Dead Poets and Dying Roses

Eighteenth Chapter

After some more cuddeling we fell asleep and didn't wake until the old rusty alarm clock we've found has rang. This time we've been making sure to not get into trouble for sleeping in too long. It's half past five in the morning and I'm slamming my hand down to make the ringing stop. I refuse to open my eyes and fall back onto our improvised bed-blankets and stinky pillows. Enjoying the peace and quiet I snuggle deeper into Charlie's arms until I can feel him moving and stretching his body with a big yawn. I squint at him and giggle as he looks rather funny with the sleep still in his eyes. "Are you laughing at me, mon cheri?", Charlie asks with a raspy morning voice and a big grin, kissing my cheek. "Ma cherie." I playfully hit him on the chest. "You refuse to say it right and still demand a kiss from me, Dalton?" My hand grabs his chin. "Yes. Yes, I do." I cannot withstand his charme and pull him in for a kiss, free from all that has been holding me back the last weeks. We lay there in the storage room for a little longer, watching the green line at the horizon slowly appearing. Sunrise is near and so is my time to go. Even though it takes a lot of persuasion and small pecks for Charlie to let me go, I can finally manage it. Cackling, we sneak through the silent halls as if we are going to flee out of a castle. Him, Robin Hood, and me, Maid Marian.
He leads me holding my hand and I follow him exitedly. Our own little fairy tale. Just us and the empty school.

Mr. Keating watches the two love birds with kind eyes out of his bureau. Oh, he remembers well the spirits of a fresh and young love. For a brief moment he feels sad. He hasn't seen his beloved wife for a while, but the teacher also knows that she will wait for him. No matter how long it will take. But seeing Charlie, one of his most ambitious students, and Rosalie, his stunning advice-seeker, makes him remember why he is here. Why he does this job and that it is worth it. To inspire these pupils and to give them a new perspective in life fills him with joy. He smiles to himself. They are indeed a good pairing. Both rebellious and reckless, but also so full of love and passion. Charlie finally finding what he has been searching for and Rosalie being found after she has been lost. Perfect and yet so fragile and easy to be destroyed. Mr. Keating knows of the struggles with Mr. Perry and he also knows the expectations of the Dalton family. But he allows himself to hope. To hope that they will make it and get their happy ending.

We make it out of Welton and are met by the cold winter air. Just as I want to take a look at my watch the big bells of the school start ringing, their sound being carried by the wind through the idyll of nature. Somehow we have managed to stroll around the building, making fun of some portraits, that a good amount of time has passed and the school is coming to live. "I've gotta go now.", I exclaim with a pleadinge tone as Charlie won't let go of me. "They will see us!" But, of course, he his deaf to all kind of warnings. "Who cares? Let them see!" He doesn't even try to lower his voice, but instead screams out with his arms stretched out. "Let the whole world see!" How theatrical. Quickly I put my hand on his mouth to shut him up. Even though I have to smile, I also notice the teachers and a few early birds stream out of the school. Especially one teacher near us finally gets suspicious. "Dang it, Nuwanda! I need to go now or no one will here anything from us anymore!" I release him and start to sprint to my bicycle. Charlie's footsteps behind me. He is running after me. "Rose!", he calls out. "Wait!" My head turns around and I stop. "What?" And then he gets on the ground on one knee. "Will you be my date for tonight?" I clutch my hands over my heart. "Yes. Yes, I will!", I answer dramatically as if we are in a play. Then I start running. As the teacher reaches Charlie I'm long gone.

The whole day I jump around the house full of euphoria. And finally after an eternity it's finally evening. I have told my aunt that I'm going to a final dinner with the ettiquette course. An excuse I have used before. As I walk down she clutches her hands over her mouth. "Oh, Rose, you look beautiful." She gestures me to turn and so I do, making the white coat fly around me. I chose it because it is extra long and hides the cherry red satin dress I'm wearing underneath it. My hair is fixed up in an simple yet astonishing updo. "Here, you should take these." My aunt opens one of the drawer and pulls out a pair of white pearl earrings. "No, I can't do that, auntie. They are too precious for you." But she ignores me. "Please, take them." She helps me get them on and I feel bad. Bad about lying to her and to give her the illusion that I have finally become the young lady she has always wanted. "I'm happy, you have accustomed yourself to this life now. And that you wear a smile on your lips again." In my chest my heart breaks a little. But I remind myself, why I'm doing this. That it is to support Neil. And maybe I can help another one of the boys.

