Chapter 4: First Day of School

A/N: I would like to thank those of you who reviewed! Kudos and Danka! Keep it going!

Well, all in all, at least Neil doesn't snore, Todd thought. He had spent most of the night wide awake. Not because he was excited by the new school year, not because he would meet new people and have fun. No, it was because the guy next door snored, really loudly. He must have serious allergies, Todd mused as he sat himself for class. The lack of caffeine headache starting to warm-up the Tiffany drum set that would be playing, full blast, in his head by the time lunch rolled around. He had gotten to sleep around 4:30 in morning, and hadn't woken till 8:45, with classes starting in 15 minutes. He barely had time to roll out of bed, use the bathroom, get dressed, and run out the door with his bag to class.

He sat in his Physics class and found his seat. Laying his head on the table he cooled his eyes and waited for the class to start. Instead he was tapped on the shoulder. Looking up, he saw that Neil sitting next to him with something wrapped in a napkin.

"Here, I saw that you weren't at breakfast. I'm sorry for not waking you. But you looked really tired," said Neil. Taking the wrapped up toast, Todd mumbled thanks and picked at it while Neil set his books down. Looking over at Todd's schedule, Neil let's out a whistle in his ear. "You're taking Chem and Physics? You're a brave man."

"Not so much as brave, as having a father with a need for control."

Neil snorted. "Don't we all? What did you do? Take a class over the summer?"

"Nah, dropped P.E. I'll join track or something."

"With all that homework you'll need to contract Meeks and Pitts to have enough time to run track."

Nah, you would be surprised of what I can do, Neil. You tend to pick up tricks with homework when you have a Valedictorian in the house, Todd mused. He would have said it too if the professor hadn't started class.

The first day was long, longer than Todd liked it, but it was mostly do to the fact that he lacked the proper blood-caffeine levels. His head was pounding by the middle of Physics, and he had three and a half more classes before lunch and coffee.

Seeing him rub his head, Neil passed him a note. Hey, you OK?

Todd grimaced and wrote back. No, have caffeine headache.

Neil grimaced back and passed him back the note and a little white pill. Bummer, here this is a caffeine pill. I learned the science on how to make them during summer school.

Todd swallowed the pill and almost instantly felt his head start to release pressure. "Thanks," he mouthed to Neil.

"No problem," he mouthed back.

The both sat back in their seats. Letting the drone of the teacher full their minds and thoughts.

The rest of the day went like that, Neil and Todd part once for sixth period; Neil to the paper and Todd to chem. They met back for seventh period English.

"Its suppose to be a new guy this year," said Neil.

"Really, that's cool, I guess." Todd said distracted. He looked at his schedule. "Hey is this the class the class we take every day?"

"Yeah it is."

They walked into the classroom the only seats left were on opposite sides of the room. So they bid their ways and sat down.

Todd doodled on a lose piece of paper, Neil flipped though he book of poetry. Wonder if this class is worth anything… Todd mused.

But nobody saw Mr. Keating poke his head from behind the door. But they heard him whistling the 1812 Overture and walk right out of the classroom.

What the… Todd thought

"Well come on," said the floating head that was Keating.

Whispers of 'What's going on?' and "What the heck?' followed the boys as they made down to the trophy room. Todd and Neil gravitated towards each other in the mob of students.

"So what do you think?"

Todd shrugged. "I don't know."

The mob suddenly stopped when they reached the trophy room. ""Oh Captain, My Captain" who knows where

that comes from?" Keating asked.

Oh Captain, My Captain? Where do I know that from? thought Todd. Wait—

"Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can call me Mr. Keating. Or, if you're slightly more daring, Oh Captain, My Captain." Some of his classmates snickered, 'Oh Captain, My Captain'? What was this guy smoking? Todd was about to snicker with the rest of them, but the look on Neil's face amazed him.

Neil was wrapped up in Mr. Keating's words. The awestruck, amazed, beautiful face that was Neil stopped Todd. And the funny lurch that was in his stomach yesterday started to moved around again. Todd looked back to Mr. Keating.

"Now let me dispel a few rumors so they don't fester into facts. Yes, I too attended Hell-ton and survived. And no, at that time I was not the mental giant you see before you. I was the intellectual equivalent of a ninety-eight pound weakling. I would go to the beach and people would kick copies of Byron in my face."

Everyone chuckled at this, even Neil.

"Now, Mr… Pitts. That's a rather unfortunate name. Mr. Pitts, where are you?" Pitts raised his hand blushing slightly around the ears. "Mr. Pitts, would you open your hymnal to page 542 and read the first stanza of the poem you find there?"

""To the virgins, to make much of time"?" Pitts looked up at Keating for reassurance that this was the poem that was to be read.

"Yes, that's the one. Somewhat appropriate, isn't it." Yeah because most of us ARE virgins, Todd thought. But the words that Pitts spoke knocked even Todd off his feet.

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, old

time is still a flying, and this same

flower that smiles today, tomorrow will

be dying."

"Thank you Mr. Pitts. "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may."" Keating The Latin term for that sentiment is Carpe Diem. Now who knows what that means?"

Meeks raised his hand quickly and eagerly. Todd swore he heard someone say 'Know-it-all' under their breath, but he couldn't pinpoint the voice.

"Carpe Diem. That's 'Seize the Day'"

"Very good Mr.-"

"Meeks" supplied Meeks.

"Meeks. Another unusual name." Keating looked impressed that Meeks supplied his name so proudly. "Seize the day. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Why does the writer use these lines?" Keating asked the crowed.

"Because he's in a hurry." Said Charlie. Todd had to suppress a snort; really Charlie, because he's in a hurry?

But Keating beat him to it. "No, ding!" Keating slapped the desk. "Thank you for playing anyway." Keating said cheerfully. Then his tone became some what serious. "Because we are food for worms lads. Because, believe it or not, each and every one of us in this room is one day going to stop breathing, turn cold, and die."

The room got much, much quieter.

"Now I would like you to step forward over here and peruse some of the faces from the past. You've walked past them many times. I don't think you've really looked at them." All the boys in the class stared harder to try and sense what Keating was going at. Even Todd, who was the relative new kid on the block. Keating continued.

"They're not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, just like you. Invincible, just like you feel. The world is their oyster. They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable?"

"Because you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in." Everyone leaned in, every one of them trying to hear the suppose legacy that the old ones were saying.

"Carpe." Cameron looked over his shoulder with an aggravated expression on his face, but others looked on. "Hear it? Carpe. Carpe Diem. Seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary."

Neil and Todd finished out the day with homework, Neil working the study group Todd by himself. He worked better that way. At 9:05 Todd flopped onto his bed, reading. At 10:30 Neil came and flopped on his bed. Neil sighed loudly. "And today is only the first day. This is going top be a hella'va year." Todd looking over his reading glasses at the very drowsy, sleepy looking Neil, and nodded and smiled.

"Good night Neil" Todd whispered. Then he turned off the lamp and put up his book.

A/N2: Yeah! I done! (finally! This thing has sitting on my computer waiting for the last paragraph for about a week now) But I need a show of hands. Who just wants me to skip to the good parts? And Who wants me to follow the movie some more? Click the comments button please!