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❝help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure nothing ever lasts forever everybody wants to rule the world❞
— everybody wants to rule the world, tears for fears
—
THE FOLLOWING DAY, AN EMERGENCY ASSEMBLY WAS HELD AT WELTON.
Panicked voices scattered into the hall as the teachers scrambled to the microphone. Once the footsteps entered the room, students stood up immediately. Mr. Nolan promptly placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, waiting for the rest of the teachers to gather behind him.
Florence tapped her fingers together anxiously, praying they wouldn't investigate who were the members of the Dead Poets Society.
"Sit," Mr. Nolan ordered as everyone obeyed. Florence sat beside Neil, who was more scared than she was, especially since he was the one that reinstated the society.
"This week's issue of Welton Honor, there appeared a profane and unauthorized article. Rather than spend my valuable time ferreting out the guilty persons — and let me assure you, I will find them. I'm asking any and all students who know anything about this article to make themselves known here and now."
Silence hung over the Welton students while the dead poets anxiously exchanged subtle glances at each other. Florence placed her hand over Neil's, attempting to ease his nervousness.
"Whoever the guilty persons are, this is your only chance to avoid expulsion from the school."
A phone suddenly rang, causing everyone to jerk their heads toward the noise. There was Charlie Dalton, holding the receiver to his ear. Florence gasped in shock; he was going to get killed. "Welton Academy, hello?" Charlie said as if he was speaking to someone on the other side. "Yes, he is; just a moment!"
Charlie stood up, holding the handset to his headmaster, who was burning with fury. "Mr. Nolan, it's for you! It's God; he says we should have girls at Welton."
The students burst into laughter! However, the poets hung their heads with shame.
"MY OFFICE, NOW!" Mr. Nolan bellowed, cutting off the student's laughter completely.
-
Every Welton student in the grade waited outside Nolan's office as murmurs echoed through the hallway. Florence leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, talking to Neil. Todd stayed on the other side of the pathway, looking down anxiously.
Stick suddenly spun around and stuffed his hands inside his trouser pockets, pretending he wasn't listening. It was a sign that Charlie had left the office.
The students watched as Charlie Dalton limped down the hallway painfully. Everyone stayed silent while Florence winced, noticing he was in pain.
Still, he held his head high as his classmates parted ways. Once Charlie approached his dorm, Neil decided to speak up.
"You kicked out?"
"No," he trembled.
"So, what happened?" Neil questioned, inching closer toward the boy.
Charlie released a sigh, adjusting his head to Neil. "I'm to turn everybody in, apologize to the school, and all will be forgiven."
"So, what are you gonna do?"
Charlie ignored his calls before entering the dorm, closing the door in pity.
"Charlie!" Neil repeated.
"Damn it, Neil," Charlie scoffed, a smirk on his face. He had tears welling in his eyes. "The name's Nuwanda."
Neil returned a relieved smile before closing the door.
-
Everyone gathered in the student lounge. Charlie seemed fine; he was smoking a cigarette and wearing sunglasses. They all listened intently to his story.
"Creak," he started. "He starts walking around towards my left. Creak. Creak. Assume the position, Mr. Dalton..."
His story was cut short when Florence's uncle walked in. She stood up immediately while the students dispersed. Mr. Keating nodded to his niece before averting his gaze to Charlie.
"It's all right, gentlemen," the man insisted.
"Mr. Keating," Charlie greeted, setting his sunglasses on his head.
"Mr. Dalton. That was a pretty lame stunt you pulled today," he remarked, watching Charlie's smile fade.
"You're siding with Mr. Nolan?!" Charlie whined. "What about Carpe Diem, sucking all the marrow out of life?"
"Sucking out the marrow out of life doesn't mean choking on the bone," retorted Mr. Keating.
Charlie hung his head, ashamed his actions didn't make his teacher proud. "Sure, there's a time for daring, and there's a time for caution. And a wise man understands which is called for."
"But I thought you'd like that," Charlie argued.
"No. You being expelled from school is not daring to me; it's stupid. Because you'll miss some golden opportunities."
"Yeah, like what?" Charlie remarked sarcastically.
"Like if nothing else, the opportunity to attend my classes," Mr. Keating reasoned. A smile appeared on Charlie's face as his teacher returned it. "Got it, Ace?"
"Aye, aye, Captain!"
"Keep your head about you..." Mr. Keating glanced at the rest of his students. "That goes for the lot of you."
"Yes, captain," responded the rest of the people in the room.
Before Mr. Keating left the student's lounge, he responded. "Phone call from God. If it had been collect, it would've been daring."
Everyone laughed at his remark before Charlie continued his story.
