Heartstopper Timeline

The following is a timeline of Alice Oseman's books, most notably the ***Heartstopper*** series and its spin-offs. However, Heartstopper is written and drawn to be in a floating timeline (the series depicts modern technology, films, T.V. series, books, social media, video games, and other media that did not exist in 2010-2011). Therefore, the year 2010 is used as a placeholder for the beginning of the timeline.

`***CONTENT WARNING: This timeline mentions sexual assault, bullying, violence, eating disorders, alcohol consumption, homophobia, biphobia, self-harming, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, body dysmorphia, and sexual encounters.***`

## Heartstopper: Volume One

### 2009

#### December

* Monday, December 14
	+ Charlie and Ben meet in the library at Truham.
* Wednesday, December 16
	+ Charlie and Ben meet in the second Music Room at Truham.
* Thursday, December 17
	+ Charlie and Ben meet in the library at Truham.
* Tuesday, December 22
	+ Charlie and Ben meet in the library at Truham.

### 2010

#### January

* Unknown Date (Day 1)
	+ Charlie and Ben meet in the library at Truham on the first day of the spring term.
	+ Charlie is placed in Mr. Lange's class for the newly-inaugurated vertical form group and is put next to Nick Nelson.
* Unknown Date (Day 2-3)
	+ Charlie and Nick say hello to each other and become friends.
* Unknown Date (Day 4)
	+ Charlie helps Nick clean up in the restroom after Nick's pen explodes, and the two become close.
	+ Charlie's "relationship" with Ben begins to deteriorate.
* Sunday, January 31
	+ Charlie and Nick have grown closer, much to Tao Xu's skepticism that Nick reciprocates Charlie's romantic feelings.
	+ Charlie sees Ben kissing a girl, and texts him that night that he doesn't want to meet up anymore.

#### February

* Monday, February 1
	+ Nick observes Charlie running track while he plays Rugby.
	+ Ben confronts Charlie physically about breaking up with him but is interrupted by Nick, who asks Charlie if he wants to try out for the Rugby team.
* Friday, February 12
	+ Charlie practices with Nick for the Rugby team, and wins over Coach Singh.
* Sunday, February 14
	+ Charlie joins the Rugby team.
* Friday, February 19
	+ Charlie grows a friendship with Otis Smith, Sai Verma, and Christian McBride.
* Friday, February 26
	+ Charlie meets Ben in the music block, where after Charlie tells him off for using him, Ben sexually assaults him by kissing him and pinning him against the wall. Nick, worried about Charlie, followed and pulled Ben off of him. After Ben leaves, Nick comforts Charlie.
	+ That night, Nick looks up Charlie's profile on Facebook and remembers the bullying he faced the year prior. He sends Charlie a message to check up on him, and Charlie opens up about his past and his relationship with Ben. Nick swears that he has his back, much to Charlie's happiness.

#### March

* Saturday, March 20
	+ Charlie is invited to Nick's house and meets his pet dog, Nellie. The two spend the day outdoors when it snows. Sarah, Nick's mother, observes that Nick is more himself with Charlie. Charlie tells Tori, his older sister, about his crush on Nick.
* Saturday, March 27
	+ Nick is invited to Charlie's house, where he teaches Nick to play drums, and the two wrestle when Nick teasingly takes Charlie's homework away. That night, while watching Back to the Future, Nick almost holds Charlie's hand while he is sleeping, but retracts out of embarrassment. When walking home, Nick begins to question his feelings for Charlie, and at home, he scours and fails to find results on the Internet.

## Moments (Mini-Comic)

#### April

* Unknown Dates
	+ Charlie and Nick hang out during the Easter holidays and grow closer.

## Heartstopper: Volume One

* Unknown Date
	+ Despite Charlie's optimism, Tao informs him that Nick has a crush on Tara Jones. Sai, Otis, and Christian observe Nick and Charlie's flirting.
* Saturday, April 17
	+ Charlie and Nick meet at Harry Greene's 16th birthday party. Harry takes Nick and tries to set him up with Tara, but Tara tells Nick that she is a lesbian and dating a girl named Darcy Olsson. Nick tells off Harry for being homophobic to Charlie. Charlie, meanwhile, bumps into Ben, blocking his advances and threatening him to stay away from him. Nick and Charlie meet up. The two run off to an empty room, and slowly asking questions regarding who Nick has a crush on, Charlie asked if Nick would kiss him. Nick agrees, and the two share a kiss but are interrupted when Sai calls out for him in the halls. Nick, flustered, leaves Charlie alone, though when he returns out of guilt, Charlie had gone home.

