Anderperry - Somewhere only we know.

An Honest Puck.

{{Neil's POV}}

"   If we shadows have offended,
   Think but this, and all is mended,
   That you have but slumber'd here
   While these visions did appear.
   And this weak and idle theme,
   No more yielding but a dream,
   Gentles, do not reprehend:
   if you pardon, we will mend:
   And, as I am an honest Puck,
   If we have unearned luck
   Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
   We will make amends ere long;
   Else the Puck a liar call;
   So, good night unto you all.
   Give me your hands, if we be friends,
   And Robin shall restore amends."

Those were my last words on stage, before I stepped backwards into the dark. The second I spun around those curtains, a grin sprung onto my face. My heart was galloping like the sound of the awed clapping in the background, and honestly I felt like a king, like Oberon himself. Well, I say that. If only it were real, not just a dream. I felt like a king on the outside, but my tummy was twisted and knotted like the strings of shoelaces that a three year old attempted to tie. My chest was tight and yet all I could feel was my lungs inflating and deflating like a puffer fish going wild, my heart sandwiched in between which shuddered in horror.

Well, it kept beating like that right up until I heard the words, "Your father is waiting for you," at which point it felt like it had stopped. It never felt like it started again after that. It felt like it disappeared altogether when I heard the words, "military school", come out of my fathers mouth. I'd never hated anyone more than him at that time. He was doing what he wanted for me, not what I wanted. I was never asked what I wanted, but told. I was never treated like I had an opinion or dreams, dreams which until this point had been coming true... But just, couldn't anymore. I never thought my father would take away every single one of my options but one, and when he did I was left devastated. There was nowhere I could hide, nowhere I could escape to, no lies I could tell to get myself out of this anymore and that was when I realised - I'm trapped. My mother couldn't help me, Mr Keatings couldn't help me, Todd or "Nuwanda" or Meeks couldn't help me... I couldn't even help myself.

Well, I know who, out of all of those people at least tried to help me. Todd. It was like he had a sixth sense, since he always knew something was going to go wrong. If I'd have listened to him when he told me I shouldn't do the play, if I'd have listened to him telling me to be more careful then none of this would've been happening. I would've been more content with only a few more years of school ahead of me where I could escape and do anything I wanted, since my father couldn't control me then. But if I went to this military school and Yale and everywhere my father wants me to... I'd be brainwashed by the time I was out and being a doctor would be the only thing I was good for. Any acting society would laugh in my face, since if I came to them with a doctors degree, they would deem me useless as an actor.

What was the use? I had no chance of having a life I wanted anymore. I had no chance of a life I'd be comfortable with anymore. I was feeling selfish. I felt like I had to take away something that someone else wanted now. It took
me no time at all to work out who. There was only one person in this house who had stronger aspirations than I did, and that was my father. So, I'd have to take them away, I wouldn't let him beat me around anymore.

But, that didn't quite quell out my emotions altogether. I still had people I cared for, and had to say goodbye to. Of course, that would be my society. So, I sat and waited in my fathers office until the meetings would've taken place, before I crept out a window and ran for it. I just ran and ran and ran, I didn't know how long it would take me to get to the cave, I just knew I had to.

I grew tired, I grew weak, but I forced myself to keep going. I also knew that it would be a surprise if anyone was even in the cave at this time, since I was quite late.

I also soon found that I wasn't too late, since when I arrived I saw one cold, shivering and lonely figure. The figure of the person I needed to see the most - Todd Anderson.