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"𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐎 I stand up here? Anybody?" Evan looked up at Keating who stood upon his desk, gazing down at his students. Classes with Keating had passed in a whirlwind of laughs, interest, exotic teaching methods and a hell of a lot of learning and perspective.
"To feel taller." Charlie said jokingly, earning chuckled and grins.
"No, thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton." Keating chuckled, ringing the bell on his desk with his foot, again mimicking a game show.
"I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way." Mr. Keating explained. "The world looks very different from up here. Don't believe me? Come see for yourselves, come on." Keating said, earning a murmur of confusion and amusement from the class.
The class stood up, filing into a line, one by one students climbing and looking over the view of the room from the desk they stood upon.
"Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it in another way. Even though, it may seem silly or wrong, you must try! When you read, don't just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think. Boys and girl, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all." Keating spoke, and the words imbedded themselves into Evan's head, making her thoughts spiral, thinking hard and opening her eyes.
"Thoreau said, most lead lives of quiet desperation, don't be resigned to that! Break out! Don't just walk off the edge like lemmings! Look around you! Yes!" Keating cheered as the boys hopped off the desk.
"Dare to strike out and find new ground!" Keating spoke. "Now in addition to your essays, I would like you to compose a poem of your own, an original work." The class groaned in discontent and Keating chuckled, strobing the lights of the classroom.
"You have to deliver it out loud in front of the class on Monday." Keating said and a rush of dread ran through Evan. Keating bid the class goodbye and before he walked out, he stuck his head back in, looking up at Todd who stood upon the desk timidly. "Mr. Anderson! Don't think I don't know that this assignment scares the hell out of you, you mole." Keating's eyes flickered over to Evan as if to say, even you. And with that Keating switched off the lights and left.
----///----
Evan loved her free time and spent it always to the fullest whenever possible. The courtyards were full, students relaxing in the autumn weather by the lake, students fencing and weaving through the trees, going on walks, studying.
If you were Meeks and Pitts, you might be spotted dancing on the roof to a radio they'd made, and if you were Evan and Charlie, you could frequently be spotted relaxing under a tree by the lake, taking a walking together, studying in the library, or anything where the two could be located with one another.
One particular autumn day, Evan and Charlie sat under a tree next to the lake, Evan's eyes skimming the pages of her book as she read quickly and intently, and Charlie's head on her lap, admiring her as she read out loud to him.
"Do you want to get married?"
"Hm?" Evan hummed, her eyes still skimming the pages of her book. Charlie reached up, closing the book gently and gazed up at his best friend.
"Do you wanna get married?" Charlie asked, repeating himself once more.
"We're 17." Evan replied.
"You didn't say no." Charlie shrugged.
"I'm not getting married." Chuckled Evan, reaching over to put her book back in her bag.
"Why not!?" Charlie whined, sitting up.
"My mother and my father are married and hate each other." Evan chuckled. "They're constantly annoyed with each other."
"And you're constantly annoyed with me, it's perfect." Charlie deadpanned.
"I think we'll have to wait in that idea, Dalton." Evan scoffed, ruffling his hair.
"One day. You'll see. I'll get you to marry me." Charlie shrugged, following Evan like a puppy as she got up off the ground.
It was not unusual for the two best friends to be seen being flirty. That's just how they were. But everyone else around them could see, sometimes it wasn't just a silly joke. They were head over heels. And no wonder they say love is blind.
"Oh yeah?" Chuckled Evan.
"Yeah." Charlie smirked.
"Well you'll have to be patient. And how do you know you'll not find someone better?" Evan asked.
"None of them are you." Charlie shrugged. "None of them pester me, annoy me, and nag at me as much as you."
"You're a brat." Evan scoffed, chuckling.
"How about this?" Charlie said. "Picture me this." Charlie said. Evan nodded along knowing her jokester best friend.
"If you're married to anyone by.... Let's say 30. And I'm not married by 30 either, we can get married. To each other. If we're both still single by 30 we'll get married?" Charlie shrugged.
"Fine. Deal." Sighed Evan with a smile, the two locked pinkies, signifying a pinky promise."But we all know you'll be married by 30. In fact, it probably won't be your first marriage." Evan joked. Charlie gasped.
"Just you wait and see, wicked bitch." Charlie laughed, jogging after Evan.
"Ooh, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Evan tsked, with sarcasm.
"No. But I'll kiss you with it." Charlie said boldly.
"I'd rather kiss a mole rat." Evan chuckled. But she knew damn well, she'd kiss Charlie over a mole rat. In fact she'd probably kiss Charlie over anyone. In fact... she'd kiss Charlie any day.
And Charlie would've kissed her right there in the spot.
But the two were best friends. They loved each other with a burning romantic desire but also the way that two best friends would love each other so passionately.
They didn't want to ruin anything.
But the heart wants what it wants.
Charlie sighed. He guessed he'll just have to wait for 30.
"One day we'll get married." Charlie shrugged. Evan couldn't complain.
