"Hospital's got me working double shifts tonight, Nicky," Sarah Nelson informs her son as they go through their morning routine in the kitchen. Sarah is seated at the table, that days' copy of Kent Messenger pulled in front of her, as she scans its headlines, and shakes her head. "You'd think with a name like Klaus Barbie, he'd be in a better line of work than crime."

Nick looks up from his crouched position; he is petting Nellie after their morning run, trying to calm her down for a morning and half-afternoon alone at home. There is a steaming cup of tea waiting for him on the kitchen island, in his N mug, as always, alongside a bowl of plain porridge with sliced banana, a plate of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage patties, and his extra-large whey protein and blood orange smoothie. "I'll be okay taking the team bus home. I just have to let Coach Singh know."

"She's lovely; shame that she has to keep her relationship with Jenny under wraps," Sarah said softly, shaking her head with pursed lips. "They're both such lovely women."

Nick inclined his head; he had gone to his coach the year before for support when some of the Rugby players had been giving him a hard time for being bisexual, which is when his coach had confided in him that she lived with her long-term partner, Jenny Stevens, who was now a coach at the University of Kent. His mum had been just as supportive, although his older brother, David, who attended the University of Glasgow, hated him for it, while his father, Stéphane, who lived in France, didn't seem to understand it at all. Shaking his head, he squared his shoulders and got to his feet; he needed to finish his breakfast and quickly, so that his mum would have time to drop him off at school before her shift at the newly-opened Maidstone Hospital, where she'd been in pediatrics for two years, after transferring from Oakwood Hospital.

"You're awfully quiet," Sarah observed. "Is everything all right?"

Nick shrugged as he wolfed down his breakfast, and tipped the remainder of his smoothie into a travel mug. "Harry's been at it again," he muttered, making a grab for his rucksack and Rugby bag and heading towards the front door. He waited for his mum to follow, her own bag with medical supplies, her lunch, wallet, pager, and that mornings' newspaper likely already tucked inside it, stationed against her side.

Sarah clicked her tongue, indicating displeasure, and prompting Nellie to go to her dog bed for a sleep. She unlocked the front door and permitted Nick to step outside first, whereupon she pulled it shut and re-locked it. "That boy really needs a proper talking-to. I'm convinced that because his father is such a generous donor towards Truham, in particular the Rugby team, that he's gotten off scot-free this long."

"Coach Singh always calls him out on it whenever she catches him, but I don't think there's much she can do," Nick admitted. "If she makes enough of a fuss, it could come out about her living situation, and she could get sacked."

Sarah made a pained expression as she and Nick loaded the back seat of her car with their bags, before she opened the drivers' side door and got in. "Downright criminal if you ask me," she said decidedly, and squeezed Nick's arm as he climbed in beside her. "I know how much you wish you could be out with everyone, but, unfortunately, we don't live in that kind of world, not yet. I don't know if I'll see it in my lifetime, but you'll see it in yours, I'm sure."

"My kids might," Nick said, though his tone was morose, as they drove down the street and away from the Nelson residence, one of his only safe places.

Sarah looked saddened. "Did he say anything new, or was it more of the same?"

Nick sighed. "He was still claiming it was just banter, and all of his mates agreed."

"All of them?" Sarah pressed.

"Christian, Sai, and Otis aren't involved," Nick assured her; he'd had them over to his house for years for various birthday parties and whatnot, and his mum was friends with all their mums—Mrs. McBride was a geography professor at Higgs, Mrs. Verma was a stenographer, and Mrs. Smith was a librarian for Mereworth Community Primary School. "They keep saying they have my back, and so do their mums. I don't know to what extent they actually told them, or their dads, but..." He shrugged.

Sarah considered this; Mr. McBride was in politics, Mr. Verma was in computers, and Mr. Smith was a barrister. Surely they knew what it was like, having a clear disadvantage when it came to her son, with a thing like sexual orientation, and how damaging the world could potentially be for him because of it. "I understand why you're hesitant to let them know," she said gently. "I know that some people will act like they never knew you at all because of this revelation, and some may also wonder if you were simply using them."

Nick immediately turned to look at his mum. "Using them? How?" he asked.

Sarah sighed; she really didn't want her son to believe she thought this, but he needed to understand the implications of being bisexual in the world they lived in. "Nicky baby, some of your friends or acquaintances may think that you wanted more out of them than just being friends or casual associates."

Nick's eyes nearly popped out of his skull in shock. "You mean they will think I've made a pass at them or something?!" he demanded.

Sarah nodded; she absolutely hated theoretically breaking her son's heart like this. "That's exactly what I mean, love," she replied. "It's wrong, and downright disgusting, but you'll soon fully realize who your friends are at times like this."

Nick couldn't even continue to make conversation with his mum after that, and instead focused on the weather—it was cold and cloudy, typical February weather in Truham. He said goodbye to her once they got to Truham proper, and got his rucksack and gear out the back; he didn't even bother to ask her what she'd packed him for lunch that day. He strolled over towards where his friends would congregate each morning, easily spotting Christian, Sai, Otis, and Imogen, his only female friend, who attended Higgs across the way. He had almost been relieved to come out to her, which had happened in the wake of a Rugby match, when she'd asked him to Greggs to get dinner with her, and then go to the cinema to see Splash. Nick had pulled her aside and set her straight, letting her know he didn't see her that way, and, while Imogen was shocked, she'd taken it quite well, and had been very supportive.

