𝙼𝙾𝙾𝙽 𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚄𝙲𝙺 (𝙳𝙿𝚂 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚘𝚗)

𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙴𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽

✍︎

      By eight o clock I was sat at the table in student room, where Neil had been sat at the start of the year, focusing on my Latin work when a few of the boys filtered into the room. Charlie was sat in the lounge chair with his bongos on his lap as the boys sat around him.

"Cmon Charlie, tell us what happened" Reagan said standing behind Charlie. Neil was stood infront of him, his hospitality wearing off after Charlie told him he wasn't gonna rat out the dead poets.

The rest of the boys crowded around him leaning forward eagerly to hear the tale of how Charlie got hit in the ass with a wooden board. What boys find interesting will always fascinate me.

"Creak" He hit the bongo, his sunglasses covering his eyes, earning a few chuckles.

"He starts walking around towards me left. Creak" he hit the bongo again.

Charlie was laughing and joking about what had happened, it wasn't fazing him. So why when he was telling the story did I feel sick at the thought.

"Creak" he hit it again. "Assume the position, Mr. Dalton" the door clicked open and Mr. Keating walked in. All the boys stood from their seat quickly trying to busy themselves as Mr. Keating waved them off

"It's all right, gentlemen" his head turned my way before nodding "Sophia" I focused back down to my work as Charlie moved the bongos from his lap

"Mr. Keating"

"Mr. Dalton. That was a pretty lame stunt you pulled today" Surprised, I lifted my head to look over at the two. Todd looked over to me with wide eyes before focusing back on the man infront of him

"You're siding with Mr. Nolan? What about Carpe diem and sucking all the marrow out of life and all that?" Charlie asked his face pulling into disbelief

"Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone. Sure there's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for." I thought about what Keating said as I played with the pen in my hand. Charlie put his head down in defeat before looking back up

"But I thought you'd like that"

"No. You being expelled from school is not daring to me. It's stupid, 'cause you'll miss some golden opportunities"

"Yeah. Like what?" Keating out his hands in his pockets and looked around the room before looking back to me, my page once again becoming a lot more interesting.

"Like, if nothing else, the opportunity to attend my classes. Got it, Ace?"

"Aye, aye, Captain" leaning into him Mr. Keating dropped his voice low but could still be heard

"I think there's someone you need to talk and apologise to" I could feel his eyes fall on me as Mr. Keating straightened up "Keep your head about you. That goes for the lot of you"

The boys all nodded moving back into their spots "yes, captain"

"Phone call from God. If it had been collect, it wouldn't been daring" the boys chuckled and Mr. Keating opened the door as the laughs died down. "Sophia" I looked up at the door where he was standing and the room fell quiet looking between us "may I have a word?"

I knew what was coming. So I pressed my lips together and stood from the seat following Mr. Keating out into the quiet hallway.

"Walk with me" Mr. Keating put his hands in his pockets and took off to the left. It took me a moment to realise what he was saying before I caught up with him.