Chris steps into the cab and sits down next to Rosalie. "God, I'm so exited. Thanks for coming with me.", she exclaims eagerly. "Oh, no problem.", Rosalie answers and looks at her with a sinister smile, that means she is up to no good. "What?" Chris raises one eyebrow in suspicion. "Well, we need to make a quick stop, before going to Henly Hall. Is that okay?" Rose has this spark in her eyes, that Chris can not really trust, yet she just shrugs her shoulders. "Of course. Where are we going?" And as Rose's grin widens, the blonde girl realizes she has just made a terrible mistake.

"If you would have told me, we were going to Welton, I wouldn't have come!", Chris expresses with a tortured expression. "Well, that's exactly the reason why I didn't do that!", I mutter, while rolling my eyes. I drag her along with me across the snowy ground. "I'm not going in there!", the blonde girl further complains and I stop in my tracks to face her. "Oh, come on, Chris. You could really give him a shot! He's a nice guy!" She snorts in disbelief. "He embarrassed me! That poem-" She gestures wildy with her hands in a loss for words. "So stupid!" "So romantic!", I chirp out with a high voice. I take her by the hand and start pulling her after me again. "He is a poet! A poet, Chris!" But my friend just looks at me confused. "Don't you know? Poetry makes every girl swoon!" Both our laughs ring through the winter night. "Who told you that? One of those boys?" I cross my arms, pouting. "What if?" With confidence I tilt my head. "Also, I just know that from experience." We giggle and step into the entrance hall. "I don't know, Rose." But the incertainity in her voice tells me everything I need to know. She is getting weak. "Look, I'm not forcing you to do anything, but atleast talk to him, okay? Tell him how you feel. Problem solved." I shrug my shoulders as if it is the most obvious solution. Chris already opens her mouth to further complain, but she doesn't get a chance as the boys arrive. Knox immediatly getting red. Charlie ushers the others out and I whisper my friend 'Good luck!' as we leave. My date approaches me, takes my hand and kisses it elegantly. "Ready for the play?", he asks as I hook my arm with his. "I couldn't be more ready." Together with the others we get in the car and I find myself sqeezed between Charlie and Todd. Cameron has got expelled from our drive and is now paired with Pitts and Meeks, while Knox and Chris spend some time alone, walking. Mr Keating is with us and we are all talking about this evening exited.

We arrive at Henley Hall and enter it, still chattering. Charlie takes my coat and roams my body with big eyes. "Wow. You are just...wow." He takes my hand to twirl me around, making the dress fly around me. "Beautiful." I instantly blush and give him a kiss on his cheek. As a group we make our way to the seats. As we look behind us to see the amount of people streaming in, we spot Knox and Chris, sitting a few rows above us. "I can't believe it.", Pitts shouts out surprised. "You can thank me later!", Charlie and I answer in unison and then stare at each other questioning. "Well, I told him to take her to the play." My companion brags with a big smile. "That's nothing." I make a dismissive hand movement. "I'm the only reason Chris is even here." Before we can bicker further we get interrupted by a nerved out Cameron. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. You are both great match makers." Todd just silently chuckles as I stick out my tongue to the red-head. Then the curtains open and everyone falls silent. And there he is. Neil. Crown on his head and a glow in his eyes. As the story unfolds before us I watch it with a big grin stretching from ear to ear over my face. I'm sitting at the edge of my seat almost unable to stay down because I'm that exited. This is the start of something and the most magnificant moment of my life probably. There is just so much happiness inside of me, that I think I'm going to explode. I'm happy for Knox and Chris, for Todd and especially Neil. And I indeed allow myself to be happy for me, too, for the first time ever. In the end we all jump up and clap. Of course, there are also a few loud 'Yawps'. The rest of the audience follows our lead. Mr. Keating probably the proudest and most joyful adult of all. I just quickly take a glance at the crowd when I see him. My uncle. He is standing at the back of the room staring me dead in the eye. The temperature around me seems to drop a few degrees. I almost freeze out of fear, but I can't allow myself that. As the people stream out of the rows to get out or to meet their friends I also make my way to the stage with stiff steps. He has seen it all. For a short moment I let the hope take control over me. The hope, that now that he has seen Neil's talent, he maybe has changed his mind. I immediatly notice at my cousin's tense smile, that he must have seen his father, too. But I won't let this man ruin this precious moment. I walk up to Neil and give him a thight and energetic hug. "You were awesome! So good, really good!" I release him and plant a kiss on his forhead, having to wipe the red of my lipstick away after it. "I'm so proud of you!" My hands squeeze his. "Do you know that?" He nods. "Of course, I do.", he whispers with a bit of devestation. We both know that our end is near. I take another look at Mr. Perry through the curtains. Then Neil grips my hand thight and we walk out. Him still wearing his crown proudly and me raising my chin up fiercly. And it feels like the world is ending around us. Because it is.