𝙼𝙾𝙾𝙽 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚄𝙲𝙺 (𝙳𝙿𝚂 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚘𝚗)

𝙵𝙸𝙵𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽

✍︎

      On Tuesday, Keating class was held in the courtyard. I could only assume He decided to have it outside since he entered the class and found most of us half asleep. The tiredness had taken over, a reaction to the mountains of work we'd been given by our other professors.

While it was halfway through November it was the mark where the Welton professors began to prepare us for the upcoming exams. The overwhelming amount of work and lack of time to do it had eaten into all our sleeping schedules.

    Knox, Pitt's and Cameron had been picked by Keating and were now walking in a circle around the yard, one after the other with Cameron leading and Knox at the back.

      "No grades at stake, gentlemen. Just take a stroll" I watched them trying to surpress the yawn that was coming on. I was stood by Meeks, with my head against his shoulder, who was standing tall trying to hide the tiredness even though the bags under his eyes were doing him no favours.

     "There it is" Keating said. My head lifted as I looked at the boys who where now all walking in step with each other. A few of the others began to clap along to the rhythm of their steps completely forgetting about the thought of sleep. Sadly. I was not one of them "I don't know what I've been told"

    "I don't know what I've been told" the boys responded back to Keating. It felt like a military camp.

"Doing poetry is old"

"Doing poetry is old"

      Keating began to walk along side the boys with his hands in his pockets "Left, left, left-right-left. Left, left, left-right-left. Left, halt!" The three boys came to a stop, as did the clapping.

     "Thank you, gentlemen. If you noticed, everyone started off with their own  stride, their own pace. Keating began to copy the slow walking of Pitts Mr. Pitts, taking his time. "He knew he'll get there one day. Mr. Cameron, you could see him thinking, 'Is this right? It might be right. It might be right. I know that. Maybe not. I don't know." A few of the boys laughed as Cameron smiled

     "Mr. Overstreet, driven by deeper force. Yes. We know that. All right. Now, I didn't bring them up here to ridicule them. I brought them up here to illustrate the point of conformity: the difficulty in maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others. Now, those of you -- I see the look in your eyes like, 'I would've walked differently' Well, ask yourselves why you were clapping."

      I leaned into my left leg looking up at Todd who looked down at me with a smile on his face. His elbow came out and nudged me making me smile as we focussed back on Keating.

     "Now, we all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, 'That's baaaaad.' Robert Frost said, 'Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.' Now, I want you to find your own walk right now. Your own way of striding, pacing. Any direction. Anything you want. Whether it's proud, whether it's silly, anything. Gentlemen, Sophia, the courtyard is yours"

      The boys around me moved off but I stayed in my spot watching them "You don't have to perform. Just make it for yourself"

     "Miss Perry" I lifted my head at the sound of my name to find Mr. Keating stood infront of me "are you with us, dear?" I  nodded as Mr. Keating stuck his hands into his pockets leaning towards me "swim against the stream Sophia" he walked by me, patting my shoulder as Meeks stood directly behind where Mr. Keating was, with his hand out waiting for me to take it. "Mr. Dalton, will you be joining us?" Mr. Keating asked just as I took Meeks hand.