Nano Modern Myth 2.5.2

Euan left the room and shortly after they heard the front door slam.
“So, while the cat’s away, the mice’ll play,” Felix said, rubbing his hands together. “What should we do now?”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to take Euan’s seat!” Eurig exclaimed, leaping up and springing into the large armchair.
“It’s a great view from that chair,” Simon said in his soft, gentle voice. “You can see the whole city from there.”
“I know,” Felix replied with a wicked grin. “It’s a great chair for spying from.”
“I wouldn’t have thought there was much to spy on,” Simon replied, a curious expression crossing his pale green eyes.
“Ooh, you’d be surprised,” Felix replied enigmatically.
“Look!” said Eurig, sitting up in the chair, “It’s that girl again!”
Felix and Simon got up and crowded over Eurig’s shoulders.
“Which girl?” Simon asked, squinting out the window.
“Down there, coming up the road,” Eurig said, gesturing at a figure climbing up the hill, her white-blonde hair a bright guiding beacon. “I’ve seen her around before.”
“She’s a bit of alright, isn’t she?” Felix leered with a wink.
“I know her!” Simon exclaimed, to the surprise of the others. “That’s Eluned. Welsh girl, if you couldn’t guess. Does Geography with me and Tom.”
“Ooh, never!” Eurig replied, his eyes fixed on the girl climbing the hill.
“You should go ask her out,” said Felix, clapping one hand on Eurig’s shoulder. “Play up to the Welsh card.”
“Oh, no, I couldn’t do that,” Eurig replied with a blush. “I don’t even know her. Besides, she might already have a boyfriend and then it would just be embarrassing.”
“I don’t think she does,” Simon replied thoughtfully, running one hand through his straggly, brownish-red hair. “I could find out if you like.”
“Could you?” Eurig replied, biting his lip and fidgeting.
“You’d better get in there quickly before someone else does,” said Felix, rolling his eyes. “I’ll go ask her if you like.”
He started walking towards the door.
“No! Not you!” Eurig exclaimed sharply, jumping to his feet. “You’ll only cause trouble, you.”
“Fine, whatever,” Felix replied with a shrug. “I was just thinking that if I start heading down the hill now, I’d be able to ‘accidentally’ bump into her.”
“I suppose I could do that,” said Simon, nodding his head. “I mean, I already sort of know her. It wouldn’t be so weird for me to stop and say ‘hi’.”
“Could you do that for me?” Eurig asked, his eyes wide.
“Yeah, I reckon so,” Simon replied with a smile. “I’d better go now though.”
He headed through the door and into the hallway.
“I owe you one!” Eurig called after him, then sat back in the chair to watch the action.

****

Eluned stopped and sized him up, her pale grey eyes searching over him.
“Good, thanks,” she said, flicking her white-blonde hair over her shoulder. Her voice was cold, her accent high, sharp and nasal.
“I don’t see you around in so many lectures anymore,” he said playfully, with a conspiratorial smile.
“I think we’ve taken different modules this year,” she said dismissively, with a one-shouldered shrug.
“So how’s life been treating you?” he asked expansively, concealing his sinking feeling that this was not going so well.
“Same as ever,” she replied, a slight frown crossing her clear, pale skin.
Simon reached back into the dregs of his memory and pulled up a name of whom he’d heard was an ex-boyfriend.
“Still together with Ben?” he asked lightly, putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
“No,” she replied suspiciously. “We split up about a year ago.”
“Oh!” he said, putting on a show of being slightly embarrassed. “Are you seeing someone else then?”
She paused, looking him up and down with a slightly calculating look.
“I’m not,” she replied eventually. “Why are you asking?”
“Just making conversation!” he replied jovially, with a defensive hand gesture. “Although…” he trailed off, not entirely sure how to proceed with his next statement.
“Look, I’m not interested in you Simon,” she said sharply. “To save you the bother of asking.”
“It’s not me!” he said rashly, taken aback. “I mean…”
“Oh, so there is someone, is there?” she said sarcastically. “Go on then, who is it?”
Simon shifted uncomfortably on the spot.
“Well, it’s just… it’s my friend, you see,” he began awkwardly. “I’ve heard him say he likes you and I just thought that, seeing as you were passing, I might just, you know, test the waters.”
“Which friend?” she replied impatiently, quirking a finely-plucked eyebrow.
“Err… Do you know Eurig?” he asked hesitantly.
“Yes I do. There’s him and his twin sister Cerys, both of them come here to do their degrees.”
Eluned paused again, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully.
“Yes, that’s him,” Simon replied faintly.
“You know, it’s funny,” she said stridently, “I always thought he was gay.”
“Really?” he replied neutrally, shifting the weight in his feet.
“Yes. You too for that matter,” she said, with a sniff.
“Well, do you want to go out with him or not?” he said, slight irritation in his tone now.
“No denials, then?” she said with a cackle. “Ok, look. He wants to ask me out he can damn well call me himself.”
“He doesn’t have your number,” Simon replied quickly.
“God, a man who doesn’t have my number,” she said with a shake of her head, “now there’s a shocker.”
“Why not just meet up with him, say, Friday at 8? In the Union Bar?” said Simon, irritation definitely evident in his tone.
“The Union Bar? Screw that,” she replied loftily. “If I’m going on a blind date he can take me somewhere nice. And he can pay.”