'Cause I'd Find You In Any World (Nick and Charlie - Alternate Universe)

Chapter Eight

**TRIGGER WARNING - THIS CHAPTER MENTIONS HOMOPHOBIC SCENES**

CHAPTER EIGHT:

Nick:
I begin typing but quickly delete everything that comes out. I don't know how to explain this story, I don't know where to start. Finally, after what seems like hours, I begin to type...

Nick: It was two years ago. I wasn't out yet and wasn't planning to come out. The second half of the school year started and we were settling into new classes. A guy named Tyler sat next to me in one of my classes. He was in my year but we had never really spoken, just ran around in different circles I guess. Over the course of the term, we actually became really good friends; hanging out pretty often. Was I crushing on him? Yeah, but I wasn't going to tell him. As far as I knew, I was the only gay kid in my school.
Nick: One day, after we had been hanging out for months, we were at my house, my Mum always worked crazy hours before transferring here, so we were alone. We were just watching a movie, eating snacks. We both reached out to grab the popcorn and our hands touched. Immediately, we just stared at each other. I was wondering if he got the same feeling I did when we touched.
Nick: He just leaned in, and kissed me. It was exhilarating, kissing a boy for the first time. After we kissed, it seemed pretty clear that we were both interested in each other. We started dating (in secret) for the rest of the school year and summer. When the new school year started, I decided that I wanted to tell people; at least my Mum and close friends. Tyler didn't have an issue telling these people, so long as he didn't have to tell his parents. They were very much old school Christians, set in their ways about certain things, especially same sex relationships. So that's what we did. I came out to my Mum and my best friend Will first; and then two of my other best friends, Erin and Michael.
Nick: Everything was perfect...

I found myself pausing. The next part of the story was painful to revisit, even though time had passed and I had moved on.

Charlie: sounds amazing
Nick: until it wasn't...
Nick: We were becoming less careful keeping us a secret. Sneaking kisses outside, grabbing each other's hands in public. At this point, we had been together nearly a year.
Charlie: I love you's exchanged?
Nick: Oh yeah. The whole thing. Though now I'm not sure if it was...
Nick: A teacher at my old school, a complete homophobe and a church friend of Tyler's parents saw him quickly kiss my cheek before going off to class..
Nick: He called his parents immediately..
Nick: He came to my house late that night, passed curfew, sobbing. His parents were pulling him out of school, moving away to stay with family and sending him to conversion therapy. They blocked my number from his phone, made him delete me on all social media, and the next day... he was gone.

I wipe the tears that escaped from my eyes. It's still a very painful thing to dig up. Not necessarily because of the heartbreak, but just because his parents hated the idea of him liking a guy so much, even though he was so happy, that they literally plucked him out of the only life he's ever known, moved him away and forced him to become someone he's not.

Charlie: um, wow..
Nick: yup.
Charlie: Have you spoken to him since?..
Nick: He called me once from a landline phone so no one would know who he was calling about two weeks after he had left
Nick: He called to apologize for everything and to tell me he was going to go along with his parents wishes..
Charlie: Nick... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked...
Nick: It's okay. It was a long time ago, I chose to tell you this secret.
Charlie: How did you deal with that?
Nick: I guess the cool answer would be that I got over it rather quickly and moved on..
Nick: But truth be told, I cried like a baby for days. I couldn't understand how his parents could react that way when everyone I told was so great. I cried for Tyler who had to go along with this lie to save his relationship with his family. I cried because I felt like I caused it...