## Heartstopper: Volume Two

* Sunday, April 18 - Nick arrives at Charlie's house in the rain. The two go to Charlie's room, where Charlie profusely apologizes, only for Nick to kiss him. Nick then breaks down in tears out of the confusion about his sexuality, and Charlie comforts him. After calming down and getting tea to drink in Charlie's conservatory, Charlie explains to Nick that he might be bisexual after Nick explains that he has liked girls before Charlie. Oliver, Charlie's little brother, interrupts Nick and Charlie kissing, but nonchalantly promises to keep it a secret. Charlie promises Nick that their relationship will be a secret at school. That night, Nick watches a YouTube video explaining bisexuality.
* Monday, April 19/Tuesday, April 20
	+ Nick and Charlie grow more flirty at school, much to Tao's frustration.
* Wednesday, April 21
	+ After Charlie gets injured in Rugby, Nick takes him to the locker room to ice his leg, and promises Charlie that he doesn't want to be distant from him during school.
* Thursday, April 22
	+ Nick admits to Charlie that he thinks he's bisexual, and Charlie comforts Nick when he struggles to be comfortable being affectionate in public.
* Friday, April 23
	+ Charlie invites Nick to his 15th birthday party at the bowling alley.
* Tuesday, April 27
	+ Charlie celebrates his 15th birthday. Nick meets Charlie at the bowling alley, and is formally introduced to his friends besides Tao; Elle Argent, a trans girl that Tao has a crush on, and Aled Last. Tao, observing Charlie and Nick's flirtatious behavior, confronts Charlie in the bathroom and says that Nick is flirting with him for a laugh. Nick, overhearing from the bathroom, hears Charlie keep his promise and reiterates that Nick is just his friend. Tao admits his overprotective nature stems from all the bullying Charlie endured the year prior, and agrees to step back. When his friends depart, Nick thanks Charlie while also worrying that he doesn't want to be like Ben, but Charlie shuts him down and tells him he's nothing like him. Nick gives Charlie a birthday present, a picture of the two in the snow.

#### May

* Tuesday, May 11
	+ Nick attempts to do his Maths homework but gets sidetracked kissing Charlie.
* Wednesday, May 12
	+ Nick, doing his Maths homework, bumps into Charlie setting up for a joint concert with the girl students at Higgs. Tara observes the two from afar and approaches Nick separately. Recalling Tara coming out to him, Nick comes out to a delighted Tara that he is dating Charlie. Darcy joins the conversation and is ecstatic about Nick and Charlie.
* Saturday, May 15
	+ While doing homework at Charlie's house, Nick tells Charlie that Tara is a lesbian and that he told her of his and Charlie's relationship, much to Charlie's excitement. As they make out, they are interrupted by Tori, who subtly promises to keep it a secret. Later on, Nick invites Charlie to go to the Cinema with his friends, promising that Harry won't be with them, though Tori warns Charlie that Nick's friends can be rowdy.
* Saturday, May 22
	+ At the Cinema, Nick and Charlie are surprised that Harry is attending the screening at the Cinema. Harry makes it his way to pester Charlie on his sexuality and whether he has a crush on Nick. Afterward, Charlie tells Nick that he's used to it by now, but Nick tells him that he shouldn't have to cover for him anymore since it only makes him suffer. After Charlie is picked up by his father, Nick confronts Harry and his friends about their coldness to Charlie, and things escalate when Harry calls Charlie the F-slur. Nick punches Harry in the face but stops when he realizes what he's doing, causing Harry to punch him in the nose. That night, Nick asks Charlie through text if he wanted to go on a proper date, while also telling him he's done hanging out with his Rugby friends and wants to hang out more with Charlie's crew.
* Sunday, May 23
	+ Arriving at Nick's house, Charlie notices the bruise on Nick's face, and Nick comes clean about what happened, but Charlie jokingly says that Harry deserved it. Nick surprises Charlie with a trip to the beach, and the couple spends the day together. By the sand, Nick tells Charlie that he desires to come out to the people closest to them, picking up Charlie and proclaiming that they're boyfriends. When Nick returns home, he comes out to Sarah, who is extremely supportive, telling Nick she'll love him no matter what and apologizing for making him feel like he couldn't tell her.

