Heart Attack (a HeartStopper story)

Nick. Shattered.

Song recomendation for the chapter: Shatter. - Magie Rogers.
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"That's not going to turn on Nick."

Charlie held the ladder for Nick as they hung Christmas lights together in the shape of stars all along the center's courtyard. Elle loved a good theme party, and her birthday theme was "Cosmic." It was just starting to get dark, and everyone had decided to get dressed up early to get to party planning. There were sunset lanterns everywhere, lunar and planet elements, and star lights were the finishing touch to the decorations. While she ate with her family, Nick, Charlie, Tao, Sahar, Imogen, Isaac, Karina, Tara and Darcy got everything ready. While Tara and Darcy, who were wearing silver tops and flared pants with a pair of antennae, were finishing the punch and arranging the snacks, Tao was plugging in a projector that Nick didn't know what it was going to be used for. Tao was still obsessed with black, and had chosen robes that reminded Nick of Star Wars. Sahar and Imogen were astronauts, and had put on matching jackets with Nasa patches. They were plugging things in for the music. Isaac was setting up chairs and tables for the guests, and had chosen to wear a shirt with planet and star motifs. Karina was wrestling with streamers in a long, textured mars theme dress. Nick and Charlie were finishing up the lights.

It had been a long night's conversation about what to wear to the party... and they had decided that Nick would be the sun and Charlie would be the moon, corny as that sounded. Charlie had picked out for Nick a yellow tie-dyed denim jacket, an orange tang top and some gold en shorts that who knows where he had found. Nick had chosen for Charlie a white woven top that he had a hard time convincing him to wear, but it looked beautiful on him, with black flared pants with embroidered moons.

Only one of the lights was missing, which they were tying to fix near one of the tall tree branches in the corner.

"Sure thing Char, give me a second."

"Love if you fall out of there and hurt yourself a I'll kill you."

"So much violence Char." Nick laughed, as he pretended to fall down for a second, only to Charlie's surprise and laughter from the others.

"I hate you so much."

"Then why are you looking at my shorts so closely."

"Turn that silly light on already." Charlie just blushed.

"Just missing...that's it." Nick found the short circuit one and strung up the last line of lights, and they all came on in unison with a beautifully colored glow.

"Looks amazing guys!" shouted Imogen from across the courtyard as she helped Sahar with some wires.

"We can't keep spending on beautiful lights!" Tara exclaimed as she sucked the remains of a sauce she had prepared from one of her fingers.

"Why not? It's 50% of every party." Darcy said.

"And the other 50%?" asked Isaac curiously.

"The alcohol." Darcy smilingly arranged the last bottle on the table.

"Music and people are overrated." Sahar added, watching Tao with a blank stare as he, concentrating, said nothing and looked at his laptop.

Nick noticed his distress from yards away, and as Charlie went to Sahar's side to help her with the speaker connections, Nick approached Tao, who had set up a small table next to the projector pointing to the stage. When he noticed him approaching, he immediately closed the computer, and closed his eyes suspiciously.

"Don't even think about it Nelson."

"I'm not doing anything lanky."

"I know that look... you're coming on to me because you want to spy on my work."