DEAD POETS ARE NOT MINE. I WISH THEY WERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT. THE POEMS INCLUDED ARE MY OWN. THEY ARE ALL UNTITLED AND WRITTEN FOR THIS STORY.
The next morning, we were all told to meet in the chapel for an announcement. Mr. Nolan told all of Welton that the culprits would be found. The next thing we heard was… a telephone ringing? I heard Charlie tell Mr. Nolan that it was God, who said that we should have more girls at Welton.
"Mr. Dalton, you and your sister; my office, now!" I shakily got up from my seat and followed Charlie who put his arm around my shoulder.
Once we got in the office, we stood in front of Nolan's desk. Charlie must've been smiling, because Nolan barked out, "Wipe that smirk off your face. If you think that you're the first who've tried to be expelled from this school, think again." Nolan looked at me this time and must've seen some way to break Charlie. "Ms. Dalton. Assume the position. Count aloud."
I grudgingly held onto his desk as he told Charlie to go around the desk and look into my face. As the first smack came down, I practically flew onto the desk, but caught myself in time. I counted, but with each smack more and more pressure was put behind it before it stopped at the maximum 15. I limped around the desk and watched as Charlie went through the same, though it didn't seem to be hurting him as much as it did me.
Leaning on Charlie, I could barely walk as we made our way back to our room. When we got to our beds, I felt something run down my leg. I reached down, grimacing, and pulled my hand up, only to see blood. I looked at it, terrified, before I tentatively called, "Charlie…"
He turned around, saw the blood on my hand and immediately called for Neil. While Neil took his time, Charlie gently laid me on my bed on my stomach. Neil finally appeared in the door, having been in the shower, and looked inside.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"That bastard beat her to a bloody pulp is what's wrong." Charlie growled out to the future Doctor. "Go get that cream you made when I ran my leg through my bike spokes."
Neil looked over his shoulder. "Todd, would you get that? It's in the top right hand drawer of my desk. White tub." Todd ran out to get it. "Andy, honey, I need to look at it, okay? If it hurts too badly, tell me okay?"
I looked at him and nodded, tears streaming down my face. Todd came rushing back in the room with the white tub, handed it to Neil, and kissed the top of my head. Neil pulled down my pants and I bit back a scream as the material was sticking to the wounds that had bled through my underwear. Charlie looked like he was going to be sick, but he helped Neil pull my panties down gently over my torn up backside. Todd came around and held my hand. Neil gasped as he finally saw the extent of my wounds. Charlie told me later that it looked like a boat propeller sliced up my bum.
Neil came around and bent down so he was looking me in the eye. "I'm gonna need Charlie to get some bandages and help me put them on you, okay? This cream will sting, it's got a bit of alcohol in it, but don't worry. It'll all be over soon."
Todd held both my hands and told me, "Grip them as tight as you need to. Imagine yourself transferring the pain to me." And with that, he tugged me so that my upper body was in his lap.
Charlie and Neil applied the bandages and cream, telling me that it would heal by the time of Neil's play. Todd gently kissed me on my forehead and my lips, told me goodnight and sweet dreams, and went into his own room.
"He loves you, you know. I can see it," Charlie told me, serious for a rare moment.
"I know; I love him too. I found 'the one' at seventeen. I'm scared Charlie. What if we never see each other again after school is over? I wouldn't be able to take it."
"He's not going to let you go." And that was that.
