Nick and Charlie

Chapter 9

!TW - Mention of Fight, Anxiety, Dizziness, Panic!

After Sarah has picked up Nick, I go home from school. When I get home, I hang up my jacket, take off my shoes and take my bag up to my room. I have history and math homework to do, so I sit down at my desk right away. But before I can do any studying, there is a knock on the door to my room. It opens and mom is standing in the doorway.
"Hey, aren't you home a little late?" She says with a tense and scary look.
"Maybe.. but Nick injured himself on the training so I - ." That's all I manage to say before she interrupts me.
"You can't put your whole life around him, Charlie. You know that school and study should always come first!" she yells at me. I just sit quietly and look at her angrily. But even though I don't answer back, she continues to throw crap at me. I feel the panic build up in my body and how I hold back the tears. How can my own mother take the liberty to stand and shout at her child? She continues till it all becomes too much, so I stand up, walk past her in the doorway, run down the stairs and put on my shoes. I hear her yelling at me, but I don't care - I have to get out, I have to go. I run out of the house and slam the door to the house behind me.

Where should I go now? I quickly decide to run home to Nick. Actually I shouldn't, he probably doesn't want me there right now after his injury earlier, but I have no other choice right now. I stand in front of his door and hesitant to ring the doorbell - but I finally do. The door opens. Nick stands there, tired and with a stripped blanket around his body to keep him warm. You can see that he is not feeling well.
"Hi.." I say quietly.
"Hello" he says thoughtfully back. I enter the hall and close the door behind me.
"I know I shouldn't be here.. I'm sorry, I.. I should have write first" I say with a shaky voice and look down at the floor.
"It's okay! What's wrong? Are you okay?" Nick asks worriedly. I don't answer his question, just hug him tight and start to cry a little. He hugs me back and says we should go up to his room, so we do.

We sit on the edge of Nick's bed. He looks at me with his beautiful eyes.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He says softly. I look down at my lap and shake my head.
"Not right now.." I add and he pulls me into a hug. He kisses my forehead and I then give him a big long kiss on the mouth. He tries to hide his smile and starts to blush a little, he's so cute when he does that. We lay down in bed and I kiss him more, all over his face. Until he flinch and I stop.
"Is.. is everything okay?" I ask anxiously. He smiles slightly and answers.
"Yeah.. just got a little dizzy". We lay down in bed and look at each other.
"We went straight to the hospital today after school, I've a serious concussion after the fall at training," he says. I look at him, he's so fucking beautiful. But at the same time I feel so stupid for just went into his house without asking how he's doing!? Who does that? I take a deep breath and meet his eyes.
"Mom yelled at me.. for coming home late... and.. I couldn't handle it.. so.. I came here instead" I say and Nick looks at me with a sad face.
"You're safe here char, and are always welcome" Nick says and comb through my hair.
"Sorry.. I just barge into your house without asking how you are first" I say with panic and the tears start to flow. Nick pulls me into a hug and I cry into his chest.
"It's okay char, I'm fine anyway" says Nick and tries to comfort me. He knows how my brain works with all my thoughts and my self-hatred. He knows exactly what to do to make me feel better. Then we just lay there and hug the rest of the afternoon, and I feel really safe in nicks arms.