Charlie Dalton hated Hellton. He hated the lies, the pretentiousness, the fabrication of society and how young men should act. He despised the school's policies and pillars. And perhaps most of all he hated the classes. Chemistry, trigonometry, Latin. It was all useless. But English-English was a shining light in the cloudy storm of which no man had ever sailed through. And Mr. Keating was his captain. He was all of their captains. He was their father, their mentor, their conscience of gold. Nothing could change that and nothing ever would. Charlie awoke that morning to the sound of Cameron's barbaric snoring and growled.
"Damn it, Cameron, if you're going to act like a barbarian, why don't you yawp, instead?"
Sunlight soon peeked in from the heavy curtains and just for the hell of it, Charlie flung open the drapes with only his boxers on. He opened the squeaky window with ease and yelled out to the teachers, Dr. Hager and Mr. McAllister he presumed, below him in the courtyard.
"What the hell was that, Hager?" Mr. McAllister asked wildly.
Hager sneered. "I know who it is. It's that obnoxious Dalton boy. He's always stirring up trouble. You come down from there, Dalton, and apologize for disturbing the peace or I'll have you for detention!"
Charlie chuckled at the thought of this and decided what to say next.
"It's too late for that, sir. I've already been paddled by Mr. Nolan and I think he enjoyed doing it too!"
Charlie slammed the window shut as he heard horrified gasps from below.
"Come down here this instant, Mr. Dalton! You will face the consequences to such rudeness and vulgarity!" Dr. Hager bellowed.
Charlie bursted into laugher, yanking the curtains closed as he collapsed onto his bed wheezing and cackling. When he finally settled down, he saw Cameron in a furious rage, which only heightened the humor of the whole moment.
"Do you want to get expelled? I've never met anyone who was more of a dumbass than you are. Go on and waste your education and life away but leave the rest of us who want to succeed in peace, Charlie!"
His mood suddenly turned sour.
"It's Nuwanda, you rainer on other people's parades."
Cameron left the room for breakfast in disgust and Charlie was pleased.
"Finally, I get the whole room to myself."
He beamed with glee as he shoved himself into his school uniform and grabbed a comb. He stood in front of the mirror making faces at himself and fixing his hair. When he got the perfect part with just the right amount of hair dangling over his eyes, he winked at his reflection and started imitating Elvis, complete with the accent and hip gyrations.
"Charlie, I mean Nuwanda, what the hell are you doing?"
Charlie turned to the door and saw Neil leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest and smirking like the Cheshire Cat. He turned back to the mirror, winked one more time, and grabbed his school books. As they began walking down the hall, Charlie explained.
"I've got a hot date tonight, Neil-O. with Miss Lydia Hager."
Neil started choking on the air.
"Lydia Hager?"
Charlie nodded.
"Hmhm. That's right. She's Dr. Hager's granddaughter. And the best part is she looks nothing like the old geezer."
Neil shook his head and stopped Charlie in the hallway.
"Let me just get this straight, you are going on a date with Dr. Hager's granddaughter on a Wednesday night with no curfew and it's very doubtful that you'll just peck her on the cheek."
Charlie burst into laughter for the second time that day, this time like a madman as he beat on the wall with fervor.
"Yes, yes, I am! I, Nuwanda Dalton, do hereby declare that I shall go courting with Miss Lydia Hager tonight at promptly 8 o'clock for dinner, a movie, and a little something else!"
"Jesus, Charlie! Keep your voice down! Someone's going to hear you."
"That's the point," he smirked real wide as he headed off to class.
Ugh, Chemistry, Charlie thought bitterly, how do I hate thee!
He was tempted to write an ode to how much he hated the subject but found that he was too lazy and instead opted for drawing a pair of nicely shaped breasts. He then proceeded to imagine what Lydia's breasts looked like. He imagined them as a bit smaller than he was used to with large rosy nipples. She was probably a B-cup, of course with those bullet brassieres, one could never know until-
"Mr. Dalton! Your lab station is on fire!" the teacher cried.
"Huh?" he looked up from his drawing and cracked a grin at the small spark starting to cast a flame over the table.
The teacher pushed him out of the way, grabbing the fire hose and spraying the table as well as half of the students that stood nearby. By the end of class, nearly all of them were drenched in water as the fire had spread and the teacher had a terrible aim when it came to spraying the water. The students enjoyed this as a refreshing activity compared to the dull equations and mundane concepts of the usual course.
"Mr. Dalton! What has gotten into you? Why are you not paying attention to your experiment?"
Charlie shifted in his seat and rose an eyebrow.
"Was a I supposed to be?"
"Mr. Dalton, I will have none of your silly and immature comments! Not today!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. Would you rather me come back tomorrow?" he bit back a smirk.
The whole class roared into laughter as the bell rang. As everyone packed up their things and filed out, the teacher gave Charlie a detention slip.
"And if you fail to appear, that time will be doubled."
He smirked, glancing down at the slip. Then he began to panic.
"But-but, sir, this is for tonight!"
The teacher looked up from the papers he was grading.
"Yes, Mr. Dalton. That detention is for tonight."
He seemed pleased at causing Charlie distress.
"But, sir, I won't be able to make it tonight. I have-I have to study, sir. I have a lot of tests and exams tomorrow."
The teacher stared at him for a moment before taking off his spectacles and setting them down.
"Since when, Mr. Dalton, were you so interested in studying?" he narrowed his eyes.
"Oh, I really do, they're for a big part of my grades this year." He pleaded.
"That will be enough. I suggest you show up tonight, Mr. Dalton, or otherwise there will be consequences."
Charlie mumbled a "yes, sir" as he slunk out of the classroom and onto history.
