Dead Poets Society Oneshots

Change the World - N.P.

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." - John Keating, DPS

If there is one thing that my old man taught me, it was to never ever be afraid to be who you want to be. That is the very reason I decided I wanted to be an English teacher, just like him. I admit he wasn't always an English teacher in an all-boys secondary school, but he's always loved writing, especially poetry; I was very much the same, just younger and female.

Not that my gender made any difference when I got enrolled into Welton as the only girl so that my father wouldn't have to stress about getting me to and from school every day. I didn't mind being in an all-boys school if I'm completely honest. It was actually quite nice. He had told me all about the boys in his English class - the class that I would be in - said they were all an inspiring group of kids to be around. From what he had said they seemed to be like my kind of people, and I was right. Walking into that classroom for the first time was nerve-wracking, but I had never felt so welcomed before. Ever.

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I exhaled sharply in a desperate attempt to calm the nerves that racked my body as I stood outside the door to the English classroom. I hesitantly reached for the handle but stopped myself, quickly faffing around with my uniform, flattening my skirt out a bit more before I finally reached out and grabbed the cold golden handle, twisting it and opening the door with a gentle knock, "Father?"

The older man looked over, giving me a gentle smile as he always did, "Penelope! Come in sweetheart," he turned to the boys as I walked in, "Gentleman this is my daughter, Penelope. She will be joining you all in this class! I don't want to hear any crudeness!" He turned back to me, "Penny you can take a seat next to Mr Perry."

I looked around until I noticed a boy put his hand up. He was closer to the front of the room but sat at one of the four tables that filled up the middle of the room. There was a space just to the left of him, which I could only assume was where I would now be sitting. The boy gave me a gentle smile, but it was a smile I couldn't help but smile back at as I took the seat beside him.

He leaned over to me as I was putting my things on my desk, giving me that same heartwarming smile as he held out his hand, "I'm Neil by the way," he introduced. I smiled and shook his hand, "I'm Penelope, my friends call me Penny." He looked at me properly, maintaining eye contact as he placed a gentle kiss on the back of my hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Penny."

I could've swooned then and there. I felt my face heat up as I replied, trying my best to ignore the heat I could feel rising up my neck, "L-Likewise, Neil." We both shared a smile before the other boys started a ruckus, trying to ask me questions about where I used to go to school, and what I like doing. Some of them badly attempted to flirt with me when finally my father broke it up, "Alright fellas I know Penny is a very pretty lady but now we must move on to our poetry!" The boys all sat back down with various complaints, me chuckling before I grabbed out my fountain pen, beginning to focus on the lesson at hand.

Once class was over I began to pack up my stuff when Neil approached me once more, this time with a group of boys. I tilted my head in confusion when the taller boy seemed to answer the question I was thinking, "These are my friends," Neil explained, "There's Todd, Charlie, Knox, Cameron, Pitts and Meeks. And obviously, you know me." I chuckled and nodded as the boys all greeted me, "We figured we could show you around. Give you a group to hang out with during the breaks and lunchtimes and things."

I smiled brightly, feeling my face turn pink as I began to get more flustered, "Thank you. I appreciate it."
"No problem!" The boys chorused, all of us laughing as we all headed out of Mr Keating's classroom and out to lunch, me consciously choosing to ignore the face I saw my father make at me, alongside the not-so-subtle wink he sent my way.