It had been weeks, and Helena hadn't called. Dami tried once, but when the call went to voicemail, she didn't try again. She didn't want to seem desperate or scare Helena off, so she waited.
Today, she had to work on her project. The topic had been assigned months ago, but Dami still had nothing. The theme was nothing, and she was completely stuck. She had thought about submitting a blank canvas, but that felt lazy. Then she considered painting a void—just a black expanse—but even that felt too obvious and uninspired.
For the fourth time that day, Dami stepped out of the department's art studio and walked to the nearest coffee shop. She ordered a coffee and took a seat by the window, resting her chin on her hand.
She searched for inspiration, typing "definition of nothing" into Google on her phone, scrolling through articles and quotes, but none of it helped. An hour passed, and she still had nothing, ironically. Frustrated, she decided to head home and try again tomorrow.
Just as she was leaving, her phone buzzed. She opened the notification and her heart leaped. It was a text from Helena.
Hey. Are you free to meet up?
Dami replied immediately, trying not to seem too eager. Yes. Where?
Thirty minutes later, Dami pulled into the girls' dorm parking lot. She texted Helena to let her know she was outside.
A few moments later, Helena stepped out of the building. The hot afternoon sun reflected off her skin, and for a second, she shielded her face with her hand. Dami couldn't help but notice how tired she looked, like she hadn't been sleeping well.
Helena scanned the parking lot, searching for Dami's car, but instead, her gaze landed directly on her. Dami was leaning casually against the side of her car, arms crossed, her lips curled into a small smile. Helena stopped in her tracks, just staring for a moment, taking her in.
Dami was gorgeous. Helena had thought that the first time she'd seen her standing in the living room with her mother. But now, seeing her leaning there, so effortlessly confident, she thought it again.
Dami was tall, her dark skin flawless, she stood with a kind of confidence that pulled people in, Helena felt and so did every person who walked past her, they always took second glances.
"Hey," Dami said as soon as their eyes met, her smile widening.
"Hi," Helena replied, smiling back.
"You look lovely," Dami said, watching with fascination as Helena's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink.
Helena looked down, fiddling with her bracelet. "Thanks."
"So, where do you want to go?" Dami asked once they were both seated in the car.
"I haven't had lunch, so I was thinking we could start there," Helena replied.
"Perfect," Dami said, starting the car.
They went to a nearby restaurant and ordered a large pizza and soft drinks. Dami picked a table at the far end of the restaurant, away from the noise.
Before they ate, Helena looked at her, hesitating for a moment. "Before anything, I want to apologize for not calling you back."
"Why didn't you?" Dami asked, her voice soft but curious.
"I wanted to, but honestly… I was scared."
Dami tilted her head slightly. "Of what?"
Helena gave her a look that said, You know exactly what.
"Of what happened the last time," Helena finally admitted. "Of… us."
There was a long silence between them before Dami spoke. "I understand. It's overwhelming." She smiled, trying to reassure her, and Helena released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
After a moment, Helena asked, "So, what were you doing before I texted?"
"I was trying to figure out my project," Dami replied, taking a sip of her drink.
"Did you figure it out?"
"No."
"Maybe I can help."
Dami laughed but then shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt." She went on to explain her project—the theme, the ideas she'd considered, and why none of them felt good enough.
Helena listened quietly, watching Dami talk. There was something about the way Dami spoke—slowly, deliberately, her voice rich and warm, like hot chocolate.
"What if they want you to think about it philosophically?" Helena suggested after a moment.
Dami raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You know when people say, 'If everyone is talking at the same time, no one is really talking'?"
Dami nodded.
"Well," Helena continued, "you could look at nothing as being too much of everything all at once."
Dami's lips curled into a slow smile. "Hela, you're a genius. Come on."
"Hela?" Helena lifted a questioning brow.
"It's your new nickname," Dami explained.
They had the waiter pack the leftover pizza, then they got back into the car.
"Where are we going?" Helena asked, amused by Dami's sudden burst of energy.
"You'll see," Dami replied, grinning.