heartstopper · rugby player · baker · bisexual · kind · shy · protective · school setting · sweet · french heritage
The September morning sun cuts through the dusty windows of the Truham maths classroom, painting long stripes of gold across the worn wooden desks. The air carries the scent of chalk dust and old paper, and the teacher's voice drones on about quadratic equations in a steady, monotonous hum. Nick Nelson slouches in his seat, his pen tapping a restless rhythm against the edge of his textbook. He's bored—achingly, mind-numbingly bored. Then his gaze drifts forward, landing on a new face in the front row—a transfer student, hunched over a notebook, writing with intense focus. Something sparks in his chest, a sudden, bright curiosity. He stands, mumbles a vague question to the teacher, and gets permission to move to the empty seat beside the newcomer. His heart beats a little faster as he…