## Heartstopper: Volume Three

* Monday, May 24
	+ Nick tells Charlie at school that coming out to his mother was a success.
* Thursday, May 27
	+ While his parents, Jane and Julio, sign a permission slip for a trip to Paris, Charlie tells them that Nick is his boyfriend. Though they're caught off-guard that Nick was queer, they apologize for judging by his appearance and congratulate him. Charlie tells Nick that his parents know of their relationship.

#### June

* Thursday, June 3
	+ Christian, Sai, and Otis apologize to Nick for not standing up to Harry, and the quartet reconciles, but Christian inadvertently refers to Nick and Charlie as "really good mates", causing Nick to hesitate to tell them that he and Charlie are dating, much to Sai and Otis' frustration.
* Thursday, June 10
	+ Nick vents his frustrations about failing to come out to Charlie, who inadvertently reveals that people knowing of their relationship would cause him stress along with school, but brushes it off as nothing. While putting away Rugby equipment, the boys' kissing session is interrupted by Coach Singh, who awkwardly tells Nick to meet up with her. She tells him that he'll be the new Rugby captain in the fall term, while also telling him that if anyone gave Charlie or him a hard time, to let her know. Remembering what Charlie said, Nick avoids telling Charlie what Coach Singh said to him. At home, Nick is unhappy to find his snotty older brother, David, visiting.
* Friday, June 11
	+ Nick arrives at school exhausted from his brother's antics and is comforted by Charlie, who asks if they could tell Elle, Tao, Darcy, Tara, and Aled about their relationship while at the meeting for the Paris trip. While Mr. Nathan Ajayi, a Higgs art teacher, and Mr. Youssef Farouk, a physics teacher at Truham, have groups of four sign up to share a hotel room, Charlie and Nick tell Aled of their relationship, though Aled admits that he had suspected. He informs a shocked Charlie to be careful telling Tao since he is the one who accidentally caused Charlie to be outed the year prior due to talking too loud. As Tao returns, Charlie postpones announcing his relationship with Nick.
* Saturday, June 12
	+ Nick attempts to ask Charlie what he wants to do through texting, but Charlie is avoidant of the subject.
* Monday, June 14
	+ At Nick's house, Charlie reveals that he isn't upset with Tao, but admits that he's afraid to publicly reveal his relationship with Nick since the relentless bullying he endured when he was outed caused him to self-harm and grow low self-esteem, though he tells Nick he stopped this habit. Nick comforts Charlie and asks if Charlie let him know if he ever began to feel that way again. When fetching tea, Nick finds David in his room talking to Charlie and is angered when David dismisses his bisexuality. He tells Nick that he snooped through his bedroom to find pictures of the two together, and claims that Nick is using bisexuality to hide being gay. An argument breaks out between the boys and Sarah, who hesitantly tries to stay neutral. Nick walks Charlie out of fear David will pick on him. That night, Charlie apologizes to Nick for making him feel pressured to come out, but Nick texts him a paragraph explaining that it wasn't his fault since they'll have to come out to people hundreds of more times, and it'll be worth it means they can be together. Charlie almost texts Nick that he loves him, but changes his mind.
* Tuesday, June 15
	+ Nick and Charlie text since Nick is out of school early.
* Tuesday, June 22
	+ At school, Charlie laments to Aled about wanting to tell Tao of his relationship with Nick. Aled uses his relationship with his boyfriend, Daniel Jun, as an example to Charlie that he shouldn't feel obligated to tell anyone about him and Nick unless he wants to, but Charlie admits that he just doesn't want Nick to get picked on the way that he did.
* Monday, June 28
	+ Truham and Higgs set off to Paris, with Nick desiring to meet with his estranged father to tell him about Charlie. At the hotel, Nick and Charlie are unable to share a bed due to Tao and Aled's unintentional preferences. When eating at a restaurant, Nick notices how little Charlie eats.
* Tuesday, June 29
	+ Tao is flustered to admit his feelings to Elle, despite Charlie trying to convince him that Elle likes him back. While exploring Montmartre, Tao and Elle are encouraged by the group to go see The Musée de Montmartre alone. Nick, Charlie, Aled, Darcy, Tara, and Sahar Zahid (Tara and Darcy's roommate and best friend) walk through the streets of Paris. Nick notices how defensive Charlie gets when he asks if he ate his lunch. Aled encourages Nick to ask about it to him. Tara recollects to Charlie how scary it was to tell people about her relationship with Darcy. That night, Tao leaves when Nick attempts to encourage him to talk to Elle. When alone with Charlie, Nick kisses Charlie on the neck.
* Wednesday, June 30
	+ When brushing his teeth, Charlie discovers a prominent love bite on his neck, much to Nick's horror. Though he lies to Tao that he fell in the shower, the students on the trip begin to tease Charlie. Charlie and Nick notice Harry telling his friends to ease the teasing. While the class tour the Eiffel Tower, Nick fails to meet up with his father, while Charlie finally musters the courage to tell Tao of his relationship with Nick. Though he's happy, he's hurt when he realizes that he was the last person to know and why Charlie had hidden it from him, causing him to distance himself from Charlie.

