where all the poets went to die [dead poets society]

15 - everything about you is bible

This was Charlie, her boyfriend, and kissing him was exhilarating.

Charlie's voice pulled her back to the present. "Hey, what are you thinking about," he whispered by her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

"Just you," Maria said softly.

Charlie's face softened at that and he laid a quick kiss to the side of her head. "I like this side of you," he smiled.

"Did you really write that paper, Dalton?" A boy in the lounge perked up, directing his question at Charlie and pulling the two out of their little bubble.

"What happened in Nolan's office?" Another asked.

"Why'd you write it?"

Charlie, always a little too eager for attention, took up a seat - a comfortable seat - and launched into a dramatic retelling of the events. "Well," he began, "I've been thinking, you know. It's 1959, not the dark ages any longer, so why not let girls have the opportunity to go to Hell-ton if they really wanted to? I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I went decided to make a serious statement. I wanted to go over there, to Nolan and -"

Maria interrupted him, playfully rolling her eyes. "Charlie, you make it sound like you single-handedly took down the entire administration."

Charlie looked up at her. She was perched atop the arm of the couch he was sitting on so he could brace his hand on her knee and enjoy the comfort that touching her brought him. It helped to soothe his mind that it was all real - that Maria was really his girlfriend.

"You see, doll. I totally could've taken down the entire administration if I so desired," he said. "I just... don't find it worthwhile."

The group laughed at that and then Charlie urged someone to pass him a set of bongos everyone crowded around him. He hit the bongoes as he lowered his voice into a dramatic range and mimed Nolan's footsteps.

"Creak," Charlie mimicked. "He started walking towards my left. Creak. Creak. Then...'Assume the position, Mr. Dalton-"

Just then the door of the student lounge opened and Keating walked in, startling the listeners. Many of the boys got up from their seats, moving to disperse around the room.

"It's all right, gentlemen," Keating said, waving them down.

"Mr. K," Charlie greeted.

"Mr. Dalton," Keating said. "That was a pretty lame stunt you pulled today."

Charlie blinked, taken back. "You're siding with Mr. Nolan?" Charlie asked, shifting in his seat. "What about Carpe diem and sucking all the marrow out of the life and all that?"

Keating looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sucking the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone. Sure there's a time for daring and there's time for caution and a wise man -" he looked over at his niece too, "- or a wise woman understands which is called for and when."

"But I thought you'd like it," Charlie said.

"No," Keating said. "You being expelled from school is not daring to me. It's stupid, 'cause you'll miss some golden opportunities."

"Yeah. Like what?"

"Like," Keating started and then suddenly noticed where Maria was sitting and how Charlie Dalton was resting a hand on her knee and he held back a grin. "Like, if nothing else, the opportunity to attend my classes. The opportunity," he nodded at Charlie and Maria, "to date my niece."

Both Charlie and Maria flushed at that and Charlie seemed to then register where his hand was and quickly removed it, dropping it into his lap as red crept up his neck.