I Can Hear Your Strength (A Heartstopper FanFic -- BOOK 3)

17. Onward

Sarah accepted Jane's invite to dinner, though nobody ate much. Oliver was over-tired and restless. Sarah felt terrible for the little boy. She could tell he knew a lot more of what was going on than his parents were letting themselves believe. It was a tricky balance, Sarah knew all too well. Protect but don't smother. Comfort but don't coddle.

She wished she could do any of those things for her own child right now.

When the adults had given up on food and Oliver had been put to bed, the three of them plus Tori settled around the living room, glasses of wine in hand as Jane and Sarah shared all they had discussed earlier. About their suspicions and tentative theories. Tori's intense blue eyes watched from the corner, a little unsettling. Charlie's sister had always been stoic and quiet, but Sarah knew how much she was struggling. They had weathered similar storms together before, after all.

With two extra brains to help turn the little information they had over, they quickly came to the conclusion that it wasn't enough. The theories and the intrigue were an excellent distraction — it helped them feel like they were doing something, instead of just sitting around, drinking wine while their boys were out there suffering.

It was Julio's idea to call Tao. He had his mother's number and soon, Yan Xu was chattering away over the phone, worry colouring her usual peppy demeanour. She stayed on the line almost long enough for Tao and Elle to arrive at the Springs' front door. Julio let the couple inside and hurried off to make them tea.

The teenagers shuffled dimly into the room, looking tired and worried, their hands tightly entwined. She didn't know either of them well, but Sarah wanted to hug them both. To tell them everything would be okay. But she couldn't do that.

The two of them joined Tori on the sofa and the tension in Tori's shoulders softened ever so slightly. Good, Sarah thought. The poor girl had seemed so lonely without her usual partner in crime.

"What's going on?" asked Tao. "Is there any news?"

"Weren't sure if you'd think to tell us if there was," said Elle.

"No," said Jane. "No. There's no news. Only, we thought maybe you'd be able to help us."

Jane looked to Sarah to continue. She cleared her throat. "We'd like to get a bigger picture of things surrounding the bonfire and Nick and Charlie being — going missing."

"We told everyone everything when the police were here," said Tao. "We're not hiding anything, we promise. This isn't our fault —!"

"Of course it isn't your fault," said Sarah gently. "That isn't what this is about."

Elle placed a hand over Tao's knee and he shrank in on himself. He really looked as if he'd gotten no sleep at all.

"We were just wondering," said Julio. "Whether you'd nothing anything strange or... notable happening lately. Anything which may have been missed in the initial explanation of things."

"Especially surrounding Nick and Charlie's break up," said Sarah.

Elle shifted uncomfortably. "I think we've said everything. I've been going over and over it in my head. I keep thinking there must have been something we could have done. Or something we missed, but..."

Tao pulled his beanie from his head and worried at it between his hands. "There is something we haven't mentioned..."

"Yes, Tao? What is it?" Jane leaned forward in her seat, wine entirely forgotten. Julio sat close by her side.

"I don't see how it could be related, really," said Tao cautiously, still staring at the hat in his hands. "But... well, Nick was really poorly at the beginning of last week. The flu or something. But he was really suffering." Sarah frowned at this. She'd had no idea. "And then on Wednesday at lunch, well... he fainted."