nick and charlie: love is the strongest force

chapter twenty two

Tw: crying, anxiety

Nick stayed curled up in the bathroom stall for what felt like hours, his sobs eventually turning to soft, hiccuping breaths. The cold tile floor offered no comfort, and his thoughts spun in an endless loop of fear and shame. He knew he couldn’t stay there forever, but the idea of facing anyone else, of hearing more cruel words, was too much to bear.

Meanwhile, Charlie’s lesson finally ended. He hurried out of the classroom, his mind immediately on Nick. He made his way back to Mr. Ajayi’s room, expecting to find Nick there, maybe working quietly or talking with Mr. Ajayi. But when he walked in, the seat Nick had occupied was empty.

“Hey, Mr. Ajayi,” Charlie said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Where’s Nick?”

Mr. Ajayi looked up from his desk, concern flickering across his face. “He said he was going to the bathroom about an hour ago. He hasn’t come back?”

“No,” Charlie replied, feeling a spike of worry. “I’ll go look for him.”

“Do you need help?” Mr. Ajayi asked, standing up.

Charlie shook his head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll find him.”

Charlie left the classroom, his heart pounding as he started down the hallway. He knew Nick had been struggling, but he hadn’t expected him to disappear like this. He checked the nearby bathrooms first, calling Nick’s name softly. There was no answer, and his worry deepened.

He moved to the next floor, his mind racing. He thought about all the places Nick might have gone to hide or calm down. The library, the music room, even the small garden area outside. But something told him to check the bathrooms again, to look more thoroughly.

Charlie approached another bathroom, pushing the door open cautiously. “Nick?” he called out, his voice echoing off the tile walls.

There was no immediate response, but then he heard a faint sniffle coming from one of the stalls. Charlie’s heart ached at the sound, and he walked further in, stopping in front of the stall door. “Nick, it’s me. Are you okay?”

For a moment, there was only silence, and then a shaky voice replied, “Charlie?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Charlie said softly. “Can you open the door?”

There was a rustling sound, and then the lock clicked open. The door creaked as it swung inward, revealing Nick huddled on the floor, his face blotchy and tear-streaked. Charlie’s heart broke at the sight.

“Hey,” Charlie said gently, kneeling down to Nick’s level. “What happened?”

Nick shook his head, fresh tears spilling over. “I can’t do this. They were saying horrible things… I just… I can’t.”

Charlie reached out, pulling Nick into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so, so sorry. We’ll get through this together, okay? You’re not alone.”

Nick clung to Charlie, his body shaking with sobs. Charlie held him, rubbing his back and murmuring soothing words. After a while, Nick’s breathing began to even out, the sobs subsiding into quiet sniffles.

“We can’t stay here forever,” Charlie said softly, pulling back slightly to look at Nick. “Do you want to go back to Mr. Ajayi’s room, or do you want to go home?”

Nick hesitated, then whispered, “Home. I just want to go home.”

Charlie nodded. “Okay, let’s get your things and get out of here.”

He helped Nick to his feet, keeping an arm around him for support. They made their way back to Mr. Ajayi’s room, where Nick gathered his belongings with shaking hands. Mr. Ajayi looked at them with concern but didn’t ask any questions, sensing the urgency in their movements.