#### July

* Thursday, July 1
	+ Tao continues to avoid Charlie out of shame, causing Charlie to avoid eating anymore, though Nick packs a croissant in his pocket for him. At the Louvre Museum, Tao and Elle sneak off and reveal their feelings to one another with a kiss. Charlie faints from exhaustion in Nick's arms, though he wakes up quickly. At a table alone, Charlie reveals to Nick his lack of eating stems from wanting to have control due to the bullying he endured the year prior. Nick comforts Charlie and almost tells him that he loves him, but changes his mind by saying that he cared about him. Charlie eats the croissant Nick packed, but Nick still feels worried. On the bus back to the hotel, Nick and Aled make Tao and Charlie sit together, where Tao apologizes to Charlie for what he did, and the two reconcile. Charlie, along with Nick and Aled, is ecstatic when Tao reveals that he and Elle kissed.
* Friday, July 2
	+ When Tao notices Charlie's love bite, he has the girls assist in covering it up with makeup. That night, after sending Charlie and Nick off to their room, Nathan and Youssef flirt with one another.
* Saturday, July 3
	+ The group celebrates Tara's 16th birthday, and the kids are allowed to host a small get-together in the girls' hotel room, with Darcy planning on sneaking in alcohol. At the party, Tara and Darcy block Harry from coming in, though he says he wants to speak to Nick and Charlie. The boys are treated to Harry's half-baked apology about being homophobic to Charlie at the Cinema, but Charlie tells him off for expecting that his apology erased all the hurtful things he's said and that it's not Charlie's job to make him feel better about himself, before closing the door in his face and causing the group to cheer. The group then decides to play Truth or Dare in a circle. When it's Charlie's turn, he's dared to kiss James McEwan, he refuses and instead is asked who gave him the love bite. Nick takes a stand and admits that he did it and that he's dating Charlie. The party ends when Darcy throws up from too much alcohol, causing Youssef to send everyone back to their rooms. Tao and Aled decide to sleep over with Elle and Sahar, leaving Nick and Charlie alone and allowing them to share a bed, though they both tell each other that they're both not ready to have sex yet. That night, Youssef and Nathan succumb to their feelings, sharing a kiss and spending the night together.
* Sunday, July 4
	+ The class returns from Paris. Charlie looks up how to tell Nick that he loves him, while Nick looks up how to tell if someone has an eating disorder.

