Two Years Later...
The chapel didn't look any different from how Maria remembered it. It was still ancient-looking and majestic, a dominating presence at the end of the cobble-stoned walkway. It felt odd to be walking the pathway alone this time without her uncle holding her hand and without the daunting thought of having to spend a year of her life at the formidable Welton Academy.
Two years had passed since Maria and Uncle John had left Welton.
Two years since the incident.
Two years since she had seen any of the boys.
And two years since she had seen Charlie.
His class ring no longer hung on a chain around her neck, instead, in its place, was a gold locket. Inside, a picture of him, cut into the shape of a heart to fit the crevice of the charm on one side and on the other, a minuscule picture of the two of them taken by Meeks during her time at Welton.
It had been gifted to her through the mail about a year ago. She had been expecting the usual letter from Charlie, addressed to her in his scrolling handwriting, but this time, the letter came with the necklace - a token, he had called it, of their love.
Maria smiled to herself, her fingers unconsciously moving to touch the cold metal that rested against her neck. The locket had been a constant reminder of Charlie's presence in her life, even when they were miles apart.
As she approached the chapel, her heart raced with a mix of excitement and nervousness. She knew that today was the graduation day for the class of 1962 - she had known about it through the frequent letters Charlie and the others sent her - and couldn't want to surprise them all.
They had no idea she was even here.
She waited, her heart hammering as the heavy doors of the chapel swung open and a sea of graduates and their families came flooding out.
And there he was, standing tall and proud, his dark hair slightly tousled, but still there was that preppy, handsome look.
Maria's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him from where she stood off to the side.
And then, almost as if sensing her, his familiar eyes turned to where she stood. They widened a fraction, his lips curving into a wide grin.
She lifted a brow, cocking her head to the side.
Charlie's lips twitched into a smirk - that same smirk that had greeted her two years ago and she watched with a big loopy smile on her face as he stepped around the crowd of people and made his way towards her.
He stopped about a foot away, his eyes drinking in the sight of her.
The years apart seemed to melt away in an instant as the electric connection surged between them.
"My, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, doll."
Maria couldn't hold herself back any longer. With a surge of emotion, she sprang towards him, her heart racing in her chest. She crossed the short distance between them so fast that she was almost a blur of color. As she leapt into his waiting arms, time seemed to slow down.
Charlie's strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her close and lifting her off the ground.
Maria's whole being was consumed by the overwhelming feeling of being in his embrace again. She pressed herself against him, her face buried in the crook of his neck, inhaling his cologne - which she found with great happiness that it was still the same - still that same deep, musky neroli and cedar. It swirled something deep within her and she clung onto him tighter.
Two years - it had been two years - and it had been so worth the wait.
They stayed locked in that tight embrace for what felt like an eternity, not wanting to let go. The world around them faded into the background as they savored the warmth and familiarity of one another.
It was as if she hadn't ever left in the first place. The way they fit into each other, held onto each other - it still felt oh so right.
"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart," Charlie mumbled against her hair when she gripped at him tighter.
"I know," she mumbled back, "but I just - I can't believe you're in my arms right now."
Charlie hadn't placed her fully onto the ground before he captured her lips with his - a heart-stopping, earth-shattering sort of kiss, it was.
Maria leaned on her toes, melting against him as time stood still. Their lips moved in perfect sync, their bodies pressed tightly together. At that moment, it didn't matter that they probably had an audience of ill-approving adults overlooking them, or that they were in the middle of what was probably the least romantic school campus on earth.
All that mattered was this kiss - all that mattered was them.
When they finally broke apart, their foreheads rested against each other, their breaths intermingling. Her hands braced on the back of his neck, Charlie's, circling her waist.
Maria couldn't help but laugh, her voice filled with pure happiness.
"I've missed you so damn much," she heard Charlie say while her eyes were still shut.
"I've missed you more."
"Impossible," Charlie sighed into her, savouring the way her body melted against him. Sweet florals and spice - the same perfume. He smiled to himself - the best things never changed."I love you."
