A Poem By Walt Whitman

𝐶𝒉𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝘟𝘐𝘐𝘐: 𝘐𝑓 𝑡𝒉𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑑

The Welton School bell rang as Nicole rode her bike, the warm air of that November afternoon blowing her face, the wind moving to the sound of her hair.

She was going to the rehearsal of his play. At the first trial. Voices practicing could be heard as soon as she entered the room and contemplated every corner. Nicole smiled from ear to ear, when she saw the other classmates starting the rehearsal.

Later, already in Welton, the students left their classes as soon as the bell rang, it was time for dinner. The girls were fighting to go down to the dining room first.

-What's for dinner! -One girl asked, loudly.

-Spaghetti and meatballs! -Another girl shouted.

All the students went down the stairs while Nicole went up them to leave her things. Her companions pushed her.

-Save some for me! -She screamed, letting the other girls pass. -But room, fairy! Here comes Oberon!

The girl goes to her room, reciting the phrases from her play, when when she opened the door, Nicole's face froze when she saw her father, standing, waiting for her.

-Father? -She asked.

-Nicole. -Her father sounded disappointed. Nicole's voice stuttered as she went to explain what had happened.

-Before you say anything, please let me-

-Don't you dare talk back to me. -Mr. Perry intervened. Nicole swallowed hard when her father spoke again.- It's bad enough that you've wasted your time with this absurd acting business. But you deliberately deceived me. -

The girl looked at the ground when she herself noticed that her eyes crystallized.

-How did you expect to get away with this? -Mr. Perry got close to her. -Answer me. Who put you up to it? Was it this new woman, this, uh, Mrs. Keating?

-No. -Nicole's voice broke. -Nobody. I thought I'd surprise you. I've gotten all A's in every class! -

-So did you think I wasn't gonna find out? "Oh, my niece is in a play with your son!", says Mrs. Marks. "No, no, no", I say. "You must be mistaken, my son's not in a play." You made a liar out of me, Nicole. Now, tomorrow, you go to them and you tell them that you're quitting.

-No. -A little tear went down on her face. -I can't. I have the main part. The performance is tomorrow night.

-I don't care if the world comes to an end tomorrow night. You are through with that play. Is that clear? Is that clear?

-Yes. Sir. -Her daughter answered, swallowing. Her father came to the door to leave.

-I made a great many sacrifices to get you here, Nicole. -Her father announced. -And you will not let me down.

-No, sir.

Mrs. Keating was in her office writing something. Poetry, maybe. Keating was looking at a frame with a picture of a strikingly handsome man, smiling in the photo. Keating smirked at the photo as she felt both pity and frustration at the same time. Afterward, she lightly sighed.

Someone knocked on the door.

-It 's open! -Keating said, trying not to crack his voice.

The student with medium short brown hair, with an air of pain on her face, peeked out the door. She closed the door behind her and looked at her teacher, who was still writing.

-Nicole, what's up?

-Can I speak to you for a minute? -Nicole's voice said.

-Certainly. -The teacher answered. -Sit down.

Nicole sat down in the chair next to her and swallowed hard to look at her teacher.

-Get you some tea? -Keating asked her, kinly.

-Tea? Sure. -Nicole said again, swallowing hard.

Nicole said again, swallowing hard. Keating got up to get his tea while Nicole surveyed the classroom.

-Gosh. -She said, seeing how little space she had. -They don't give you much room around here.

-No, it's part of the monastic oath. -The girl chuckled, while her teacher gave her the tea. -They don't want worldly things distracting me from my teaching. -

Keating sat back down. Nicole watched her teacher take her tea and then looked at the boy in the black and white photo.

-He 's pretty. -Nicole said, smiling at the picture.

-He's also in London. -Her teacher drank some tea. Nicole chuckled again. -Makes it a little difficult.

-How can you stand it? -Her student asked.

-Stand what?

-You can go anywhere. -Nicole was obviously referring to her father, which she couldn't do. -You can do anything. How can you stand being here?

-Because I love teaching. I don't wanna be anywhere else.

The Perry girl looked at her teacher, trying to say something.

-Nicole. What 's up? -Keating asked her, while she found out that she was worried.

-Ummm, I just talked to my father. He's making me quit the play at Henley Hall. -She answered, licking her lips. Then she laughed sarcastically. -Acting's everything to me. I- but he doesn't know, he-I can see his point. We're not a rich family like Charlie's. And we- -It was very difficult for her to talk. -But he's planning the rest of my life for me, and he's never asked me what I want. -

-Have you ever told your father what you just told me? About your passion for acting. Have you ever shown him that?

Nicole's eyes glazed over as Keating said those words.

-I-I can't...-

-Why not?

-I can't talk to him this way. -She looked to the floor, swallowing again.

-Then you're acting for him too. -Keating agreed. -You're playing the part of the dutiful daughter. I know this sounds impossible, but you have to talk to him. You have to show him who you are, what your heart is.

-I know what he'll say. -Her voice broke. She chuckled, almost crying. -He'll tell me that acting is a whim and I should forget it. That they're counting on me. He'll just tell me to put it out of my mind for my own good. -

-You are not an indentured servant. -Keating intervened. -If it's not a whim for you, you prove it to him by your conviction and your passion. You show him that, and if he still doesn't believe you, well, by then, you'll be out of school and you can do anything you want. -

Nicole chuckled, on the verge of crying, shaking her head and looking at the ground. The small and precious eyes of her that always sprouted joy now only sprouted sadness and pain.

-No. -A small tear fell from the girl's eyes. She sniffled and she quickly wiped the tear from her eye with the sleeve of her sweater. -What about the play? The show's tomorrow night. -

-Then you have to talk to him before tomorrow night.

-I...-Nicole looked to the floor again. -Isn't there an easier way?

-No. -Her teacher answered.

Nicole was cold, the joy she always expressed had faded. She looked at her teacher and then laughed.

-I'm trapped.

-No, you're not. -Keating was being serious.

And there Nicole stayed, going back to her room to break down crying and all she wanted at that moment was to disappear.