Goes On // Dead Poets Society

seven.

Ridge Academy, NY
2/10/60

Once classes ended Charlie found himself walking to the schools pay phones, excited to call his friends, and see what they had been up to so far this week. It was the one thing he looked forward to. He wasn't sure if it was because it made him feel closer to Neil or if he had gone so long without talking to them it was all he wanted to do. Either way he finally felt a semblance of happiness since the whole mess had happened and Charlie was just gonna have to make do, one phone call at a time.

Yet when he rounds the corner to find the line of pay phones he also finds the familiar girl with brunette hair cascading down her back and a soft smile on her face. He takes a moment to admire her, the way she acts fondly about the person on the other end, how her fingers curl around the coiled wire, as if the rest of her body was on autopilot. She was so God damn beautiful and Charlie was such a fool, a fool for not being able to let the old him out. The old him that would do everything in his power to charm her.

"Hey you" his voice is sultry smooth, arms caging her in, and landing on either side of the pay phone. She's so close he can smell the strawberry shampoo in her hair and the faint smell of her rose perfume. She turns with a wide smile, eyes glimmering with amusement, face so close that if he moved forward just a few more inches he could kiss her.

"Oh that's just some classmate of mine, thinks he has a chance or something" she says into the phone, devious grin flashing back at Charlie. He figures whoever is on the other end asked who he was and all he could do was roll his eyes at the girl.

"I know. If he bothers me I'll let you know" she says with a soft chuckle and Charlie raises his eyebrows, glancing at the girl.

"Me? Bother you? No way" he mouths, a hushed whisper coming from his mouth and she bites her lips to suppress a laugh. The sight of it alone makes Charlie's heart clench. After eating dinner with her that one night he had somehow let her in. Not close enough to bare his soul like he had with his own friends but enough to finally feel comforted by someone around here. He regretted not staying strong but Evelyn somehow was the exception.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later. Love you" she says into the phone and Charlie raises his eyebrows in questioning again. Watching as she turns back around to hang up the phone, still caged in by the boys arms.

"Boyfriend?" he questions and she giggles out loud this time, warming Charlie over.

"Brother actually" she tells him and now he actually is more confused than before.

"He doesn't go here?" he asks and Evelyn shakes her head.

"No he practically begged my parents to go to public school, plus he's only eleven, so I don't think they had it in them to mind. Babies of the family, they get away with everything" she says with amusement glimmering in her eyes and Charlie wishes he had grown up with siblings. It might've made growing up with his parents much more bearable.

"So if I bother you, you're gonna sick an eleven year old on me?" he teases and Evelyn crosses her arms, shrugging.

"Possibly, he does have a mean swing. As his only sister, I would know" and that has Charlie laughing loudly, mentally cursing himself for still not asking the girl to the dance.

"I'll take your word for it" he tells her and Evelyn grins right back.

"What brings you to the pay phones on this fine Wednesday afternoon?" she questions and Charlie smiles.

"Calling Todd, today's his day" he says and Evelyn snorts which Charlie finds adorable.

"They have designated days? Is Knox only Fridays then?" she teases right back and Charlie shakes his head, brunette hair swinging.