song of the chapter: coffee breath by sofia mills
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Sitting on the uncomfortable wooden pew, (y/n) had one thought. If you had told her two months ago that she would be trading her life in London to attend an all-boys prep school in Vermont, she would have called you crazy.
But, sitting there listening to the headmaster - she had come to realize that perhaps it was her who was the crazy one.
She fidgeted in her seat, wishing her mother were here so she didn't feel so alone. She was sat in the front row, usually where the professor's families sit. (y/n) supposed you could call her family to a professor - after all it was Mr. Keating who got her the spot at Welton in the first place.
The girl quickly glanced at him, sitting on the end row beside a very, very boring-looking older man. He smiled, to offer reassurance. She'd shot him a smile back and kept playing with the hem of my plaid skirt.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys, the light of knowledge." The headmaster- Mr Nolan - gestured to an elderly alum who proceeds to light a candle being held in a younger boy's hand. Mr. Nolan continues to talk about the pride of Welton Academy, the four pillars, but (y/n) let it enter one ear and immediately leave the other.
Truthfully, the girl didn't pay much attention until she heard him introduce Mr. Keating.
"As you know, our beloved Mr. Portius of the English department retired last term. You will have the opportunity later to meet his replacement, Mr. John Keating, himself a graduate of this school. And who, for the past several years, has been teaching at the highly regarded Chester School in London."
Mr Nolan proceeded to introduce the newest teacher, the one whose blue eyes sparkled anytime someone even mentioned literature or poetry. The girl knew from experience.
She smiled, because that's where they had met, and the reason her life had changed - for the better. She watched raptly as Mr. Keating stood up and bowed sheepishly, as if he felt awkward to be back at his old school.
Did she really blame him? Not in the slightest. After all, she felt the exact same right now. But, looking at him, she was reminded that she was not, in fact, completely alone.
Suddenly, something she had not been expecting happened.
"It is not only esteemed teaching that Mr. John Keating brings to Welton, no. He also brings with him a transfer student, who was the top of her class back in London. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the first female scholar to ever be accepted into Welton Academy. Ms. (y/n) (y/l/n)."
He motioned for the aforementioned transfer student to stand up - so she did. (y/n) turned to face the other students at this school and slowly came to realize that they were the people she would certainly pass every single day in the halls, so she did her best to make a good impression.
She brushed off her plaid skirt and wave politely, scanning the crowd.
As she looked about the room, she noticed one of the boys who held a banner earlier - an auburn-haired boy with glasses.
He looked dumbfounded as they made eye contact over the heads of the others in the crowd, so she chose to turn around and take her seat again - sparing herself any more mortification.
Mr. Nolan went on to shush the harsh whispers that erupted at the announcement, while the girl stared down at her lap, wishing to tune everything out.
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The very minute the ceremony had finished, (y/n) tried to make a beeline for the only person she knew, only to be stopped.
It was a parent - she assumed- of one of the boys who attended the prestigious academy. While the girl looked at the woman, she immediately felt defensive under her scalding gaze.
Obviously, not many people were all too happy that there was a girl at Welton for this academic year.
"I hope you know that there is already a unified committee of parents who paid for their sons to attend this academy who are calling for your removal, dear." She looked down her nose at the newest student, as if she were begging for money outside the cinema.
To combat the venomous words, she simply smile sweetly, and the woman in front of her responded by making an odd noise in the back of her throat.
(y/n) tried to keep her voice level, instead of stooping to the other woman's cruelty "Wonderful! I can't wait to watch your attempts. I have every right to be here, just like all the other scholars."
With an outraged sniff, the woman suddenly spun on her heel to walk down the aisle and out the door.
(y/n) sighed, before following suit and turning on her heel to find her only friend in this whole place.
It took her a bit of wandering about, during which time she was forced to endure constant staring and whispering. She made her best effort to keep her chin up, while her Mary Janes clicked softly on the ancient floorboards. Being shorter than most of the boys here, she stood on the tips of her toes to search for his familiar figure.
Finally, she found him outside, chatting with another professor. The autumn breeze lifted her hair from her shoulders, bringing with it the smell of the early morning's rain.
"Oh, yes," She heard him say. "I'm quite optimistic about this year. It feels nostalgic to be back after all these years!" The other professor laughed quietly and takes notice of the teary-eyed boys watching their families leave them here.
"Doesn't seem like every shares your sentiment, John." They both smile sadly, at the passing children who trudge around to their respective dorms.
"Hello, sir." (y/n) spoke up, giving a small curtesy to the taller professor with whom her friend was speaking.
"Ah, yes, I've heard lots about you, Ms. (y/l/n)," The man says, extending his hand in a friendly manner "I do hope you find Welton to your taste." She took hold of his hand - firmly- to shake it.
"It's tolerable," She admitted. "it's a gorgeous campus."
The girl gestured to the warm palate of colors that are donned by the towering trees nearby. She had always adored this time of year.
With a kind smile in her direction, the other professor excused himself to leave, and they watched as he joined up with a small group of parents and their sons.
Mr. Keating smiled at the girl and patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"You're doing wonderful, (y/n)" he complimented her, at which she grinned "I know how you dread meaningless conversation, so let's slip out quietly, shall we?"
He was just as much an introvert as she was, something she had always been grateful for.
"Oh, lets!" She said excitedly and they began walking under the trees towards the faculty building "Right - who was that other professor?" Mr. Keating smiled at her question, as if recalling a fond memory.
"An old professor of mine - he teaches Latin. Professor McAllister." A laugh escaped her throat, to which Mr. Keating raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry - it's just, how does he teach Latin with a Scottish brogue? That would be like me trying to teach Spanish!" He shook his head, trying to hide a small grin.
"That, my dear, remains a mystery." The pair continued walking, the taller man giving the shorter girl tips to survive the school as they did so.
When they finally reached the door to the faculty building - where Mr. Keating had himself a small, cozy apartment where she'd spent most of the summer - he turned to face her.
"I want you to hear this, (y/n)" he said, his face serious. "No matter what anyone in this hell-hole tells you, you have every right to be here. What is in within your mind dictates your success here, nothing else."
(y/n) smiled, never having felt more happy to call him her friend until that very moment.
"Thank you, sir." She said, and gave him a small salute before walking back towards her own dorm room.
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The girl found herself in the same corridor as the other upperclassmen. Mr Nolan had told her it was to ensure that no extra treatment would be given to her, what with her being a girl and all.
(y/n) made her way towards her familiar room, being jostled around in crowds during the entire journey. One boy had even brought skis, which seemed a little excessive, seeing as there weren't any hills nearby to use them.
Finally, she made it to her dorm, slumping against the door with relief the second she was properly inside her own space, with all the comforts of her home back in London.
Minus her mother, but she didn't allow herself to dwell too much on that fact.
While the other boys spent their days unpacking, she had plans to explore the campus some more, and possibly wander around the library - if she had time.
She'd arrived at Welton with Mr. Keating about two weeks prior, so she'd had plenty of time to get unpacked and settled into her new home for the year.
The girl set his blazer on the back of her desk chair, sat down on the metal-framed bed with it's crochet blanket sitting proudly on top, to stare at the photo on her nightstand.
"This is going to be a long year." (y/n) spoke the words to herself and the plants on the windowsill - if she counted them as listeners, which she did.
With that, she laid down on her back to stare up at the cracked ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of chaos from the outside world.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
A/n: {August 9th, 2023}
I chose to re-write this chapter because for some reason it was the only I did in the first person perspective, and for some reason I just hated that so here we are!
I also added a few minor details, to help with more of her background!
There are a few chapters I will probably be re-writing in the future, so stay tuned!
<3