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

19 - the night

Backstage, she found Neil standing by some other actors and she approached him. "Neil, your father," she started. "He's -"

"I know," Neil said. "Thank you, M'am."

She smiled at him pitifully and watched with a heavy heart as he left, carrying his costume in his hands. This wouldn't be the first, and she was quite certain, it wouldn't be the last young boy to lose to the will of his parents.

It was a shame really, she thought, that such talent would be squandered by parents who had no empathy for their child's wishes.

What a shame.

The theater was nearly empty when Neil came out from the back, except for Mr. Perry who stood at the back with his arms crossed over his chest.

Neil tried a smile, wondering if maybe - possibly - his father had changed his mind about things, but his smile quickly disappeared when he was met only with a frosty expression.

Silently, the father and son walked out of the theater, but Neil's friends noticed him and quickly rushed over to talk.

"Neil! Neil," Charlie ran over to him, dragging Maria along with him. "You were amazing."

"Neil, Neil, Neil!" It was Todd who ran up to him next, pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "You were so great!"

"Neil -"

"Neil -"

"I can't, guys -" Neil tried, suddenly overwhelmed by the conflicting emotions within him. On one hand, it was so brilliant to hear praise, but on the other hand, he could feel his father's growing agitation and he was quite certain his friends' comments were making it worse.

Keating had managed to catch up to the others and Neil. He took hold of Neil's coat. "Neil, Neil. You have the gift. What a performance. You left even me speechless. You have to stay with -"

Mr. Perry, who had walked to his car, turned back when he realized his son wasn't by his side. He took heavy strides to where Neil stood and then shoved him aside, out of Keating's hold and away from his son's buzzing and bouncing friends.

"Get in the car," he said roughly to Neil before glaring at Keating. "Keating, you stay away from my son."

Something crackled in the air between the adults before Mr. Perry turned and walked away.

"Neil! Neil! Mr. Perry, come on," Charlie said.

Keating, noting that something was entirely off, reached out to lay a hand on Charlie's arm and pulled him back. "Don't make it any worse than it is."

Neil and Mr. Perry got into their car and drove away leaving the others standing there in apprehensive silence.

••●••

Neil hated being in his father's study. A photo of him standing stiffly with his parents sat on the table between a glass of alcohol and a half-filled ashtray. Tonight, his mother, Mrs. Perry was making a rare appearance in the study, the smell of the cigarette she had lit still lingered in the air.

Tension filled the air as Mr. Perry paced in front of where Neil sat in the seat beside the desk. Mrs. Perry looked nervously on from where she sat on the chaise.

"We're trying very hard to understand why it is that you insist on defying us," Mr. Perry said. "Whatever the reason, we're not gonna let you ruin your life. Tomorrow, I'm withdrawing you from Welton and enrolling you in Braden Military School. You're going to Harvard and you're gonna be a doctor."

"But that's ten more years," Neil cried out. "Father, that's a lifetime!"

"Oh, stop it," Mr. Perry rolled his eyes, shooting his son a scathing look. "Don't be so dramatic. You make it sound like a prison term. You don't understand, Neil. You have opportunities that I never even dreamt of and I am not going to let you waste them."