Page 2

Now

It was all over.

The train was late, and therefore Seth was going to be late to class.

There’d been a technical disruption at a train station on his line, most likely because of the stupid thunderstorm the night before.

Except, the sky betrayed no sense that there’d been a raging storm, instead flaunting a blazing sun that felt more like a January heat, rather than a March sun.

Only in Australia, could you have such unpredictable weather.

Seth tapped his foot with a rebellious zeal, right against the yellow line that served as a barrier between commuters and the edge of the platform.

A huff of impatience left his mouth, as if throwing his annoyance into the world would pull the train to him any faster.

He really didn’t want to shoulder another missed lecture.

Not that his tutor cared, but it was frustrating knowing that he had a multitude of unattended lectures to catch up online.

Even more frustrating, knowing it was entirely his fault for letting it all build up.

“The train on platform 24 is delayed until further notice.”

“You have got to be kidding me,” Seth murmured, rolling his eyes. He tapped his foot a little harder. Groaned out loud. Did everything that constitutes a child’s tantrum in his 22-year-old body.

He lifted his wrist, as if to check the time on his watch, before remembering.

Oh yeah. He didn’t have one.

After another thirty seconds, Seth knew that it was no use. The lecture this morning was going to be missed. The train was already running twenty minutes late, and the train he caught always got him to Sydney Central station on the dot.

Finally, the blissful screeching of metal against metal sounded, signalling the train’s arrival.

Seth, along with the other workers and university students, stepped forward, all of them toeing dangerously over the yellow barrier.

He craned his neck forward, his height granting him the advantage to peer over the huddle of late school students beside him.

His eyes locked with a pair of brown ones, for a brief moment, as he adjusted his gaze over the school students.

Wait.

Is that -

Recognition sparked through him, his mind racing at a rapid pace as his memory scrambled to put a name to the face. The moment was soon gone as the train came to a screeching halt in front of them.

His focus shifted to getting the best possible seat on the train.

While it wasn’t the peak of peak hour, there were still quite a lot of people, all threatening to take his best seats.

As the train doors opened, and passengers spilled out, Seth stepped forward and slipped through.

Every carriage was divided into an upstairs and downstairs portion, and Seth favoured upstairs because the suburban views were often worth it.

He felt on top of the world, rather than under it.

He also always went for the single seaters, to guarantee no one else would sit beside him, and so he could occupy the seat across from him with his bag.

Yet, as Seth climbed the stairs, his hope in grabbing his favourite seat slowly dwindled. Row after row, commuters spilled onto the seats.

His eyes darted around, until they landed on a free seat at the other end of the carriage. The single seat.

Yes! He made his way down the aisle, until he realised that it was occupied.

The girl from before. He noticed the girl lifting her tote bag, ready to place it on the seat opposite to her, just like he would if he’d taken the seat. Before she could do so, he slid into the space, his leg brushing hers.

“Sorry miss ,” he started, as she pulled her bag backward. Pleased, he lowered his body onto the free spot.

Ha. Success.

It was only when he’d adjusted himself on the seat, that Seth caught a glimpse of the girl in front of him. A bob of dark chestnut hair met his gaze first, before they settled on her face.

He drew in a breath, as the years stripped back. Suddenly, he was in high school again.

“ Nina ?”

She met his eyes, and her brown ones widened with realisation, her expression no doubt mirroring his own.

“Seth?”

The train lurched forward, and Nina’s tote bag, which was lying on her lap, bumped against his knees. He pursed his lips at the unexpected impact of whatever contents she held in there, and Nina scrambled to pull the bag toward her.

“Sorry-”

Seth’s eyes stayed on her. Nostalgia, hot and burning, pierced his memory. Every fleeting moment he spent with Nina, sped through his mind, like a montage.

She’d been there, this quiet constant, throughout high school. He spent many years sharing the same classes with her. But they never became friends.

Not really.

Not in the traditional sense.

High-school Seth was something like a big asshole .

And Nina Mendez was the unfortunate soul who had a hopeless crush on him.

Who’d ended up getting her heart broken by him.

But that was four years ago, now.

Does she remember that?

Now, stranded in the present, the two of them studied each other, neither unsure of who will start the conversation. Of who will make the first move.

“What have you been up to? -”

“So are you still studying or working…?”

