British in Welton
Rainbow Haired Girl
Summary: Angel Helling is a new student at Welton. She poses as a boy and goes by her real name Angel. She pretends to be just like the rest of them and is even under the student exchange program. She meets a boy who is to become a doctor, but wishes to be an actor. Can she keep her secret and like him at the same time? Neil/OC
Disclaimer: I don't own Dead Poets Society. I do own Angel though.
Authoress Note: I hope I do this story some kind of justice. I haven't had much experience writing Dead Poets Society stories. So here is an attempt. I hope I do good.
Chapter 1
Newbie
Angel Helling looked at her parents as they stood there with her at the airport terminal. Her long dirty blond hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She wore a long sleeve shirt, long skirt, and high heeled dress shoes. "Mummy and Daddy I will be alright there. I am sure they can show me around the school."
Her mother who was a splitting image of her pulled her into a hug. "You be safe over there and try to send a message as soon as you get there." Her mother said, as she released her 16 year old daughter.
She looked at her father.
"Good luck over there and make us bloody proud." Her father said, smiling causing his wrinkles to form into laugh lines.
She beamed at her father. "I will daddy." She said, as she pulled him into a hug.
He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too daddy."
"Go now. Wouldn't want you to miss your flight."
Angel grabbed her bags and began to walk to the terminal. She really didn't want to be late getting there. She was going to a new school and didn't dare tell her parents that it was an all boys school. Angel slipped into the bathroom to change her clothes into a pair of slacks and a button up shirt. Her chest was well hidden with bandages that were tied tightly. She pulled the ponytail out. It was just an extension to make her parents think that she had long hair. She messed up her bangs making it more of a boy style. She slipped back out of the bathroom and got onto her flight.
She gripped the arms of the seat that she was in as the plane took off into the air. This was her first flight and she was scared. She bit the inside of her lip in hopes that no one would find out that she was a girl. Starting from this day forward she was Angel Helling not female, but a male. She just hoped that no one would find out who she truly was. It would be embarrassing for her if she was ever found out.
Angel sat in the crowd of students all alone. She wore a white button up shirt, a red blazer jacket, red tie, and a pair of black slacks the very uniform that she wore when she went to her old school. She kept her eyes glued forward. She didn't want anyone to know that she was a female. She had of course a few feminine characteristics and kept them hidden fairly well. Her fingers gripped her pant legs tightly as she sat there. She almost jumped when she heard the bagpipes begin to play. She hated bagpipes. She was a true British woman... well, man.
She looked up the aisle and saw the four banners that four boys were carrying. "Tradition" "Honor" "Discipline" "Excellence" She inwardly groaned they reminded her of the four B's from her school. "Beauty" "Brains" "Breeding" "Bounty"
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished alumni, and students: This year marks the one hundredth year that Welton Academy has been in existence." The headmaster, Nolan said with a smile.
Angel clapped her hands softly with the rest of the students.
"One hundred years ago, in 1859, forty-one boys sat in this room and were asked the same question that now greets you at the start of each semester: Gentlemen, what are the four pillars?"
Angel saw that the students stood up and she stood up as well. "Tradition! Honor! Discipline! Excellence!" She called with the rest of the students. She sat down as the headmaster began to talk again.
"In her first year, Welton Academy graduated five students. Last year we graduated fifty-one and over seventy-five percent of those went to the Ivy League! This kind of accomplishment is the result of fervent dedication to the principles taught here. This is why you parents have been sending us your sons, and this is why we are the best preparatory school in the United States."
Parents clapped upon hearing this.
Angel rolled her eyes. This was so much like the all girls school she went to. She was able to break away from the girl's side of things and now she was going to be learning the boy's side of things. This was pure torture to her.
"New students... the key to your success rests on our four pillars. These are the bywords of this school and they will become the cornerstones of your lives. Welton Society candidate Richard Cameron..."
A red haired boy jumped up. "Yes, sir!"
"What is Tradition?"
"Tradition, Mr. Nolan, is love of school, country, and family. Our tradition at Welton is the best!" The boy replied.
"Good, Mr. Cameron. Welton Society Candidate George Hopkins. Honor."
"Honor is dignity and the fulfillment of duty." George replied.
