Teen Years [Heartstopper]

5

TW: This chapter contains mentions of homophobia, bullying, fighting, underage drinking, Self harm, body image issues and mental health.

"Cierra let's just go home!" Charlie stepped in front of me.
"Let's go Cierra." Tara said as she stood behind me.
"I-" I started to yell at Harry.
"You know what never mind." I rolled my eyes and walked away.
*At Home*
I didn't say a word the entire trip home. Nick went home. Charlie and I walked into our house together. As soon as we shut the door Charlie tapped on my shoulder.
"Cierra are you okay?" He said with a concerned expression.
"Yeah Charlie, I'm fine!" I smiled as I hung up my jacket.
"You know you can talk to me right? About anything, ever." Charlie hugged me.
"I know but right now I just want to go upstairs and go to sleep." I placed my shoes next to the door and walked up the stairs and to my room.
I walked into my room and locked the door. I checked my phone. I had a message notification.
———
Messages
"Hey Cierra I wanted to check on you. How are you?" The message was from Elle.
"Elle?" I responded.
"Yeah, how are you?" Elle responded instantly.
"I'm fine, you?" I sat on my bean bag and texted back.
"I'm okay. I actually wanted to talk to you." She added a smiley emoji after her message.
"What's up?" I added the same smiley emoji.
"Well I actually wanted to apologize. I'm so sorry...for everything." She responded.
"No I'm sorry. I have been an unreliable friend recently." I got out of my bean bag and started walking around my room as I responded.
"I have been a terrible friend. I am so so sorry for everything Cierra, can we maybe be friends?" She responded after 5 minutes.
"Of course. I love you Elle!" I added a red heart emoji at the end of my message.
"I love you too Ci." Elle went offline.
———
I sat my phone down and went to Charlie's bedroom door. I knocked twice.
"Hey Charlie can we talk?" I said as he opened the door.
"Yeah come in." He let me in.
"Thank you." I smiled.
"What's up Ci?" He shut his door.
"I lied earlier, when I said I was fine I wasn't being fully honest." I sat on his bed.
"What's going on Ci?" He sat on his drum seat.
"Well how are you?" I tried changing the subject.
"I'm good but Cierra what's going on?" He got up and sat beside me.
"Recently I've had a lot of trouble with my mental health. The relapse...the body image issues...I just feel like I'm ruining everything." I leaned my head against my brothers shoulder.
"You are not ruining anything Ci." Charlie looked like he had tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry Charlie, I shouldn't have said anything." I wiped my tears and sat up.
"Cierra you can always talk to me. I'm here...always." Charlie hugged me.
"That means the world to me Charlie. You can always talk to me whenever. I am always here Charlie." I hugged him back.
"I love you." He smiled.
"I love you too." I smiled and left to my room.
I went to my room and finished my homework and then went to sleep.
*1 Month Later (April 23rd)*
"Guys it's midnight, we've been playing this same game all night!" Elle said in an annoyed voice.
"Just call it a draw!" I sighed.
"I will not! I am clearly winning! I just have unlucky rolls." Tao refused to give up.
"No I'm winning! I have more money." Charlie argued.
"I am the superior business person!" Tao pointed his finger in the air.
"Whoops." Issac kicked over the monopoly board.
"Draw?" Charlie said.
"Draw." Tao sounded disappointed.
"Finally." Elle said in a relieved tone.
"Anyone want hot chocolate?" Charlie asked.
"Um yes." We all agreed.
Issac and Charlie went to get the hot chocolates while Tao, Elle, and I stayed back.
"Are we going to tell him?" Tao looked over at Elle.
"Tao what are you talking about?" I sat beside him.
"Tao and I heard Nick agree to a date with Imogen during the rugby match when you and Harry fought. They kept pushing the date back because Imogen was always busy and Nick was also busy but the date is sometime this week." Elle said.
"No." I refused to believe it.
"It's what we heard." Tao sighed.
"Okay can we stop talking about this." Elle said.
I don't know much of what was said but the next thing I know Tao jumped up and started dancing.
"Go Tao! Go Tao!" I said, cheering him on.
"Do I even want to know?" Charlie walked into the room with the drinks.
"Hey Charlie!" I said as he sat on the floor beside his bed.
"So I was thinking of inviting Nick to my birthday thing on Saturday. Cierra is fine with it but I know you guys don't really know him so I don't want it to be like weird or anything." Charlie said as he handed a cup to Tao.
"Nope. Won't be weird." Tao said, taking a drink of his hot chocolate.
"Not weird at all." Elle looked over at Tao and took a sip of her hot chocolate.
