Just to point out: I know that Todd entered at Welton the same year that Keating became English Professor. Let's just pretend he studied at Welton from the very beginning, shall we?

Another things you may also ask: For all the Charlie lovers, yes, it is a Charlie-centric fic, and for all the slashers, very slight Neil/Todd. For those who are still guessing, Charlie's paired up with everybody!

Also this fic has been beta-readed by the magnanimous Tusk of Thyme . If it ever comes to you with a proper grammar (since I do not speak English as my mother language) it's all because of her. Thank you! (Clapping sound)

"Walking Backwards"

Part 1: "Classes with Mr Wright"

Clic clic clic

The sound of the little piece of chalk that Mr. Wright was holding in right hand every time he wanted to write something in the blackboard echoed through the room. His nervousness was finally reaching his entire body, which was painfully obvious as he was incredibly thin. So gaunt, that some of his students (in their naïveté) sometimes feared for their professor's life when strong winter winds twirled outside the windows.

"Now class, open your books to page 26, then…" Mr. Wright continued after dodging a plane that glided in his direction, folded out of a student's essay "Write a minimum of two pages on the civil war text and form your own opinion of the subject"

The whole class moaned with the new tedious and boring task that had been assigned. "All right, now that you have an appropriate homework assignment to take up your precious free time…" Mr Wright paused once again to elude a second aeroplane headed in his direction. "Let's read in silence, until the bell rings." With his completed sentence, he sat down on his chair, sneaking hopeful glances to the clock every few seconds.

Charlie, being the procrastinator he was, tried to talk to Neil, but as Neil was too far, Charlie ruefully gave up. He then, looked over the class in a desperate attempt to curb his boredom. All right, Neil was too far, Pitts was talking to that Hopkins guy again, Meeks had his nose in the text book, concentrating firmly as he absorbed the printed information that spread before him, Todd was even farther away than Neil and Meeks were together, so Charlie finally decided, with his smirk in place, to annoy the person he always did and leaned forward to pat Knox on the back.

"Hey, Knoxious…" he whispered. At this professor Wright coughed a little.

"Don't call me Knoxious, Charlie." Was the response in whispered irritation.

"All right then, Knox," continued Charlie, rolling his eyes while mentally thanking the very convenient position of the desks in the classroom so that Knox couldn't see him "Wanna come to my room tonight, let's say about eight?" Charlie smirked with a low voice while ruffled his hair a little, knowing that Knox liked it and now not thanking the position their desks were in for now Knox couldn't see him.

Knox shrugged "What's the point? Meeks, Pitts and Cameron will be all studying with some other guy…Jaggers, I think. Not even Todd will be able to help us with the History assignment this time"

"Oh, were you actually planning to cheat and copy the entire History essay from Anderson? How mean…"

Knox glanced over his shoulder and shot Charlie a warning expression before turning back and pretending to read. (Charlie knew he wasn't, though).

"Knoxious…" Charlie whinned lightly, a little loud if Mr. Wright's warning cough was anything to go by, Charlie didn't care. All it resulted in was some students asking if Mr. Wright was sick or not as the front row edged away.

"Charlie!," He whispered in exasperation. "Don't call me that!"

"Knox…C'mon…" Charlie leaned as close to his friend as he could, trying to catch his attention by making strange, quiet, sounds with his shoes that were beginning to grate on Knox's nerves. "Don't you wanna make out with me?" He whispered Knox's ear with a playful tone, no doubt with his smirk in place.

"Have you gone completely mental!?" Knox spun around, red in the face and a half shouted in surprise.

"Overstreet, Dalton, would you mind telling me what seems to be the problem here?" asked Mr. Wright cautiously as he advanced towards Charlie's desk, the desk that was designated for the "difficult" students ever since Welton Academy had been established. The idea was to be able to give all the professors the expectation of what they could expect from students like Mr. Charles Dalton. After all, they had their fair share of rebellious students beforehand.

"Well…" Knox started with a weak voice. Mr. Wright smiled slantedly when he saw Knox's history book, dimissing anything the boy had started to say.

"Did this belong to your father, Overstreet?" inquired Mr. Wright, suddenly feeling all lively and speaking enthusiastically as Knox nodded slowly

Mr. Wright's eyes scanned through the various pages of the Introduction of History for Students, sometimes his eyes dulling into a melancholic light, while others, almost grinning while remembering some anecdotes from the past that were penciled into the margins of the book.

Finally, he closed the book and returned it to Knox.

"And you, Mr. Dalton, what are you doing to your desk?" He asked plainly, not in the mood for Charlie's antics.

Charlie stopped carving his name into the desk with his compasses and looked up in pensive innocence. "I think," He deliberately spoke slowly with a wicked grin. "I'm mutilating it, professor."

At this point, all the class was laughing at Charlie. Neil shook his head and shot Charlie a wan smile before twisting it into the question expression of are-you-completely-insane-? Todd, for some reason or another, just shrank into the back of his chair, failing miserably as Meeks and Pitts both laughed as Charlie took a mock bow and grinned madly at Cameron whom practically had his chin on the floor. The rest of the class clapped and laughed, grateful that the infamous Charlie Dalton had curbed their boredom.

Professor Wright was fuming red, making it seem as if Charlie had just insulted Mr. Wright's dear old mother in front of the whole country. His usual nervous mannerisms vanished for a moment and then he hissed with a dreadful tone, one single word

"Detention"

Charlie smirked but said nothing then, glanced to Knox and gave him a little smile (Knox still wouldn't look at him, but Charlie could swear that his cheeks have gone all red) and left.

Notes: All right, I know this is a little short, but that's exactly the whole point of the story. I'm going to write short episodes that happen in different classes with different professors. This professor is based on a real professor I once had. When Mr Wright takes a look at Knox's book he remembers things from the past, obviously because he has been friends with Knox's father when he was young. Charlie, well, he is just being Charlie. Next class is Gym, and I promise to make Neil and Todd have their slashy moments.

Extra Scene from chapter one: At the Study hall

"Are you sure about it, Cameron?" Neil: confused

"Sure, you just equal 'x' to zero and then…" Cameron: hasty

"Have you seen Charlie? He still has my Latin notes from yesterday…" Meeks: irritated

Pitts: enters to the Study hall suddenly

"I can't find Knox either" Pitts: not suspecting anything

"…" Todd: wants to chuckle, but he doesn't (he is too shy)

"Could we just get on with the trigonometry?"