Maria smiled. "I love you," she whispered back.
The weight of the past two years, the time they had spent apart, all seemed to fade away at that moment.
Finally, Maria felt Charlie's grip on her loosen slightly.
"Let me look at you, doll."
He let her pull away first and watched that pretty blush wash over her face when his eyes took her in. "I didn't think it was possible for my girl to get even more beautiful."
Maria blushed at Charlie's words, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink. They were now eighteen years old and yet Charlie could still make her blush the same way she did when they were sixteen.
Unbelievable.
Maria reached up to lay a gentle hand on Charlie's face, her thumb swiping across the light stubble on his chin.
"You're not so bad yourself. I like this," she replied, a playful glint in her eyes as he wiggled his brow at her. "But you always did have a way with words."
Charlie chuckled, his eyes sparkling. "Only when it comes to describing the most beautiful girl in the world."
Maria smiled and Charlie's heart sputtered at that radiant sight.
They stood there, basking in each other's presence, the world around them fading into the background. It felt like no time had passed, as if they had been frozen in a moment of pure love and longing. But just as they were about to lose themselves in their own little world, the sound of familiar voices interrupted their reverie. The rest of the boys had caught sight of Maria and were making their way toward them.
"Maria!"
She turned quickly, eyes widening at the sight of the boys - of her boys.
Neil was the first to reach them, a mischievous grin stretching across his face. "Well, well, well, look who decided to grace us with her presence."
Maria squealed, jumping into his open arms and accepting his hug. "Neil, I've missed you so much," she gasped, holding him tightly. She hadn't been able to see him before she left Vermont, but they had exchanged letters over the years and now seeing him in the flesh, she couldn't help herself.
"Can I say you missed me more than Charlie?" Neil asked with a laugh, but he was holding onto Maria as if he was afraid he'd miss out on another goodbye from her.
"Don't let him know," she whispered dramatically, pulling away and Neil smiled, giving her a wink.
"What am I, chopped liver?"
Maria spun around at the sound of Knox's voice and was promptly tackled into another bone-crushing hug as he lifted her off the ground and spun her about.
Maria couldn't help but laugh, her joy contagious. "I'm taking it you're glad to see me?"
"More than glad," he said, setting her down on the ground and in an act that took her back two years, reached up to tug on one of her curls. "I see you've cleaned up your hair."
Maria rolled her eyes at his good-natured teasingly. "Oh, hush."
"Genius Girl, give me a hug."
Maria smiled, moving to give Meeks a hug and then Pitts and then finally Todd.
"You've gotten so much taller," was the first thing Maria said to Todd and his cheeks flushed pink, rubbing the back of his neck.
His nose crinkled and he gave her a funny look. "Way to beat a man's ego, Maria," he mumbled, but the twinkle of amusement was still there in his eyes. He nudged her arm. "Missed you, Maria Keating."
"I missed you too, Todd Anderson," she said and then looked at all of them. "I missed all of you. That's why I wanted to surprise you all on this special day. You thought you could get rid of me that easily?"
"All the way from Ohio? Just for us?" Pitts grinned at her.
"Just for you."
Charlie watched Maria, beaming, unable to take his eyes off of her. Seeing her again after two long years filled him with a mix of emotions that surged through him like an electric current. He marveled at how time hadn't diminished her beauty nor had it diminished the magnetic pull she had on him.
He moved, slipping around Maria's waist and smiled at her when she looked up at him brightly. "What do you all say," he said, looking around at the group, "if we have one last hurrah down at the cave?"
The others perked up instantly.
"Let's do it!"
"Let's!"
"Off we go!"
"I'm in!"
••●••
"Watch your heads."
"Ow! Gah, good God."
"I told you to watch your head."
"Was the cave always this small?"
"You grew.
"Best believe my height's not the only thing that grew - Ow! What was that for?"
"For that comment."
"Fuck you."
"Enough already," Maria rolled her eyes. "You all squabble like a bunch of children."
