Four gray walls, and four gray towers
Overlook a space of flowers
~ Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Lady of Shallot
Chapter twenty one - Four gray walls
"A sleepover" Nolan asked, "on a school night."
"I know it is a big request and I apologise" Kathleen twirled a lock of hair around her finger, keeping her eyes trained on the movement "but Nancy and Chris are having a girls' sleepover with Ginny, whose parents are hosting the party that Knox and I are invited to on Friday. They want to plan our outfits and introduce me" she explained. Taking a deep breath, she added "I guess it will be one of the last opportunities she has, since Christine is practically engaged her boyfriend Chet."
"Engaged?" Gale Nolan repeated. Pausing his review of the school's accounts to listen to his granddaughter.
"Yes, she wanted us to help her look through the bridal magazines that her Mother bought her" Kathleen lied, "they're expecting a proposal in the summer."
"How old is Christine?
"My age, like Nancy. Ginny is only a year younger."
"Are many of your friends considering marriage within the next year?" He straightened his papers and moved them aside, leaning forwards to study the young lady seated demurely before him, almost an exact copy of her Mother.
"Oh" she blinked innocently, "a fair few, when I think about."
"Well" he said sternly, "just this once, I will allow you to go on school night. I fear that I have forgotten how necessary feminine company is for a young woman."
He watched her lips part in surprise, "Oh! Thank you, Grandfather" she beamed. He maintained his serious expression, spoiling the girl this way would not do any good, but he hadn't had his daughter or granddaughter look at him like that for years.
He rose from his desk and moved to hold open the dark oak door, "now that the matter is settled, I insist upon escorting you to dinner. We can't have you getting a detention now, can we?" Kathleen let a genuine smile escape at his words and took his arm as if she was an eleven-year-old again, and let him walk her to the dining hall. She paused in the middle of the hall to thank him again, before their paths diverged and made a beeline for her usual table and slipped into her seat, fifteen minutes late.
"We got you some food" greeted Neil, pushing a bowl of pasta salad towards her.
"And juice" Todd said pointing to Charlie who handed her a glass of cranberry juice.
"Thanks guys" she smiled, tucking into the meal.
"So?" asked Knox, "Neil told us what Nancy said. Can you go?"
She nodded, sipping her juice.
"How the hell did you do it?" exploded Neil.
"Charm" she responded, "and little white lies go a long way."
"You, being manipulative?" Charlie shook his head, "I can't see it."
"No, you seem too nice. Charm I can see, but not manipulation" agreed Meeks.
Kat threw a piece of pasta at them, "I'm not always nice!"
Pitts snorted into his juice, receiving an amused glare from Kathleen in response.
"I told him that Chris is to be engaged by the summer. That she wanted us to look at the bridal magazines her Mother bought her."
"What? Chris is getting engaged?" Knox dropped his fork, sending it to the floor with a clang.
"No, that was lie" she reassured him, "but as far as Nolan is concerned, the majority of my friends are."
"And that convinced him?" Laughed Neil.
"Oh, yes" grinned Kat, "he apologised for my lack of feminine company, which he feels is necessary for a young woman."
"You snake!" Charlie nudged her with his foot under the table, looking impressed.
"You all seem to have forgotten about her lying to Hager" interrupted Cameron sourly, "it's hardly new information that she's good liar."
"Shut-up, Cameron" echoed two or three boys.
"I don't mind taking compliments, Cameron" laughed Kat, "don't stop yet." Causing his cheeks to flush a similar tone to his hair.
"So, we can go to the party?" checked Knox, ignoring the bitter mutterings of Richard Cameron.
"I assume so" she tilted her chin up to glance at the teachers' table and caught sight of her grandfather watching her interaction with the rest of the table's occupants with interest, however his gaze lacked the usual cool scrutiny, "if I had known that it would be so easy to placate him I might have done it a long time ago," she mused.
"Aren't you worried that it will encourage him?" voiced Pitts.
"Look at him now" she replied. "No! Not all at once" she hissed when all seven boys craned their necks to look over.
"Sorry."
"Oops."
"What I meant" she amended, "is that me talking to any of you or hanging out with you is enough to encourage him. I guess I'm getting tired of being careful, if it all goes to hell...well...it was only a matter of time."
"Wow" Meeks peered at her over the top of his glasses, "that is a long overdue revelation."
xxxx
Tuesday slipped into Wednesday and the group found themselves outside for English once more. However, today they were in the courtyard and fully dressed in standard Welton uniforms. Which admittedly did considerably more to shield the students from the chill which lingered in the morning air as they stood in line watching the three boys circle the courtyard, waiting for Mr Keating to reveal the wisdom behind such a dull act.