## Heartstopper: Volume Four

* Friday, August 11
	+ Planning to spend the day at the beach, Charlie prepares to tell Nick that he loves him before he leaves for a family trip for three weeks. Nick, Charlie, Tao, Elle, and Aled meet Tara, Darcy, and Sahar at the beach. Charlie grows anxious since he doesn't want to take his shirt off swimming and avoids eating. Nick is anxious since he's done research on Charlie's behavior and concludes he has an eating disorder but doesn't know how to bring it up organically. Sahar tells Nick that she's transferring to Truham, and Nick tells her that he'll look out for her. While walking, Elle how she can't see her family in Egypt due to their transphobic laws, while Tara tells Nick and Charlie how Darcy has an abusive, homophobic family. Later on, Nick tells Charlie to come into the sea with him and tells him he can keep his shirt on. In the sea, Charlie attempts to tell Nick that he loves him, but Nick inadvertently tells Charlie about the research regarding his eating disorder and that he should tell his parents, causing Charlie to lie and say that that's what he wanted to talk about too. That evening at Nick's house, Nick packs for his trip and takes a shower. After his mother texts him to come home since it's after curfew, Charlie finally works up to Nick through the bathroom door that he loves him and quickly leaves. Nick, surprised, leaps out of the shower and sprints to Charlie in the streets to tell him that he loves him too.
* Saturday, August 12
	+ Nick, David, and Sarah arrive in Menorca, with Nick encouraging Charlie through text to speak to his parents. Charlie and Jane get into a nasty argument, with Jane accusing him of having sex with Nick and that he needed to focus on school rather than a "silly romance", causing Charlie to storm upstairs angrily.
* Unknown Date
	+ Charlie has begun to isolate himself from his friends.
* Unknown Date
	+ While Nick texts Charlie, David smacks the phone of his hands and cracks it.
* Unknown Date
	+ Charlie fails to tell his parents about his eating disorder due to Julio's parents visiting. In Menorca, when David insults Charlie after Nick leaves to pick up a phone call from him, Sarah snaps and tells David off for his behavior. On the phone with Charlie, Nick becomes overwhelmed when Charlie tells him he can't talk to his parents, especially his mother, about his eating disorder. After hanging up, Nick breaks down to Sarah by the sea and tells her the situation. There, Sarah explains that while love is so beneficial to someone dealing with a mental illness, it can't cure it completely. She then compromises with her son, saying that they can do research together when they return to England and help Charlie speak to his parents or a doctor.
* Unknown Date
	+ Nick and his family return to England.
* Unknown Date
	+ The kids begin their first day of school. Omar, Christian, and Sai support Nick's relationship with Charlie. Nick and Charlie reunite, and Nick invites Charlie to his house to celebrate his 17th birthday and meet his father.

#### September

* Saturday, September 4
	+ Nick celebrates his 17th birthday with Sarah and Nicandough he's disappointed that his father once again flaked out on him. In his bedroom, Charlie gives Nick his present, a picture of them at the beach together. That evening, Nick works up the courage to talk to Charlie; he says that lately he's noticed Charlie become extremely tired and sad alongside his eating disorder and that while he can't cure what's going on with him, he'll support him no matter what. When Charlie breaks down in tears, Nick helps him write down what he wants to say to his parents, and goes with him to tell Jane and Julio about Charlie's mental health.
* Thursday, September 9
	+ Charlie lands a doctor's appointment with a general practitioner, who referred him to an eating disorder service that had a long waiting list.
* Unknown Dates
	+ The long wait caused Charlie's mental health to worsen; his eating disorder became more rampant, he began missing school, and he relapsed into self-harming due to stress.

#### October

* Unknown Dates
	+ Jane and Julio take Charlie to A&E, where Charlie made the choice to become an inpatient after his mental health was examined, and Charlie is taken to a psychiatric hospital. A lonely Nick is supported by Sarah and his friends and visits Charlie alongside the Spring family to the hospital. Charlie temporarily stops self-harming. At the hospital, Charlie is given a therapist and a nutritionist and called Nick through a ward phone. There, Charlie was diagnosed with anorexia, depression, anxiety, and OCD.