Charlie sat in the back of the class in his usual spot and continued on his drawing of breasts, slightly glowering at this sudden turn of events. Charlie always found peace in drawing, well, that is if there weren't any girls around to help him find his peace. The bell rang and he rolled his eyes. Great, not only do I have to figure out all of this chemistry bullshit but now I'm going to have to learn about crusty, old badgers like John Adams, he thought. Charlie suppressed a groan.
"If I will have your attention, please, gentlemen." It was Old Man Nolan.
Oh, God. This day cannot get any worse, Charlie thought hopelessly.
"Gentlemen, your current history teacher is very ill presently and I'm sure your condolences are felt by him but until he gets better, you will have a substitute."
Charlie sneered in disgust. The only thing worse than civilized school and teachers were substitutes. He began to imagine a half dead Civil War veteran hobbling in on a cane but instead what he saw was-
"Ms. Reese, let me know if you need anything at all. And, gentlemen, I trust you will make her feel at home."
Charlie opened his mouth without thinking and blurted, "If you mean that she came from heaven, sir, we'll certainly try and accommodate."
Everyone stayed silent for a moment before a wave of laughter hit the boys in the class. The other Dead Poets did not know what to think of their fellow madman Poet. Todd Anderson blushed as Meeks hid his face. Neil looked straight ahead and tried not to laugh.
"MR. DALTON!" Nolan shouted at the top of his lungs.
"You will go to my office this instant. Go on! THIS INSTANT!" he stamped his foot like a little child.
Charlie coolly walked out of the room and into the hallway. Mr. Nolan shouldn't have blamed him. It really wasn't his fault. A woman like that could blind saints. She had gorgeous chocolate curls and full luscious red lips and bright green eyes the color of shamrocks. Even though he had only seen her for a few moments, he remembered every detail. The way she sauntered in, hips softly shaking, her short legs hoisted on heels that beautifully displayed her stocking-clad calves. She had light skin and her dress went to her knees, letting the whole world see her splendid figure. And she had breasts-real breasts that moved with her because they were so big and ripe and so goddamn womanly. Eyes bright, lips parted, breasts heaving and skin flushed. That's how Charlie wanted her under him. He felt his trousers tighten and he cursed himself. Was he really this desperate? Charlie didn't even notice he passed Nolan's office until he was about halfway down the hall and had to turn around. Mr. Nolan paddled him. Again. Not only for what he had said in front of Ms. Reese but also because of his vulgar comment to Dr. Hager earlier that morning.
"And let that be a lesson to you, boy," he snarled, "never open your salty mouth again!"
In addition to the paddling, Nolan also made Charlie put vinegar in his mouth for a constant 15 minutes in hopes to cleanse his "dirty mouth". It didn't work, of course but the potent taste of acid stayed on his tongue for many hours after. When he got back to his dorm, the Dead Poets were waiting for him.
"What happened?" Neil asked, eyes worried.
"Damn it, Neil. What do you think happened?" Charlie snapped.
"You made a damn fool out of yourself is what happened!" Cameron bellowed.
Charlie imagined Cameron falling off of a cliff and was cheered up a bit.
"There aren't any cliffs around here, are there? It would be easier if I just pushed him myself out of our dorm window into the courtyard."
Charlie found deep satisfaction in pissing Cameron off. It almost felt better than sex. Almost.
"Why'd you do it?" Todd asked quietly.
"Ugh, now you too? Why is it that when you're supposed to talk you don't but when you're not supposed to, you do!"
"Charlie," Meeks said reasonably.
Charlie scoffed and flung himself onto his bed, rolling his eyes as he did, cursing loudly because he forgot about his bruised backside. Meeks lit a cigarette and passed it to him. He nodded his thanks to Meeks before telling his story. They all sat in wonder after it was done.
"It's a shame you missed her class," Neil said.
"Why? It's not like I would've learned anything anyways."
"She taught us one of the theories of where the origin of the word 'hooker' came from."
He almost choked on his cigarette.
"Oh, yeah," Neil nodded.
"Told us about General Hooker during the Civil War and how he set up all of his men with a bunch of prostitutes so they could fight better after all of that action."
Charlie gave a hoot and shook his head.
"Can you imagine Old Man Nolan's face if he had been there?"
"I think he would've resigned from his post at this school. It might be getting to be too much for him," Pitts joked.
"Too much for Old Man Nolan? Never! Did I ever tell you what he told me the first time I got paddled?"
They all shook their heads.
"Well, the first thing he did was…"
Charlie spent the rest of the afternoon telling the story until he had to report to detention. Charlie groaned inwardly as he reported to the designated room he was to serve detention in and found himself in his history classroom. Well, this was weird-
"Hello, Mr. Dalton. Do sit down. I've got a chair with a pillow on it set up for you and everything. You can just settle yourself in and I will be right back," Ms. Reese called from her office.
He felt himself stand motionless, incapable of comprehending what was really happening. When Ms. Reese finally appeared, she found Charlie still standing there in shock.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Dalton?"
He slowly shook his head,
"No, no, nothing's wrong, ma'am, I just- well, I just thought that…never mind, ma'am."
She laughed quietly and sat down. Charlie sat down on the pillow padded chair, wondering what he had gotten himself into.
"I wanted to get to know you better. I can usually read people pretty well and by starting out my first day with a brash subject, I figured out a lot about your classmates," she paused eyeing him evenly. He was listening, for once.
"For example, your friends Mr. Meeks and Mr. Pitts are quiet and shy around girls but are very smart. Mr. Perry is outspoken, outgoing, and lives to test the limits once in a while. He acts and I presume he is the leader of your so-called group. Mr. Anderson is unsure of himself and of his self-worth, of which he has much, and Mr. Cameron is the party pooper of the group."
She rose an eyebrow.
"How did I do?"
Charlie's mouth hung open.
