I Can Hear Your Heart (A Heartstopper FanFic -- BOOK 1)

14. Falling

"It was him. In a black car. The windows were dark but one was open and I saw him."

"Did he see you?" Dawson demanded.

She had appeared from nowhere with alarming speed and was now marching Nick out from behind the tree and toward the school gates.

"No. I was too far away. He can't have. Where are we going?"

"I've called Helen. She's sending her team to search for the man you saw, but in the meantime, I need to take you home."

"What? Why?"

"It's too dangerous here. If something were to happen, you'd be putting the rest of the students in danger too. We can control the environment easier in your own home. Where do you think you're going?"

Nick had turned to go back the other way, toward the Science block. He knew Charlie had Physics last thing on a Monday -- but Dawson grabbed him firmly by the arm and pulled him toward the car.

"Please let me go and get Charlie too."

"You know I can't do that. You're my priority I'm afraid."

Nick yanked his arm from her grasp. "Well, he's mine."

He went to step around her but, even though she was a lot shorter than him, she was surprisingly intimidating.

"I will force you into this car if you don't cooperate, but I'd rather not have to."

Nick stepped away from her and his back hit the car door. "Please. It's not fair --"

Dawson was also surprisingly strong. Nick found himself being pushed into the front seat of the car. She slammed the door shut and slipped into the driver's seat seconds later, started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

"This is for your own safety. Charlie wouldn't want you to put yourself in any unnecessary danger."

But Nick was barely listening. His hand went immediately to his pocket and withdrew his new phone. He began to punch the numbers scrawled lovingly across his hand into the old-fashioned keypad.

"Um, excuse me," Dawson snapped. "You can't be using that for anything other than emergencies."

"This is an emergency."

Nick listened desperately as Charlie's phone rang.

"Give me that!"

"No!" Nick dodged out of the way of Dawson's hand. He didn't care about her stupid rules right now. He would not abandon Charlie like Helen had.

But then the ringing stopped, there was a beep and the automated sound of Charlie's voicemail made Nick drop his hand in defeat. He exhaled shakily and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

"You need to know that Charlie is not the one in danger here. You are. I'm here to protect you, but I can't do that if you insist on disregarding the rules that have been set in place."

Nick gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes shut. He needed to calm down. If he didn't, he might end up doing something stupid. Luckily, Dawson didn't say another word to him all the way home.

When they pulled up outside the house, Nick got out of the car quickly so that Dawson wouldn't do it for him. He needed to regain at least a modicum of control or he'd snap.

All he wanted to do was shut himself in his room and scream but as soon as he stepped through the front door, Dawson ushered him into the living room.

Helen was there, sitting across from his mum. They had been talking quietly but intensely before they came in but looked up once they entered.