Their words tumbled together, and Seth noticed as Nina’s cheeks deepened.

A sight I’m not unfamiliar with. The thought slithered into his mind unwarranted, accompanied by all the times Nina had looked at him with those red, abashed cheeks. It both amused him and baffled him, so he pushed the memory away.

“You go first,” Seth offered. He’d already taken her bag seat. Well, technically, she had taken his .

Nina smiled, but it was a little awkward.

“Well, I’ve been good,” she began, “Just, you know, getting used to being an adult. University, jobs, placements, all the messy, terrifying things.”

“What are you doing again?” Seth asked.

“Creative writing at UNSW. I’m in my last year this year. Would’ve been last year, but I took a gap year after graduation, and, well yeah.”

“Oh - that’s right.”

Nina had been notorious for being one of the best in English. During their HSC exam preparations, everyone would flock to her to ask advice on their creative writing pieces.

Nina nodded, smiling.

“And you, how are you going? You’re doing something in gaming, right?”

Seth didn’t remember mentioning that.

“At UTS yeah, also like you. Except I just took a year off to work. Wait - How did you know I was doing gaming?” he questioned, and he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips.

“Oh I-” Nina stumbled on her words, the red in her cheeks growing more prominent. “Well, I just remembered that you really loved gaming…back then.”

Of course she’d remember.

Nina’s crush on him wasn’t exactly…kept a secret. In fact, their entire grade knew, all because of an unfortunate incident that involved Nina accidentally declaring her feelings for him in front of their entire cohort. Teachers included.

“You’re right,” Seth affirmed, “I’m in my third and final year too. We’re going to be looking at internships soon, I think as well.”

“It’s scary stuff isn’t it?”

She was still blushing.

“It is, it really is.”

Silence fell over them, one that felt almost claustrophobic to Seth. He wanted to say more, but he wasn’t sure of what to say. Nina was never his friend, after all.

How do you talk to someone who you hardly spoke to, back in high school?

At least the feeling was mutual. Nina was wringing her fingers together, visibly biting her right cheek.

The train lurched slightly, and Nina wound her arms tightly around the bag on her lap, so it didn’t hit Seth again. The movement drew attention to a keychain that dangled from its strap that he hadn’t noticed before. It was a crocheted Hello Kitty.

“Can’t believe you still have that,” he said.

It was one that she’s had since Year 7.

Nina’s eyes drifted to the keychain, as if she didn’t even realise it was there. She smiled.

“Well, of course I do, it’s one of my favourites.”

The keychain plush had lost almost all of its colour, and was coated in a questionable shade of grey, brown and age.

“But I can’t believe you remembered it,” she added.

“I mean, it was so big on your bag that anyone would notice it,” Seth said, chuckling at the memory. Nina smiled.

“It’s so crazy isn’t it?” she said, “How long ago our graduation was.”

“Was it three, four years ago now?”

“Yeah, four years ago.”

Seth blew out his cheeks, in a sort of disbelief.

Has it really been four years since then? High school felt like only yesterday…but at the same time, it felt so far away. The friends he had in high school, who he hung out with during graduation, who he’d partied with, gamed with…they’d lost touch not long after that.

It’s strange to spend six of your most formative years with a group of people who you’d hardly see afterward.

Nina chuckled suddenly, drawing Seth from his thoughts. Her eyes were clouded over in nostalgia.

“Do you remember when Mr. Rallis gave that speech at our graduation? When he dressed up as a big love heart to profess his love for our cohort?” she asked, and Seth laughed along with the memory.

Of course he remembered.

“And do you remember, our PE teacher in Year 10, Mr - oh gosh how could I forget his name -”

“Mr. Louis?”

Nina snapped her fingers, her lips widening, “Yes, I remember all the times he’d get back at Sean and Dennis and would always separate them?”

They both laughed at the memory, as Seth sat back in that PE classroom, watching with amusement as two of the biggest troublemakers, Sean and Dennis, were told off.

Then, Seth’s gaze fell on Nina, studying her. She looked almost the exact same as she did in high school.

Of course, her features had matured. Her jaw had slimmed a little, and her hair was cut much shorter, just above her shoulder - he remembered her hair being a little longer in high school.

There was also the makeup, the subtle touch of eyeliner and eyebrow tint.

She looked the same, yet Seth couldn’t pinpoint why she also looked completely different .