"Well, Mom," Knox fixed Charlie with a glare. "Tell Dad to get his knee out of my gut and I'll stop squabbling."
Charlie promptly pressed his knee further into Knox's gut. "Oops."
"Bastard."
"Oh my God, the lamp is still here," Meeks said with amusement.
"Ah ah," Neil said, shaking his head. "Guardian of the Cave, not lamp, Meeks."
"Right, right."
"All right, is everyone settled?" Maria asked looking around the cave after the group had finally settled. The sight of them all in the cave again stirred something deep within her. She took a moment to soak it in - the familiar faces, the laughter, the shared memories.
The cave, their secret sanctuary, held a special place in her heart, and being here again filled her with a comforting sense of nostalgia. It was as if time had stood still within these walls, preserving the essence of their friendship.
A soft smile played on Maria's lips as she gazed at each of her friends. They had all grown and changed in their own ways, yet the bond between them remained unbreakable. They had weather a tremendous storm once upon a time ago, and now, on the cusp of their journey into adulthood, they were gathered once more, ready to face the world together.
With a sense of anticipation, Maria took a seat next to Charlie, their fingers instinctively intertwining.
"Shall we start?"
Neil smiled at her and nodded before he turned to Todd, nudging his arm. "You opened the meeting for the last time two years ago," he said. "I think you should reopen it this time."
Todd looked at Neil, his brows furrowing in mild surprise. "Me? You sure?"
Neil nodded.
They all nodded.
Todd's cheeks flushed, but he took a deep breath. "'I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately,'" he paused when the group took a collective breath inwards, "'I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life; and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived."
"I'll second that," Charlie said, smiling to himself.
"You said that the first time," Maria said pointedly.
He winked at her. "I know and I still mean it," he said and then grinned at the group. "Intermission because I feel like this meeting will go better with this." He unveiled something tucked deep in his blazer - a bottle of Jack Daniels.
"Where'd you get that?" Pitts said, eyes wide.
Charlie grinned. "I have my ways."
"Who cares how he got it," Knox said and wiggled his fingers. "Crack it open and pass it about, let's go."
Charlie smirked as he twisted open the bottle. He took a swig from the bottle, relishing the warmth and burn that it spread through him, and then passed it to Maria, who took a small sip before passing it along to the others.
The bottle made its rounds, each member of the group taking a sip, the atmosphere of the cave shifting with each sip.
"Can you believe we've actually graduated?" Knox asked contemplatively.
"No more Latin, thank God," Charlie's said.
Meeks chuckled. "I still can't believe you made it through Latin."
Neil raised an eyebrow, an impish look on his face. "Oh, come on, Slick," he grinned. "Admit it. You secretly loved Latin. I saw you acing those declensions."
Charlie feigned ignorance, his hand dramatically placed over his chest. "Hey, I may have been a prodigy in Latin, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it. It was all about the challenge, you know."
"You know what I'm glad I'm finished with? Trigonometry."
"And Calculus."
"And Physics - I cannot."
"You know," Pitts interjected, his voice laced with nostalgia. "I'm going to miss this cave. It feels like our secret haven, where we could escape the world and just be ourselves."
Meeks nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's like our own little clubhouse."
"Did you guys ever go to the cave after everything that happened?" Maria asked curiously.
"We tried," Knox said. "But the risk was too high. Nolan got another guard dog that didn't like dog treats - what a weird creature."
"We tried to meet in the trunk room here and there," Todd said.
"Had to avoid Cameron's finking ass most of the time," Charlie grumbled beside her.
"Cameron?" Maria repeated. "You all never made up?"
The boys shrugged and the conversation quickly shifted.
"Harvard," Meeks said proudly. "That's where I'll be going."
"Meeks, that's brilliant!" Maria gushed.
He winked at her. "Where are you off to Genius Girl?"
Maria's smile widened as she looked at each of friends in turn.
"Right," Charlie said. "You didn't even tell me, doll."
"I only heard back a few days ago," Maria said softly. "I've been accepted to Julliard."
The group erupted into cheers and applause.
