Kaleidoscope (a Heartstopper fanfiction)

Fine

On his way into school the next morning, Nick saw Imogen and Ben together. He hated that Ben had come between him and his friend, and he felt badly for abandoning Imogen.

Pulling out his phone, he texted her. "Hey sorry I overstepped. We still friends?"

Her response came later, after classes had started. "course we are!! always!!"

Nick breathed a sigh of relief, sending her back a happy face.

He and Charlie spent most of the midday in the library, going over his chemistry notes until Nick's head was pounding. Maybe he could just ... quit school and run away. He leaned his head on Charlie's shoulder, groaning. "I don't want to do this anymore."

"It's your last exam. You're nearly done."

"No. No!" He just wanted to leave his head here, comfy and safe with Charlie.

"Then it's basically the Paris trip, and we get to spend every day together for the whole thing."

Nick sat up, smiling at his very cute boyfriend. "Okay, that does sound pretty good."

"See? Let's go over ionic compounds."

"You've spent so much time helping me. What about your history coursework? I haven't helped you with that at all."

"It's fine. It's done."

Nick was skeptical. There was that word 'fine' again. But there was no question that he had felt better about all the exams since maths because Charlie had been helping him, and there was some question whether he could actually help Charlie with his history. "You are amazing."

"Sh! Ionic compounds," Charlie whispered.

Later that afteroon Nick felt lighter going into the exam than he had in weeks, knowing it was the last one, knowing when it was over the term would be over. When the exam started, he opened the book up and got started. He could hear Charlie's voice asking the questions, he could picture Charlie's neat writing jotting down the answers for his notes, and it helped more than he could possibly explain.

He was finished when Coach Singh called time, and for once, felt pretty good about how he had done.

He felt even better as he and all the other year 11s burst out the door and into the sunshine, screaming with relief. Sai and Christian and Otis caught up to him, slinging an arm round his shoulders.

"End-of-GCSEs party in the woods near my house tonight!" Sai called out. "Yeah!"

Otis made a megaphone of his hands as the three of them headed off. "And make sure you bring your GCSE notes so you can burn them!"

Nick was smiling at them, watching them go, when Harry Greene clapped him on the shoulder. "Party tonight! Everyone bring your own drinks, yeah?"

Was Harry ever going to get the message that they weren't friends? It didn't seem like it.

And then Harry was forgotten, because there was Charlie coming toward him. Paying no attention to the rest of year 11 swirling round them, they hugged. "I'm free!" Charlie said happily. "I'm not grounded anymore!"

Nick's relief, and his happiness, were great enough that he might have kissed Charlie right here if Mr. Farouk hadn't called out from behind him.

"Yo! Unless you're staying for the meeting about the Paris trip, can you all go home now? Please. Please leave."

Exchanging smiles, Nick and Charlie headed for the Paris trip meeting. "How was your exam?"

"It was good." Something he'd never thought he would be able to say.

Their whole friend group gravitated toward a table together. The girls introduced them to a new friend of theirs, Sahar.

Across the room, Mr. Ajayi joined Mr. Farouk as their chaperones for the trip.

As the room began to fill up, Elle frowned in the direction of the door. "Where's Tao?"

But no one knew.

A boy named James approached their table, seeming very focused on Isaac. Nick realised he had never considered whether Isaac was gay or straight before. He'd always seemed so content with his books. He seemed happy enough to talk to James, but nowhere near as happy as James was to talk to him.

James asked Isaac to the year 11 party. When Isaac agreed to go, James stood there awkwardly for a moment before inviting the rest of the table. Nick was already going, and he suspected the girls were, too, but it was nice of James to want to make sure they were included.

When James left, Tara immediately started quizzing Isaac about him.

Nick leaned over to Charlie. "I could come out at the party to some of the rugby guys, so if it goes badly, we could just leave."

Before Charlie could say anything, Mr. Ajayi called them to order. Or he tried to. Real quiet didn't happen until Mr. Farouk's voice cut through all the conversations. "Quiet!"

Mr. Ajayi told them to get into groups of four for rooming purposes.

Mr. Farouk added, "And we've been told to inform you that boys and girls cannot share rooms."

In the groan that followed, Nick and Charlie looked at each other and grinned. Whoever made that rule had clearly not considered same-sex relationships.

Darcy said with exaggerated disappointment, "Oh, dear. Oh, no!" to open giggles around the table.

"Yeah, we know. Heartbreaking, isn't it?" Mr. Farouk said.

Their groups were easy enough—the four girls, and the four boys, including the absent Tao. "Where is Tao?" Charlie asked.

The answer came as they exited the meeting. Tao, nearly unrecognisable with a newly short haircut, dramatic black clothes, and a pair of sunglasses, stood there with a large bouquet of red roses.

"What. The. Hell." Elle walked toward him, slowly.

"Hi." He took off the sunglasses. "Uh ... these are for you. For finishing your GCSEs."

Elle accepted the flowers from him. "What's happening right now?"

Tao hesitated, then just ... went for it. "Elle, I like you. Romantically. And I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date. Tonight."

Nick was impressed. He wished he had that much courage.

"You ... like me?" Elle asked.

"Um ... yeah. I guess I was sort of hoping ... I've been sort of wondering if ... you liked me back?"

"Uh, duh!" Darcy said, and was immediately shushed by Tara, although both Charlie and Isaac grinned and giggled.

"Well ..." Elle took a moment to consider. "Yeah."

Tao's face brightened in a way Nick had never seen it. "So ... tonight? I thought maybe we could go to the cinema."

"Okay."

There was a pause, then all the rest of them squealed and ran toward them. It was about time, in Nick's view. It was plain to see how much Elle and Tao liked each other.