I'll Love You For A Lifetime [Heartstopper, Tara x Darcy]

Year 8: Nick Nelson

Tara's pov

"God, my grades have dropped so badly," I said, leaning my head against Darcy's as we sat huddles together in the common room.

Darcy leaned her head against mine lightly, "I mean, you did have to go through a lot last year. Don't be hard on yourself."

"I'm proud of you though," I said, peeking at her over my lashes, "you made a considerable jump in those grades ma'am."

"Yeah," Darcy said, scratching the back of her neck. She had recently cut her hair short and dyed them pink at the tips. They looked like a wavy waterfall ending in a pink foam. I liked them. "My parents think it is your influence, actually."

"Do they?" I chuckled, then pursed my lips, "Well, they might be right. I am a very good influence after all."

"Hey," she slapped my shoulder lightly, and we both giggled.

We were joined by our other friends in a while and we started roasting our new teachers.  Darcy laughed and her golden blonde hair fell over her face. I felt my heart expand with emotions.

"Your hair," I said, still giggling, and tucked them behind her ear. For a second, there was something different in her eyes, but it passed away as quickly as it had come and we were back at laughing again.

***

Darcy was sitting on the shelf of my kitchen. My dad was not at home so I had invited her over. I stared at her absent-mindedly

Harry invited me to his party this weekend. A guy in his year called Nick Nelson is going to be there. I think we kind of like each other and his friends know it as well. I see him outside school almost everyday and when we make eye contact, he gives me a very sweet smile and I can't help it but smile shyly back at him. I kinda want to tell Darcy about it but I also don't want to talk about it.

I mean, I don't know. It's not like she is going to mind or anything, but she doesn't talk about her romantic life either, so I'm not really sure if it would be fair if I talked about mine.

"Oi," Darcy snapped her fingers in front of me.

"Yeah, what?" I said, blinking suddenly.

"You spaced out," Darcy chuckled, "everything alright?"

"Yeah," I laughed and for a moment I felt like I had given myself away but Darcy simply nodded.

"You free on Saturday?" she asked and my heart jumped to my throat.

"Umm...I kinda have a family dinner on Saturday..." I said, a little too quickly maybe.

"Oh," she said, "I was hoping us and the girls could go out for a movie or some shopping or something."

"Yeah, no, I...uhm," I looked at Darcy's hand curled around the shelf, "they are going to be here all day. Sorry."

"It's fine," she jumped off the shelf, "some other day."

"Yeah, some other day," I said, sighing internally.

***

I did end up meeting Nick Nelson in Harry's party that night and I felt my heart explode as his friends pushed him at me, slapping him on the back.

"Hey," he said, ruffling up his dark blonde hair, looking slightly embarassed.

"Hi," I replied, chuckling.

Then we talked about...things, I don't quite remember what though. He was really sweet and respectful for such a young kid, thinking about it now. I remember imagining being his girlfriend and going out on dates, and...who knows, maybe we would get married? He seemed to like me a lot.

He held my hand and took me to a corner, where the crowd was less and then gave me a timid little peck on the cheek. When I smiled back at him, he looked thoroughly relieved and then he leaned down and kissed me on the lips. My first kiss actually.

It was not how I had imagined it to be. I had always imagined sparks and colours and racing hearts, but it did not feel like that; but then again, it wasn't bad either. So I thought, maybe that is what it is supposed to be like. Maybe I had imagined it too vibrantly.

So I held his hand and we went outside and sat in the lawn outside, laughing and chatting for hours. It was one of the nicest nights of my life.