I sat watching, watching nothing but yet everything. I watched the dust particles that floated aloof being trapped in this dull room. I looked at the lampshade that was a faint brown with stains of some un-known substance. I looked at the old floorboards that were in desperate need to be re-done. I looked at the sunrise reflecting off my mirror and onto the wall making the cream paint become visible. I looked at my clock which read 5:36, I had to up in extatically 24 minutes.
Finally I looked at my poem, my poem was for Charlie, but yet my family as well. My future was planned for me my job, my husband, where I would live, the men and women I would associate myself with, the people I would look down upon the people who rivaled me. All of it was planned but none of it was me, but yet I didn't know who "me" was.
The clock slowly shifted it's time and I couldn't bare the anticipation for the rest of the day. I stood up and my bare feet hit the cold floor. I looked at Eloise her soft breath could be heard if you listen close enough. I walked over to my desk where my uniform lay limply over the back of the chair collecting dust.
-
Most of the day slipped past me, I couldn't bare the wait until English class. I sat keenly focused on my Latin paper I had to write that was due by Monday, the sound of laughter often being eradicated by the teacher loomed around me.
I tapped my foot gently on the wooden floor recollecting yesterdays events, it was all I could think about.
Sleep began to form in my eyes, my head swinging causally, as my neat writing turned into slopy Russian cursive. The tapping I made with my shoe against the cool floor began to slow, my breath began to relax, and the suddenly my head began to rest against the cold desk.
For what seemed to be seconds for me was a whole class for Charlie, I woke up to a repetitive shoving at my shoulder and my name being repeated multiple times. I could recognize the voice from anywhere. I slowly lifted my head from off of the desk, my hair a mess, my brain scattered.
"Ah, someone's tired?" Charlie smirked already grabbing my books for me, I was too tired to have my face flush a deep shade of red all I could do was give him a loopy smile. I stood up composing myself as I followed Charlie. My body in the halls of Welton but my mind and soul elsewhere.
-
I slumped down in my chair, my tiredness already washed away and only the sheer feeling of joy washed over my body. Charlie placed my books on my desk, it had started to become a habit of Charlies to take my books which I found ever so romantic.
As the lesson went on the more poetic Keating made the world and life sound. He taught like no one ever could and I for one was all for it, but even with Keating's class being my favorite my attention still seemed to occasionally linger away to Charlie, but occasionally was an understatement.
"Morose?" Knox spoke up bringing my attention back to Keating.
"Exactly! Morose. Now, language was developed for one endeavor, and that is? Mr. Anderson? Come on! Are you a man or an amoeba?" Keating yelped out targeting Todd, It seemed like Keating had a little mission for Todd.
"Mr. Perry?" Keating said shifting his body towards the rest of the class.
"Uh, to communicate?" Neil said confused but yet invested.
"No! To woo women. Today we're going to be talking about William Shakespeare" Keating said, making the class laugh at the first part of his comment, but dread the second part.
"I know. A lot of you looked forward to this about as much as you look forward to root canal work. We're gonna talk about Shakespeare as someone who writes something very interesting. Now, many of you have seen Shakespeare done very much like this, "O Titus, bring your friend hither."" Keating spoke changing his voice for the character he was portraying making laughter spread like a bad cold.
"But if any of you have seen Mr. Marlon Brando, you know, Shakespeare can be different. "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" Mr. Keating said again quoting Mark Antony from the play Julius Caesar.
"You can also imagine, maybe, John Wayne as Macbeth going, "Well, is this a dagger I see before me?" Keating kept going and each impression leaving a smile on everyone's faces.
We all huddled into a group as Mr. Keating read from one of his books, all laughing after everything he said. His voice changing for each character impersonating them perfectly.
"Dogs, sir? Oh, not just now. I do enjoy a good dog once in a while, sir. You can have yourself a three-course meal from one dog. Start with your canine crudites, go to your Fido flambe for main course and for dessert, a Pekingese parfait. And you can pick your teeth with a little paw."
After he left the class in shambles, he walked over to his desk and without thinking twice hopped onto it, causing the faint bits of dust to come flying off and into the air we breath.
"Why do I stand up here? Anybody?" Keating asked, his hands stuffed into his trousers front pockets, a faint smile spread across his face still. The room was nothing but silent with crickets in the background until Charlie had made his usual witty remark.
"To feel taller." Charlie said not doubting his answer in anyway, laughter radiated throughout the room just like how it did moments prior to his comment.
"No! Thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton. I stand upon my desk to remind yourself that we must constantly look at things in a different way." Keating spoke touching the students hearts with his words. No one laughed but rather grasped Keating's message of what he told us.
"You see, the world looks very different from up here. You don't believe me? Come see for yourself. Come on. Come on!" Every walked up unlike the last time, as everyone know knew Keating's teaching antics.
I walked up just ahead of Charlie and right after Cameron, the smell of expensive cologne clogging my nose as Cameron seemed to bathe in it.
"Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though it might seem silly, or wrong. You must try! now when you read don't just consider what the author thinks consider what you think." The words left Keating's lips ever so soothingly as everyone took turns standing on the desk. I unfortunately got pushed closer to the back away from Charlie.
"Boys and girls you must strive to find your own voice, because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Therou said most men lead lives of quite desperation, don't be resided to that, break out!" Keating spoke my turn to stand on the desk came at last, I stood next to Hopkins who lousily jumped off the desk without admiring the dust on top of the shelves at the fresh paint job that stuck out. I've been in this room a million times before, but now there was finally a light of knowledge that Mr. Nolan always goes on about.
"Hey Mon Cher" Charlie laughed out as he stood right by where I needed to land, Keating stood next to him with a smile. I laughed out loud grabbing his hand that bestowed itself before me, I collapsed into his embrace smiling up at him laughing at what he had called me prior me falling.
We walked over to our desks, Charlie still holding my hand guided us through the desks.
"Y/N?" Knox whispered as we past him, clearly confused. I looked back and gave him a shrug laughing as the red stay pigmented upon my face.
"Now in addition to your essays I would like you to compose a poem of your own! An original work" Keating said as 'aww' and crippled sighs filled the room. The lights began to flicker and a booming voice made the weirdest noises.
"That's right! You have to deliver it aloud in front of the class, on Monday. Bonne chance ladies gentlemen." The words left by Keating struck us all in the heart, reading in front of a bunch of boys in a cave was bad enough let alone a whole class!
"Mr. Anderson, don't think that I don't know this assignment scares the hell out of you, you mole" Keating said shutting the light of as Anderson stood alone on the desk in the dark being uncapable of seeing around him.
Laughter sprawled throughout the classroom as a look of worry flushed upon Todd's face, I gave him a weak smile and as I received a slight pout back.
