Chapter Text
Dear, Victoria
I'm glad to hear that you settled in nicely. How is it like there? In London. Is it anything like here? I hope not. Everything here is alright, I mean it’s all the same as the last time I wrote to you.
Father is making me take more shifts in the shop now, he fired William because he can't pay him anymore. But don't worry about me. I like the shop, I like the flowers, they bring me joy. Also I don't really have anything better to do, to be honest. I can't play the piano any more since mother sold it and I've already read every single book we own twice. Do you think you have any books you can send to me? It’s fine if you don't, but I would be really happy if you do.
I wish I had more to say to you but everyday is the same here. All. The. Same. I miss you but I know that it is better that you are there now. I hope you and Michael are doing alright. I really wish to be able to come visit you soon but I know it is very unlikely.
I can't wait to hear back from you.
Love, Charlie
It’s the middle of june. Most people his age are probably out enjoying the nice summer weather, but not Nick. He’s going to the cemetery to visit his mother. He started going more frequently than he used to, he just can’t stand being at home with his brother, he never really got along with him nor he did with the boys his age, he just never fit right with them. He really tried to, but it was no use so he stopped pretending to be someone he is not. He would much rather hang out with his dog, a border collie named Nellie. So here he was at the cemetery, again. His mother has recently passed, she was sick for the longest time. Nick likes to think that she is better now even though she is gone, at least she is not suffering anymore.
When he visits, he likes to fill her in on his life, he talks to her even though he knows that she wouldn't answer, she couldn't answer. He always sits on the nearby bench, which is in the shadow of a big oak tree. And today is no different, he sits and starts talking.
“Hi, it’s me again… And yes I know what you would’ve probably say:
’ Nicholas it’s summer, go have fun with your friends!’ But I promise you, I’m fine. I'm a lot more content being here then I would have been if I was with the boys my age.” He sighs. He thinks of them, the boys his age . He would even bother calling them his friends anymore. Were they ever really his friends if he was always pretending in front of them, if they never bothered to really know him? There was this guy Nick was really not fond of, Harry Green. Nick usually wouldn’t use the word ‘despise’ left and right, especially to describe his feelings towards another person, but for Harry Green he would make an exception. He is probably the most insufferable person he’s ever met, for instance he is always picking on people for no reason whatsoever, which he finds funny for some reason. Nick really despises him. But they weren’t all bad, he has to admit. There were Christian, Otis and Sai. Nick liked them, but they all moved to London to study and they lost contact over time.
“Everything is fine here.” Nick finally continues. “We are all alright so don’t worry about that. Father set me up to meet this girl today, Imogen Heaney. Apparently she is from a very wealthy family. I don't know much about her, but I think father will want me to marry her and I don't think I want that. I mean I have nothing against her, after all I don't really know her, but I never thought that this is how I’ll meet the girl I’ll marry. I know that it will be beneficial for the family considering the debt that we are in but why can’t David marry someone? Why does it always have to be me?” He realizes that he is raising his voice, he didn’t intend to but he did. It’s not his mother's fault that his father would do everything to save the family's social status. Even if that meant sacrificing his own son. It's not her fault that she got sick and left him alone. And yes if she was still around things maybe would've been different but she is not here anymore. She is gone.
“I really wish you were still here, they just don't understand me like you did.” He sits a few minutes more, staring at the distance. It’s so quiet there, it always is. Nick usually enjoys the silence, but sometimes he can't stand it, it overwhelms him. Now is one of these times.
“I'm going now, I have to go buy flowers for my lunch with Imogen.” He stands up and takes a final look at the gravestone before leaving.
Nick gets to town square, there is only one flower shop in town and it is right beside the town hall. Nick remembers that there works this nice old man, he is not so sure about what his name was. As he walks in his lungs fill with the scent of hundreds of flowers, there are everywhere and so many different kinds that he doesn’t even know the name of most of them. Nick goes to one of the vases, he recognizes that there are lilies in it, he looks at it for a moment, then he changes his mind and turns to another, this one has dahlias in it. Nick has no idea which to pick, he never bought flowers for a girl before, only for his mother when she was sick, she liked daisies so he always brought her that. Should he bring Imogen daisies too? Does she even like daisies? How do you buy something for a person you've never even met?
“Hey, are you alright there?” Nick turns around to see a boy, probably around his age, that he has never seen before, he is sure of that because he would’ve remembered him. His eyes are blue and it’s like there are little stars crushed in them. They are really pretty, Nick notices, but that wasn’t the first thing that caught his attention, it was his dark curly hair. It fell freely to his chin, the length was probably a bit unusual for most boys their age but Nick thought it suits him very nicely, it really compliments his face well.
“May I help you?” The boy smiles at him. And that when Nick sees them, dimples.
Nick doesn’t understand why but he feels this weird feeling in his chest, as if his heart started racing all of a sudden.
“Um, I’m here to buy a bouquet.”
“It’s a flower shop, that’s almost all that we can offer.” He shrugs.
“Yes, sorry. I’m supposed to bring flowers for this girl that I'm having lunch with but I literally have no idea what she likes.”
“Trying to make a good first impression, huh? Let me see if I can help you with that.” He turns and takes a moment to look at the different kinds of flowers. He picks up a few flowers from different vases and a few leaves then goes to the counter to wrap them in a piece of paper.
“Here you go. I hope she likes it.” He hands him the bouquet, Nick pays him.
“Thank you.”
“Good luck.” He smiles at him again. Nick can feel his cheeks getting warmer, he is probably bright red.
“Oh, thank you, I don’t think we’ve met before I’m Nicholas, Nicholas Nelson but you can call me just Nick.” He stuttered. Why is he so nervous right now?
“Nice to meet you, I’m Charles Spring but you can just call me Charlie.”
Nick just nods, he can’t say anything for some reason.
“I hope I see you around ‘ just Nick’ .”
Nick exits the shop absolutely flushed and confused. He doesn’t know what this feeling is but he never felt quite like this before, towards anyone. Let alone toward a complete stranger.
“Charlie Spring '' he murmurs under his breath, as he walks home.
There is something about Charlie, something that he couldn't understand, but he wants to know him better. He has to see him again.