the students and john stood in the courtyard, watching as cameron, pitts, and knox walk around in a cirlce.
"no grades at stake, gentlemen. just take a stroll."
after a few moments, the three boys begin to march to the same beat.
"there it is." said john.
the other boys along with parker and rory start clapping to the rhythm of their steps.
"i don't know what i've been told--"
"i don't know what i've been told--" the class repeated.
"doing poetry is old--"
the class repeated john once more.
john began to walk along with the three boys. "left, left, left-right-left. left, left, left-right-left. left, halt!"
the boys came to a halt.
"thank you gentlemen. if you noticed, everyone started off with their own stride, their own pace." john began to walk very slowly. "mr. pitts, taking his time. he knew he'll get there one day. mr. cameron, you could see him thinking. 'is this right? it might be right. i know that. maybe not. i don't know."
john altered the way he walked, with his shoulders pushed back and his hips foward.
"mr. overstreet, driven by a deeper force. he couldn't take his eyes off of ms. mccallister the whole time." giggles erupted from the class, which made parker turn red. "i didn't bring them up here to ridicule them. i brought them up here to illustrate the point of conformity: the difficulty in maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others. now those of you--i see the look in your eyes like, 'i would've walked differently.' well, ask yourselves why you were clapping." the class looked around at each other in silence.
"now, we all have a great need for acceptance. but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, ' that's baaaad.' robert frost said, 'two roads diverged in a wood and i, i took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.' now, i want you to find your own walk right now, your own way of striding, pacing. any direction. anything you want. whether it's proud, whether it's silly, anything. ladies and gentlemen, the courtyard is yours."
the students begin walking about, some walking casually, other making up silly walks.
neil grabs scarlett's hand and twirls her around, earning a giggle from the girl as he does so.
parker and knox were engrossed in their own conversation as they walked, with knox walking backwards so he could maintain eye contact with parker. occasionally, he'd find himself bumping into another classmate, which would make parker laugh.
john looks around at his students, a smile forming on his face as he sees his daughter laughing along with neil perry.
"you don't have to perform. just make it yourself." john notices charlie, who was still leaning up against one of the pillars. "mr. dalton? will you be joining us?"
a smirk grows on charlie's face. "exercising the right not to walk."
"thank you, mr. dalton. you just illustrated the point. swim against the stream."
✰
later that night, scarlett leaned against the entrance doors, waiting for neil to get back from rehearsal. after a few minutes, the brunette boy walked through the doors, a smile growing on his face when he sees the blonde.
"hi, darling." he gives her a kiss on the lips.
"how was rehearsal?"
"it was amazing." neil grinned. "care for a walk?"
scarlett nodded as she slid her hand into neil's, the two walking off into the courtyard.
the two walked side by side with neil telling scarlett all about his rehearsal. out of the corner of his eye, he sees todd sitting by himself on one of the walkways.
"todd? hey." said neil.
"hey." todd mumbled.
"what are you doing out here all alone, todd? what's going on?" asked scarlett.
"nothing. today's my birthday."
"is today your birthday? happy birthday." neil said with a grinned.
scarlett smiled as she sat down next to todd on the ground.
"thanks."
"what'd you get?" scarlett asked.
"my parents gave me this."
neil and scarlett look at the desk set that sat next to todd. it was still in its wrappings.
"isn't this the same desk set-"
"yeah, yeah." todd interrupted. "they gave me the same thing as last year."
"oh." scarlett and neil said.
"oh." todd said with a grin.
"maybe they thought you need another one." neil laughed.
"maybe they weren't thinking about anything at all." todd suggested. "uh, the funny thing about this is i, i didn't even like it the first time."
"todd, i think you're underestimating the value of this desk set." neil said as he picks up the desk set, examining it more closely. "i mean, who would want a football or a baseball, or-"
"or a car." scarlett chimed in with a smile.
"or a car if they could have a desk set as wonderful as this one? i mean, if, if i were ever going to buy a desk set twice, i would probably buy this one both times. in fact, its, its shape is, it's rather aerodynamic, isn't it? i can feel it. this desk set wants to fly."
neil tossed the desk set lightly in the air. "doesn't it, scar?"
"certainly, neil." scarlett grinned as she stood up, standing next to neil. "i think that its this desk sets' dream to fly."
todd stands up as neil hands him the desk set.
"todd? the world's first unmanned flying desk set."
todd flings the desk set over the side of the walkway and it falls to pieces down below.
scarlett giggled as todd sighs in relief.
"well, i wouldn't worry. you'll get another one next year." neil said with a grin as he slings his arm around scarlett's shoulders. the two walking away, with todd following behind.
"that desk set got to live the best life." scarlett laughed. "i wish i could fly."
"one day, we can both fly away to the second star on the right and fly away to neverland." neil joked. he knew how much scarlett loved that children's film.
"and never grow up? never having to worry about college and everything that comes with being an adult? sounds like a dream."
neil smiled at the girl weakly as he kissed her on the head.
"we will get to neverland one day, scarlett." neil whispered. "neverland is waiting for us."
author's note:
hi i've been feeling inspired so that is the reason for the what feels like millions of updates.
anyways, i honestly don't know why i included a reference to peter pan. it is one of my favorite disney movies though sooo
neil perry would definitely be a lost boy in neverland. no one can tell me different.