Light, quiet music played in Mrs. Keating's class. Another rare class. All her souls were in the dark, the blinds down, and with masks on her eyes. They only saw black.
Some were asleep, others were listening to music, others were praying...
The doorbell rang, but none of the girls took off their masks. They were still lost in their thoughts about the music. Mrs. Keating took it from her, and some words reached the ears of her students, as she lowered the volume of the music.
-Words can never contain, as music does, the unsayable grace that cannot be defined. It leaps like light from mind to mind.
The girls remove their masks when they hear their teacher's voice, all except Nicole, who admired her teacher's voice.
-That's it for today, girls. -Mrs. Keating finished her class. -Keep it in there.
Blinds got on, and all the girls left the class. All but one.
Joan noticed her last student. She didn't make a move.
-Did you talk to your father?
-Yeah. -Nicole removed her mask.
-What'd he say?
-Uh, yeah. -She swallowed hard and laughed. -He didn't like it one bit, but at least he's letting me stay in the play. He won't be able to make it. He 's in Chicago. But, uh.... But I think he's gonna let me stay with acting.-
Every single, miserable word that came out of Nicole's mouth was a lie. One after the other. She was not good at lying. Her hands were sweating with fear, and it was obvious that she hadn't spoken to her father. Keating noticed the lies, when Nicole was stuttering, but he let it go and kept asking questions.
-Really? You told him what you told me?
-Yeah. -She answered, shy and lying. -He wasn't happy. But he'll be gone for at least four days. I don't think he'll make the show, but I think he'll let me stay with it. -She raised a finger in the air to add one more thing and laughed awkwardly. -Keep up the school work. -
Keating nodded and frowned. Nicole picked up the books.
-Thanks. -She concluded.
Keating said nothing, just nodded his approval. And just like that, Nicole got up and left the class.
YOU ARE READING
A Poem By Walt Whitman
PoetryTaylor Anderson arrives at the Welton school, at the school of terror. Many call it Hell-ton. What Taylor will never know is that she is going to make a lot of new friends. What Taylor will never know is that she will be part of a secret poetry asso...
