Page 22 of The Mismatch

‘That’d be really cool.’ He paused, as though deliberating what to say next. ‘You know, I saw your drawings on Instagram. You’re really good.’

Her face coloured with the knowledge that it wasn’t just she who had been social media stalking.

‘I think people would pay good money for your illustrations,’ he said. His confidence was contagious. No one had ever told her that, but rather had agreed with her that it was a hobby, nothing more. ‘I know I would,’ he said, smiling.

‘Thanks. I’m trying to develop my style more, especially now we’ve graduated. I’d love to be able to do more detailed drawings. Like Studio Ghibli style, colourful with lots of landscape detail.’

‘Studio Ghibli?’

‘You’ve never watched any Ghibli films?’

‘No …’

‘You need to.’

‘I’ll hold you to that then,’ he said. ‘Is this what you want to do now we’ve graduated then? Work on your art?’

Art. Again, she’d never been given permission to think of what she did as ‘art’. It wasn’t that her mum didn’t supporther drawing – she liked to look at them – but was firmly set on it being a hobby and nothing more. She sometimes made Soraya feel embarrassed even to think about it as something more than that. So she didn’t.

‘I don’t really know. Part of me wishes I had chosen to study graphic design instead of English. I’d love to have a visual job. I keep applying for marketing jobs but I don’t even know what they would involve.’ It was easier being frank with him. Perhaps because she knew their time together would be short-lived.

‘I wouldn’t worry too much if you don’t know what your plans are yet.’

‘Says the boy who knows exactly what his plans are,’ she joked. He had told her he planned to do a Masters degree next year, provided he got enough funding.

‘I’m older than you, though.’

‘You are?’ This was news to her.

‘I’m assuming you’re … what … twenty-one, twenty-two?’

‘Twenty-one.’

‘I’m twenty-four. I did a different course for a year before I started this one, and took a few years after that to figure out what I really wanted to study. So, I’ve had more time to think about it.’

Magnus explained that he’d studied Law at Leeds but dropped out. ‘It just wasn’t me.’ He shrugged. ‘It was hard telling my parents I was dropping out – especially because I’m the first in my family to go to university – but I knew Icouldn’t spend another two years studying it. I probably would have failed, to be honest.’

Soraya couldn’t imagine dropping out of university. In her family, once you committed to something you stuck to it, even if it turned out to be a huge mistake.

‘I thought it would be awkward being a bit older starting uni again, but I joined the rugby team and quite a few of them are older too, so it turned out all right.’

‘What does being part of the team entail, exactly?’ she asked.

He looked up at her and smirked. ‘Um, I don’t know, you play rugby?’

‘I get the feeling it’s like a brotherhood.’

He snorted. ‘A brotherhood?’

‘Yeah. You always hang out in packs.’

‘Packs,’ he repeated slowly, a small smile on his face.

She worried that she’d said something stupid and began picking at the skin around her nails. Magnus put his hands over hers quite suddenly.

‘You shouldn’t do that,’ he said quietly.

He played with her fingers as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Just his touch on her hand sent a flutter through her.