"Nicholas!" she cried out, as she did every morning, and bounced towards him, her blonde curls teased just right, her blue mascara on point, her disco-colored eyeliner not even a shock anymore, and her lips colored a flashier-version of bubblegum pink.

"Hey, Imogen," Nick said, accepting her hug; it was almost easier to pretend that they were, in fact, a couple, and Imogen had told him more than once that she was absolutely fine with being his beard.

"How was Nellie this morning?" she asked, linking his arm with hers as they walked back to the picnic tables together. "Brooklyn's really been wanting to see her again."

Nick chuckled; Nellie had taken Brooklyn, Imogen's new puppy, under her wing since the latter's adoption earlier that term. "Maybe we can take them for a walk again this weekend," he suggested, knowing that it would be just the thing to lift his spirits.

"Yes, please," Imogen said. "Anything to get out of the house."

"What's been going on at home?" Nick asked.

Imogen groaned as she walked up to the table she'd vacated, and hopped to sit on top of it. "My parents are threatening to leave for the Riviera and then putting my aunt in charge of me," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I just wish they'd get divorced already. None of us are happy, and I'm convinced that they use me to get back at each other."

Nick shook his head. "I'm sorry," he responded; he was really the only one in the friend group to understand that, although he'd been much younger when his own parents had gotten divorced over a decade ago. "Mum says you're always welcome, and David's always at university, so we've a room free most of the year."

Imogen smiled. "My parents are still convinced you're my boyfriend," she told him, a slight giggle escaping her lips.

"You haven't corrected them, then?" he asked.

Imogen shook her head. "It wouldn't do any good, ever since the disaster with Ben last term, and his obsession with that one Year 10 guy..."

"Charlie Spring," Nick answered.

Imogen blinked, looking over at Nick, before she nodded. "Oh, right. You sit next to him in form," she said, shaking her head with a sigh. "Thank you for helping me out with Ben. I know I've thanked you before, but it feels good knowing I still have someone to talk to about it."

Nick nudged her gently with his shoulder. "I just want you to be okay," he replied. "I know things at home at crap right now, but I'm here, you know I am."

Imogen gave Nick a sad smile. "Thank you," she said softly. "Sometimes I just think about running away, and I know that's not the answer, but it's so hard being me sometimes."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Nick muttered, looking up as the bus arrived, and noticed none other than Charlie Spring get off with his older sister, before the former headed into the courtyard, and the latter in the direction of Higgs. He turned his head slightly as Charlie joined two of his friends, the loud one who always talked about Billy Jack, and the quiet one who always had his nose in a bestselling book.

"Miss Greenwood will kill me if I'm late again," Imogen said, and it was then that he noticed that Imogen was wearing heels. "I have to get across the road, and I can't run in these shoes, so I'd better get over there now." She gave Nick a final hug and left the area with a final wave over her shoulder, although her eyes were still full of sadness.

Nick pushed himself to his feet, greeting Christian, Sai, and Omar with the traditional handshakes and backslaps, before the three of them headed inside to their various forms. Nick was in Hamlet 5 since they'd switched the year before, and he didn't mind his form teacher, Mr. Farouk so much, although some of the other students disliked him. There were rumors that he was dating the art instructor, Mr. Ajayi, which Nick found amusing, as opposites did, inevitably, attract.

He was slightly surprised, however, when Charlie didn't show up, and Mr. Farouk did seem a bit worried that he wasn't there. Charlie did show up a quarter of an hour later, eyes red-rimmed, and a bandage a bit visible from his left arm, underneath his uniforms' jacket. Nick wasn't close enough to Charlie to pry, as they only said 'hi' on alternating days, so he couldn't even ask him if he was all right, and the guilt began to eat away at him. He and Charlie could've been a support to one another, and, if Nick was being honest, Charlie was the one who made him realize that he was bisexual in the first place.

Nick's worry about Charlie lasted all day long, and he was relieved that there were no surprise exams that day. He turned in his homework on time, although, admittedly, he did do his maths right before class time, writing down the equations in the hallway as the minutes ticked by before maths was due to begin. Lunchtime with Christian, Sai, and Otis was normal, and he did his best to contribute to the conversation, but his heart just wasn't in it, as he was so preoccupied with thoughts about Charlie. His mum had mentioned some of the teenagers she'd seen, never by name, of course, who self-harmed, so Nick knew of the signs, and it absolutely devastated him that Charlie found his mind clouded with darkness, with no one else to turn to.

"Look at 'im," Harry was saying, as Nick changed later that day after Rugby practice.

