Page 19

Then

His parents’ separation was being finalised, if that was even a thing. It wasn’t like they were even getting divorced. Mum was just moving out. “Just”.

She moved out in June, and the moment she left their space, marked the moment everything blurred together for him.

A robotic routine sprung from him. School. Homework. Sleep. Repeat.

The late night gaming too. You couldn’t forget the late night gaming.

There was only one day that stood out for Seth, during that school year.

The history excursion to the Art Gallery of NSW. At first, he found it odd that they’d visit an art gallery for history, until he realised that history itself was frozen through paintings.

He stared in awe at the different works, particularly a large one that engulfed much of the wall space, depicting a conflict with red coated figures.

Joshua was less interested. He spent most of his time on his phone, not paying attention or engaging with what their teacher, Mr. Morrison had to say.

His loss, Seth thought.

They moved downstairs, to check out a Japanese art exhibition that was interwoven with commentary on their culture and history.

Seth found fascination in learning about this other culture that was so different from his own.

A stirring began at the pit of his stomach, for this desire to create something visual, with as much story substance as something like a painting.

Maybe one day.

At one point, he had to go to the bathroom. He’d asked the front desk, and even as they told him explicit directions, he still got lost for a moment. Eventually, he found the set of stairs that led him down to the bathrooms, which were in the corner right at the last floor.

By the time he returned to the exhibit, though, his class was gone. He searched around the space, but they weren’t there.

Huh .

He took his time around the space once more, revelling in the artworks again. Five minutes passed, and he made his way upstairs to the main space.

He peered into the grand open room of paintings, the main display where they’d started. No, his class wasn’t there.

Seth was about to turn to leave, until he glimpsed someone.

It was Nina. She stood in the middle of the room, glancing at a sculpture of a man wrapped in a snake. Or wrestling the snake, it appeared.

He contemplated whether he should say hi, or not, but before he could decide, it seemed his feet decided for him.

“Nina,” he greeted, and she widened her eyes in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh I - I was just in the bathroom then I got lost. Can’t find anyone but thought I’d have one more glance around the space. I love this place.”

She looked back at the sculpture.

“Look, this guy is wrapped around a snake and he’s trying to fight it off. It’s a picture of agony, but the artist managed to sculpt him into something beautiful.”

Seth could see what she meant. The man didn’t look like he was in agony, but rather posing heroically, as though fighting off a giant snake was no feat.

“Which one is your favourite work?”

Nina turned to him, her eyes lighting up. He noticed that her cheeks were red, but only slightly.

“Oh! It’s this one - come -”

She led him through the large arch way, into another interconnecting display space. She kept on walking, until she stopped in front of an artwork of two lovers locked in an intimate embrace.

The Lovers, it was called.

It was such a soft portrait, a glimpse into this relationship between two people, who looked like they hailed from ancient grecian times.

“This is gorgeous,” Seth agreed, “Why is it your favourite?”

He’d learnt that once he started asking Nina Mendez questions outside of the public eye, and away from Joshua, he didn’t want to stop.

“I love it, because it reminds me that love and beauty is this evergreen thing. Like, I’m just constantly fascinated with the concept of art capturing all modes of the human experience.

There’s war, there’s the evil of us all.

But then there are moments like this, of love.

We want to capture every moment of it, no matter what.

To immortalise ourselves. It’s…it’s fascinating. I said fascinating already, didn’t I?”

“I like how you see the world,” he’d blurted out, as if he’d lost control for a second of his thoughts.

Nina’s lips parted, surprised at the outburst, before pulling them into a smile.

“You do?”

Suddenly, he couldn’t grab hold of the reins anymore.

“Yeah. Even in English, you always have a different outlook on life. Like - like,” he wasn’t as good with words as she was, and he felt his tongue stumble about. He swallowed, feeling heat lick at his cheeks.

“You know the movie WALL-E?”

Oh gosh, now he was comparing her to a Pixar post apocalyptic film. Nina seemed amused, her cheeks puffing a little as if holding in a laugh. He had no choice but to continue.

“You know that scene where it’s all grit, but WALL-E finds one plant and suddenly he’s filled with hope? Like this small piece of plant is all he can see, even amongst the rubble, all the ugliness?”

She understood now, where he was going with all this, because she nodded slowly.

“Well, that’s how you make the world seem like,” he said, quietly. Then cleared his throat. “You’re just a very bright personality.”

“Thank you, Seth,” she said, after a moment of stretched silence.

If Joshua, or Will, or anyone else were around, they’d surely never let him hear the end of it. He’d be a laughing stock.

Or would he…?

Stolen moments and quiet conversations with Nina, that’s all they had. At least, here, in high school.

Would it be any different if they met each other elsewhere? Would she have still crushed on him, and would he have acted on it?

No, he couldn’t dwell on these ifs .

The reality was, that wasn’t the reality.

This was the reality, being ridiculed, scoffed at by his friends, being the centre of gossip over one girl’s harmless crush. It was all stupid, but that didn’t matter.

“We should find them, they’ll probably call for security or something if they notice us missing for too long,” Seth professed, moving away from Nina.

The moment was over, and Nina silently compiled.

“Yes, you’re right. Let’s go.”

They didn’t walk side-by-side out of the exhibition. Instead, Seth walked a little ahead of Nina.

Eventually, they found their classmates in the open field that was just outside the Art Gallery, all preparing for their lunch. Seth said hello to Joshua and Will, who teased him for getting lost.

He laughed along, like he really found them funny.

Then, falling to a moment of temptation, he glanced behind.

Nina was sauntering toward her own group, smiling widely. She was telling them something, using her arms in big wide movements. Likely telling them about how much she liked the art gallery.

For a moment, Seth could imagine, for a moment, what it would be like if he sat with Nina.

To listen to what she had to say about the artworks a little more.

Then Joshua said something, and he was pulled out of it.