"How much did you pay them to give you that information?"
"Nothing, except a lecture on General Hooker and the Civil War. I was going to give you the lecture but I presume your friends told you all about it already?"
Charlie nodded his head vigorously.
"Good." She smiled and Charlie's gaze slid to her perfectly polished teeth.
"Now, what do you usually do during detention?"
"Whatever the teacher wants me to do. Usually, working over problems over and over again until I got them right." He gaze slid to her breasts as he licked his lips slightly.
"Oh? And how long did that take?" her red lips were slightly parted.
He gulped. "If my brain worked that day, three hours."
Her eyebrows rose and her eyes smiled. She stood up and walked in front of Charlie to her desk. She took out a pen and several pieces of paper and as she handed them to Charlie, she explained.
"I want you to write down whatever comes out of your mind on this paper."
"Why?"
"Because I want to see if what I guessed about you is right."
She arched an eyebrow before turning her back and sitting at her desk. Charlie stared at the pieces of paper, dumbfounded. He didn't know what to think. He gingerly picked up the pen and cautiously began to write. Soon, he found himself describing angrily what had happened that day and how he had missed his date with Lydia. He saw curse words on the paper and started to scratch them out.
"There will be no scratching of words, Mr. Dalton," she said a bit sternly, "I want to see everything."
The way she said that made Charlie's heart beat a bit faster. It sounded like she wanted to see him naked. But he knew it was all in his imagination. When he finished, he took his paper up to her. she glanced over it and grinned.
"Exactly what I thought," she proclaimed, "Well, almost."
Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared at her breasts, mesmerized at how they jiggled as she wrote.
"Troublemaker, heartbreaker, and perhaps most of all, a reckless hell raiser, you respect people who firmly believe their own thoughts and stand beside them through thick and thin. You tease often but are sensitive to the people you care about. You like questions just as much as the answers and most of the time the answer you are looking for is right in front of you."
She looked up into his eyes.
"Yourself."
As she continued to bore into his eyes, Charlie felt his pants tighten uncomfortably. Thank God for his long Welton blazer.
"How did you know all of that?" he exclaimed.
She shrugged and opened her desk, tucking the paper away.
"I have a knack for it. I'm half Cajun on my mother's side. I've got magic and mystery floating through my blood, I guess."
She pulled out a stack of cards.
"DO you know how to play, poker, roulette, Texas hold 'em?"
He nodded at all three and she smiled wide.
"How about we play, oh, three rounds each for-" she whipped out a large Hershey bar and two pieces of Wrigley's gum. "These."
"I don't like Wrigley's. Got any smokes?"
She shook her head. "I don't smoke."
"How about the Hershey bar and exemption from three homework assignments?"
She sighed as she began to shuffle the cards out and dealt them.
"You're a bold one, Mr. Dalton. I'll settle for one and that's my final offer."
Her voice sounded smoky to Charlie, almost sultry. His eyes shifted to her bare collar bones and slowly sunk deeper to her peeking cleavage. He saw her skin slowly turn a bright pink and he looked away, ashamed of his greedy eyes. He slid his cards from the table and into his hands, fanning them out. They played all rounds except one and before they started the las round, Charlie realize he hadn't asked what she wanted if she won.
"Ms. Reese, what do you want if you win?"
She looked up from her cards and readjusted herself in her seat.
"If I win, you must promise me to stop getting into so much trouble with Mr. Nolan."
"And what if you win and I break that promise?"
Her eyebrows rose sharply.
"Mr. Dalton, you may be a thigh man and a fool, but you are not a liar and you are a man of your word."
They locked eyes and breathed simultaneously.
They finished their last round, Ms. Reese winning.
"This is the first time a female has ever beaten me at anything," Charlie said in shock.
"There's a first for everything," Ms. Reese coolly replied.
As she reshuffled the cards and put them bac in her desk, Charlie asked the question he had been itching to say.
"Are you happy, Ms. Reese?" he blurted.
She met his eyes before crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair, allowing Charlie a wonderful view of her clothed bust.
"Yes. I have everything a single woman could possibly ask for. A job, a place to live, a steady salary, friends-"
"Everything except a man," he murmured under his breath.
"I heard that, Mr. Dalton," she said sharply.
"But it's true, isn't it?"
She nodded slowly.
"It is the truth but just because I am a woman does not mean that I need a man."
"Yes, but just because you're a woman does not mean you shouldn't want a man, does it?"
He cocked a suggestive eyebrow at her.
Ms. Reese's cheeks turned red and her breathing became slightly labored.
"Your detention hour is up," she said curtly, "You can take the Hershey bar."
She stood up abruptly and told him he was free to go.
"Good night, Ms. Reese."
She turned to face him, to look into his shining face and smiled softly.
"Good night, Mr. Dalton."
The next day, all Charlie could think about was Ms. Reese and her flushed cheeks, and the rising and falling of her breasts. All throughout his courses, he drifted off into paradise, imagining the feeling her nipples under his thumbs and the look on her face. Before he knew it, he found himself in her class, learning about Bull Run and Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation. He didn't even bother taking notes because he knew all he had to do was think of her voice and he'd remember the lecture. He loved the way her eyes lit up while she taught and her curly hair shook as she threw her head back in laughter. When she reached up to write something on the blackboard, he slid himself forward in his seat to see her skirt ride up, exposing her beautiful stocking-clad legs. Oh, what joy it would be to unhook those stockings and roll them down her silky thighs…
"Mr. Dalton, how many Battles of Bull Run were there?" Ms. Reese asked bluntly.
