Teen Years [Heartstopper]

7

TW: This chapter contains mentions of car crashes, homophobia, verbal/physical fighting, and bullying

*After the Concert*
We finished playing.
"Cierra can we talk?" Charlie walked over to me as I started packing up my clarinet.
"Of course! What's up?" I stopped what I was doing and sat down.
"Mom wants you to come home." Charlie sat in the seat to my right.
"I'm not good enough for her." I sighed, avoiding eye contact with Charlie.
"You know she didn't mean the things she said." Charlie said almost convincing.
"I know you don't believe a word you just said." I finally looked over at Charlie.
"You're right I don't believe a word I said but I need you Cierra. Tori needs you. Oliver needs you. We all need you." Charlie crossed his arms and sighed.
"Charlie I'm so-" I started to apologize.
"Don't. Don't apologize." Charlie sounded hurt.
"Charlie, I'm so-" I started to apologize yet again.
"I said don't. You don't need to apologize Cierra." He looked at the gymnasium doors.
"But I do. Charlie I left you, Tori, and Oliver. I chose my own feelings over yours. I'm so-" Before I could finish my sentence Charlie stood up quickly.
"I said don't apologize Cierra." He started pacing back and forth.
"Do you want to grab some food?" Charlie changed the subject.
"No thank you. I'm fine." I stood up and picked up my clarinet case.
"Please come home. I know I know mom has been awful to you recently but I need you Ci. I need you to come home." He shut his backpack and put it on his shoulders.
"For you Charlie I'll go home." I agreed to go home.
We walked together. We didn't catch a bus or a ride, we walked and we talked. My stomach was turning as we approached the front door. He opened it and went in first. I followed. Oliver ran out of the living room.
"CIERRA!" Oliver jumped into my arms.
"Hey Oliver!" I hugged him tightly.
"Where have you been?" He started poking my nose.
"We-" I started to explain.
"Oh so you've decided to come home I see?" My mom walked out from the living room.
"Mom don't start." Charlie shut the front door.
"No mom say what you have to say. I want to hear it." I hung up my jacket.
"You disappear for 2 months. No texts. No calls. Nothing. Where the hell have you been?" My mom crossed her arms. Tori was now on the bottom step.
"Somewhere." I answered.
"That doesn't answer my question." She leaned against the wall.
"Do you even care where I've been?" I untied my shoes.
"Of course I care!" She uncrossed her arms.
"I can't mom. One second you treat me like I'm the worst daughter ever and the next you treat me like your perfect little princess." I started to tear up.
"Well guess what? I'm not your little princess mom. You just failed to see that I've grown up. I'm not your perfect daughter. I never was. I only pretended to be." I shouted.
"What?" My mom's voice broke.
"I've been going through hell!" My voice broke.
"You've been going through hell? YOU? PARDON ME FOR RAISING THREE UNGRATEFUL KIDS." My mom started shouting.
"Ungrateful? That's funny." I laughed.
"Why is that funny?" She crossed her arms again.
"We've never asked you for more than we needed. Clothes. Food. Shelter. We thanked you for everything. We paid you back by doing everything you told us to when you told us to. We tried our best to be the perfect kids so that you'd be happy with us. Calling us ungrateful after everything? Really funny." Every word I said growing louder than the one said previously.
"This house isn't home. Not anymore. Hell I don't know if it ever was." I started balling and then I ran upstairs to my room.
Everything was the same. Nothing has changed. Even after two months my room was the same, boring, and lifeless. I shut and locked my door. I placed my clarinet case down and grabbed my phone from the inside of the case. I took my phone over to my bed and I flopped down in the center. I turned on my phone. As I was scrolling on Instagram I got a phone call.
"Hello?" I answered the phone.
"Cierra can we talk?" The voice was quiet.
"Who is this?" I didn't recognize the number.
"Sorry it's Nick!" The voice became slightly louder.