"No grades at stake, gentlemen. Just take a stroll" he called, gesturing at Cameron to get him to stop shooting nervous looks in his direction.
"How do you think this relates to Shelly or Keats?" questioned Neil whose chestnut eyes were focused on the blur of movement around the stone enclosure. Todd shrugged before turning to the girl on his left.
"I haven't the faintest idea" Kathleen admitted, "Charlie?"
"Possibly something to do with a journey or maybe the rhythm?"
"I like the rhythm theory" Neil began to speak but was interrupted by Keating's shout,
"THERE IT IS!" He began to clap to the rhythm and one by one the idle students joined in. Neil raised an eyebrow at Charlie, impressed with his intuition as chorus began:
"I don't know, but I've been told-"
"I don't know, but I've been told-"
"Doing poetry is old."
"Doing poetry is old."
"Left, left, left-right, left. Left, left, left-right left. Left, holt!"
The boys came to a stop and the class ceased their tune. "Thank you, gentleman" Keating nodded towards the walkers before turning to address the class, "If you noticed, everyone started off with their own stride, their own pace. "Keating proceeded to stroll in a similar fashion to the boys, oblivious to the curtain twitching in the office above the courtyard, where a stern looking man examined the unusual classroom activities from above.
"Mr Pitts, taking his time. He knew he'll get there one day." He melted into a more hurried gait "Mr Cameron, you could see him thinking 'is this right? It might be right, it might be right. I know that. Maybe not, I don't know" he chuckled sinking down and pushing his groin out in a more exaggerated imitation of Knox. Kathleen covered her eyes but let a small bubble of laughter slip out. "Mr Overstreet, driven by a deeper force. All right, now I didn't bring them up here to ridicule them." Keating continued, sliding back into his normal stride, "I brought them up here to illustrate the point of conformity: the difficulty in maintaining your own beliefs in the face of others."
Neil reached over to nudge Charlie, "rhythm was a good guess but I think I prefer this" he whispered. Smiling as Charlie smirked back but kept his attention focused on the lesson. In his seven years at Welton, his oldest friend had never paid so much attention in class he thought.
"Now, those of you- I see the look in your eyes like, 'I would have walked differently.' Well, ask yourselves why you were clapping" Keating said. "We all have all have a great need for acceptance. But you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular. Even though the herd may go 'that's baaad' " he barred mockingly like a sheep. "Robert Frost said, 'two roads diverged and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference' " he quoted, examining the young people stood in front of him. "Now, I want you to find your own walk right now. Your own way of striding, pacing" he gestured for the crowd of students to disperse, "Any direction, anything you want. Whether it's proud, whether it's silly. Ladies and gentlemen the courtyard in yours!"
Neil shrugged and pulled Todd along with him to an empty space near the corner, walking slightly ahead and gradually leading him towards the centre while he talked. Kathleen walked along the edge, gazing up at the sky and around high the stone walls and glinting glass that formed the mansion with fascination. Knox strode casually around, looking thoughtfully at the flowerbed, Meeks and Pitts spluttered with laughter as they did twin chicken walks, Cameron walked around serenely with his hands in his pockets and Charlie did not move. He simply folded his arms and leaned back against one of the stone pillars and watched his classmates with amusement.
"You don't have to perform, make it for yourself" Keating called, witnessing Fraser and Hopkins in competition over the most ridiculous walk. The English teacher turned away and caught sight of the boy in the corner, "Mr Dalton? Will you be joining us?"
"No, sir" he replied "exercising the right not to walk."
"Thank you, Mr Dalton" Keating nodded sincerely over the chuckles "you've just illustrated the point. Swim against the stream."
xxxx
After classes had finished the poets grabbed their books and headed outside to their usual spot under the tree by the lake. They spread their coats on the ground to avoid the damp which clung the grass and lay on the ground amongst the last of the autumn leaves, eager to catch the last rays of sunshine before heading into dinner, or in Kathleen's case over to the Noel's house.
"Willows whiten, aspens shiver.
The sunbeam showers break and quiver
In the stream that runneth ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls, and four gray towers
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott."
"I like this one" sighed Kat leaning over Neil's shoulder to press down the page which fluttered in the breeze, obscuring the next verse.
"As soon as you mentioned Poe, I thought of this." Neil turned the page, "so am I right?"
"Yes" she rolled her eyes, "Tennyson is worth reading for pleasure. Are you satisfied now?"
