Yours - A Nick and Charlie Story

Chapter 13: Charlie

We walk into the locker room and see everyone gathered around Nick's locker. We push our way through the crowd and I see what the commotion is all about. Written on Nick's locker is,

NICK NELSON IS A FAGGOT

My vision immediately blurs and I see red. I storm up to the locker and rip the papers off.

"WHO THE FUCK DID THIS!?" I scream.

Everyone just stares at me, completely dumbfounded.

"I SAID, WHO THE FUCK, PUT THIS SHIT UP?"

They continue to just stare. The only person not looking at me is Harry. I storm up to him and push him against the lockers.

"It was you wasn't it? You conniving little bitch," I seethe, "You just can't stand to see anyone happy can you?"

"Ma-"

"Don't. You. Dare. Call me mate." I pushed him again, "You're just a pathetic little boy who never got loved by anyone, and now you just can't stand to see Nick happy!"

The silence in the room is deafening.

"Maybe I just want Nick to realize his lapse in judgment," He says as he trails his eyes up and down my body.

"His only lapse in judgment was being your friend for so long."

He goes to open his mouth and say something when I realize Nick is gone.

I cut him off, "No. I'm done entertaining your bullshit. I'm going to find Nick and attempt to repair the damage you've done."

As I walk out the door I turn to face them all.

"I hope we all had a good laugh, huh?" I say.

All of them look to the ground. They knew it was wrong, but they just are too dumb to realize the damage that this will do. I walk through the halls looking for Nick, but I can't find him anywhere. As a turn down the maths corridor it hits me: the art room. I had always gone there when I was feeling down, and Nick would always meet me there. Please let him be there.

I peek my head into the art room and I see Nick huddled in the corner, his head between his knees. I'm going to fucking kill Harry. I walk slowly towards him.

"Nick?" I ask, sitting down next to him.

He looks up at me, tears staining his face. He goes to say something, but he just shakes his head and starts sobbing. I wrap my arms around him and rub my hand along his back. I just sat with him for a while, giving him a chance to let it all out, just as he did with me on the beach. He is still struggling to catch his breath, so I put his hand on my heart again, just like the last time. This prompts him to look up at me.

"Th-they were su-supposed to be my fri-friends." He sobs into me.

I fight back tears. I need to stay strong for him, but I hate seeing him like this. I should've known this was going to happen, I should've stopped him from coming out so soon.

"I know love, I know." I whisper, holding him even tighter.

Normally I'd be careful about saying love to him, worrying it's too soon, but right now I just need him to feel loved. He is loved by so many people. What just happened was just one hateful soul, in a sea of people who love Nick.

"I just didn't know so many people were gonna hate me because I'm with the person who makes me happy." He says, the sobs starting to slow.

"Nick look at me," I say as I cup his face in my hands, "This wasn't done because anyone hates you, this was done because some people hate themselves so much, they want to see others miserable. You are a ray of sunshine in this shitty, shitty world, and so many people love you. It doesn't matter if there are people out there that can't stand to see you happy because they can't take your happiness from you. You have so many people that care deeply for you, and love you so, so much," I pause, should I say this?, fuck it, he needs to hear it," "I love you."

Nick looks at me, eyes wide.

"Y-you love me?" He says, just above a whisper.

"I love you, and I'll say it over and over until you believe me."

He continues looking at me, and I'm getting a little nervous. Was it too soon? All of the sudden Nick pulls me into a kiss. He pulls away and places his forehead on mine.

"I love you too," he whispers onto my lips, kissing me again.

I don't dare question it. Nick Nelson loves me, and I love him.

"Shit." He says.

"What?" I question.

"The rugby match."

Shit. He was right, there was still a whole other half to play.

"Well I can just tell Coach you weren't feeling well." I say, pulling up the both of us.

"Charlie you don't-"
"I think I owe you a couple favors, don't I?"

Nick said he was going to stay in the art room until the match was over. I storm out of the doors onto the field, just in time for the game to start again. No one dares to look my way, let alone question why I was on the field. I walk up to Coach Singh.

"Nick isn't feeling well, so I'm filling in for him."

"Oh, is he ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll be fine, just not feeling up to playing."

She nods, "Ok, well then Harry, you can step up as captain for the rest of this match."

"Actually," I interrupt, "Harry just called Nick a faggot, so he may not be the most captainly out of all of us."

Everyone, including Coach Singh, stared at me dumbfounded.

"Is that not what happened Harry?" I ask.

Harry attempts to refute my claim, but Coach Singh cuts him off.

"Thank you for sharing that with the group Charlie, Harry," she looks toward him, "you and I will be having a word after the game," she pauses, deciding whether or not to say anymore, "maybe I'll bring my wife in to talk to you as well." she smirks. She makes someone else the captain for the rest of the game. We still lost of course. Once the match is done, I go straight to the art room, and Nick is sitting at one of the tables with something in front of him. As I walk closer I notice it's one of my old paintings from last year.

"Are you a fan?" I ask, pulling up a chair next to him.

The painting he is looking at is a person turning into leaves as the wind blows. I was in a depressive state when I painted this, but I'm glad Mr. Ayaji kept it.

"It's beautiful," He says, "It's kind of how I feel right now."