A Poem By Walt Whitman

𝐶𝒉𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝘟𝑉𝘐𝘐𝘐: 𝑇𝒉𝑒 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑠

Mrs. Keating was alone in her class. She looked at each of her empty seats, sighed, and stood up to Nicole's table. She stared at it for several seconds and lifted her chest of drawers. There she had the same book that she left him, the one that said "Five Centuries of Verse", the book that they used in each meeting of the dead poets.

Keating picked up the book and sat in Nicole's seat, opening and looking at each page of the book. On the cover of it he put his mythical phrase "I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately ..."

Keating began to cry as he read the lines in the book, as he read the lines that her innocent little student had read. And she would fall into regret that it was all her fault.

The school choir sang before the death of Nicole, in the front row her friends, who sang with pain, with sorrow in their eyes. Charlie was the only one who didn't sing, she was too hurt. She closed her eyes when they sang the most beautiful part of the song, while she remembered the best moments with her.

-The death of Nicole Perry is a tragedy. -Nolan started talking when the choir stopped singing. -She was a fine student. One of Welton's best. And she will be missed. We've contacted each of you parents to explain the situation. Naturally, they're all quite concerned. At the request of Nicole's family, I intend to conduct a thorough enquiry into this matter. Your complete cooperation is expected.

Kim, Meeks, Charlie, Pitts and Taylor were locked in a small room full of junk, cigarettes in hand. Charlie angrily lit her cigarette.

-You told her about this meeting? -Charlie asked again.

-Twice. -Meeks confirmed.

-That 's it, guys. -She sighed. -We're all fried.

-How do you mean? -Taylor asked.

-Cameron's a fink. -Charlie concluded. Cameron did not go to break the news to Taylor. Cameron did not cry or flinch in offering his condolences to her friends. Cameron is Cameron. -She's in Nolan's office, right now, finking.

-About what? -Pitts asked.

-Ths club, Pittsie. -She licked her bottom lip and frowned. -Think about it. The board of directors, the trustees and Mrs. Nolan. Do you think for one moment they're gonna let this thing just blow over? Schools go down because of things like this. They need a scapegoat. -

She smoked while footsteps were heard through the door. Charlie knew it was Cameron. They pushed away the smoke and cigarettes. The red-haired walked slowly as her "friends" looked angry at her.

-What's going on, guys? -She asked, nervous.

-You finked, didn't you, Cameron? -Charlie asked, getting up, taking a last drag on the cigar.

-Finked? -She laughed. -I don't know what you're talking about.

-You told Nolan everything about the club is what I'm talking about. -She got closer.

-Look. -She pointed at Charlie. -In case you hadn't heard, Dalton, there's something called an honor code at this school, all right? If a teacher asks you a question, you tell the truth or you're expelled.

-You little punk.

Cameron backed away when Charlie went to hit her, but her friends caught her.

-She 's a rat! -She shouted, while her friends tried to get her. -She's in it up to her eyes so she rattled to save herself.

-Don't touch her! -Kim shouted, looking at her. -You do and you're out.

-I'm out anyway! -Charlie yelled, trying to get away from Kim.

-You don't know that! -Kim yelled back. -Not yet!

-She's right there, Charlie. -Cameron pointed at her. -And if you guys were smart, you would do exactly what I did and cooperate. They're not after us! We're the victims! Us and Nick. -

-What 's that mean? -The Dalton girl answered, angrily. -Who are they after?

-Why, Mr.s Keating, of course. The "captain" herself. -Cameron made the quotes. -I mean, you guys didn't really think she could avoid responsibility, did you?

-Mrs. Keating responsible for Nick? -Charlie frowned. -Is that what they're saying?

-Well, who else do you think, dumbass? -Cameron yelled. -The administration? Mr. Perry? Mrs. Keating put us to all this crap, didn't she? If it wasn't for Mrs. Keating, Nicole would be cosied up in her room right now studying her chemistry and dreaming of being-

-That is not true, Cameron! -Taylor shouted. All of them were surprised by her actions. -You know that! She didn't put us to anything! Nick loved acting! -

-Believe what you want, but I say let Keating fry. -Cameron pointed out his words as he interrupted Taylor. -I mean, why ruin our lives?

Charlie turned around as Cameron asked her question. Said like that, Charlie closed her eyes, sighed heavily and when she turned around, she punched Cameron very hard in the nose.

-Charlie! Are you crazy? -Kim asked, while separating Charlie from continuing hitting her.

Charlie was trying to get away from her friends to hit the traitor again while Cameron writhed on the ground, with a hand to her nose. Looking at Charlie, her hand moved and her nose was bleeding. Cameron sighed.

-You just signed your expulsion papers, Nuwanda. -

Cameron smiled fakely as he said his ex-friend's nickname as she got up and said something else to her ex-friends.

-And if the rest of you are smart, you'll do exactly what I did. -She repeated. -They know everything anyway. You can't save Keating, but you can save yourselves. -

The others looked at Cameron with hate and fury. Taylor lacked crying. But Charlie wasn't even listening anymore. She wasn't going to buy another lie.