"Oh um hi Nick." I wiped away the tears form my cheeks.
"Can we meet somewhere?" His voice faded again.
"Sure, where?" I tried to hide my emotional tone.
"My house. 15 minutes." Nick hung up.
I sighed and got up off my bed. I snuck out of my front door so that my mom didn't say anything to me. I walked to Nick's front door. 15 minutes. I knocked on the door.
"Hey Nick!" I smiled as he opened the door.
"My moms cooking. Come in." He seemed to be in a hurry.
We walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. We sat 2 feet apart in complete silence.
"What's going on?" I broke the silence.
"Charlie called me, he's worried about you Cera." Nick looked over at me finally.
"Why would he be worried?" I asked, although I didn't need to.
"He thinks you're distancing yourself from him." Nick sighed and turned away from me.
"He has nothing to be worried about, I'm completely fine." I looked over at Nick who was facing forward.
"Cierra he's worried about you. He just wants you to talk to hi-" Nick was cut off my a knock on the door.
"Let me guess, Charlie?" I said as Nick walked to the door.
"Ci?" I walked up to the door.
"Guys?" Tara, Darcy, Elle, Issac, Charlie, and Tao were all standing in the doorway.
"Charlie called us." Elle hugged me.
"Are you all seriously worried about me that much? Guys I'm fine!" I said as Elle pulled away.
"Yes we are worried about you but um that's not why we are here." Darcy sounded nervous.
"You guys are scaring me, what happened?" I could tell by the look on their faces it was bad news.
"Oh um Harry called Nick." Charlie sounded even more nervous than Darcy.
"Okay? What about?" I started getting more nervous.
"Harley, um she um Charlie do you want to tell her?" Nick stopped explaining and looked at Charlie.
"Oh um Cierra, Harley is in the hospital." Charlie avoided eye contact.
"What? No?" I didn't believe what they were saying.
"She was riding with her brother when the car crashed, they were fighting over something, Harry wouldn't talk about it, she's really hurt Cierra." Nick avoided eye contact as well.
"No!" I started sobbing.
"Cierra I'm sorry." Tao said sympathetically.
"No!" I covered my mouth with my hand to middle the sobbing sounds. I fell to my knees.
"Cierra!" Tara dropped down in front of me.
"No..." All I could say.
*1 Week Later*
DIARY ENTRY FOUR:
1 week. 1 week ago Harley got hurt. 2 days ago I finally went to see her. For 5 days I refused to leave my room. Charlie brought me food and water. I left only at night to shower. I didn't bother visiting Harley because I couldn't see her hurt, I couldn't do it. When I finally visited her I could hardly speak without breaking into tears. She broke her left arm and her right leg. She had cuts all over from the glass shattering. I feared the worst. She survived. She seemed to be doing okay. They wanted to keep her for a week to observe her injuries. She's coming home today. Harry still hasn't spoke about why they fought that day. Anyway I'm off to see Harley! Her mom texted me so um later! - Cierra
*At Harley's*
"Harry." I faked a smile as Harry opened the front door.
"She's upstairs in her room." He avoided looking at me, he pointed upstairs.
"Thank you!" I walked past him and up the stairs.
"Knock knock!" I knocked on her bedroom door.
"Cierra!" Harley was sitting in her bed.
"How are you feeling love?" I left the door open a little and walked over to her bed.
"The medicine is helping, but I won't be able to attend school for a few weeks." She looked over at me.
"Do you want help sitting up?" I asked my
"No no I can do it!" She slowly lifted herself and her pillow up.
"Um so Cierra I sort of wanted to talk to you about something." When she was fully up she looked over at me.
"What's up Harls?" I wrapped my arm around her.
"Well I think we should break up." She sighed.
"What?" I pulled my arm away from her.
"I like you, I really like you but I think you deserve someone better." She avoided eye contact with me.
"Harley please." I choked on my words.
"I think you should go Cierra." She looked down at the foot of her bed.
