"Carpe Diem... that's seize the day." DEAD POETS SOCIETY PREFERENCES/IMAGINES

"Could've gone worse." :CHARLIE DALTON REQUEST:

Author's Note: For the lovely @Acopoliptickenzz6

The English room was quiet as the thick winter abyss began to coat the grasslands of Welton. Kenzie held her coffee cup close to her chest, every now and then her necklace pendant tapping on the cups glass. She watched as the thick fog quickly and swiftly covered the grasslands that were just spoken of. It was early. So early that her father didn't like her being awake. But he was awake. So because he was awake, he had no choice but to allow Kenzie to sit with him.

"Do you have a favorite student?" Kenzie asked her dad, not moving her eyes from the window. Mr. Keating chuckled and removed his glasses, placing them on his desk. His pen followed suit.
"I have students that I value over one another because I know one will go farther than the other but a favorite? No. I don't believe so. I do have a favorite child though." He said, putting his glasses back on, and dragging his pen over his work journal once again.
"You have a favorite child because I'm your only child." Kenzie said, finally looking at him. He was laughing at his own silly comment and waiting for Kenzie to share the laughter. She did. The two carried on speaking about memories from the past as time slowly got quicker and reached the point of school starting.

She stayed in Mr. Keating's classroom till the clock told her she had five minutes to book it towards physics. As she was leaving, boys were entering. She saw her best friend Neil Perry making his way to his seat. The two shared a smile and a wave at one another.

Kenzie made it through the wave of boys and one had stopped her.

Charlie Dalton, Kenzie's secret lover.

He grabbed her waist and spun her in a circle, pressing her back against the wall, and kissing her soft lips. One of her arms was smushed between their hug, holding her school books against her chest. The other arm was around Charlie. Her fingers knotted their way through his hair. He pulled away and put his head on hers.
"Why hello Romeo." Kenzie expressed in a mocking tone.
"Good morning my Juliet." He said, kissing her again.
"Meet you at our spot after final period?" She asked, breaking the kiss. He nodded his head and kissed the top of her hand.
"See you there." He said, running into Keating's room. Kenzie sighed excitedly.

She didn't like hiding things from her dad but this secret relationship with the one and only Charlie Dalton was a rush she always embraced.

Maybe it was just because of his love, or just the situation in general.

She never kept anything from her father. Something bothering her? Mr. Keating knew. Something angering her? Mr. Keating knew. Something exciting her? Mr. Keating knew. Now here is one thing Mr. Keating COULDN'T know about. Her relationship.

Charlie feared that Mr. Keating would act different towards him in class because he was dating Kenzie. For better or for worse. He didn't want his friends turning against him because he was getting special treatment and he didn't want Mr. Keating hating him because he was dating his daughter.

In public, Charlie didn't speak to his girlfriend. They just looked at each other from afar, occasionally winking or blushing at one another. They hung out in group settings, with the poets and stuff. But even during those hang out sessions, they rarely acknowledged one another. It was in private they expressed their love for one another.

Their spot was the basement of their dormitory. There, in the basement, there was a bunch of extra storage. Beds, bedding sets, instruments, pots, pans, anything the staff at Welton would need in case they had more students than they planned.

The two had set up a little sitting place behind two stacked beds. They had cushions on the ground and a lantern on an older milk crate. Kenzie and Charlie called it their little nook.

They'd go to talk about their day, read, or do what average couples do. Kiss, cuddle, makeout. Sometimes the two even took naps in there.

Kenzie walked into the nook at their assigned time. After last period. Charlie was already waiting for her. He was working on Algebra homework, visibly struggling. Kenzie chuckled at his puzzled face. His face was so smushed and fuzzled that his eyebrows were practically touching and all different worry lines were showing on his face. Kenzie removed her book bag and sat next to her boyfriend, putting her back against the wall, looking at what he was struggling on.

"Carry the X." Kenzie said, pointing to what she was talking about. Charlie gasped and snapped, then saying,
"Ohhh." That's when he finished the math equation.
"Okay- now I can pay attention to you." He said, laughing and throwing his book to the side. Kenzie laughed and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, traveling his hands to her hips, and pulling her onto his lap. Her legs straddled him and their lips began tangling themselves into one another.
"How was your day?" Kenzie asked breaking the kiss. Charlie went back to kissing her and moved his lips down her neck.
"Good. Algebra was the only bad part, as you can tell. How was yours?" Charlie said, stopping kissing her for a minute. He pulling her closer and twirled her hair on his finger.
"It was fine. Got an A on a Latin quiz. So I can't complain." She said, getting off his lap. She cuddled herself into his chest, sitting between kid legs, and gently shutting her eyes. Charlie cradled her body in his chest, continuing to play with her hair, and stroking her arm.
"I love you." He said, out of nowhere. She looked up at him, making sure he was okay. He wasn't one to just blurt out 'I love you's' like that.
"I love you too. Everything okay?" She grabbed his hand from her arm and began to hold it, stroking her thumb against the top of his hand.
"Yeah I'm okay. I just don't think I say it enough after all that you do for me. You don't mind spending out nights in this dungeon, we ignore each other in public. We're not a normal relationship and I'm shocked your so happy and staying with me. I'm madly in love with you, and sometimes when I have glimpses of hope, you're madly in love with me too. I'm just shocked that... I don't know. We've been dating for eight and a half months and you haven't complained once. Or showed a sign of complaining." That was a lot of words for Charlie. Whether the words made sense or not, the words meant everything to Kenzie. She sat up from his chest and got up on her knees. She kissed his lips, clenching his cheeks, and tracing circles on the back of his neck. He sunk into her kiss. He pulled her by her elbows to his chest, and rubbed his hands up her chest.

Kenzie didn't know how to respond to him, so she kissed him. Kissing would buy her time to think of words. But it would also make her happy.

"Charlie, I love you madly. Don't even question that. Because I love you madly, I would never complain about having to stay private and a bit personal with our relationship. It's a privilege that we even have the guts to sneak around like we do." Kenzie said, caressing Charlie's cheek, a grin growing on her face. He kissed her again.
"I'm ready to tell your dad when you are." He told her.
"Really?" She said, pure excitement in her tone.
"Yes. Really." She grabbed his hand and yanked him up off the ground. They collected their things and Charlie just followed Kenzie. When he said 'I'm ready when you are' he didn't exactly mean in that moment. But she did. So he went along with it. He wasn't much but Charlie Dalton was a man of his word.

Kenzie busted through the English room and Charlie was just stunned standing behind her.

"Dad?" Mr. Keating looked up at his daughter and smiled. Then he saw Charlie. Then his smile became one of confusion.
"We're dating." Kenzie said. Mr. Keating smiled and shrugged.
"Okay, that's great." Mr. Keating smirked and continued on what he was doing. Charlie looked at Kenzie. Kenzie looked at Charlie.
"That's... Thats it, Mr. Keating?" Charlie said, clarifying that it was really it.
"Yes, Mr. Dalton." Charlie looked at Kenzie. Kenzie looked at Charlie.
"Oh-yeah thank you okay." Charlie said. Kenzie shrugged and grabbed his hand, leading him out of the classroom.

"Well that went well and-" Kenzie tried to speak. Charlie was already kissing her and spinning her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and deepened the kiss.
"Could've went worse." He said, laughing.