"Good, Mr. Hopkins. Honor Society Candidate, Knox Overstreet."
Knox stood up. "Yes, sir?"
"What is discipline?"
"Discipline is respect for parents, teachers, headmaster. Discipline comes from within."
"Thank you, Mr. Overstress."
He sat down.
"Honor Candidate Neil Perry."
Neil carefully stood up looking a little angry.
Angel saw the anger in his eyes. She began to wonder why he had a little bit of anger in his eyes.
"Excellence, Mr. Perry."
"Excellence is the result of hard work. Excellence is the key to all success, in school and everywhere." He said as he sat back down.
"Gentlemen, at Welton you will work harder than you have ever worked in your lives, and your reward will be success that all of us expect of you. I would like to say we will be having an out of county student joining us this year. Mr. Angel Helling." Nolan said, with a smile. "Stand up boy."
Angel took a deep breath and stood up. She felt everyone's eyes on her.
"He hails from Great Britain. What were your four pillars from your old school?" He questioned.
Angel gulped a little bit. She felt Neil's eyes on her. Her eyes filled with a little bit of hate when she was asked that question. It was the same in the boys private school that was the counterpart of the girl school that she went to. "Beauty, Brains, Breeding, and Bounty, sir." She said, her British brogue came through when she was talking.
"Good rules over in Britain as well." He said with a smile.
Angel sat down and groaned softly. She hated those four words. She hated when someone called her beautiful when they were saying it for the hell of it. She bit her lip as she sat there. She hated that Nolan said that those four B words were good rules. They weren't.
"Mr. Helling come with me." Mr. Nolan called out to her.
She quickly got up and followed him. "Yes, sir." She said, politely.
"I hope you enjoy your time here at Welton Academy." He said to her as they walked. He stopped when he read a boys name tag. "Ah, Mr. Anderson. You have some big shoes to fill, young man. Your brother was one of our best."
Angel's pale blue eyes locked onto the boy that stood there with his parents.
"Thank you." He said very softly. Angel barely caught his words.
Mr. Perry with Neil in tow approached Mr. Nolan and Angel. "Gale, what's this I hear about a new junior English teacher?" He asked disturbed at the news.
"Mr. Gladden took the headmaster's post at Malford, so we've hired John Keating."
Angel's eyes went wide that name sounded familiar. It sounded like one of the teachers that taught at the all girl's school that she was in. She hoped that he didn't remember who she was.
"A former student, I hear?" Mr. Perry asked.
Angel bit her tongue. She wanted to lash out and said that he was bloody out of his mind.
"A star student, Mr. Perry. And he's spent the last ten years teaching at the McMillan School in Edinburgh. Both boy and girl's private schools."
Angel stiffened at the name of McMillan School.
Mr. Perry looked at Angel. "Oh. McMillan." He didn't sound very impressed.
Angel looked down at the ground. The McMillan crest hung around her neck.
Mr. Perry saw it when he watched her actions. "You're from McMillan school." He stated.
Angel's blue eyes shot up to him. "Yes, sir. That I did." She said politely.
Nolan looked around and spotted Mr. Keating. "Come meet him. You'll like him." Nolan said with a smile and put his arm around Mr. Perry's shoulder leading him away from the three teens.
Angel stood there with the two boys and looked around the school nervously. She was far away from home and wasn't use to this.
Angel stood with the rest of the students. She knew that she looked out of place with what she wore. The McMillan crest that was on the blazer showed proudly. She leaned against the wall looking out the window sadly. She wasn't use to this weather. It was actually sunny here and se was use to the dreary weather of England.
The door opened revealing an old man. "Overstreet, Perry, Dalton, Anderson, Cameron."
The five boys filed up the staircase.
"Who's the new boys?" Pitts asked Meeks.
"Anderson and Helling." Meeks said shrugging his shoulders.
"Misters Pitts and Meeks. Demerits."
Pitts rolled his eyes at Necks.
"That's another demerit, Mr. Pitts."
Angel shook her head and crossed her arms as she looked out the window hatefully. This was a prison for her now just like McMillan school was.
"Helling." The old teacher called.
Angel pushed herself up off of the wall and walked up the staircase. She walked into Nolan's office. She sat down in the seat.