Charlie awoke from his daydream and murmured that there were two. When Charlie got back to his dorm, he threw his school books onto his desk and collapsed onto his bed, slowly unbuckling his belt. He slid his hand beneath his trousers and underwear and found his large, aching cock. He gripped himself and began sliding his hand back and forth across his shaft. Groaning, he tightened his hold on himself and gritted his teeth from the pleasure. He imagined Ms. Reese's hand stroking him like he was now and almost felt her lips on him. He moaned loudly as Cameron burst in through the door.
Charlie grumbled loudly as Cameron stood there, too horrified to move.
"What a mood killer," Charlie snapped at him as he shoved his shirt back in his trousers and buckled his belt.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Cameron yelled.
"What does it look like I'm doing, Cameron?"
He scoffed and headed towards the door.
"I'm surprised at you, Dalton. Are you not getting any action lately?" Cameron rose his eyebrows and had a nasty grin spread across his ugly face.
"For your information, Cameron, I've been getting plenty of action and this is just prep for tonight."
Charlie knew better than to get offended by Cameron's snide remarks but he couldn't help it. The guy was a complete ass and he was forced to cohabit with that pile of redheaded bullshit. Goddamn, a man couldn't be at peace around here. It was Friday, praise the Lord, and he had the whole weekend to do nothing and finally could breathe. Of course, he'd have to cram in all of his homework on Sunday night but at that moment, he really didn't want to think about it. On top of all of these grown up responsibilities, Cameron had ruined his moment of bliss. Charlie's mind wandered as he roamed the halls, pacing off his frustration. He heard a loud popping noise and whirled around to the window on his right. He saw fireworks and bright lights past the school's walls where the little valley was and scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. What was going on? He hadn't realized that dusk was almost upon him and that dinner had already been served. He didn't care, he wasn't very hungry anyway. Well, not hungry for food. He stood looking out of the window as boys passed by him in the hallway, some laughing and playfully punching him in the arm. Finally, there was no one. Except Charlie and the view, the window gave before him. He breathed a sigh of relief and found that he was for once in his life, content with simply being.
Maybe Mr. Keating was right. Simply living in the moment was worth being an outcast in society's eyes. To be misunderstood was to be great and to be great was to be transcending beyond your own limits. He smiled at his reflection in the twilight sky and began to turn away when something caught his eye. a hooded figure with a dark cloak flew across the schoolyard and beyond the Welton boundaries. He chuckled a bit, remembering his first escapade out of the school at night with his fellow Dead Poets, they probably looked similar to that. Scurrying with light feet and then vanishing into the night. There was something magical about poetry and the way it flowed through one's body so freely and without restraint. Charlie decided to follow the hooded figure. He grabbed his own coat form his dorm, thanking God that Cameron was not there, and bolted out of the school boundaries into the seemingly unknown. He heard fast pace music in a foreign tongue and decided that it was some sort of Asian dialect. As he followed the hooded figure, bright neon lights blinded him as seven Asian men all in different styles of suits came into view.
"What the-" Charlie murmured.
It was a carnival of sorts.
Carousels, of fashioned arcade games, and fortune tellers were in abundance. Apple bobbing and a large Ferris wheel loomed in front of him. He was in utter shock. To his left were several fire eaters, snake charmers, and belly dancers. Wow, he thought, what the hell is happening? Charlie almost lost sight of the hooded figure if it weren't for a loud ethereal laughter that rang out sweetly into the air. It came from a closed tent to his right. He crept up towards the flap and peeked through the crack. He found two women sitting across from each other in deep conversation with tea cups and saucers at their sides. The hooded figure had her back facing him. Charlie realized who it was. But why was she here?
"Well, Lucinda, it's been awfully kind of you to do this for me," she said, standing up and heading towards the entrance of the tent.
"Nonsense, nonsense, my darling," Lucinda replied with a thick Slavic accent. She had a purple satin turban with a large broach wrapped around her head. They kissed each other on the cheek goodbye and the woman sauntered out of the tent only to be snatched by Charlie and pulled in to his arms from the side of the tent. He put his hand over her mouth to keep her from crying out. He turned her so that she could face him and when she realized who he was, her eyes widened and cheeks flushed.
"Charlie Dalton! What on earth are you doing here?"
He smirked and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I could ask the same of you."
She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest, a movement Charlie found very enticing indeed. He imagined her nipples growing taut from being flush up against the silk lining of her brassiere.
"I am the teacher, Mr. Dalton and you are a pupil. You answer the questions I ask."
"Yes, but you are a lady and ladies always go first, do they not?"
He quirked an eyebrow up in amusement. He loved teasing her like this, watching her dainty skin redden and eyes grow dark.
"These are my friends," she said finally, "I used to be in the circus. We traveled all over but after a while, I got tired of it all and decided to settle down and live a quiet life of doing what I love."
Charlie nodded, eyes wandering, trying to wrap his brain around it all.
Ms. Reese was about to ask him why he was there when the seven Asian men came walking up to them.
"Hiyo, Reese!" the one holding a parasol yelled.
"Hello to you too, Kyung!" she waved at him and soon shook each of their hands.
"Charlie, I would like you to meet my old friends, Block B. Well, that's the name of their new band. Kyung is a professional knife thrower and Taieil is one of their main singers," she began to explain.
Jaehyo wore a black and white checkered suit, P.O. had a red flower pinned to his cream colored jacket as well as a white top hat perched on his head, U-Kwon had a red suit on, Zizo had short wavy blond hair that Charlie was kind of jealous of, and B-Bomb had yet another suit on. Charlie thought they were pretty swell guys even if they were a little eccentric with red suits and knife-throwing. They performed a song called "Jack Pot" with a lot of black and white tiles and loud bombastic rhythms. After it was over, they thanked Charlie and Ms. Reese for watching and told them that they had to get their rest in order to pack for the road tomorrow.
They parted their ways and the two stood in silence. Charlie felt his body temperature shoot up from the proximity of Ms. Reese. They began walking back up to the school.
