Hearstopper from the edit room floor

Post exam plans

Some of you may have already seen this one however Watty decided to post it before it was finished (think there was an issue with the system or something and I didn't realise it had been posted and it was half finished!!) ANYWAY Inspired by the Nick/Charlie hug we got in the season 2 announcement and my excitement for the strong possibility of the s2 trailer dropping on TUDUM day. Sorry its been a while since this book was updated xoxo 

7 weeks and 3 days till season 2 is ours - not long now people 

"Are you okay? You haven't been yourself all day," Charlie asked as we wandered to form that afternoon. I cleared my throat, looking around nervously. There was a moment's pause as Charlie realized, "Ah, the big GCSE math exam?" Charlie asked without actually asking, and I nodded slowly. "Well, you've been revising like crazy for months, and I thought my year 10 mocks were hard," Charlie reminded me of the hours of revision we had put in together. Even though Charlie was a year below me, it felt like we were in this together.

Charlie had even created a pack full of math revision resources for me, which I must admit helped an awful lot. "Yeah... but it's the non-calculator paper, my worst paper, the notoriously hardest one," I sighed with stress and worry. Charlie noticed this and grabbed my hand. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Charlie asked, softly swinging our now connected hands as we continued to walk down the hallway, closer to form, closer to my impending doom of math exams.

I rubbed my neck, feeling a blush heat up my cheeks. A grin spread across my face, unshiftable. "Can you come find me afterwards? I should be done just as school's ending," I asked. Without missing a beat, Charlie responded with a bright, beaming smile spreading across his own face. "Of course! I'll give you the biggest hug you've ever received in your entire life," he confirmed, pushing the corridor door open for both of us. His comment made me chuckle. I was so damn lucky to have him in my life. "I'd really like that!" I confirmed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as we rounded the corner to the form room, where Mr. Lang stood outside holding a stack of papers.

"Afternoon, sir!" Charlie said as brightly as possible. "Afternoon, Charlie. Hello, Nick," Mr. Lang responded, separating a sheet of paper and handing it to me. "Nick, this is your exam timetable for the rest of the week. Good luck in math this afternoon!" he said warmly, encouraging us to walk through the classroom and take a seat. "Thanks, sir!" I called out as Charlie and I found our usual desk. "What time does it start?" Charlie asked as we got settled. "One forty-five, so I assume Mr. Lang will tell all the year elevens in here to start going down the hall at, like, half past one!" I informed him, as we usually had to be outside exams at least five to ten minutes before they started. It was school procedure.

"Great! I'm in homework club with the year sevens across the courtyard and hall in the science block, so I'll come find you as soon as it's one of our scheduled breaks. Sanjay and James won't miss me for a few minutes, and they can start again without me if needed," he said brightly. "As long as you're sure?" I confirmed. Wordlessly, he leaned up and kissed my cheek. "Never been more sure in my life!" he mumbled just loudly enough for only us to hear.

Like clockwork, Mr. Lang raised his hand to silence the bustling classroom. "Okay, good afternoon, Hamlet Five!" he announced as the room fell silent. "All students in Year Eleven, please stand up. It's time for you to depart for your afternoon math exam. Good luck," he said as the room rumbled with movement. "Good luck," Charlie whispered and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I took one last look at Charlie and my bags, which would remain in the form room for the exam. I took a deep breath and joined the others waiting in line.

The usual fanfare of exams (something I didn't do very well in) started. Teachers checked that we didn't have anything "illegal" or that we weren't allowed in the hall. Our student identification numbers were checked as if we were prisoners waiting to be processed. Finally, our head of math marched us one by one to our designated seats, alphabetized. And then, the official exam invigilator finally got to announce, "Your time starts now. You may turn your papers."

The room fell silent, and my head started swimming as I tried to understand and remember all the information I needed for this particular exam. Hours of revision, weeks of scanning through Charlie's handmade resource packs at three o'clock in the morning. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I could do this. It was just one exam, and I had already done fairly well on the first paper, or so I had thought. Suddenly, an hour had passed in the hour forty-five-minute exam, and there were forty minutes left, thirty minutes, twenty-five, ten. And suddenly, the examiner announced, "Five minutes, please, Year Eleven!" I had no idea where this confidence had come from, but I was suddenly on my last question, ending the exam three and a half minutes before the end time.

"And that's time! Thank you, Year Eleven!" the teachers announced the second the sentence ended. The entire hall stood up, and the noise rose again. As I walked out of the hall, my teacher, Mr. Chambers, stood in the corner, ensuring that everyone was okay and not too overwhelmed. "Nick?" he asked, cutting through the noise with his thick Scottish accent. I looked up and smiled shyly, stepping towards him. "Hi, sir!" I said as brightly as you can after finishing an exam. "Hello, my friend. Are you okay? You seem a bit flustered," his voice confident but careful and caring. "Um, yeah, I think so. I just need some air. I'm meeting my boyfriend Charlie outside!" I said, my smile growing bigger at the thought of seeing Charlie again.

I made my way through the corridor that led out of the courtyard and the main school hall and into the science block where I anticipated Charlie would be waiting. There were a few Year Elevens and Year Tens milling around by the doors and on the benches. The buzz was light, and the breeze was very refreshing. I took a moment to compose myself, enjoying the post-exam freedom, before I heard the thud of footsteps. I looked up, seeing Charlie running full speed towards me, a wild, proud grin on my beautiful boyfriend's face. "NICK!" he called, edging ever closer towards me. I found myself starting my own sprint towards him, and we met halfway, engulfing each other in a tender hug, not caring about the other students watching. "I missed you," I said, hugging him tightly, taking in his warmth and scent. "I missed you too, and I am so proud of you," he said, mumbling into me, his head resting on my shoulder.

"Thanks, Char. I couldn't have done it without you," I admitted. "So," he asked, leaning back so he could see me properly, "how do you think it went?" he asked inquisitively. "As well as expected. I finished with, like, four minutes to go as well!" I said, smiling down at him proudly. His face lit up. "Nick, that's amazing! See, I told you, nothing to worry about!" This made both of us giggle for some unknown reason. "So, how are we celebrating? Can I buy you a post-homework club dinner?" I offered, pointing in the direction of the cafeteria that served meals to students staying after school. The smile slowly faded on Charlie's face. "I have to get back to homework duty soon, and I've already eaten a snack recently, otherwise, I would've obviously said yes," he said, and we paused for a glum beat of silence before he spoke again. "But how do you fancy getting slushies at the bowling alley after I'm done, and something to eat then? My treat!" He smiled spontaneously, something new for Charlie, but it made me smile at how much better he was doing these days.

I replied automatically, "Sure, I'll text my mom and tell her, but that sounds great," I assured him, and Charlie giggled. "Perfect. Well, you go find the boys, and I'll meet you at half past four when homework club is over?" Charlie asked, pulling me into another hug, and suddenly the world all but seemed to float away. "That sounds great. I'll pick you up from the physics lab as usual, then?" I offered. Charlie lowered himself back onto the bases of his feet from standing tiptoed and smiled, squeezing my hand. "It's a date," he assured. We said a quick goodbye as I watched him meander back into the science corridor to finish homework club duty, and I wandered off to find Otis, Christian, and Sai, eagerly looking forward to half past four to be able to see Charlie again and begin date night.