"Mr. Helling since you are new here as well as Mr. Anderson was. Here at Welton, I assign extracurricular activities on the basis and merit and desire. These activities are taken every bit as seriously as your class work...Failure to attend required meetings will result in demerits." He told her.
Angel nodded her head. "I understand sir."
"Based on your records from McMillan School, soccer, Service Club, Mathematics club, Fencing . Anything else Mr. Helling?"
She looked up at him. "Chemistry club too sir."
"You were good at Chemistry at your old school?"
"Yes, sir I was."
"Good. Any questions?"
"What is soccer sir?" She asked, confused of why he said soccer. She had no idea really what it was.
"You play with your feet Mr. Helling."
"Oh!" She said in shock. "You mean football." She said with a smile.
"Football?"
"Yes..." She said with a smile. "I guess that is what you call soccer over in Britain."
"Dismissed." He told her.
"Thank you sir." She said softly as she stood up and left the room.
Angel walked past a lot of the students that were juniors at the school. She felt so out of place by coming here. She accidentally bumped into Neil. "Sorry." She said softly.
"It's alright." He said softly. He smiled at her. "You're the British student."
"Yes." She said softly.
"Welcome to Welton. You came from McMillan?"
"Oh yes, I did." She said softly grasping the crest of McMillan school that was around her neck.
"Why leave McMillan?" He asked, curious of why a British student would want to leave McMillan and attend here.
"Exchange program." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I was knackered* of my old school."
"Knackered?" He asked confused.
She blushed. "I was worn out of the school." She explained. "Sorry I haven't quite grasped the American language." She said as she rubbed the back of her head.
"It's alright. I am sure that we will get use to it shortly." He said with a smile.
"I should try to find my room." She said softly as her dirty blond bangs fell into her eyes.
"What room are you in?"
"214." She said even softer than before.
"That is right across the hall from my room. Follow me." He said with a smile.
Angel followed him slowly. "Thank you." She said softly as she followed him.
"There's your room." He said pointing out the room 214. "It looks like you'll be rooming by yourself."
Angel smiled. "Well... I guess Mr. Nolan wanted the Brit to be in a room all of his own." Angel said rolling her eyes. She opened the door to her room and groaned. This was far worse than her old school. "Thanks for showing me around." She said softly.
"Why don't you come to my room and meet the boys."
She bit the inside of her lip. "Alright." She said with a smile. "Just let me put this bloody thing down." She said as she put her suitcase down onto her bed. She walked with Neil to his room.
Neil placed his suitcase onto his bed.
The red head stuck his head into the room. "Neil, study group tonight?"
"Yeah sure." Neil said softly.
" Business as usual, huh? Hey, I hear you got the new kid. Looks like a stiff! Oops."
Todd walked into the room.
Angel glared at the red head. "Get the bloody hell out of here." She hissed at him.
Neil looked at Angel in surprise. "Listen, don't mind Cameron. He was born with his foot in his mouth. You know what I mean?" He pulled his papers from his blazer pocket and playfully whacks Todd with it across the back.
"Sounds like an arse to me." Angel said as she crossed her arms.
Three boys stood in the doorway to Neil and Todd's room.
"Rumor has it, you did summer school." Charlie said with a smile.
"Yep. Chemistry. My father thought I should get ahead. Ow was your summer Slick?"
"Keen." He said with a smirk.
The three boys entered the room.
"Meeks. Door. Closed."
"Yes, sir." Said Meeks as he shut the door.
"Gentlemen, what are the four pillars?" Neil asked.
Angel raised her eyebrow confused.
"Travesty. Horror. Decadence. Excrement." The four boys said together.
Angel shook her head. "Like that better." She said laughing lightly.
Charlie looked at her. "Ah the British student speaks. You had four pillars too didn't you."
Angel scoffed. "Yeah, bloody pillars." She said as she shook her head.
Charlie lit a cigarette up. "Okay, study group. Meeks aced Latin. I didn't quite flunk English. So, if you want, we've got our study group."
"Sure. Cameron asked me too. Anyone mind including him?" Neil asked.
"Hmm, what's his specialty, boot-licking?" Charlie asked.
