Shaped by Clearest Blue

Chapter One- Meet

At this point, Nick knew what he was. He hadn't always known as some people do when they're really young. He'd only recently found out. He couldn't say anything about it, he knew how his friends were. After all, he had heard their homophobic comments himself. How was he meant to tell them? How was he meant to tell anyone for that matter?

He started walking to his form room he'd been assigned to after coming back from break, Hamlet 5 Room B25, he thought to himself. After entering the classroom he approached the teacher, Mr. Lange. He looked up from his papers, "Well if it isn't Nicholas Nelson", Mr. Lange said with a monotone face. "Hope you had a good break, let me check where I sat you".

Nick started to look around the room trying to see which seats are available so he had an idea of the possible places he'd be sat. "Ah yes", he heard making him turn back to the teacher.

"You'll be sitting over there", he pointed to a corner table near the windows as he continued, "Next to Charlie Springs. He's in year 10, only a year younger than you". Mr. Lange continued to say other things but Nick didn't really hear them. Charlie Springs, the boy who was the talk of the school for a while, the boy he'd heard many things about, the boy he'd always been curious to meet, the boy who he's sure got bullied last term just because he was gay. He had to admit he was a bit excited he'd finally see him. Nick had heard about Charlie Spring last year when he was in year 10, of course, the things he heard weren't the most pleasant. He never understood how anyone could go around saying such cruel things about someone they haven't even met just because of something they can't control. He wanted to know more about him, not just go with what he'd heard about him through other people.

He sat down at his new form seat and waited, he didn't want to seem weird or awkward so he pulled out some paper and started doing his own thing.

A bit of time passes before he had heard the teacher saying his name to someone, when he looked up he saw who he assumed to be, Charlie Springs. He watched as the younger boy started approaching the table after his small talk with the teacher. As Charlie sat down, he looked at Nick with a warm smile that made his heart beat quicken.

"Hi", Charlie said.

"Hi", Nick replied with a small smile before looking away quickly to hide the upcoming blush that started to creep up on his face.

After that day, he found himself saying hi to Charlie every chance he got. In the hallways, in form, when they passed each other or ran into each other, literally every time he saw him. One day in form, his pen busts all over his hands and uniform. He makes his way over to Charlie to ask for help.

"Charlie, you don't happen to have a tissue, do you? My pen er... exploded.", he laughed out before looking down at Charlie where he sat to see an amused smile on his face. "Let me check", he replied while looking around in his backpack. He looked back up and shook his head, "I'm sorry I don't", he stated before the teacher had walked up to the two of them.

"Oh dear Nick, you'd better go clean up in the bathroom." He looked over at Charlie before continuing, "Charlie would you mind going with him to open the doors?" Nick looked over at Charlie, "Oh, sure", he replied before getting up and walking to the bathrooms with Nick following not far behind.

"Sorry about this", Nick said as he walked through one of the doors. "It's fine", Charlie said looking at him unbothered while holding the door open. Next thing they knew they were talking about Mr. Hutchins and how he reeks of cat food.

"So how did your pen explode?"

"It's a fountain pen, they do that sometimes."

"Aren't fountain pens really hard to write with?"