"Ms. Reese, may I ask you what your first name is?" he asked, almost shyly.
Almost.
"Violet," she said softly, "it's Violet."
Charlie couldn't sleep that night. Nor could he for the next few after that. The carnival escapade with Ms. Reese, well, Violet, kept running through his head. Like a broken record, stuck in time, black and white, but oh so fine. He couldn't get it out of his mind. The feel of her silky fingers across his face and the tickle of her breath on his skin. It haunted him in his dreams and it seemed to be all he could think about.
"There's something that's getting your goat," Neil told him finally as they sat together in his dorm.
"Ye Olde Romantic," Charlie smirked at him.
"I'm serious, Charlie-" Charlie raised his eyebrows, "…Nuwanda, what's bothering you?"
"Jesus, I'm gonna start sounding like Knox."
"So it is a girl. I knew it! I knew it from the moment you left Nolan's office."
"Yeah, yeah, don't get all balled up about it," Charlie griped as he lit his pipe.
"So…who is it?" Neil's eyes widened in crystal brilliance and his boyish grin was youthfully charming. Charlie remained silent and smoked his pipe for several moments.
"Come on, tell me who it is!" Neil's head was about to pop off from anticipation.
Charlie looked at Neil coolly, puffing smoke out of his pipe. He locked eyes with Neil and murmured, "It's Ms. Reese."
Neil almost choked on his cigarette.
After waving away the pungent tang of tobacco, he wheezed and spluttered, "Ms. Reese!"
They stared at each other for a long moment and then Neil spoke.
"Charlie, this time you've gone too far."
"Dammit, Neil! I can't help it. She's spurring me on!"
"Not in class she's not."
"Well, of course she doesn't then."
"Then when does she?"
"I…snuck out last night."
"And I'm supposed to be surprised by that?"
"No, I didn't sneak out because I really wanted to. I saw a hooded figure from the window and decided to follow. It turned out to be Ms. Reese."
"Ms. Reese? What was she doing out of the school?"
"Went to some carnival. Said she knew the people there. Colorful past that Violet has."
"Violet?"
"Yeah, that's her name. Violet. Violet Reese."
"How do you know that?"
"She told me."
"Willingly?"
"I asked."
Charlie exhaled a puff of smoke and put out the flame of his pipe, tucking it away in a bag for safe keeping.
"So what are you gonna do now?" Neil followed suit and extinguished the light on his cigarette.
"Nothin'."
"What do you mean 'nothin'?"
"Nothin'. What the hell am I supposed to do?"
"How did this whole thing start?"
"Oh, Jesus Christ, Neil, I don't know. That's like asking how the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was created. These things just happen."
"She is pretty, I'll give you that," Neil admitted, opening up his Latin textbook.
"She's not just pretty, Neil. She's vivacious and outspoken and lovely and not mild in anything she does…she's heavenly."
The room was still, even the trees outside the window stopped rustling.
"Jesus, I'm beginning to sound Knoxious."
Neil grinned obnoxiously and failed to smother a laugh.
"Charles Dalton, that is the first time I have ever heard you compliment a girl."
"Yeah, and if you talk about it again, it'll be the last thing you ever hear."
Charlie was damn near nodding off in Dr. Hager's trigonometry when a huge popping noise caught everybody's attention. It came from outside Charlie saw the top of the Ferris wheel and grinned. The carnival was back. Doors were slamming and the worried voices of teachers filled the halls. Everybody filed out into the corridors to find out what was going on. The whole school eventually congregated outside and found Mr. Nolan and an Asian man in heated discussion. Charlie recognized the man as Kyung and had to stifle a chuckle.
"I don't care who you are or what you're doing here, but I am asking you to leave."
"No, I don't think so," Kyung retorted.
"What do you mean?" Nolan hissed.
"America is the land of the free, isn't it? Then therefore this land should be free for all to use, free of charge. We're staying here permanently."
"No, you are not! This is inconceivable. An old-fashioned carnival with Asian blondes at my doorstep, claiming the rights of this land? I think not! You, sir, must leave before I file a complaint!"
"We're not moving. You can shove that complaint up your butthole for all I care!" U-Kwon yelled.
The Dead Poets bursted into maniacal laughter at this with Charlie in the lead.
Hager threatened them all with detention.
"Besides, Taiel claims that this New England soil gives U-Kwon more virility and allows his dick to swell up bigger for him," Zizo mumbled into Charlie's ear.
He almost pissed himself laughing.
"How dare you insult me! I will take this to court and to the Supreme Court if I must!"
Nolan stomped away, declaring that classes would be postponed until further notice. The Dead Poets cheered as Charlie gave out a loud Indian whoop and began to jump around.
Mr. Keating wasn't pleased with the situation but he couldn't help laughing at Charlie's obnoxious ways and mischief.
"That boy is going to get it someday." He murmured to himself as he led his students back inside the school.
Since classes were over for the day, Charlie and the other Dead Poets lingered around the carnival grounds and rode some of the rides. Knox won a stuffed pink teddy bear, causing Pitts and Charlie to make fun of him and coo about how he should give it to Chris and Meeks won a spare radio part. Well, actually he commandeered it from a highly complex arcade game.
"It's not like anyone will notice, anyways," Meeks said, "it's a very small part."
Pitts bought two corn dogs, five plates of funnel cake, and a large soda, still complaining that he was hungry after he had spent his and Neil's money on snacks. As Pitts haggled Todd for his pocket money in order for him to "not starve to death", they turned around to find the Block B band staring at them and smiling.
"Boy, you sure did get Old Man Nolan pissed," Pitts remarked almost incoherently as he shoved a third corn dog Charlie had bought him into his mouth.