"Harley..." I couldn't get anything else out expect her name.
"Cierra I'm sorry." She finally looked me in the eye.
"Please..." I got one word out before the tears came.
"Goodbye Cierra." She looked away yet again.
Just then my phone rang. I stood up from Harley's bed and walked away. Before I left her room I turned back to face her. She was looking down at her floor. I sighed and turned away, shutting her door behind me and leaving.
*At Home*
I walked through my front door. I was unable to stop the tears. I rushed upstairs and slammed my bedroom door shut, then I received another call.
"Cierra! Hi." A familiar voice filled my ear.
"Hey Nick." I said, trying to hide the sound of tears.
"Would you like to come to the movies with Charlie and I? A few of my friends will be there. Not Harry and Ben though." He asked.
"Nick...you know what yeah sure!" I decided I could use the distraction.
"Alright meet us here in about 15 minutes! Charlie said your dad is bringing him, so you could ride with them? Oh and Harley coming!" Nick added.
"Oh..." I sighed.
"Is everything okay?" Nick asked.
"Yeah! I'll see you in 15." I hung up.
*15 Minutes Later*
Charlie and I barley spoke in the car ride here. Nick was waiting for us out front.
"Hi!" Nick waved and walked to us.
"Hello!" Charlie said as Nick hugged him.
"Have you gone in yet?" I asked.
"Nope! I was waiting for you." He smiled.
We walked inside.
"Does Harley know I'm here?" I asked as we entered the building.
"No, thought it would be a nice surprise." He said while continuing to walk.
"They weren't supposed to be here." Nick said a she noticed Harry and Ben standing near the group.
"We can go if you want." He turned to me and Charlie.
"No no it's fine!" Charlie and I said at the same time.
"Are you sure?" Nick asked.
"Yes!" Charlie and I said at the same time again.
Nick and Charlie went to get food and I decided to just go sit down in the cinema. I found a seat. Harry sat 3 seats down from me. Harley sat right beside him. Ben sat behind me. I tried to avoid looking at Harry and Harley until I heard Harry say something to Harley. Being with a girl is gross since you're also a girl.
"What the actual fuck?" I yelled over at Harry.
"Got a problem?" Harry yelled back.
"Yeah I do you homophobic bitch." I yelled back.
"Excuse me?" He laughed.
"Cierra don't." Harley yelled.
"Yeah listen to your girlfriend!" Harry turned to his friends, laughing.
"She's not my girlfriend anymore." I said, turning around and crossing my arms.
I didn't notice until then that Nick and Charlie were sitting right beside me.
"You guys aren't together?" Nick was surprised.
I didn't say anything.
*After the Movie*
I just ignored all of Nick and Charlie's questions for the entire movie. When the movie ended we walked out.
"So what's it like being gay?" I heard Harry call out.
"It's fine I guess." Charlie replied.
"Do you think Nick's hot?" Harry laughed.
"He's not even my type." Charlie lied.
I looked over and Nick and saw the look in his eyes.
"Yeah right! I bet you have a crush on him!" Harry laugher louder.
Charlie ignored Harry and walked outside. Nick chased after him. I stayed put.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me?" I turned to Harry.
Before I could say anything else, Nick came barging in.
"What the hell Harry!" Nick yelled.
"Hey come on you know we are just joking!" Harry pointed to his friends.
"No. You took an opportunity to make someone feel like shit." Nick put his hands into fists.
"Harry you treat everyone around you like garbage because you think it makes you seem cooler. News flash: It doesn't." I joined in the conversation.
"Are you guys seriously getting upset? You can't help but protect that pathetic little f-" Harry said.
*you know what word he said*
Before I could process what he had just said Nick had thrown a punch. I grabbed my soda that I still had in my hand and splashed it onto Harry.
"Fuck you Harry. Your sister deserves a better brother." I yelled as I dragged Nick away.
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END OF EPISODE 7!!