I'll Love You For A Lifetime [Heartstopper, Tara x Darcy]

Year 8: Talk to me

Tara's pov

I stared at my phone screen.

Tara
1:24 pm
Hangout in the playground after school?
1:26
I'm so sorry Darcy. Can we plz just talk?

She had left both messages on seen. It was an indication that I should go to the playground after school and she would be there.

I couldn't believe how badly she had misunderstood me. The things she had said...they hadn't even crossed my mind once. She really thinks I have a very serious problem with her being a lesbian, doesn't she? I guess people must have treated her pretty badly before.

I sighed and walked over to the playground sitting down on the swings, waiting for her and sure enough, she walked in and sat in the spare swing beside me in about ten minutes.

"Hi," I tried. She nodded in response.

"Aren't you going to talk to me?" I said in a small voice.

"Depends on what you have to say," she said, finally meeting my eyes with her piercing grace. I felt something stir in my stomach.

"I, uh, well Nick and I aren't going out actually," I said, rubbing my arms.

She scoffed, "Yeah, go ahead keep on lying."

"It's the truth!" I exclaimed, maybe a little to loud, but I didn't care. "Why in hell would I lie to you?"

"I don't know," she said, "why did you hide it from me?"

"Because I was figuring stuff out!" I said, close to tears. "And I'm still trying to figure it out. Everyone's opinion is just making it so hard for me."

"Oh," she looked down at the ground, her knuckles white against the chain of the swing. Abruptly, she jumped down the swing and held out her hand for me to hold. I did.

We walked a little away from the crowd. "Talk to me," Darcy said, finally letting go of my hand; I had been secretly hoping she wouldn't let go of it, "I want to hear everything."

So I explained how I knew Nick Nelson liked me and when Harry invited me to his party, I agreed. I told her about our kiss and how we sat and talked and how nice it had all felt.

"But...I don't know Darcy," I said, crossing my arms in front of me, "He is not the one. I do not feel like that for him to be honest."

Darcy nodded.

"I mean, I am so confused...like he is the best guy ever. Literally every girl's dream guy. And I feel like it would be stupidity to let go of him. We have hung out a couple of times after the party...ugh," I rubbed a hand over my face, "I hate this so much."

Darcy rubbed my arm, "Just stay away from him for a while. It will help you figure things out. If you want to go out with him, you can let him know, or else simply ghost him." She said it so seriously, it made me laugh.

"You literally have the best solutions, don't you?" I said, looping my arm through hers and leaning my head against her shoulder.

"See? Talk to me about stuff that bothers you," she said, "I will always be there for you."

"You know, there was another reason I didn't tell you about this," I said, mentally processing my words so that they didn't come out the wrong way, "we had a fight when you first came out to me, and I felt like maybe that is why it made you uncomfortable to talk about your romantic life. It kinda felt unfair if I kept ranting about my romantic life when you never talked about yours at all."

Darcy actually laughed at that, "Tara, come on. I have no romantic life, that is why I never talk about it. Don't worry, when I find my first girlfriend, I will bombard you with all the information."

I smiled at her, "Deal."