"We love getting reactions out of people," P.O. said. He had his tall white top hat on again.
"We like the weather here; it fits the atmosphere we're going for. Calm, cool, and collected." Taeil blurted out dramatically.
"Yeah, the only thing that's collected around here are the tuition fees our parents pay. And as far as calm and cool, there's nothing like that about this place." Neil remarked.
"You'll just be wasting money on my father," Knox said, "he's a lawyer."
"Ah, who cares? We just want to dance and sing and throw knives around the world," Kyung shrugged.
"You want to throw knives all around the world. I want to dance and look handsome," B-Bomb said, straightening his collar.
"What he really means is that he wants to fuck the brains out of all of us each Tuesday night over pizza and karaoke," Zizo muttered in Charlie's ear.
Charlie almost pissed himself laughing.
"Don't we all? Fortunately for you, I'm the best at it," Jaehyo grinned.
"You're full of it," B-Bomb shot back, "Everyone knows I'm the best, especially with this suit on." He pretended to look at himself in the mirror.
"Stop it, both of you. I can't focus on anything when you two argue like that," P.O. yelled, "besides, I need help repining this flower back to my jacket."
"I'll do it," U-Kwon grumbled, "it's like I'm the father of this band. I have to do everything. I'm the only responsible one out of every damn one off you. It's mind blowing how stupid people can get."
"Excuse me, I'm the knife thrower of the group. That takes a lot of responsibility," Kyung retorted with a sass.
"Says the one who chases chickens with frying pans," Taeil coolly shot back.
"Guys, let us all sit down on the beautiful grass and meditate," Jaehyo said.
"All right, but you were the one that started this fight in the first place." Kyung grumbled.
They all promptly sat down, legs crossed, and began humming in sync with the universe.
"Let's go," Charlie said, sneering in disgust.
"What a bunch of loons," Pitts mumbled under his breath.
"Actually, they do have a valid point. Meditating does decrease your blood pressure and can release stress," Meeks informed them.
Charlie rolled his eyes and began to saunter off.
He was sick and tired of all these people.
And if he didn't have Violet soon, he was pretty convinced he would die.
Charlie stayed holed up in his dorm for the next two days, acting entirely unlike himself. Moping about over his chemistry homework was all he could do from going mad. Several hours later, he heard a knock at his door.
"Dammit, what?" he growled, rapping his pencil against his head.
The door opened softly and in came Ms. Reese.
Charlie almost choked on air.
She closed the door and stood there for a moment, staring at him.
"Ms. Reese, what are you doing?"
She smiled and came closer.
"We don't have much time."
He stood up closely, eyeing her quizzically.
"We don't have much time for what?"
"To sneak out."
"What? But you're a teacher! Why would you want to sneak out?"
"I want to go with you."
There was indefatigable silence.
"Wh-what?"
"You heard what I said."
Indeed, he did.
"Well, come on. Do you want to get caught?"
The lights were off in the hallway as Charlie took her hand and led her to the door. They slipped out into the night and silence entombed them. He had done this very thing countless of times before with the Dead Poets but this time it was different. This time he was with Violet. He tried to ignore the tightening of his pants and the fierce clench in his stomach as best as he could. He didn't take her to the cave like he had initially planned and instead opted for a small farm shack located farther into the forest. Nothing but the leaves on the trees stirred in the sighing wind. He was ready. He jiggled on the doorknob a few times and with one swift motion, Charlie yanked it open. He led her inside, pulling out his flashlight and guided her towards the back of the shack. He had brought a blanket and spread it out on the bare, cold floor. Violet began to blush in the darkness. In retrospect, it was ridiculous. A 24-year-old woman enchanted and seduced by a 17-year-old but Charlie Dalton had that effect on her and she could not deny it. They stared at each other deeply for a long moment and then she began to take off her coat.
Charlie couldn't believe his eyes.
"Mr. Dalton, if you were a polite man, you wouldn't be staring at me so," her eyes narrowed.
"It's not my fault that a very beautiful woman is undressing in front of me." he retorted snarkily, eyes gleaming and mouth quirked up.
He saw her cheeks stained red in the moonlight.
Charlie flashed his sparkling teeth at her and proceeded to stalk towards her. keeping eye contact with Violet, the whole time, Charlie slowly unbuttoned the rest of her jacket and softly slid it off of her shoulders, letting it land haphazardly on the floor. What Charlie saw in front of his was a very delightful surprise. Violet was dressed in a white bullet bra and a matching girdle as well as silk stockings that elegantly stretched out across her shapely legs. Charlie caught his breath in his throat as he took in her milky skin in the silvery moonlight. He found that his jaw was hanging wide open.
"You seem surprised, Mr. Dalton," Violet purred softly.
"Please, call me Charlie," he whispered hoarsely, "you're just so-" he paused midsentence, unable to find the words that could convey what he thought and felt.
"I'm just what, Charlie?"
He believed that was the first time she had ever spoken his name.
"You're just so wonderful and beautiful and- and more than anything I could have ever imagined."
He gazed straight into her eyes and only found longing and passion slowly brewing to the brim. Charlie took her by the waist, pressing his hands firmly against her bare flesh and dipped her back, clutching the back of her head in his palm for support. He watched her close her eyes and slowly met her lips. She tasted as heaven would, even better for if what he was doing was wrong, if he got sent to hell for this he wouldn't have cared. Not in the least. Her lips were ripe and sweet breath ran across his mouth in lovely rhythm. He tucked his thumb behind her ear and heaved her chest against his. She gasped quietly as Charlie took her lower lips between his teeth and sucked ravenously. She grabbed his hair, raking it intently with her quivering fingers. Their tongues met and Violet found that she was becoming poisoned, beautifully poisoned, by the taste of his lips on hers and his tongue exploring the depths of her mouth. Spreading his hands across her waist, he broke free from her lips and proceeded downward towards her jaw.
