Rhys and George

Part 1: Release Day

'This is it!' I think to myself. Its 8.59 am. The store worker is about to open the doors and unleash havoc inside. Its February 2nd 2023. It's release day. The most anticipated book release in the last few years. 'Heartstopper- Volume 5- the final concluding story of Nick and Charlie.' Alice Oseman's hit webcomic turned published comic turned Netflix show turned global sensation. A truly remarkable teenage love story that tugged on the heartstrings of everyone who interacted with the story in any format and never let go. Everywhere you went after April 22nd 2022, the day 'Heartstopper' was released on Netflix, all you saw was the show, the book, the cast, the edits, the fan-fiction, the interviews all of it. Just show casing an LGBTQ+ love story that is inclusive, informative and just damn right heartwarming.

9 am. This is it. The key is in the lock. They are open. I am about 17th in the queue. I hope they have enough copies. This is a Waterstones surely they will have enough copies. As I get into the door I see the display of books. All the other volumes, the colouring book, the year book and Alice's other books all on display. With a quickly descending pyramid of Volume 5. Of course being a 23 year old who is obsessed with a teenage story, I'm surrounded by young adults who are just grabbing as many copies as they can. I heard one girl in the queue who was picking one up for every member of her friendship group, she was reeling off names as if she was reading a guest list. "Chloe J wants 2 copies, Amber gave me her money for her one, Ellie wants one because shes going to a book-signing with Alice soon so she wants her to sign t...". I shut off at that point.

As I approach the table there is one copy left. One. I go to pick it up, when I see another pair of hands reach for it. A young girl, possibly 15/16, smiled at me and said "it's okay you have it", I quickly realised this young girl is deaf or at least partially deaf. Shes with her parents who look just as disappointed as she does. I tell her to take it as I could never forgive myself knowing I had taken a book from someone that age, especially since I'm in my twenties. Her smile brought a tear to my eye as I could tell that Oseman's writing really was helping the younger generation come to terms with any and everything. It was lovely to see. I quick glance over the table, I've already got everything else on there.

I wander around the store, hoping to find a new book to read or one of that girl in the queue's friend's would decide they didn't want the book anymore. I catch a glimpse of her at the till, she must have at least 18 copies. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly as I continued back further into the store. That's when I make eye contact with him. Only for a few seconds, but it was enough. Fuck. How is it possible to catch feelings for someone with a glance? How?! It shouldn't be possible but it is. It fucking is. And here I am standing in the middle of a Waterstones, surrounded by young adults and parents being dragged around hunting down more copies like their life depends on it, staring at what I can only describe as the most beautiful man I have ever seen. Whats worse is he knows I'm staring. I can see him looking at me, glancing over every now and then. But I cant move. Im frozen. I don't know what day, time, year or even what my name is anymore. I'm smitten.

Once I compose myself and get out of my daze. I continue around the store. I can't help but feel like he is following me. I glance over again and realise he isn't following me, he works here! He works at Waterstones. Wow that's even more attractive. I end up right at the back of the store, in amongst the kids  section. I pick up a book and flick through it, just to seem like I am browsing. I can feel that he is around. I put the book back on the shelf and turn around. There he is. He is putting books back out. I pull out my phone just to avoid the awkward glance's for a while. I go to my lock screen and notice that the time is 9:45. I have been in here for 45 minutes. I quickly text my best friend Harley- who is also obsessed with the Oseman-verse and asked me to get a copy for them. Harley is non-binary, has crazy hair and a Bichon Friese  named Nelson Spring (after Nick and Charlie of course). 

'SOS code BLUE!!!!!!' I text. I see the chat bubbles start to type as I quickly type out 'also no more copies here  will have to see if we can order online maybe'. Harley's response to my code blue text reads 'Who is it this time?! Ah really? That sucks'. I tell them that it is an employee here. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. My phone rings. So glad it's on silent. I really wouldn't want 'Want Me' by Baby Queen to start playing in the kids section of a Waterstones when a guy I fancy is literally 6 feet away from me. How embarrassing would that be though?! 

"Ello" I answer the phone. "Hiyyyyaaaa" Harley drones out down the phone. Before I can even speak they ask me- "So who is it? Where is it? How did it happen?"

"Woah- chill out" I chuckle. "It's a guy who works at the shop" I whisper hoping he doesn't hear me.

"Oh guy at the shop.  That's a cool name".

Of course they would be sarcastic now in my time of need.

"Oh haha. You do know you sound like my dad when you say stuff like that?"

"I know. But its funny" Harley laughs through the phone.

"Wait- if he works at the shop ask him if they have any more copies of Volume 5. It's a great way for you to speak to him without ya know- speaking to him".

To be fair Harley does have a really good point, it's a perfect plan, flawless even. Well it would be if I wasn't such an anxious fucking mess that assumes the worst 101% of the time.

"Okay I will. Let me psych my self up first. Ill call you back" I hang up, knowing if they had stayed in the phone id still be here at Christmas trying to pluck up the courage to ask.

Ahem. I clear my throat. "Hi" I say to him from around 3 feet away. He's on the floor emptying a box of Peppa Pig books onto the shelf. "Hi" he replies with a smile. Wow, he has such a great smile. I almost lose my focus when he speaks again. "Can I help with anything? Or are you just going to stare at me again?" He winks as he says this. Phew. That's embarrassing but not as bad as it could have been. "Um, sorry um, yeah c-can, do, have, would-you-know, Heartstopper, um" I can barely speak. I want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Fucking Harley. If they had just come with me like we planned, none of this would be happening. God I'm such a twat.

"Right um, I'm guessing you are wondering if we have any more copies of the new 'Heartstopper' book yeah?" He looks at me like he is half confused by what I was saying and half amused. "Yes. That is what I was trying to ask" I let out a slight laugh. "No. Sorry they only sent us around 35 copies. And one girl took like over half of them. I did ask the manager whether we should have imposed a buying limit on it since we had such a small amount of them but they didn't go for it."

Damn. I really thought they might have had some more out the back. I don't even care about getting two anymore. I could have read one copy before even seeing Harley and they would have been none the wiser that I had even opened it. "Okay that's fine. Thanks anyway" I sigh. I go to walk away and barely even take a step when he calls out "Hey." I turn around to face him again. He stands up. Puts the box to one side and sternly says "follow me". He takes me up the stairs at the front of the store. I see him rummaging through more boxes. He's kind of muttering to himself but its hard to tell what he is trying to say as I can't make out the words. He shakes his head and slams the box down. I ask "is everything okay?"  He tells me that he had "saved a few copies for himself to buy at the end of the day but they have all gone".

He takes me to the till and has me write my number on a piece of till paper. "I'll call you when we get our next restock!" He exclaimed. "Oh wow really? Um thank you so much that would be so great if you could, I mean I'd appreciate it and all. It means a lot. Thank you" I reply. I look down at his chest to get a peek of his name badge. "George" he says. "No point looking at my badge just ask" he lets out a soft chuckle. "Rhys" I say as I head towards the exit. Just before I leave I turn to look at the till area again, I catch him looking at me and walk out. Could this be my 'Nick and Charlie' moment or am I just reading too much into it? I'll call Harley back, they will know what to say.