Dead Poets and Dying Roses

Seventeenth Chapter

(AN: own plot idea)

From the ground I can see a dark figure scramble around in the room. My cheeks heat up at the thought of our secret meeting. I haven't told Neil about it or about anything concerning Charlie. He probably has read the majority of my feelings out of my face the last weeks, but still I didn't want to rush it. My cousin has his own problems, anyways. Going on a 'date' or whatever you want to call it with one of his best friends has seemed like a treachery. So I have kept it quiet. I'm feeling kind of bad, but my exitement is all I can focus on. As Charlie approaches me a few minutes later I have to chuckle. His brown hair is tousled and he still wears his pajama pants under his neat coat. I must have startled him out of bed. "I thought you wouldn't come. What took you so long?" He means it as a joke, but I can hear the subtle incertainity in his voice. "Well, I'm a complicated girl with a complicated life." I shrug my arms and twirl towards the entrance of the school. "So, are you coming, or what?" I ask him seductively. The thrill of toying with him makes my heart jump, especially because Charlie follows me like a compliant dog. With big eyes he offers me his arm. "May I, mon cheri?", he asks wiggeling his eyebrows and I link my arm with his, laughing. "I swear if you say it wrong one more time then I will go home again." Like that we walk into Welton, him guiding me through the halls. The last time I have been here I didn't have the opportunity to look at the interiors of this infamous place, but now I let my eyes roam around. There are portraits of some old important-looking men hanging on the walls, wooden staircases and some boring classrooms. "Wait.", Charlie stops me as we walk upwards. "I need to tame the beast first." "The beast?" I shoot him a questioning glance. He just signals me to stay quiet and pulls something out of the pocket of his coat. And as we reach the next floor I find out what it is for as a dog with slightly ruffled fur and sloppy ears sprints towards us, letting out one single bark before being silenced by treats. "Come on, it's this way." Charlie wants to guide me away, but I croach down instead. "Aw, you're so cute! You are not a beast at all!" I whisper to the dog and reach out my hand. "What are you doing?" But I blatantly ignore the boy standing next to me and pet this fur-ball with adorement. "You're a good boy, what? Yes, you are!" I have always wished for a dog or cat, well, literally every animal in my childhood. I have begged my parents and even attempted to ask Mr. Perry one time, but I haven't had one tiny chance. So instead of having my own I just have adopted every neighboor cat, every stray dog or injured bird. With joy I ruffle through the dogs fur one more time before I follow Charlie. He smiles at me while shaking his head. "You are indeed a complicated and extraordinary girl, Rosalie Parks-Dubois. Fraternizing with the enemy." My hand finds my mouth in time to hold back a loud laughter. "Are you afraid of that little cutie, Nuwanda?", I taunt him. "Unbelievable.", he mutters under his breaths, not able to hide a smile.

And it is indeed unbelievable. Unbelievable that a fuck-up like him, who doesn't take anything seriously and doesn't know what to do with his life has found a girl like her. Watching her interact with that dog has made him once more realize that no one could possibly hate an angel like her. And yet she always seems to think she is unlovable. But not tonight. Tonight he will show her the stars. He would show her the world and anything she asked for, if it just meant being with her.

I can't help, but from now and then peek over to Charlie and it seems as if he does the same. Everytime our eyes meet I turn away and my face heats up while he just curiously eyes the wall like it's the most interesting thing in the world. And suddenly it feels like I'm twelve again freaking out over my first crush. Giggle at everything he says, get nervous whenever he looks in my direction even though I'm not the object his eyes are fixed on. Having a crush is the most invigorating feeling to have. But it's different this time. Because it doesn't feel like that teenage skittishness. Not that temporarly fake love. Charlie is really there for me, makes me feel better. For the first time in my life I feel seen. And I don't want to loose that. I don't want to loose him. I try not to further think about my departure due in the next two weeks. Instead I survey the doors with their golden nameplates. They remind me of our doors in the girls bording school. But whereas theirs are just plain brown, ours are all painted in different pastel colours and the walls are covered with flowers. Things are not as strict as in Welton. But that doesn't mean we are free either. I imagine the boys behind these doors running around the room, throwing around paper balls and just having fun. I have never had anything like that at home, but have been lucky enough to find it here. With Neil's performance tomorrow I will have collected a ton of good memories that will keep me sane in France. With peace in my mind I follow Charlie up into a storage room and watch him open a window to the roof. He climbs up and reaches his hand out for me to grab. But instead of letting him help me, I bring myself up within a few seconds. "Remember who you are talking with, Dalton. I'm a professional." Confidently I stand up and immediatly slip on the damp roof tiles. Charlie catches me right in time and I cling to his arm, fear striking me for a second. "You sure about that?", he responds to my cocky comment with a grin, but a shadow of worry shortly flashes across his face. "Well, actually STAYING on the roof is something different." Carefully we make our way to a better watching spot. "You know, I've fallen from a roof once. Broke my arm. Neil's father was furious." My companion looks at me with disbelief. "Are you serious?" I look him dead in the eye. "Have I ever been serious in my entire life?" We both burst out into laughter and quickly hush ourselves to not wake up the entire school.