"Very" he smirked, placing a stone upon the open book to keep their place as another gust of wind swirled over the group. Kathleen growled in annoyance as she was blinded yet again by the hair, which was coming loose from her ponytail. She reached up to fix it but the hair tie snapped.
"Ouch" she blinked, reflexively letting go of the ribbon. Its location was lost as another rush of wind carried it away and blew her hair directly into Neil's face.
"Sorry" she murmured trying in vain to gather the loose tresses which were still attacking both of their faces. "Meeks? Pitts? Have either of you got any string?"
Obligingly, the boys turned out their pockets and pulled out an assortment of stationary, wrappers, springs and crumbs but unfortunately neither had anything to act as a tie.
"Anyone have a-a rubber band?" Suggested Todd, rescuing his roommate's treasured book of poems before the wind tore the fragile pages.
"I've got something" Charlie said throwing his sketchbook at Knox who caught it deftly. He moved to the opposite side of the circle and knelt to the ground, removing a shoelace.
"Ah, good idea" praised Meeks.
Charlie tried to hand it to Kat but she shook her head, "the wind is too strong. Could you help?" She swept the hairs which she had under control over her right shoulder and held the hand-held ponytail out to him. "Hold this" she commanded, ignoring the flush rising in her cheeks.
"Oh-err, sure" he reached out to replace her hold, brushing her hand as she let go to smooth the rest of the fly-away hairs down and into his hold.
"As lovely as your hair smells" Neil spluttered as soon as his vision was cleared, "I'd prefer not to have it in my mouth."
Kathleen laughed and pushed Charlie's hand away with a quick "thank you," separated her long hair into three section and began to braid it. He handed her his shoelace and she tied it neatly around the end. He watched her work, frozen by her side.
"Much better. Thank you."
"S'okay" he shrugged, "what's so good about this poem, then?"
"The Lady of Shallot" she corrected, shifting to lay on her front "It's very Edgar Allan Poe in style. Like a mythological story, and it mentions Camelot."
"So, it's the English geek's dream" he took the open book from Todd and glared at Neil who giving him a discreet thumbs up. "A pale, pale corpse she floated by" he read perplexed, "isn't a bit morbid."
"No more morbid than your fascination with obituaries" she countered, "you literally read the paper in hopes of finding interesting deaths."
"I like people who go out with a bang" he teased, "It's better than your literary catharsis."
"Arguably, your catharsis is sonorous music" she retorted with a singled raised eyebrow.
"Can't a guy play the saxophone one time and be done with it?" he mocked, "I know I'm-"
"Modest?"
"Excellent."
"Oh, here we go" she rolled her eyes good naturedly
"It's not my fault that I'm so gifted!"
"In hubris, maybe."
He chuckled, "you've got me there."
"Someone got the best of Charlie Dalton? Do my ears deceive me?"
"Who's the modest one now?" He snapped the book shut and handed it back to Neil "and on that note, we should go or we are going to be late to dinner and you to your sleepover."
"Since when do you care about being on time?" Asked Cameron studying his watch and seeing that they indeed had five minutes to get there.
"Since Hager threatened him with a Saturday detention" cut in Meeks, "he was late to PE four times in a row and then Hager caught him eating in the woods instead of running."
It was Kathleen's turn to laugh, "you eat instead!"
"Hey, in my defence Keating seems to be doubling as a coach" he said swiping up her books before she could protest, "and I do so many extra-curricular sports that I don't need a designated lesson to waste my time" he shrugged.
"You can keep talking, but that won't distract me" she mumbled.
He sighed dramatically and handed her a pen, "now you can't complain."
"Let him" Todd said quietly as he stood up, taking the pen from her.
"That's the spirit, Todd!" Charlie clapped him on the back and began to lead the group across the lawn towards the great stone mansion. In the few minutes that it took to reach the doors, the purple haze of dusk was already fading to black and the warmth of the school building was welcoming after walking through icy puffs of wind.
Once they reached the double doors of the dining hall Charlie released her study supplies with smug expression which earned him a reluctant 'thank you' from Kathleen, who then bid the boys goodbye. Promising Knox that she would say hello to Chris on his behalf, before she continued through the dimly lit structure until she reached her own room and packed her overnight bag, turned her lamp off and hurried down to meet Hager in the entrance hall. Simmering with excitement for the coming night.
I'm not completely happy with the last section of this chapter but I can't think of any other way to write it, so here it is! Apologies for the delay, but I didn't want to publish complete rubbish. I have too much love and respect for both the story and all of you to do that. On the Brightside, I think this is the longest chapter yet!