Nick and Charlie

by Alice Oseman

I have been going out with Nick Nelson since I was fourteen. He likes rugby and Formula 1, animals (especially dogs), the Marvel universe, the sound felt-tips make on paper, rain, drawing on shoes, Disneyland, and minimalism. He also likes me. His hair is dark blond and his eyes are brown and he is two inches taller than me, if you care about that sort of thing. I think he’s pretty hot, but that might just be my opinion.

It hits me suddenly that this is the last day we’re going to be at the same school. Six entire years of being in the same place every weekday are over.

This is so real

Nowadays, we don’t have to be scared here. I hold his hand whenever I want.

I can’t tell him about this. He’d feel awful. He’s had enough of feeling bad because of me. I’ve already been the most annoying boyfriend in recorded history, what with all my mental health stuff.

I wanna hug him so badly rn 🥺🫂

“I think you need to talk to him.” “I don’t know what to say,” I whisper. “Just something. Anything.” “He hates me.” “That’s untrue.” “He’s angry.” “That’s temporary.” “I don’t know what to say.” “It doesn’t matter what you say,” she says. “You just have to say something.”

“No, but”—he shakes his head—“you’re Nick and Charlie.” I laugh. “What does that mean?” “It’s …” He laughs too, a nervous expulsion of air. “You’re … it’s hard to explain. It’s like, if you had to provide evidence for soul mates, everyone would pick you two.”

“Well, he’s an idiot, then!” Aled laughs. “Exactly. Two idiots in love. Couple goals.”

Nick and charlie two most adorable idiots in love

There are so many of just me. Me. Nick just took a ton of photos of me.

What our life is like now. Chilling round each other’s houses, going on walks, eating together, sleeping together. It sounds boring but it’s so wonderful. It is. I feel myself tear up just looking at our life together. I love this. I love us. I love our weird, boring life.

“If you want to break up,” he says, pointing a finger at me, “go right ahead. If you’re bored and want it to be over, fine. But just because you’re not going on fucking amazing dates every weekend doesn’t mean you’re boring and definitely doesn’t mean you need to break up.”

“A born-again woman. Willing to put aside my apathy for the sake of romance.” She blinks and puts her hand on her heart. “Jesus, I gave myself indigestion saying that out loud.”

I love Tori

Having not seen him for over two weeks, just the sight of him makes me want to run up to him and kiss him and hold him and not let go of him for at least twenty minutes. I clench my fists and stay very still as he walks up to me. God, everything about him is so perfect.

I find his hand and take it in mine. I lean against him and he still smells like him. Like home.

On the drive back, Charlie falls asleep in my car. I turn the radio on and thank the universe that my life is like this.

This is so adorable 🥺💘💗

I used to think I was pathetic for thinking soppy, romantic stuff like that. I don’t anymore. I just keep thinking it. I keep wanting him here. I keep wanting him to stay.

“Okay, fine, I love you more than my dogs.” “Good.” “I love you more than anyone, actually.”

They are so so so cutee

It is weird. We both know it’s weird. We both know we’re weird, we’re not like other couples our age. It’s weird that we hang out every single day, it’s weird that we’d rather just be with each other all the time. Every day we wonder when we’re going to stop feeling like this and get over our teenage relationship. But it never happens. We just keep on going. Because it’s good too. God, it’s so good.

“I’m weird too,” I say, because saying “I love you more than anyone too” back to him doesn’t feel quite adequate, even though I honestly love him more than anyone else in the entire world. Nick squeezes me and says, “Yeah,” because he already knows.