"Come on, he's your room mate."
"That's not my fault."
"He sound more like a bloody arse if you ask me." Angel said, as she leaned against the window near Neil trying not to brush up against him.
"Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Steven Meeks."
Neil jumped up bumping into Angel. "Sorry." He told her softly.
"It's fine." She said softly.
"Oh, this is Todd Anderson... and Angel..."
"Helling." Angel said as she leaned against the wall again.
"Nice to meet you." Meeks said shaking Todd's hand first and then Angel's hand.
"Nice to meet you too." Angel said softly.
"Charlie Dalton."
"Knox Overstreet."
"Todd's brother was Jeffrey Anderson."
"Oh yeah, sure. Valedictorian. National merit scholar." Charlie said.
"Oh well, welcome to Hell-ton."
"It's every bit as tough as they say, unless you're a genius like Meeks."
"He flatters me. That's why I help him with Latin."
Angel slid down the wall. "Latin?" She asked in shock.
"And English and Trig."
"Oh boy." She said softly.
"What is it Britain don't know Latin?"
"Bloody hell no." She said eying Charlie up. "I only know French." She said as she hung her head. "And English... well British English... We didn't have to learn Latin in McMillan School."
"Damn you're in trouble."
"Yeah of course blame the Brit..."
There was a knock on the door.
"It's open." Neil said.
Mr. Perry opened the door.
Angel tried not to groan out.
"Father, I thought you'd gone."
"Mr. Perry." The other boys said standing up.
"Keep your seats fellows, keep your seats." He saw Angel in the room too. His eyes locked onto hers and he glared at her. He turned his attention to his son. "Neil, I've just spoken to Mr. Nolan. I think that you're taking too many extra curricular activities this semester, and I've decided that you should drop the school annual."
"But I'm the assistant editor this year."
"Well I'm sorry Neil."
"But father, I can't. It wouldn't be fair."
"Fellas, would you excuse us for a moment?"
The two of them left the room.
"Beastly* bloke." Angel muttered and scoffed.
The four boys that were in the room with her looked at her in shock.
She raised her eyebrow. "What the bloody hell are you looking at?" She asked, slightly angered.
The five of them came out of the room.
"Why doesn't he let you do what you want?" Charlie said.
"Yeah Neil, tell him off. It' couldn't get any worse." Knox said.
"Oh, that''s rich. Like you guys tell your parents off, Mr. Future Lawyer and Mr. Future Banker."
"Okay, so I don't like it any more than you do."
"Well just don't tell me how to talk to my father. You guys are the same way."
"All right, all right, Jesus. So what are you going to do?"
"What I have to do. Drop the annual." Neil said softly.
"Well I wouldn't lose much sleep over it. It's just a bunch of jerks trying to impress Nolan."
"I don't care. I don't give a damn about any of it."
"Well, uh, Latin, eight o'clock in my room?"
"Yes." Neil said with a small smile.
"Todd, you're welcome to join us." Meeks said.
"Yeah, come along pal." Said Knox.
Todd looked up from his desk. "Thanks."
Meeks looked at Angel. "You too Newbie."
Angel laughed. "I'm gonna need as much help as I can get." She said, as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.
"Alright then it is a party." Said Meeks.
Angel smiled. "Alright. I'll see you all tonight then." She laughed lightly.
"Enjoy the free time you have."
She scoffed. "What free time? I'm busy with extracurricular activities."
"Like what?" The four boys asked excited to hear what she had.
"Soccer, Service Club, Mathematics club, Fencing, and Chemistry club." She said with a shrug of her shoulders. "It will be easy peasy *."
"Easy Peasy?"
"It will be a snap." She said laughing lightly. "I'll see you guys later." She said waving her hand a little bit before heading to her room to get her things. She closed the door behind her when she got into her room. She changed her uniform into Welton's. She kept her McMillan's school crest around her neck.
* Knackered- Tired out
* Beastly- Rude
* Easy Peasy
That is the end of this chapter. How is Angel going to react to what is going on around her. Is she and Neil going to be good friends? What is to come when she hears that there is a play. She'll pose as a girl for a little bit to perform and risk herself being exposed to everyone? Well going to have to read and find out. Please review and let me know what you think.