Heartstopper One-Shots ❤

You know the bullying? You know how bad it was, don't you?

(Charlie's in yr 9 (when the bullying started)

TW: Bullying, homophobia, self-hatred

I walk into school school, not knowing what's about to happen next.

"OI! CHARLIE SPRING! IS IT TRUE YOU'RE GAY?" Someone yells from the lunch benches.

Oh god...

"Erm-" I can't say anything before Tao runs up to me.
"What did they just say!?" He asks, clearly angry.
"It's fine, Tao! It's just a rumour!"

Little did I know...I'd been outed.

~~

It gets to the the end of the day and the questions have been getting more intense.

I get on the bus with Tori and she asks me if I'm ok.

"I'm fine."
"Did something happen at school?" She asks, clearly very worried.
"N-No."
"Charles."
"Victoria."
"Charles, stop lying to me before I go ask Becky!"
"Why would she know?"
"She knows all the drama, especially from Truham."
"Mm."
"So," she looks me up and down, expecting and answer. "what's happened?"
"Everyone knows I'm gay."
"Did you want people to know?"

I shake my head, holding back tears.

"Oh, Charlie..."

She pulls me into a hug and I cry silent tears the whole way home.

~~

I get to school the next day and everyone stares at me.

They know...

~~

It's been 3 months and I'm still getting made fun of...

~~

Lunch has just came around and it's getting too out of hand.

People won't stop asking questions.

This continues for a few hours. The questions. It gets so bad that they're starting to call me names.

Someone barges past me, pushing me into the wall.

"What the-"

Harry Greene.

I quickly apologise, even though it's not my fault, and scurry away to Mr Ajayi's class.

"Charlie Spring! What can I do for you?" He says, smiling happily.

I break down in tears.

"Charlie...what's wrong?" He asks, running over to me.

I try to explain, but just start choking.

"Calm down! You're ok!" He pulls me into a hug, rubbing my back.

~~

After I've calmed down, I explain.

"Oh, Charlie..." He cries, pulling me into another hug.

Mr Ajayi has always been my favourite teacher, especially since he's also gay.

"I'm always here if you want to talk, Charlie." He pulls away and smiles down at me.
"Yeah..."

I spend the rest of the day with him.

~~

"You know the bullying? You know how bad it was, don't you?" Tao asks me, snapping me out of my daydream.

Everything Charlie told me I already knew, I could see it in his eyes.

~~

After me and Tao's talk, I start to wonder why he never told Tao.

"Someone just overheard Tao talking about me coming out,"

Tao was the reason he was outed, so he never wanted him to feel even worse.

Oh, Charlie...