Isaac and the rest of the main friend group are hanging out at Charlie's house.
ELLE: (about the bao buns they're eating) I swear, I'm gonna move into your house just so I can get your mum to make me these every day.
TARA: Oh my God, me too.
ISAAC: Same.
TAO: Well, we only have one spare room, so...
ELLE: So... we can share your room.
TAO: Uh... [hesitates] My mum wouldn't let me.
TARA: [Tara] Darcy's mum's the same. She hates having people over.
DARCY: Yeah, but your mum lets us have sleepovers, so...
TARA: Yeah.
We hear all three couples speaking inaudibly, having their own conversations. Isaac looks around at them, then sighs and looks down at his book.
James comes up to Isaac and the others at school.
JAMES: Hey, Isaac.
ISAAC: Oh, hi, James.
JAMES Um... I... I... I was just thinking, did you wanna come to that end-of-exams party tonight?
ISAAC: Oh, um... Yeah.
JAMES: (awkwardly) Okay... Cool.
ISAAC: Cool.
JAMES: And all your friends should come, too, obviously.
The others all talk over each other in agreement.
JAMES: See you there. Bye, Isaac.
ISAAC: Bye.
James runs off.
TARA: Oh my God, Isaac. What was that?
James runs up to Isaac and his friends as they head to the party in the woods.
JAMES: Isaac!
ISAAC: Hey.
JAMES: Did you want a drink? Not alcohol. I mean, there is alcohol if you want it, but if you don't, that's cool too. Um...
ISAAC: Yeah, sure.
JAMES: Come on then.
James grabs his hands and drags him off to where the drinks are.
ISAAC: We're running?
JAMES: Yeah.
Isaac and Charlie are sitting together on the coach.
ISAAC: Can I ask you, like, a really weird question?
CHARLIE: Yeah.
ISAAC: Before you and Nick got together, how did you know that you liked him in that way?
CHARLIE: Uh... I just always wanted to be around him. But also, anytime he was there, I felt like I couldn't breathe. And I literally could not stop thinking about kissing him.
Isaac looks over at James. He looks a bit concerned/confused, then looks back to his book.
James and Isaac are talking.
JAMES: Thanks for inviting me to hang out with you guys. My friends just wanted to go find the nearest McDonald's.
They both laugh.
ISAAC: It's fine. Um... It's nice that we get a chance to hang out outside the library for once.
JAMES: Yeah. It's nice just... to be around other gay people.
Isaac looks a little awkward at that.
JAMES: You guys have such a cool friendship group.
ISAAC: Yeah.
Isaac is sitting at a party where loud music is playing, reading. He looks around at all the couples around him, clearly uncomfortable, and gets up to leave.
Charlie and Nick notice Ben enter the party.
The music cuts out and we cut to the hallway outside. Isaac is sitting against the wall. James comes up to him.
JAMES: There you are. Not hanging out with your friends?
ISAAC: Nah. You?
JAMES: They'll just tease me about Charlie.
ISAAC: Do they all think the hickey was you?
JAMES: Yeah. I told them it wasn't, but... I mean, to be honest, I sort of had a crush on him last year. Not anymore though.
Isaac chuckles nervously.
ISAAC: Um... Cool.
JAMES: I... I do have a crush on someone else though.
ISAAC: Yeah?
JAMES: Yeah.
ISAAC: (nervous) Is it me?
JAMES: Um... Yeah.
Jamees kisses Isaac. When the kiss ends, Isaac is clearly unhappy it happened.
JAMES: S... Sorry. W... Was it bad, or... I've just never kissed anyone before so...
ISAAC: No, it's... It's not that. It's just... Um... I'm sorry.
Isaac gets up and walks back into the party. James stays sitting in the hallway. An animated grey leaf drifts past him and seemingly falls to the ground.
Back in the party, Isaac stands with a blue leaf also drifting past him. He cries a single tear.
The kids at the party are playing truth or dare, and it lands on Isaac. He immediately looks worried. Everyone else cheers.
ISAAC: (awkward) Um... I... I don't know. I don't really have any celebrity crushes.
IMOGEN: Ah, come on. Everybody has a celebrity crush.
DARCY: Of course you do!
Isaac and his friends are walking through town and chatting. Suddenly Isaac stops.
ISAAC: Guys! Um, I'm gonna catch up with you in a bit. I said I'd meet up with James.
DARCY: Oh my God, they're gonna kiss!
EVERYONE: Good luck! Have fun.
TARA: (enthusiastic) Bye!
ISAAC: (less enthusiastic) Bye.
He sighs and walks off.
Isaac is waiting for James at the bookshop. James comes up to him.
JAMES: Hey. Sorry. Some man just bought, like, fifteen of those Penguin cloth-bound classics.
They both laugh.
ISAAC: Wow. That is, like, life goals.
There's an awkward pause.
JAMES: So I'm guessing you don't feel the same about me then?
ISAAC: I don't know how I'm supposed to feel when I have a crush on someone. You know, I read all these books where people fall in love, and I still have absolutely no idea. I thought that I might feel that way about you. But then we kissed, and I just knew that I didn't. I think there might be something wrong with me.
JAMES: There's nothing wrong with you. You probably just haven't found the right person yet.
ISAAC: Yeah.
Cut to outside the shop. Isaac walks over to where his friends are waiting.
TARA: If we don't get "best dressed"...
DARCY: Are we going for that? Is that a real thing?
Elle notices Isaac.
ELLE: Did something happen?
CHARLIE: Something definitely happened.
DARCY: Did you kiss?
ISAAC: Can you guys just shut up?! I get that you don't think my life is interesting unless I have some kind of romantic drama, but I'm sorry to break it to you - I don't like him back! Okay? You can all carry on with your day now.
CHARLIE: Isaac...
ISAAC: No, I'm sorry. I'm fine. I just... I don't wanna talk about it.
Isaac walks off from the group.
Isaac is at an art exhibition. He walks up to an art piece made up of hundreds of Valentine's cards hanging from the ceiling. The artist comes up to him.
ARTIST: That's my one.
ISAAC: Really? I love it.
ARTIST: Thanks.
ISAAC: What's it about?
ARTIST: Basically about my experience being aromantic and asexual.
Isaac looks confused.
ARTIST: Like, being in a world where romance and sex are prized above everything else when you don't feel those forms of attraction. Growing up feeling that something about you is different, but you don't have the words to describe what that is. But then, freedom. The euphoria of freeing yourself from those pressures and expectations.
Isaac looks up at the art piece as animated green leaves spin around his head.
Tao and Elle are getting couples' photos taken while Charlie, Nick, and Isaac watch.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Who's next?
ISAAC: Oh, uh... I don't want one.
CHARLIE: Isaac, why not?
ISAAC: 'Cause it's so embarrassing just standing there on my own.
CHARLIE: Right, come on then. The four of us are getting an art-room photo.
He drags Isaac up to get his photo taken with him, Tao and Elle.
ELLE: Like the good old days.
CHARLIE: Yes!