as the car sped past houses and trees, neil's heart was pounding in his chest, his throat running dry. his father stayed silent as he drove, eyes focusing on nothing but the road.
inside the perry household, neil's mother sat in mr. perry's study while taking the occasional nervous puff from a cigarette.
the two perry men walked into the house and made their way to the study. the younger perry sat on the sofa that was in the study, his father standing in front of him.
"we're trying very hard to understand why it is that you insist on defying us." mr. perry hissed. "whatever the reason, we're not gonna let you ruin your lfie. tomorrow i'm withdrawing you from welton and enrolling you in braden military school. you're going to harvard and you're gonna be a doctor."
neil's face fell at his father's words. "but that's ten more years. father, that's a lifetime!"
"oh, stop it. don't be so dramatic. you make it sound like a prison term. you don't understand, neil. you have opportunities that i never even dreamt of and i am not going to let you waste them."
neil quickly rose to his feet.
"i've got to tell you what i feel."
mrs. perry stood up, her face soft with worry and sadness. "we've been so worried about--"
"what? what?" mr. perry interrupted. "tell me what you feel. what is it?"
neil looked at his mother and then back to his father.
should i stick up to him? neil thought to himself.
for a moment, neil was stuck in a mental battle with himself.
think about the dead poets. think about scarlett. carpe diem.
"is it more of this, this acting business? because you can forget that. what?"
neil nervously licked his lips. "father, i have followed every single rule and command that you have set on me. i stayed silent during rain of hell that you poured on me. so i went behind your back to explore acting, that was wrong of me and i know that."
"i am excelling in all of my classes. i will attend harvard or yale or whatever ivy league you choose. but, i want my future to be my own, not yours. i understand that you want nothing but the best for me, and for that i'm eternally grateful. i want to stay at welton. i want to graduate with my friends. i want to stay with the one person who makes me feel loved and alive."
neil couldn't believe that after sixteen years, he was finally speaking his mind.
"i am not expecting you to be happy about what the future might hold, father, but you should support it. it's my life and i am calling the shots from now on."
after neil finished, he sat back down, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding.
his father stared down at him, stunned at his son's words.
tears were welding up in his mother's eyes. "oh, neil..."
"i just want whats best for you, neil." his father whispered.
"i know, but what you think is best leads to nothing but endless misery." neil confessed. "i finally experienced true happiness when i followed my own dreams."
mr. perry sighed as he looked down at the wooden floor of his study. "i won't withdraw you from welton."
neil's eyes widened.
"it isn't fair for me to only focus on what i think is good for you, when i am not in your head. only you know what is best for you, neil. i just hope you go down a bright and successful path and not a dark and tragic one."
neil nodded. "yes, father."
"i know i am not the best father, neil, but i am going to try to be one from now on." mr. perry vowed.
mrs. perry smiled weakly.
"i am sorry for the hell i was putting you through. i hope you understand that i wasn't trying to, but i guess i was too blind to see what i was doing to you."
"i do, father."
"well, it is getting late, we all should be heading to bed." mr. perry said as he exited the room.
mrs. perry smiled as she went to sit next to neil. "how were you in the play?"
"i was good. real good."
"and that one person from welton, it's a girl isn't it?"
neil grinned, a blush forming on his cheeks. "yes, it is a girl."
"tell me about her."
neil's grin grew in size as he thought about the young blonde at welton. "her name is scarlett. her father is the english teacher. she is very intelligent and isn't afraid to speak her mind. she pushes me to open up." neil paused for a moment. "scarlett makes me a better person, mother."
mrs. perry pats her son on the back. "she sounds like an amazing girl, neil."
neil nodded in agreement. "she really is."
with a grin, mrs. perry gets up from the sofa. she plants a kiss on neil's head as she heads up to bed, leaving neil alone in the study.
as neil sat in silence, his gaze drifted to the black telephone that rested on his father's desk. the boy made his way to the desk and picked up the receiver as he dialed a number. he put the receiver to his ear as he waited for the line to go through.
after a moment, a groggy 'hello' sounded through the receiver.
"scarlett..."
on the other line, the young blonde's heart sunk at the sound of neil's voice.
"neil? are you alright? what happened?"
"i am okay. actually, more than okay." neil said as he sat in his father's wooden desk chair. "i did it, scar."
"did what?"
"i stood up to my father. he said he was going to with withdraw me from welton and i just snapped. the thought of being away from you, todd, and the rest of the gang, it made me explode. for the first time in my life, i told him what i wanted and how i was going to follow my own path instead of the one he wanted me to follow."
"that is amazing, neil." scarlett grinned. "how did he take it?"
"well, it was quite tense at first but i think he is starting to understand that i need to make my own decisions in order to be happy, you know? take some control of my own life." neil paused. "i think he will actually let me stay with acting and it isn't a lie this time. i honestly think he will."
"he doesn't have a choice because you are a talented actor. your talents need to be shared to the world."
"you flatter me, keating."
"i speak nothing but the truth, perry."
"i love you."
"i love you too, neil. i'll see you back at school in a few days?"
"of course. i couldn't leave you and charlie alone with cameron. it might result in murder."
✰
author's note
hello, when it comes to updating i am a liar so sorry about that. this update kind of sucks but i had to put something out there. i recently got a laptop so hopefully a few more updates? maybe, not sure yet. the inspiration comes and then leaves equally as fast.
i know how i wrote mr. perry was kind of bad, but i didn't want neil to end up dead. i couldn't do that. mrs. perry, on the other hand, was dry so i gave her some life. i took some creative liberty and i hope it isn't a complete flop.
edit: okay how the fuck did i forget to tell y'all that i have the very last chapter of this book (next chapter btw 🥺) just chilling in my drafts. she's complete. she had me a little emotional because it's filled with lots of love (all this time at home has made me really lonely you know you feel me). idk when I'm posting it but it's there guys you won't have to wait a month again!