Cheat Work Thursday

Part of growing is untangling hard conversations and navigating the messiness of change. And if you are lucky, it doesn't stop at 16. I know, it can sound exhausting. My favourite coping mechanism is avoidance. But don't listen to me. And good thing these kids are too well-adjusted for that. Let's recap season 3: “Is that what you wanted to talk about as well?” It’s the summer holiday, and the gang is having a beach day. Charlie has been practicing saying “I love you” to Nick in front of the mirror, but he’s anxious it might not be the right time yet. While in the water, he and Nick say they have something to tell the other. Nick starts and says he thinks Charlie has an eating disorder. Enter record scratch. Charlie denies it and pulls away 💔. At Nick’s house later that evening, when Nick’s in the shower, Charlie confesses through the door that he actually wanted to say he loved Nick earlier at the beach. He leaves before Nick gets to respond. Nick chases afte...

"I have a boyfriend!" We start the season by picking up where we left off in season 1, and life is good. Charlie tells his friends and family about him and Nick. His parents are cautious, and Tori is worried about Charlie getting bullied again. Charlie tells Tori that he’ll be ok, and he’ll protect Nick. At Tara and Darcy’s encouragement, Elle tries to flirt with Tao, but it seems to be slow-working. Year 11 GCSE study session starts, and Nick is seated next to Ben in the hall. Ben says if Nick wants to keep his relationship with Charlie quiet, Nick “should probably stop acting so gay” for Charlie. On another day, he says he doesn’t think Nick wants to ever come out, and as a boyfriend, Nick is just as bad as him. Now that they’re not spending much time together during class — as all tragic star-crossed lovers are — Charlie rejoins the rugby team. Charlie invites his friends, including Nick and Imogen, for a sleepover, during which Nick comes out to Imogen. Imo...

Ahh… Heartstopper is so cute. I haven’t been watching it earlier because I’m a busy adult. Definitely not because I’m too old for it. But the fact that the TV series is adapted from a webcomic just makes it even more charming. I love the fun drawings that pop up on the screen every time something important is happening: the butterflies, the flying leaves, the buzzing electricity. This story was created to make people happy. The series aired its third and latest season last October. Instead of a fourth season, it will conclude with a movie, which will start filming in June, I heard. I’m blogging the series by season — it’s my study notes — because, as usual, I'd have forgotten most of this by the time the movie rolls out. So, let’s recap what happens in season 1. The kids The schools are Truham (for boys) and Higgs (for girls). The original friend group consists of Charlie Spring, Tao Xu, Isaac Henderson (and his books) and Elle Argent. And there’s also Tori, Charlie’s...