Nick, as usual, did his best to ignore him as he pulled on his school uniform to return home in; he had already asked the coach for a lift home, alongside some of the other Rugby boys. It was a simple thing to do, as many of the guys on the team had two parents who worked, didn't live in the immediate area, and couldn't drive yet. Nick's own seventeenth birthday was a further six months away, so he fell into that category, although he came from a single parent household, much unlike his fellow teammates.

"Same as that Spring bloke," Harry went on.

Nick's teeth gritted as Harry began spouting rudeness about Charlie; he had no right to, as the only thing he seemed to know about Charlie was that he was gay. True, Nick wasn't friends with Charlie, but he'd been sat next to him for a year, so he knew some things. He knew that Charlie was amazing at maths, played the drums, and was actually very nice. Also, he had a beautiful smile, and the most amazing eyes, but Nick wasn't about to tell anyone that...

"Lookin' sad about every damn thing," Harry said, laughing along with his mates at his supposed 'jokes' and 'banter'. "I heard he bled out all over the boys' lavatory near the library! Effing disgusting!" he proclaimed, and Nick could almost see his grin, although his back was to him. "I heard Mr. Lange was the one who found him, and hauled him direct to Headmaster Barnes' office to give him a ruddy detention!"

"Good riddance!" said one of Harry's mates.

"He deserves it, too!" Harry said. "If someone even touched his blood, we'd probably get all infected with the gay!"

Nick turned on Harry in that moment, fixing him with a patented Nelson stare, and doing his utmost to keep his temper. "Yeah, what?" he demanded, his voice cracking like a whip.

Harry's expression faltered for the briefest of moments, as he returned Nick's stare. "Well... We were just talking about Charlie Spring, and how he embarrassed himself by bleeding over half the lavatory," he said, grinning, while all the while his mates gave affirming grunts, words, or nods, and slapped him on the back.

Nick felt his jaw dropping, as he felt himself turning from flabbergasted to angry. "Why would you say something like that?"

Harry appeared stunned at Nick's reply, the grin wiping itself off his face once more. "Well, I mean, it's not like we need that kind of representation at our school, do we, lads?"

Harry's mates chorused their agreement.

Nick gritted his teeth. "What kind of representation?"

"Well, you know, the gay stuff," Harry said, crossing his arms defensively. "The last thing we need is him being all gay around us. It just makes it worse if he gets his blood everywhere. We'd all catch the gay if we touched it, y'know what I mean?"

"No," Nick responded, clenching and unclenching his fingers. "I don't."

"Well, we knew you were only halfway to being one of them, mate," Harry said, clapping Nick on his shoulder with a chuckle. "I know you were forced to sit with 'im during form, so that's not on you. But you're not actually friends with that fairy, are you?"

Nick shoved Harry's hand off him; he'd had just about enough. "You really shouldn't use that word, Harry," he said, his tone a warning.

Harry chuckled at that, almost as if he'd hit the jackpot. "Aw, do you think Charlie Spring has a crush on you, mate?" he asked, and all his mates laughed along with him. "You think he's gay for you, Nick?"

"I'm not your mate, Harry," Nick said, his anger slowly but surely coming out to play. "And stop talking about Charlie like that. It's not nice."

"None of us here is homophobic, mate, but it's not like we'd want 'im to actually play Rugby with us. It's bad enough we have to share the bloody school with him," Harry responded, shaking his head. "I mean, it's all just banter, at the end of the day—"

"Oh, just shut up, Harry!" Nick shouted, his anger seeping out of his every pore full throttle. "It's not just banter! I don't understand why you have to deliberately hurt someone's feelings! So someone's different—you have to make them feel bad about it, as usual!"

Harry threw his head back and laughed aloud. "Aw, you're getting so angry!" he said, coming up into Nick's personal space again, and shoved him backwards. "You can't help wanting to protect him, can you? Because you're in the same boat as he is—a couple of pathetic, little fags!"

Nick lost control then, his fingers rolling back to meet his palm, and he launched his fist through the air, aiming it right for Harry's face, where it collided into his nose. Nick could hear the splintering sound of Harry's nose breaking from the impact as he flew threw the air, knocking Harry to the ground and repeatedly hitting him, over and over again. Despite his fellow Rugby teammates grabbing at him, Nick couldn't stop hitting Harry, nor the quick footsteps, and shouting of a familiar, authoritative tone of voice.

"Nelson, Greene!" came Coach Singh's voice, and the fight immediately stopped. "My office, right now, both of you!" she ordered.

Once Nick got to his feet, he felt dizzy as he walked, leading him to believe that Harry had gotten in a punch or two. He walked past a mirror on the way to Coach Singh's office, and saw that he had a bloodied lip, a bruised eye, and a red cheek. Ducking his head down, he walked in step with Harry and into the office, where their coach demanded to know what had happened. It didn't take long for Harry's mates to let them know that Nick was the physical instigator, but Christian, Sai, and Otis confirmed that Harry had been using foul language beforehand. Nick was given Saturday detention, while Harry was ordered to apologize in front of the entire school via an essay the following day.

Nick gritted his teeth as he stood in front of the head teacher, but nevertheless took the detention slip and gazed down at it. He never thought he'd have detention, let alone for fighting someone, although he didn't regret it, not one bit.