❛ Chapter Three remember the meaning of romance. In chapter four you break up but you give her one more chance. ❜
DEAD POETS SOCIETY
chapter seven
"YOU REALLY GOT to them, I believe," Eliza told her Uncle as she packed her things away.
⠀⠀⠀"I hope so, my dear. One day they might just come out of their shells," he smiled, looking up from his briefcase as he set the homework he had collected inside.
⠀⠀⠀"They will. Some are already coming out. Neil Perry and Charlie Dalton, for example, had something click. Although some will need an extra push, like Todd Anderson," Eliza stated, waiting for him to join her in their walk to the dining hall.
⠀⠀⠀Keating was silent for a moment as he took in her words. He liked to hear Eliza's perception of his class. Having a second opinion on what was happening in her point of view as a student was helpful and refreshing. Especially when her words came from care and not a prestigious boy sucking up for better grades.
⠀⠀⠀"Your friends are waiting," Keating whispered.
⠀⠀⠀Eliza turned to see Charlie, Knox, and Meeks by the door, whispering amongst themselves as they waited. Pitts, Todd, and Cameron had already gone off to hold down their table before anyone stole their seats, while Neil had gone off on a secret mission. She smiled for a moment, her eyes catching Charlie's. He smiled back.
⠀⠀⠀"Best to not keep them waiting," Keating mused.
⠀⠀⠀"It's alright, Uncle John. I planned to walk with you anyway," she told him with that kind smile of hers.
⠀⠀⠀Keating shook his head, disappointed but not surprised by his niece's thoughtfulness for his well-being.
⠀⠀⠀"You've made quite a few friends in your short time here already. You should take the time you can to spend with them," he assured her with a smile. "I have to wrap up a few things in here anyway before I can head to lunch."
⠀⠀⠀"You joining us, birdie?" Charlie asked, swinging his arm over Eliza's shoulders as the three made their way out of Keating's class and towards the dining hall.
⠀⠀⠀"Of course. Who else would I sit with?" Eliza asked with a small laugh.
⠀⠀⠀"You and Mr. McAlister seemed to be very close. I'm surprised you don't want to sit with him," Meeks jested, his eyes scrunching up behind his glasses through his laughter.
⠀⠀⠀"Oh, that reminds me," Eliza said, approaching the doors of the hall and finding Mr. McAlister towards the front of the hall. "He did invite me to eat lunch with him," she explained, continuing to walk towards the front.
⠀⠀⠀"No, no, no, we need you at our table," Knox whined, dragging Eliza back to them by the hand and towards their usual table.
⠀⠀⠀"Oh, really? You need me?" Eliza asked.
⠀⠀⠀"You're the only other person who can scare Cameron to shut up, and it gets tiring doing it all the time," Charlie brushed off. He sighed heavily, as if just the thought was exhausting.
⠀⠀⠀"Oh, right," she agreed, nodding her head while rolling her eyes.
⠀⠀⠀The four approached their table as Pitts, Todd, and Cameron sat with the other few boys from their class. Cameron perked up at the sight of them, his eyes trained on Eliza as he pushed his food away from him.
⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Eliza, do you know how many essays Mr. Keating is going to have us write for the semester? I'd like to be prepared, and if you know what the topics will be, that would be helpful as well," Cameron said quickly, digging in his backpack for his planner to write what she said down.
⠀⠀⠀Eliza sat down between Knox and Charlie, pressing her hands down on her pants.
⠀⠀⠀"Um, I'm not really sure," she told Cameron, her eyes flitting to Pitts, who was snickering beside Cameron. "He hasn't told me."
⠀⠀⠀"Leave the poor girl alone, Cameron," Knox scolded, leaning across the table to push Cameron back into his seat. "We should be talking about actual important things like how Chris Noel's hair is as bright as the morning sun or how Chris Noel's eyes sparkle even brighter than any star in the sky or—"
⠀⠀⠀"No! No more Chris talk," Charlie exclaimed, holding his hands up to his ears and squeezing his eyes tight. "Blood will be coming out of my ears soon."
⠀⠀⠀"Oh, yeah," Knox laughed, rolling his eyes. "You're just as bad as me."
⠀⠀⠀The table turned to Charlie at the statement. His lazy eyes widened at Knox's words. His jaw was tense, and his hand on the table was clenched into a fist.
⠀⠀⠀"Hey!" Neil suddenly called, pushing his way between Eliza and Charlie. "I found his senior annual in the library," he stated, holding up a thin red book.
⠀⠀⠀Most of the boys had looked at Neil immediately, disregarding what had just proceeded. But a few continued to linger on him for only a second. Eliza raised an eyebrow at Charlie, surprised that Knox could shut him up so quickly. She needed to learn who Charlie had his eye on so that she could use it over him.
⠀⠀⠀"Listen to this," Neil called. "Captain of the soccer team, editor of the school annual, Cambridge bound. Thigh man and the Dead Poets Society."
⠀⠀⠀The annual was now in Cameron's hands as he read, "Man most likely to do anything."
⠀⠀⠀"Thigh man," Charlie sighed, pushing past the tension in the air. "Mr. K was a hell-raiser!"
⠀⠀⠀"I would've liked to follow in similar footsteps as him, but being here hasn't really given me the opportunity," Eliza told the boys.
⠀⠀⠀"You wanted to be a thigh man?" Charlie asked, grinning wickedly at her. The other boys joined in with raucous laughter, disrupting the hall and gaining a few judgmental stares their way.
⠀⠀⠀Knox hadn't joined in the laughing as he had been caught by something Cameron had said, "What's the Dead Poets Society?" he asked, turning to Eliza.
⠀⠀⠀"No idea. He's never talked about it before," Eliza admitted with a shrug. "We have to ask him!" she gasped, turning to Knox and gripping onto his shirt.
⠀⠀⠀"What? We could get in trouble! If Mr. Keating finds out we took a book from the library, he'll have us sent to Mr. Nolan!" Cameron exclaimed.
⠀⠀⠀They all turned to Cameron, staring at him with annoyed expressions.
⠀⠀⠀"Do you know who we're talking about?" Neil rolled his eyes.
⠀⠀⠀"Is there a picture in the annual?" Meeks asked.
⠀⠀⠀"Nothing. No other mention of it," Neil stated.
⠀⠀⠀Mr. Nolan had been patrolling the floor, calling out to boys misbehaving at other tables. Cameron quickly shoved the annual underneath the table as he passed. Just by having a girl at their table, the boys had a lot of stares in their direction, and if they were thought to be misbehaving, Eliza would be stripped of her right to sit with them.
AUTHOR'S NOTE —
SONG: (Who Wrote) The Book of Love by The Monotones
Thank you for reading! Leave comments telling me your thoughts on this chapter, but however you interact, know that I really appreciate you reading. I hope you enjoy, and until the next one.