PAS DE DEUX | Dead Poets Society

03.

It was dark out by the time Dr. Hager drove Knox back to Welton Academy. He was sick to his stomach. He couldn't differentiate the anxiety that was building through his veins and the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. 

He knew by now, what his friends were doing and even where they were. It was almost muscle memory for him for all the years of going to Welton. Yet the only thing on his mind was the vision of the blonde girl and his own future death. 

Knox trudged his way to one of the common rooms of the top floor. Inside was a group of boys including his friends. In one corner of the room, two boys were playing darts with a small skeleton figure, another two were playing chess, another was playing guitar while his friend studied across from him. In another corner a trio of boys were continuing their chemistry homework. And in one final corner sat his friend group. 

Per usual, Steven Meeks had already finished all his homework and was working on constructing a radio with his best friend Gerard Pitts. However, as the best friends were alike, their poor last names were the only names their friends referred to them by. One look at them, and you would immediately pick out their differences by noting that they were opposites. While Meeks stood short, ginger, and almost nerdy looking, Pitts stood above almost his whole class, brunette, and almost always with a goofy or confused look upon his face.

Across from them sat Charlie Dalton. Notoriously one of the most carefree and rebelliously rambunctious students of his grade, or possibly the entire school. Usually paying Meeks to do his homework, Charlie sat at the table actually trying to learn something from the textbook in front of him. A new year was a fresh start... until he would have to eventually pay Meeks again of course. Don't be fooled by his average height or that smug look almost every rich private school boy had, because Charlie Dalton is no average Joe. Knox would know, next to Neil at least. 

Finally next to him, another ginger, Richard Cameron - who is referred to as Cameron, don't get it confused by his real first name - stood hovering above Neil Perry to help him solve a trigonometry equation. It was no secret that Cameron was the top of his class, he practically could never really shut up about it. He was confident and enjoyed being good at things he knew he was good at. Neil Perry however wasn't stupid. In fact, he was more than happy to admit he didn't understand something when he doesn't because he'd rather know than look like a fool who knew nothing. And well, he had no clue how to solve the trigonometric equation. But neither did Charlie. 

Knox entered the room, holding his blazer behind him that he managed to shrug off himself when he climbed the stairs, he closed the door with his back with a thump and his friends immediately took notice, almost all of them turning his way. 

"How was dinner?" Charlie asked first. 

Knox was staring off at the skeleton on the wall away from him, almost feeling as if they were in the same position, "Huh?" he mumbled, turning to Charlie.

Charlie repeated again, "How was dinner?"

 Knox looked down, still trying to shake the idea of her out of his head, "Terrible," he answered monotonously swinging the jack forward to place on the last open seat at the table, "Awful."

Neil furrowed his eyebrows as Cameron stuck his pencil behind his ear, "Why? What happened?"

Knox took a seat sighing, as he crossed his arms to rest on the table before him, "Tonight... I met the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my entire life."

The expressions of confusions on his friends' faces changed and they all began to grin, "Are you crazy? What's wrong with that?" Neil asked. 

"She's practically engaged," Knox began, "To a Ridgeway football player." 

The boys began to groan, looking between each other, "Anyone on that team could eat a football," Charlie commented. 

Pitts looked down, "Too bad," he sighed. 

Knox looked over at him, "Too bad? It's worse than too bad, Pitts, it's a tragedy," he spoke, "A girl this beautiful in love with such a jerk. Chet Danburry is best friends with him and he said that he'd kill me himself if he ever saw me try to make a move on his best friend's girl." 

"All the good ones go for jerks, you know that," Pitts reminded and all the boys narrowed their eyes as if they all silently agreed. 

"Yeah, forget her," Cameron reassured, "Open your trig book and try and figure out problem five."

Knox glared at him, ignoring his suggestion, "I can't just forget her, Cameron. And I certainly can't think about trig.

Just then, Dr. Hager entered the room, "All right, gentleman. Five minutes," he announced reminding them off their curfew. 

The boys stared at Meeks and Pitts who quickly hid their ringing radio under the table. Cameron, Neil, and Charlie quickly gathered their stuff as Knox chewed on the bone of his fingers. 

Charlie leaned towards Knox, "Did you see her naked?" he joked, turning to leave. 

A few of his friends laughed except for Knox, "Very funny, Dalton..."