"You have such a beautiful face," he murmured as he kissed her jawline and made his way down to her neck. They collapsed to the floor in a heap of lust, sweat, and moans. Violet held Charlie's head close to her, savoring the delicious sensation of Charlie's tongue and teeth against her flesh. He nipped at her décolletage gently and she cried out in pleasure, sobbing from his touch. Deftly, he unclasped her brassiere and as he slid the straps down her shoulders, he tenderly kissed them, rubbing his nose against her skin.
"You smell so good," he mumbled against her.
In the moment of excitement, Violet began unbuttoning his shirt and was surprised to find a large red lightning bolt painted on his chest.
She giggled softly as he saw his face heat.
"Charlie Dalton, what in the world is that?"
"This, my dear Violet, is an old Indian symbol for virility. Makes me feel potent, like I can drive the girls crazy." He wiggled his eyebrows.
She laughed and rolled her eyes up to the ceiling.
"What a ridiculous notion."
"Hey, it worked, didn't it?"
He finally freed her from her brassiere and watched her skin flush from underneath him. With clothes on, she was beautiful but unveiled, she was exquisitely radiant. He took all of her in and gazed hungrily, slowly running his tongue softly around the rim of his lips. She gasped and lowered her gaze to his throat. Her breasts were creamy white and large, enough for his hands to be filled. She had taut, bright pink nipples that frothed into blossoms under his gaze. He slowly traced the outline of her waist and softly grazed the sides of her breasts. Violet shuddered, feeling the callused pads of his fingertips imprinting themselves on her flesh. And suddenly, she wanted more. She wanted his hands on her and his grip inside her. She wanted to cling to him as a priest's hand clung to a rosary. Most of all, she wanted him. Charlie cupped her breasts, taking in the glorious feeling of her supple skin brushing against his. He ran his thumb across her nipple and she cried out loudly, writhing desperately against his body. Charlie loved that. He loved the effect he had on her body and mind. It nearly drove him mad. He pressed his mouth against her collarbone, nipping it as he did, and tortuously made his way down her squirming frame. He kissed the top and bottom of her breasts, wetting his lips before he did, causing her hips to buck up to meet his, both of them groaning from pure ecstasy.
It seemed an eternity before Charlie's mouth met her nipple. Violet arched her back in utter pleasure, his tongue plunging to meet her blossoming pink bud. He suckled on her sweet breasts as a bee ardently collects pollen from a flower. Charlie trailed kisses across her abdomen and nipped softly at her hips, causing Violet to ruffle his hair in longing. He slowly unclipped her silk stockings and rolled them off of her shapely legs, sliding her girdle and panties off as well. He stared intensely at the glistening cleft between her legs and groaned loudly. How he wanted to be inside her; to watch her moan his name from underneath him over and over again would be heavenly. Charlie tenderly grasped her ankle and ran his tongue up the inside of her leg to her upper thigh, sensing the gushing warmth from her womanhood. He rubbed his cheek against her thigh and she sobbed, squirming for release. Charlie ran his finger across the entrance of her juicy sweet petals, his other hand kneading her thigh, eliciting a whimper from the woman that lay panting and helpless beneath him.
"Please," she gasped, "Please, Charlie."
He grinned devilishly.
Charlie brushed his knuckle against her entrance, relishing the wetness he felt slowly dripping onto his fingers. Slowly, he inserted a finger into her, causing her to cry out in agonizing ecstasy. He repeated this several times until she nearly drew blood from biting down on her own bottom lip. Then he moved lower, his face in front of her womanhood. He blew on her tin pink bud and she shrieked, clasping his shoulders in longing. Finally, Charlie couldn't take it and place his tongue softly inside her, slowly sipping and sucking at her sweet love juices.
"Oh, Charlie!" Violet cried out, tugging fiercely on his hair.
He was enraptured by her siren wails and wanted to keep hearing his name being cried from her angelic lips. Charlie slid her legs onto his shoulders, giving him deeper access to her delicate petals and lovely taste. She continued to gasp and moan, wailing his name again and again and again. EH felt her contracting and knew she would soon break. He caressed her bottom and with his other hand, inserting two fingers into her. Violet sobbed and whimpered helplessly, the blood rising in her and the exquisite sensation of Charlie's tongue and fingers inside her; she could bear it no longer. Bucking her hips, she cried out his name once more as her body shook in rapture, her legs wobbly from pleasure. After several moments of panting, Charlie tenderly lifted legs off of his shoulders and watched her unfurl fondly.
"Please, Charlie," she gasped, "I need you now."
His teeth gleamed in the moonlight, his eyes sparkling. He began to unbutton his trousers but she pushed his hands aside and unbuttoned them herself. His breath became ragged as she tugged his trousers off, feeling her fingertips lightly brush against his abdomen. There was only Charlie's boxers that stood between them and emphatic, raw passion. He eyes bored into hers as he ran his fingers across her cheeks.
"Are you sure?" he whispered.
She dipped her fingers beneath his boxers in response. Violet grabbed ahold of his cock and rubbed her thumb across the tip, smudging several drops of precum on her finger. Charlie groaned in response and took her hand as he yanked off his boxers and loomed over her in full glory. Violet felt her cheeks heat up, catching her breath in her throat.
"Oh, my," she murmured without even realizing it.
Charlie chuckled softly as her eyes widened. She explored him with a tentative touch, wandering delicately over the caverns and creases of his brawny body. She blushed profusely as he moaned her name while taking him into her mouth.
"Oh my God, Violet," he muttered hoarsely, "what are you doing to me?"
He raked her hair with desperate fingers.
