In Another Universe

Monday 14:06 What A Day

"Where were you?" Sophia asked as Charlie sat down, crumpling up the excuse note he got from the nurse for being late. It was just a few minutes but it took him a moment to decide whether he wanted to go to class. He didn't want to miss Physics. That was the one class he didn't want to miss.

"Nursery."

"You're okay?"

"Now yes." He shrugged. He wasn't really feeling that much better. His stomach still felt twisted and he had the impression that someone was repeatedly hammering his head. Maybe he should have stayed at the nursery but she might have sent him home. Officially, his home was still with his mother, so they would most likely have called his mum to pick him up and right now, that didn't seem like such a good idea. She would ask him about his life, about how he was doing and how school was going and he didn't feel like answering questions right now. Or lying about everything. Isaac. The rumours... He didn't want to lie anymore, even though he wasn't ready to be honest about the truth right now.

Sitting next to Sophia didn't make him feel better. They usually get along quite well. Really well even. Being fond of science had brought them together and they became friends, each of them helping the other in their respective favorite subject, biology for Sophia and Physics for Charlie, and they both hold on as they could in English. But since their last discussion, he wasn't exactly excited to talk with her again. He understood more and more Evie's reaction to his own misspoken words.

Now, he wasn't even looking at her, falsely focused on the board. Last time they spoke, it wasn't about him, it was about Isaac, someone he supposedly just barely knew. Given that Charlotte heard the rumour first hand, there was just no doubt in his mind that Sophia had to know. She had to have heard the rumours and she probably already made up her mind about him.

"I wanted to apologise," she said, after a few minutes of silence, at Charlie's surprised. He turned towards her, almost scared. "About what I said last time."

"Oh... it's..."

"Don't say it's okay. It's not. I was wrong." She shrugged. "When I heard the rumour... I think you know... I decided to make some research. I found several articles that explained the importance of homosexuality, not only for humans but in general... Lots of things I didn't know, that I didn't think about. I sent you the links but I wanted you to know I was wrong."

"I... thank you. For saying that."

"I'm not just saying it to make you feel better. It's part of it, sure. But I think it's important to admit when you're wrong, especially on important beliefs like that. So I admit it. I was wrong."

"But... your religion is still against it, isn't it?"

"It hasn't always been. It wasn't against it at all before. But people's minds change. They started to see homosexuality as a abnormality, but this has little to do with Allah. So, all that prejudice and bigotry, it comes from people, hiding their bias under religion. It's not only Islam. It's everywhere. However, what Islam says is that you're not a true believer unless you wish the same things for the others that you wish for you," she said, looking at him with determination. She meant what she was saying, with all her heart and mind. He could feel it. "It says that you should love Allah and Allah's creatures, and treat them in the best way possible, and be kind and just and helpful. If people say otherwise, they should read more and rethink, because that's not Islam."