Goes On // Dead Poets Society

two.

Ridge Academy, NY
1/8/60

Charlie was wrong in assuming that attending the one study session would get them off his back. They all took his attendance as him wanting to be friends which was the complete opposite of what he wanted. His days now consisted of actively avoiding them, ignoring when they waved him over in class, eating lunch alone in his dorm, and going straight to a private study room after classes in hopes to not be found and be left alone. Even his room mate had been trying hard to get to know him but Charlie didn't have any interest in getting to know anybody.

Getting to know someone meant getting close to them and getting close meant there was a chance you could lose them. Charlie already knew what it was like, he had friends, and he lost them. Going through that pain again would never be worth it. So the best he had was being the new school loner for the next year and a half. Whether Evelyn, Nate, or the rest of their friends had any say about it. Which is why Charlie knew on Friday nights Nate had chess club and would have the dorm to himself for the rest of the night. Or so he thought.

"What're you doing here" Charlie spluttered, a bit shocked to see Evelyn laid in Nate's bed with a book in her hands. He was mainly surprised for her being in the room but even more surprised how natural it was for her to be in a boys dorm bed. Charlie thought those kind of things only happened in dreams.

"Violet and Marty kicked me out of the room if you know what I mean" Evelyn answered, turning to her side and eyes still scanning the page.

"And your only option was to come here?" Charlie asked dropping his bag onto his desk and sliding off his shoes.

"Yes, Nate normally lets me hide out here" Evelyn answered right back and Charlie sighed as he reached for the buttons on his shirt. He did not have time for making friends and trying to act normal about a girl in his dorm room.

"You and Nate are close?" Charlie asked despite everything in him telling him not too.

"Oh, so now someone wants to talk" Evelyn teased but Charlie just shook his head and traded his button down for a black t-shirt. Evelyn realized he wasn't in the mood for teasing so she quietly sat up. "Super close, known him for what feels like my whole life"

"I guess I'm just not used to girls and guys being friends" Charlie told her, only knowing a life of school boys and crushing on every girl they had an opportunity too.

"I get the feeling you're not used to a lot of things" Evelyn responded before lying on her back and focusing on her book.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked as he sat down at his desk, pulling out his books to do homework. Cameron would have a heart attack if he could see him now.

"I don't know, it's just you're different is all" Evelyn said and Charlie wished this didn't peak his interest. He had no business even talking to her but she was the girl in his dorm room. Old Charlie would have been all over that.

"You have no idea" Charlie muttered to himself and Evelyn sighed, annoyed she couldn't get the boy to just talk to her. He was cute and new, and she couldn't help but feel drawn to him somehow.

"Are you ever going to try and make friends or be miserable and lonely the entire time you're here?" Evelyn asked, finally closing the book she was holding, and sitting up to put her full attention on him. Charlie was surprised by her bluntness, not expecting such an outburst.

"Sadly you won't like my answer to that question" Charlie told her and Evelyn groaned out loud, hands coming to tug in her hair.

"God, you're so infuriating" Evelyn was good at making friends, she knew all the right moves and topics of conversation. She liked being someone's friend but so far Charlie had been impossible. Charlie wanted to laugh, if only she had met him three months prior. He figured she'd be just as infuriated with him then if not more.