time, during P.E, where Nina Mendez had misjudged herself when trying to sit on a park bench. Turns out, there were two park benches side by side. When she sat down, she’d accidentally sat too far inward, that she ended up falling in between them.

All their classmates erupted into laughter, with Seth looking on, quietly amused. He expected her to be blushing, like he was so used to. To duck her head in embarrassment.

But no, she laughed along with everyone else. Brushed off her back like it was nothing. How?

Another time, they were walking to their next period classroom. She happened to be walking right in front of him, beside Veronica and Celine.

“-And Augustus Waters just confessed to Hazel-Grace!” her voice carried so loudly, that she was basically announcing this love confession to everyone within a ten metre radius.

What if this Augustus didn’t want everyone to know about his confession?

Then, her foot caught on air. Or maybe pavement. But she stumbled forward a little, and a book slid from the pile of textbooks she was carrying.

A bright blue one. Her friends stopped, glanced at her, and after asking if she’s okay, burst into laughter. So did she.

Seth walked past, and before Nina caught him, he tore his eyes from her. He didn’t realise he’d been watching her movements.

“Do you think he saw? God I hope not -”

One time, after fifth period English class in Term 3, Seth was at the locker bays. It always got so crowded, with students pushing left and right to reach their locker. The configuration of the lockers didn’t help either - they were small and stacked on top of each other.

Thank goodness his locker was right at the top. And that he was quite a tall guy himself.

He reached above the person below him - he was pretty sure it was a pretty girl called Renee he used to flirt around with - and pulled out his school bag from his locker, when all of a sudden everyone gasped around him.

There was a crowd of students gathering around something. Curious, Seth peered over and sighed when he realised it was Nina once again, on the floor, her books scattered around her.

Someone was gathering her things for her, while another helped her up.

“Classic Nina,” someone announced in the locker bay, and everyone laughed along.

Seth observed as Nina’s cheeks grew red, her eyes darting around at everyone. What surprised him more was how she smiled, and laughed along with them. Like she was a part of the joke, not the joke.

Nina’s eyes caught Seth’s at that moment, and he quickly turned away, not wanting to give her any ideas.

Seth wondered how she could easily smile, and look so carefree, look so happy like that, even when everyone around her was laughing at her.

How could she make everything seem so much…. brighter ?