EVERMORE | DEAD POETS SOCIETY

THIRTEEN!

THERE WERE BIG SMILES ON REBETTA AND NEIL'S FACE WHEN THEY GOT BACK TO WELTON. They walked hand and hand down the hallway. "Guys, there is spaghetti leftover if you want any!" A boy yelled.

"No thanks, we're stuffed." Neil smiled as Betta and him made it towards their dorm. Neil opened the door but both of them froze as they saw who was sitting at Neil's desk. It was Mr. Perry. Rebetta dropped his hand quickly.

"Father." Neil said.

"Neil," He said and then looked over at Rebetta. "Miss Carmichael. Do you mind if you excuse yourself for a moment."

She didn't want to talk back to Mr. Perry, but she really wanted to stay in the room to make sure Neil was okay. She nodded as she walked out of the room, but stayed close by the door to make sure she heard everything. "Wait a minute. Before you say anything, please let me ex-" Neil said.

Mr. Perry rose from Neil's desk. "Don't you dare talk back to me! It's bad enough that you've wasted your time with this, this absurd acting business. But you deliberately deceived me!" He yelled at him.  "How, how, how did you expect to get away with this? Answer me. Who put you up to it? Was it this new man? This, uh, Mr. Keating? Or was it Rebetta? I knew she was trouble!"

"No. Nobody..." Neil whispered, hurt that he would even bring up Rebetta. "I thought I'd surprise you. I've gotten all A's in every class."

"Did you think I wasn't going to find out? Oh, my niece is in a play with your son, says Mrs. Marks. No, no, no, I say, you must be mistaken. My son's not in a play. You made me a liar of me, Neil!" Mr. Perry argued. "I also got a phone call from Mr. Smith, saying you were having dinner with Rose and Rebetta. When you're supposed to be doing school work!"

"She invited me-"

"I don't care Neil! Rebetta is a distraction for you! You need to stay away from her." Rebetta's heart dropped when she heard that. She didn't think she was a distraction at all. They always did their homework together, and always studied. Where was the distraction?

"She's not a distraction, father!"

"Neil, don't talk back!" He shouted. Neil immediately got quiet. He wanted to defend Betta. She didn't do anything wrong.

"Now, tomorrow you go to them and you tell them that you're quitting." Mr. Perry told Neil about the play.

"No, I can't. I have the main part. The performance is tomorrow night." Neil told him. The play was tomorrow night. He couldn't just not go. There would be no play without him, he would ruin the show.

"I don't care if the world comes to an end tomorrow night. You are through with that play. Is that clear? Is that clear?" Mr. Perry asked and Neil nodded.

"Yes, sir." Was all Neil could manage to get out, looking down at his feet.

Mr. Perry started moving towards the door. "I made a great many sacrifices to get you here, Neil, and you will not let me down. Not even if a girl or a play gets in your way."

"No sir."

Mr. Perry walked out of the door and moved past Betta. She was furious. She was going to seize the day at this moment and finally stand up for herself. "Mr. Perry! Mr. Perry!" She called him down. "The play is tomorrow night, you can't just make him quit."

Mr Perry turned around and pointed a finger in her face which made her jump. "Rebetta, Neil was fine before you came along and you have been nothing but a distraction. You stay away from my son, I mean it!"

She was left speechless. She wasn't a distraction nor did she feel like one. But she felt her heart break. Almost shatter. She watched Mr. Perry walked out the door and she felt warm tears run down her cheeks. She loved Neil. But Mr. Perry obviously didn't love his son the way that Rebetta did. He didn't even listen to him, and that's what made her angry. She was always worried. What if she didn't stay away from Neil? Was he going to find a way to get her expelled? All because she fell in love with a boy? This wasn't a choice. It just happened magically.