Change | Heartstopper

Hiding

Charlie's slender fingers played with the wrapped sandwich on the table, fidgeting with it, one palm on the side of his head to support his head. It felt so heavy.

Tao and Isaac were still looking at him from across the table.

"He will tell you," Isaac assured him.

His blue eyes gloomed up at the two then lulled back to the full, untouched can of Fanta sitting in Nick's spot.

"I know," Charlie sighed with a brief pause, "but he's had all day to tell me. He could have at least texted me about it or just... something. We met up this morning, too. I don't know; I just feel confused about it, is all."

Tao was clenching his phone in his grasp.

"What would he even talk to Harry Greene about? You've already told him off enough times now and I was fairly sure Nick stopped speaking to him, too."

Charlie gave Tao a sad look and screwed up his face more.

"At least, that's what he told us," Tao continued, critically. Isaac promptly gave the other a soft elbow, eyebrows knitted firmly.

Tao bore witness to his expression and rolled his eyes in reply.

"We're all friends now, Tao. Maybe this is just something he had to do to get Harry to leave us alone," Isaac stated. He then quietly placed a bookmark in the middle of his open book in case the wind blew it shut.

"I am well aware. Still, I don't like seeing him leave Charlie in the dark," the tall one bickered back.

Even Isaac did not have a retort for that, pursing his lips a bit and glancing over to Charlie before spilling more plausible excuses on Nick's behalf.

Charlie's stomach sank to the depths of his body. His appetite fell along with it, dully staring at his own lunch he had lying on his side of the table with glazed eyes.

The arguing between his two friends had faded into background static; mere ambiance. His mind continued to explore all the possibilities, somehow always reaching the worst.

He began to feel more alone than he'd felt in a very long time, caught in a moment, the world passing him by in blurs of colors and shapes, his head feeling fuzzy.

Nick found himself in a macho swagger, powered by his own frustration in this ridiculous situation thrust upon him. Harry was basically jogging in front of him, keeping distance between them--which pissed him off even worse.

As they got further away from the picnic table and closer to the gymnasium, Nick's eyebrows knotted themselves together.

"Right, Harry, I'm not following you halfway across the school. Just tell me what you want so we can forget this ever happened."

Harry spun around suddenly, causing Nick to come to an abrupt halt. He puffed out his chest, crossed his arms, and leered at the other boy.

"You're getting so snappy with me and over what? I just like, wanna talk, mate. Where no prying eyes will hear us," Harry explained. 

There was a lack of hostility in his voice, but everything he said still came out rude. Perhaps that's just an unchangeable trait when you're rich and stupid, Nick thought.

Regardless, he let out a gruff sigh and continued to the field, keeping his arms tight across his chest.

As they reached the destination Harry so wisely had in mind, the two came to a stop, leaving a sizeable gap between them. The trust between them was ruined and it showed clear as day.