Carpe Diem |D.P.S. One shots

8. Immortal Words - D.P.S. (gender bent)

(my personal take on a female, victorian era version of Dead Poets Society) 

Talia knows she doesn't fit in, she's an English immigrant only attending Wellton because her uncle wanted her to be educated, but that doesn't stop her ever persistent roommate, Nellie, from pulling her in. Nell helps expose Talia to new ideas and wider horizons with the help of Nell's friends and their English teacher, Mrs. Keating. Talia doesn't realize how much of her is changing until it's too late. 

* Character Reference Guide* 

Talia - Todd 

Nellie "Nell" - Neil 

Charlotte - Charlie 

Katherine "Kathy" - Knox 

Sylvia - Meeks

Cora - Cameron

Grace - Pitts

• • • 

"Are you sure the lamp is a good idea," Talia asks. She's examining it in her hand, as if it were already broken shards. 

"Of course! What else would we use for light?" Nell reassures her. Talia believes a candle would've been better but chooses not to argue. She had already fought with her earlier that day, about doing this, going out in the middle of the night. She is still finding problems with their excursion, right now it's the fact that her corset is starting become more uncomfortable than what is normally acceptable. 

They stay silent for a moment and wait to hear the quiet knock come from the opposite side of the door, and when they do, they are greeted by Charlotte and Cora who lead them, along with Kathy, Sylvia, and Grace, to the creek, deep in the woods behind the school. Once they're far enough, they have the courage to speak. 

"I'm going first tonight," she states. "I have a verse that needs to be heard!"

"That's great," Cora says sarcastically. The girls knew Cora was only apart of the group because she was roommates with Charlotte, but no one was willing to say it, except Charlotte who hated Cora. 

They reach the creek and Nell lights the lamp and places it in the center of the group. The other girls dig in their coats for food they brought with them, Kathy is the first to complain. 

"Who brought half a roll?"

"Oh, hush up. You didn't bring anything!" Sylvia tells her.

"Yes I did."

"You brought crackers that were given to you for lunch. Those are nothing." Kathy attempts to argue but is silenced by Charlotte as she stands up straight and pulls out a sheet of paper from inside her dress. She shows them an illustration of Eddie Canter, as she unfolds it, she reveals it was a naked illustration of the actor. The girls blush and try not to stare at the actor, but rather Charlotte. 

"Teach me to love? Go teach thyself more wit," she starts confidently. "I have been taught and I have sought. But no such feeling has been given. It has been taken. Taken and torn, with no mercy. Teach me to love? Teach me to be." She curtsies, signaling her end, and indulges in the applause. 

"Who's that about?" Sylvia asks. 

"No one," Charlotte lies. She finds a spot on the grass as Nell stands up with a green, leather book in her hand. Before she begins, Talia notices something change in her. Nell doesn't smile like she normally does, friendly and kind. She smiles like she's enjoying herself, like she's thriving. 

She takes in a breath and reads: "Forever is composed of nows. 

'Tis not a different time –

Except for Infiniteness –

And Latitude of Home –

From this – experienced Here –

Remove the Dates – to These –

Let Months dissolve in further Months –

And Years – exhale in Years –

Without Debate – or Pause –

Or Celebrated Days –

No different Our Years would be

From Anno Dominies ." It was now that Talia realized Nellie needed to be a performer. Her voice, her expression, her happiness, it all shows her need to perform. Talia stays quiet, though, and waits for the next poem. 

Sylvia takes the book and starts a poem at some point the poem turns into a chant. Two lines are repeated over and over again and the girls are dancing in a circle, chanting and completely understanding what Mrs. Keating had told them. 

• • • 

Nell doesn't bother getting into her nightgown. Once they get back to the school, she pulls the covers over herself and begins to drift off to sleep. 

"The local theater is hold auditions," Talia tells her. Nell doesn't open her eyes. 

"Okay."

"You should audition. . .," Talia elaborates. Nell opens her eyes and sits up in her bed.  "It's Midsummer Night's Dream, I don't know if you would be interested, but. . ."

"I'll look into it." Nell smiles at her. Talia can feel herself blush and pulls out her nightgown from the drawer. 

• • • 

Author's Note;

I'm sorry for the inactivity! I've been pretty busy due to normal high school senior issues (applying to college) and this month I'm attempting NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month). If you don't know what that is, it's a challenge to write 50,000 words / a novel in a month. However, I hope to really become active again in 2019. 

Until I write again, 

~Lucy 

(poem used was "Forever Is Composed of Nows" by Emily Dickinson)