#### December

* Unknown Date
	+ Charlie returns home from the psychiatric hospital, and he, Nick, Tori, and Oliver decorate for Christmas together. He begins seeing a new therapist named Geoff, where Charlie begins to process all of the trauma he has endured.
* Saturday, December 25
	+ Charlie arrives at Nick's house in tears after a fight with his mother. Nick cheers him up by introducing him to his new puppy, Henry.
* Thursday, December 30
	+ Nick and Charlie spend the day together, and they both laugh uncontrollably when Charlie says something funny, causing Nick to say how much he loves Charlie and how well he has improved.
* Friday, December 31
	+ Nick writes in his journal about the past four months, and Charlie meets at his house for a New Year's Eve party with their friends.

### 2011

#### January

* Saturday, January 1
	+ Nick and Charlie, Tara and Darcy, and Tao and Elle celebrate the New Year with each couple kissing.
* Tuesday, January 4
	+ Charlie finally gets an appointment for an eating disorder service.
* Unknown Date
	+ Charlie relapses into self-harming after a heated argument with Nick. After Tori discovers it, she tells Nick, and the two reconcile by profusely apologizing to one another. That night, Nick sleeps over to keep an eye on him.

#### March

* Saturday, March 5
	+ The Spring family is invited to the Nelson household for dinner, where Nick plans to come out to his father, Stéphane, who finally shows up to dinner. That night, David attempts to take it upon himself to tell his father of Nick and Charlie's relationship but is stopped by Tori and Nick announces it at the dinner table. He both tells off his father for not being involved in his life and tells off David for always bullying him, before telling them both that he doesn't care what they think anymore. Stéphane berates David for his behavior, but Sarah scolds them both for their actions. That night, Stéphane apologizes and asks if he could meet with Nick and Charlie, and Nick happily accepts. Tori, overhearing David bad-mouthing Charlie on the phone, kick it out of his hands and threatens to end him if he continues to bully Charlie or Nick. Charlie hesitantly asks Jane if he could take a drive with Nick, and Jane agrees, apologizing for her actions recently. Nick and Charlie drive off downtown.

## The Ethics of Infatuation Dynamics (Mini-Comic)

* Friday, April 8
	+ For his birthday, Tao gets Charlie tickets to attend a classics talk from Henry Maddox, an academic presenter Charlie has a celebrity crush on. Nick grows jealous since he looks nothing like him, and wants to find a celebrity crush that doesn't look like Charlie in order to make him jealous.
* Saturday, April 9
	+ Nick chooses Ariana Grande to be his celebrity crush, though scraps it after Sarah points out how she has the same dimples as Charlie.
* Saturday, April 23
	+ Nick and Charlie attend Henry Maddox's talk. Nick initially acts unbothered, but soon becomes smitten with Henry along with Charlie.

## Heartstopper: Volume Five

* Wednesday, April 27
	+ Charlie celebrates his 16th birthday. After noticing how intensely he and Nick have begun kissing, Tao and Aled tell Charlie that he and Nick possibly desire to have sex, though Charlie has secretly begun to suffer from body dysmorphia. While celebrating Charlie's birthday at the Spring household, the girls and Nick discuss their plans for uni within a year, with Nick being indecisive due to how it might affect Charlie if he moved far away.

#### May

* Tuesday, May 10
	+ Charlie, Tao, and Aled go through Sex Education, where Charlie laments how his sexual desires are blocked by his anxiety. In a Year 12 assembly, Sahar, Otis, Christian, and Sai discuss the concept of virginity when one of their classmates brags about losing theirs, while Nick grows more worried about his future and also his sexual desires with Charlie. Nick and Charlie proceed to sext through their phones, and later agree to meet at Charlie's house. In Charlie's bedroom, things begin to escalate until Charlie freezes in fear when Nick attempts to take his shirt off and admits that he's afraid to expose himself to him. Sahar messages Charlie about performing for her band using his drum skills for a summer fete in July, though Charlie is apprehensive. That night, Charlie has a bad dream of Nick belittling Charlie for his appearance.
* Wednesday, May 11
	+ Charlie tells Nick of his bad dream, much to Nick's concern. At therapy with Geoff, Charlie discusses his predicament, though Geoff reminds Charlie of his confidence when he was the first to tell Nick about his feelings for him, and tells him he needs to find that confidence in him.

## Adoption (Mini-Comic)

### 2020

#### June

* **Sunday, June 11**
	+ Nick and Charlie adopt a puppy.