"Violet, I can't-"
Abruptly, he yanked her up, rolled over her, breasts to chest, and met her lips with his. Violet squirmed in delight from the feeling Charlie's bare flesh searing and mingling with hers.
"Charlie," she breathed as he took a nipple in his mouth, "Charlie-I-"
He had taken the words out of her mouth, slowly moving her knees apart and settling in between her thighs. Flat against her back, breasts swollen, face flushed, skin searing, she lightly touched his shoulder and braced herself. Charlie entered her in one swift motion then stopped.
"Violet, darling, are you alright?"
She breathed profusely, feeling the sharp sting from her walls stretching began to fade away, and she nodded.
"Yes, Charlie. I have never been better in my life."
They giggled together before returning back to themselves.
Charlie began to rock into her softly and gently, growing faster and faster as Violet became acclimated to his length. She clutched his shoulders, throwing her legs across his waist. Violet whimpered and moaned against his shaking body.
"Oh, Charlie," she cried, tilting her head back, exposing her ripe breasts to Charlie's longing eyes. He feasted on her, taking his fill. Their sweet body perfumes melded into one as they rolled against the earth, crying out for more, more, always more. Violet felt the peak coming and turned her face to the side. She shouted his name, unaware of his heady gaze.
"Look at me, Violet," Charlie said, almost harshly.
She stared into his eyes and parted her lips in shock at his commanding tone.
"I want to see you," he managed, cupping her face, placing his thumb behind the shell of her ear. Violet closed her eyes and sobbed, screaming his name and pleasure racking her small frame, as Charlie held her close and moaned his relief beautifully low into her quaking shoulders.
They clutched at each other in long moments under the moonlight and panted. Violet grew sleepy as her head lulled against Charlie's chest. She could hear his heart vibrating loudly within him. She smiled. He kissed the top of her head and slowly ran his fingers through her hair almost as if in a trance.
"I love you, Violet. I love you so much."
And Charlie meant it as he too fell asleep against her warm and inviting flesh.
Neither realized the mark he left on her, the end of a red lightning bolt imprinted on her abdomen, matching exactly where his was missing.
Charlie was in a good mood for the whole week for obvious reasons just explained. His favorite class now was definitely Ms. Reese's. Every time she walked into class and began writing on the chalkboard, Charlie scanned his eyes down her frame and bit back a grin. He and only he had uncovered the majestic valley of her naked body and the kingdom of her womanhood. He couldn't believe his luck, seducing a real woman. A real, fertile, panting woman. Charlie's adrenaline pumped profusely in that class, trousers tightening as he squirmed in his seat. All he had to do was look at her and he'd be reeling into ecstasy, moaning her name over and over again. She was lovely, really. She was beautiful and utterly lovely. Class ended and he lingered inside the door, watching her intently and taking in the way her legs stretched as she wrote on the blackboard. He smirked and as if she sensed his evil grin, she turned around and rose an eyebrow.
"Goodbye, Mr. Dalton," she murmured softly, eyes cloudy with lust.
"Goodbye, Ms. Reese," he retorted back, laughing quietly as he left.
Of course, as promised, Block B stayed on the school grounds and picketed.
Charlie and the other Dead Poets stalked over to them as Jaehyo waved at them.
"Hey, Dead Poets, how's it goin'?" Jaehyo asked.
"Yeah, are you guys still suffering at Hellton?" B-Bomb asked.
"We're still suffering over here. At least you guys have freedom," Neil said sarcastically.
"No, Nolan's gonna hold a trial," Zizo remarked.
"When's it gonna be?"
Zizo smirked and said, "Tomorrow."
"Yep, we're gonna have to deal with this shit while we're on tour!" Taeil yelled, kicking a rock.
"Calm down, baby, everything's alright," U-Kwon rubbed the side of Taeil's arm.
"I know, it's just- so emotional!" Taeil bursted into tears and ran across the pasture into the forest with U-Kwon trailing behind him.
"Taeil, come back, baby! I will save your heart!" U-Kwon's voce faded.
"Well, that wasn't weird," Meeks muttered under his breath.
"Oh, that always happens two days before a full moon. He never fails to be a drama queen," Zizo rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, he's the worst at controlling his emotions." P.O. added.
Kyung laughed. "He's a hopeless romantic for rainbows and puppies."
"Not to mention his 'hot Asian hunk' U-Kwon obsession." Jaehyo bursted into chuckles.
"You boys there! Get away from those intruding criminals!" Old Man Nolan's voice screeched across from the school yard.
The Dead Poets rolled their eyes simultaneously as they went back into Hellton.
The trial was, as expected, held the next day. Charlie's eyes swooped over Violet, taking in her little black hat and low white kitten heels. He grinned to himself, thinking of how much taller he would still be even with her added height. Block-B of course lost the case and was sentenced to a fine of $ 500. They grumbled about it but were happy in the end to be getting back on the road again. Kyung whooped as they drove away from Hellton with the half broken down circus, fireworks exploding behind them from the roof of their car where B-Bomb was lighting firecrackers. They all laughed and waved goodbye, watching them disappear into darkness.
Charlie heaved a big sigh and led himself to Ms. Reese's office. He hesitated for a moment before tentatively knocking on the door. He found to his surprise that Violet was in and before anyone could see, she dragged him by the collar and closed the door behind them, pressing him against it. Charlie rose an eyebrow and his eyes twinkled in the soft light of a lamp. She was wearing a nightgown made of silk that stopped at her knees. He bent her head back, clutching her flush against him, making her moan his name with his lovely teasing tongue. He smiled into the kiss, leading her towards the bed, unclasping her hair, letting it fall free. Her eyes were wide, mouth parted, cheeks flushed in anticipation of what was to come. He adored this side wild side of Violet. And he would continue to adore it forever.