bus | todd anderson

eleven

'the poet waits quietly to paint the unsaid.'

"now, is there any questions you'd like to ask?"

their teacher from literature class asked. some others are quiet, some others are clicking their pen nonstop, and there she is.

alice, sitting from her table at the back, having that frowned into her face as she was cupping her chin in her hands.

she was disappointed from what happened earlier. she saw that boy, standing inside the terminal, feeling lost. she was about to go closer to him but then a bus came right infront of her.

she was about to pull that notebook.

"ms. foster" mrs. periana, their literature teacher calls her name as she came back to her reality.

"yes, maam? she asked.

"what is poetry?"

oh, poetry.

"come on, alice, you seemed so focus on what you're thinking that makes me think that you are not listening to me" mrs. periana reprimand her.

"now, i want you to tell me what's poetry" she added.

alice stood up, make the other students turn their heads on her.

"uhm poetry," she said, feeling nervous.

because of what? well, she doesn't have any anxiety or or scared of talking infront the others. she's not that really so open to herself, eversince her parents' gone and continued her childhood with her grandmother.

poetry must be the thing that her parents gifted to her, learn poetry and then it'll change your life, her parents thought.

and so she did, she kept doing poems, anything she feels, anything that surrounds her, she make it as a poem.

"poetry is something that,"

"poetry is everywhere, it's a beauty, poetry, romance, love, it is filled with passion of everyone of us." alice stated. her teacher couldn't get it right because she knew it is not the point of words mrs. periana dictated earlier.

"we don't read and write poetry just to make ourself aesthetics or any stupidity reasons. we make poetry to describe what was in our insides and outsides, describe something that revolving around us."

"poetry is a beautiful thing that everyone else can do" alice said.

"carpe diem," she added.

she stayed stood up. not wanting to hear any negative and defensive words to what she says.

"what was carpe diem?" a student asked.

"it is a latin word that means seize the day," alice said confidently.

"and where do you exactly know everything about you said?" mrs. periana asked.

"it is from the poem, to the virgin, to make much of time, my uncle, mr. john keating teached that to me" she said with a painted smile on her face.

"verygood, alice"

she never expected that she took her uncle's name in here who might be teaching at the welton academy right now she thought.

that was where she knew about the carpe diem word. her uncle john keating and her father teached her when she was just a kid. and now, she still remembers it.

because keating won't like people who forget something they do to make their life's better.

english class is done, it means that they have their own time before the clock strikes at 12:00 PM in the afternoon.

alice was in her way towards their field as a girl stopped infront of her that made her stop from walking.

"hey, i'm chris, chris noel" the girl named chris let her hand as an offer of  shakehands.

"i'm alice foster," alice introduced also, still processing what was happening right now as she received chris' hand.

"i was there in english class earlier, and i heard what you just said" chris stated, makes alice smiled about that incident.

"ah yeah," she chuckled.

"i heard your uncles name, mr. john keating... i also heard about him in welton" she said.

"oh, what about him?" alice asked.

they were now walking together heading to the field.

"that was knox's english teacher, he also teaches poetry," she said as alice gets confused. "oh i gues you don't know him, im sorry" chris laughed.

"it's okay, maybe i'll figure him someday" alice said as chris nodded.

"that was my friend, he is studying in welton, well, he did told me alot of things happening at welton," chris babbled.

alice still don't know why chris just there talking to her something she even don't know except from the part where chris knew her uncle keating.

she doesn't bother by it though, she actually enjoys it that someone was casually talking to her right now.

"knox said he had many friends there, as far as i know they are charlie, steven, gerard, cameron, neil and todd" she stated as when alice stopped walking.

alice's brain kept repeating the last name chris mentioned.

"todd, that's a cute name," alice said.

"well i think you should meet them someday! even though i still didn't met them yet, but," chris smiled at alice. "i think you'll be great friends with them!"

"yeah, i guess" alice said.

"by the way, is there anything you want to ask me? 'cause it's crazy that you just jumped on my way and now you're talking about your friend and my uncle" alice then now straightly asked chris. she got her creepin' though.

"oh yeah! i'm sorry," chris laughed. "i was hoping for you to come to the party? at my boyfriend's house chet denbury at friday?"

"why me though?" alice asked, hugging her books from her arms.

"my friends are not available on that day, and i was admiring you from a long time so, was hoping if we'll be friends? i find you cool though" chris asked nervously.

alice thought that she was a sweet girl. she was the only person who noticed her, and befriend with her.

"ofcourse, i would love to" alice accepted it as chris suddenly hugged her.

"thank you alice!" chris said with a smile on her face.

"so, friday," chris reminded her as alice nodded.

"friday,"

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