"I mean I thought he was coming anyway!" Issac smiled.
"And you already know I'm okay with it!" I smiled and took a drink.
"Okay!" Charlie smiled.
We sat there laughing and talking for hours until we all decided to go to sleep. Charlie, Tao, and Issac slept in Charlie's room. Issac slept on the floor and Tao slept on a chair Charlie had set up in the corner of his room. Elle and I slept in my room. She slept on my bean bag and I slept in my bed. The next morning when I work up Elle was already gone. I knocked on Charlie's door but there was no response. I went downstairs and found the entire group sitting at the table talking. I grabbed a cup and filled it with orange juice and then I sat down across from Elle.
"Good morning!" Elle said energetically.
"Morning." I rubbed my eyes.
*2 Days Later (April 25th)*
I sat at my usual seat in French. I took out my notebook and started writing. I looked up when I heard the door open, it was Harley. She walked over and sat down beside me.
"Hey Har!" I shut my notebook and smiled.
"Hey!" She sat her stuff in her desk.
"I actually have a question!" I turned to face Harley.
"What's up?" She placed her pen in the center of her notebook.
"Well my birthday is Saturday." I looked at my notebook on my desk
"I know, I sort of have it marked in my calendar." She pulled out a calendar and opened it to the month of April.
"Well my friends, my brother, and I are going bowling and we'll I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come? You don't have to if you don't want to though!" I looked back at Harley.
"I'll be there!" She smiled.
We sat and talked about the plans for the rest of the class period.
*2 Days Later (April 27th)
Charlie left for the bowling alley before me. I was still getting ready when he left. My parents were out. My head was throbbing I was so nervous. I ran downstairs to get a drink of water. I opened the fridge and noticed a bottle of vodka. I thought why not and grabbed the bottle. I started drinking it. Before I knew it, half of the full bottle was gone. The room was spinning. I drank a little bit of water and left for the party. Nick's mom picked me up. Nick was in the car. I sat in the back seat and buckled up. I looked up at the ceiling.
Before I knew it we had arrived. I thanked Nick's mom for driving me and got out of the car. I fell onto the ground as I stepped out of the car. Nick ran over to me and helped me up. He looked concerned but he didn't say anything. I stumbled into the building and then I went to our lane and sat down. Nick and Charlie walked over to us.
"Everyone this is Nick!" Charlie introduced Nick to the group.
"We are picking names for the board. Fun names!" Elle looked at Nick.
"Fun names?" Nick walked over to them.
"Hey Harley!" I smiled as Harley walked over to us.
"Hey!" Harley sat beside me.
A few minutes passed and it was my turn.
"Charlie I don't feel so good." I stood up and became extremely dizzy.
"Cierra are you okay?" Charlie walked over to me.
"Yeah yeah!" I lied and walked over to where the bowling balls were.
"Cierra are you sure you're okay?" Charlie looked concerned.
"Yeah!" I laughed and grabbed the bowling ball.
"This ball is heavy." I almost dropped it and I laughed.
"It's a bowling ball." Elle looked concerned.
"Here we gooooo!" I screamed as I dropped the ball on my toe.
"ARE YOU OKAY?" Nick ran over to me.
"I'm fine." I picked up the ball and rolled it.
I started dancing and Charlie walked over to me.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I may have drank too much of that bottle." I laughed, still dancing.
"What bottle?" Nick was standing beside Charlie now.
"I think it was clear? All I know is it tasted like metal." I said, still dancing.
"Please tell me you didn't drink mom and dad's vodka that was in the fridge?!" Charlie asides.
"I think that's what it was yes!" I started dancing slower.
"You're drunk?" Nick sighed.
"Yes." I stumbled but continued to dance.
"Come on you need to sit down." Charlie helped walk me over to the seats.
"Stay here Cierra." He walked towards the bathroom.
"But I don't want too!" I tried to stand up.
"Cierra. Stay." Charlie turned towards me.
"Ughhh fine!" I sat back down and sighed.
"Cierra are you okay?" Harley looked over at me.
"I think so." I looked over at her.
"Cierra why would you drink that much?" Elle sat down beside me.
"You are so pretty. I want to kiss you." I leaned my head on Harley's shoulder.
"Okay maybe we should get you home." She stood up and helped me up.
She walked me outside and texted her mom. Her mom came and picked us up. She took me home. Harley helped walk me to my room and then she left. I went to sleep.
———
END OF EPISODE FIVE
(Sorry it's so short!)