Nicholas Hastings/Character Analysis

Grew up… In a family of four in North Valley, Massachusetts. Nick doesn't feel connected to his immediate family. He has a close connection to his grandparents, and always wished to live with them. Nick struggled with making friends but always had his one and only friend Matthew Nichols as his ride or die. They kept each other afloat feeling like the "losers" of the school. Unfortunately he developed feelings for Matt and thought Matt reciprocated which Nick thought he didn't and Matt moved the summer before 9th grade, leaving Nick all alone. This loss in friendship and communication left him to be sent to therapy and being diagnosed with depression, and eventually social and generalized anxiety.

Living… In an ambivalent relationship with his family. He has no real issue with his family, but through therapy and writing he discovers the trauma that has experienced and didn't realize. Nick is now living in a state of confusion and realization where doesn't really know what to do with his life because of the topics and ideas brought up in therapy. He doesn't feel a part of his family, his friends or the people around him and feeling like an outcast again. He is lost and starting to see through these things in his town and life that he grew up with as toxic and actively trying to show that facade that people have been living in.

Profession… High school student and writer. Despite seemingly being perceived as a "nerd" he actually hates school for the most part. He is not a star student he gets by and is only in honors English where he thrives. He is a smart person but feels more comfortable in different subjects than others.

Interests… Not that much (according to him). Nick spends most of his time, wallowing in his self-pity. In all actuality he has a lot of interests. He is interested in pop culture, like television, films, music, reading (books and indie comic books), theater, video games and gossiping. He is interested in writing and gossiping about society and daily life which bleeds into his interest in politics. Nick is interested in not letting people write his own story.

Relationship status… Single... clearly. Nick has a lot of crushes or at least people he is attracted to. He has to figure himself out before he dives into a relationship. It also doesn't help that he is a closeted bisexual, who has just figured that out. He has no real problem with coming out, he doesn't want to make it a big deal because he feels like it's his life and straight people don't have to comeout why should he.

Challenge… Trying to cope with the resentment and trauma in his life, the past, the present and the future with help of his therapist. Nick is a tortured and lost soul, struggling to find where he fits into a world that seems so fake to him. Nick is full of hurt with feeling alone and invisible. He wants the opportunity to live his life the way he wants to and with balancing his depression and anxiety so he doesn't feel so uncomfortable all of the time. He is trying to go through the ups and downs of high school as smoothly as possible. He starts to realize that the culture in the town he grew up in is a facade and toxic, but he also has this "nostalgia" to the town that he can't help but shake. He has the goal to maintain his relationships and not feel so invisible and lost all of the time and just feel confident. He is caught up in his hurt that he has faced that he doesn't see the good part of life. He is cynical to a fault that he doesn't realize he is hurting the people around him too.

Personality… Sarcastic, Angsty and Introspective. Nick is the most stereotypical angsty teenager, just full of anxiety, dread and drama. His personality comes out when he gains his friend group he gains this reputation (among his friends) of a "hot-spot for gossip". His friends make fun of him for being a little queer mean girl loser who gains all of the gossip in this school through him just obervering everyone and no one really notices because he is a "Lost Boy" no one really notices him (despite becoming more popular then before). He is not much of a talker, he usually mumbles stuff under his breath, but don't count him out about being loud. When Nick gets more comfortable, loosening up and even he doesn't shut up. He is really, really passionate about the things that he likes, but especially about things he hates (he's a natural complainer and shit talker). He sees the world in all of the good (he's a dreamer) and the bad, but tends to lean into the bad. He is a lot less mature than he thinks he is. He feels things so deeply that it's often hard for him to not take things to heart. Underneath the "sarcastic, witty, smart-ass, queer mean girl" monicker he is a really loyal person who has a heart of gold who will do anything for people he likes but he has major trust issues that led him to hurt people around him.

## Characters Like Him

* Stiles Stilinski from *Teen Wolf*
* Alex Russo from *Wizards of Waverly Place*
* Charlie Kelmeckis from *The Perks of Being a Wallflower*
* Daria Morgendorffer from *Daria*
* Veronica Sawyer from *Heathers*
* Clay Jensen from *13 Reasons Why*
* Percy Jackson from *The Percy Jackson: Series*