Charlie beamed with pride, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "Julliard? That's incredible, doll!" Charlie exclaimed. "You're going to take the world by storm with your talent."
Maria blushed, feeling the warmth of Charlie's words permeate through her. "Thank you, my sweet," she said.
Knox leaned forward, tugging on one of Maria's curls to draw her attention. "So, Maria, any chance we'll be seeing you on Broadway one day?"
Maria laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Who knows, Knox? Maybe one day you'll be sitting in the audience, watching me perform under those bright lights. Better yet, you'll all be watching Neil and I."
Neil grinned from where he sat and lifted his hand up toward Maria, nodding gleefully when she gave him a high-five.
"Sorry, Slick," Neil said. "I knew about Maria's Julliard acceptance first."
Charlie looked between Neil and Maria. "What?"
Maria gave him a sheepish look, moving to kiss Charlie's cheek in condolence. "Sorry, my sweet," she said. "But Neil and I promised each other to keep our Julliard applications a secret."
"That means..." Charlie looked to Neil. "You, you're -"
Neil smiled and shrugged lightly. "Maria will be in Vocal Arts," he said. "I'll be in Drama."
"That's amazing, Neil!" Todd jumped on Neil. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to be sure I got in first," Neil said, laughing as Todd tackled him in a hug. "Both Maria and I wanted to be sure so we wanted to surprise you all."
Charlie's astonishment slowly transformed into a wide grin as he realized the significance of the moment. "You sly devils," he exclaimed.
He bent his head to Maria's ear as the others turned to focus on Neil. "I can't believe you kept this from me," he whispered. "I'll have to do something about that."
"Yeah?" Maria hummed, her cheeks flushing. "And what is that?"
Charlie smiled, pressing his lips against her temple. "I'll come up with something to punish you for that little secret, you're warned sweetheart," he said.
Maria's heart skipped a beat at Charlie's playful threat. She tiled her head, meeting his gaze with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, really?" She teased, a hint of challenge in her voice. "And what kind of punishment are we talking about here?"
Charlie leaned in, his breath tickling her ear. "Well, doll, I think a romantic getaway is in order," he whispered. "Somewhere secluded, just the two of us, before I leave you in New York."
That made Maria pull back and her playful look vanished.
"What is it, doll?"
"We're going to be separated again," she said. "We've been far away from each other for two years and just reunited, then we'll be apart for another four years or more, Charlie."
Charlie's expression softened as he took in Maria's words. He reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands.
"I know Maria," he said. "And it breaks my heart to think about being apart from you again, but you know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, doesn't it?"
Maria searched his eyes. "But what if... what if things change?"
Charlie's grip on her face tightened slightly, his eyes filled with determination. "Maria, listen to me," he said firmly. "Our love is strong, and I have no doubt in my mind that we can withstand any distance or challenge that comes our way. We've already proven that over the past two years. Our bond is unbreakable."
He pressed his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling. "We'll make it through this, Maria. We'll stay connected, despite the physical distance. We'll write letters, send each other little reminders of our love, and plan visits whenever possible. We'll make the most of the time we have together and cherish every moment."
Maria's eyes glistened with tears, but a small smile graced her lips. She placed her hands over Charlie's, holding them against her face.
"You're right, Charlie," she whispered. "Our love is stronger than any distance. We've already overcome so much, and we can do it again. We'll support each other, grow individually, and always come back to each other."
Charlie nodded. "That's my girl," he said, his voice filled with pride. "We'll make the most of every second we have together, and when the time comes for us to reunite permanently, we'll be stronger than ever."
And Maria believed every word because when you've found a love like hers and Charlie's, you held onto it - you cherished it.
"Hey, lovebirds," Knox called out, holding out the bottle of Jack Daniels towards Charlie. "Drink up."
Charlie grinned, taking the bottle from him, and holding it up. "A toast," he said. "To us. To the memories we've created, the challenges we've overcome, and the gruelling adult life that lies ahead. To the Dead Poets Society."
"To the Dead Poets Society."