Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this fic…If I DID own the characters I'd have Charlie all to myself! And Neil would still be alive…and Charlie would be mine…and Mr. Keating would still have his job…and Chet Danbury would have had his butt kicked by Knox…and did I mention Charlie would be mine? I did? Oh, okay! LoL Italics are quotes taken right from the movie. Thanks to the brilliant writers for wonderful quotes and scenes to write fabulous stories around!

The poem is, bolded and italicized, 'Legends' By Stephen Crane.

This will be a 7 or 8 chapter story. After Mr. Keating leaves Welton, he sits at a coffee shop and thinks of each boy and what difference he made or could have made in each young man. Next up…Stephen Meeks. His will some made up scenes since he didn't have much 'one on one' with Mr. Keating that we saw.

Memories Of Meeks

I continue to write in the journal I've kept, still wondering about the impact I had on the young men in my class, especially those who formed the newest chapter of The Dead Poets Society. The young man behind the counter, with his curly hair and glasses, reminds me of Meeks. Stephen Meeks. An exceptional boy I think and I smile.

Mr. Pitts looks at me like I've asked him to solve world hunger. '"To the virgins, to make much of time"?'

I nod. 'Yes, that's the one. Somewhat appropriate, isn't it?'

Though unsure, Mr. Pitts reads. '"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, while 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." The Latin term for that sentiment is Carpe Diem. Now who knows what that means?

A curly glasses wearing student puts his hand up and answered me. 'Carpe Diem. That's "seize the day."' He had paid attention in Latin class.

'Very good, Mr. -'

'Meeks.'

I grin. 'Meeks. Another unusual name.'

A man builded a bugle for the storms to blow. The focused winds hurled him afar. He said that the instrument was a failure.

Of course, Mr. Meeks is good-natured and merely smiles. He wasn't like the others and that was something I knew right away. A guy like Mr. Meeks…well, they come along only once in a lifetime and that's if you're lucky enough to be born at just the right time.

He was smart. No doubt about that. I pegged him as a quiet closet Tennyson. After all, the poem he wrote for my class just blew me away!

He took his turn just after Mr. Priske. He stood there, debating a moment before sighing and reading, his eyes firmly planted on Neil.

'In dark, there is no life.

In life, there is no dark.

In future, there is no past.

The past has already left its mark.

We can not dream of what was

But dare we dream of what could be?

But in life, there shouldn't be such dark

Surrounded by pain and by misery.

One seeks to matter to someone

Only left to find only pain.

When one finds no more strength

When all of life seems to be in vain,

The darkness of life is a cloud

That covers all who its shade seek

A smothering, painful shroud

Full of nothing but pain and misery.

And why should this darkness, so harsh be?

Why is it even here in this existence?

Why does it overwhelm you and me

And what does it hope to accomplish?

In life, no dark should ever allowed to be

And in dark, no life could ever hope to be.

And so on and on the war goes

Leaving in its trail only pain and misery.' (1)

None of us dared to breath or even to move. We just simply looked at him. No one knew that Stephen Meeks, with all his knowledge, had that depth. I was simply taken aback. Was it caused by an unseen pain? Or was it just him freeing up his mind, allowing the poetry to flow through?

'Beautiful.' I had many questions, but also a class to teach. 'Mr. Overstreet, care to share yours?' (2)

When the suicide arrived at the sky, the people there asked him: "Why?"

He replied: "Because no one admired me."

As I sat at the table, writing and drinking coffee, I lightly laugh to myself. Mr. Meeks may have been a genius, but he was also one who was willing to pull practical jokes. Never malicious, but funny nonetheless.

'NOT FUNNY, MEEKS!' The normally soft-spoken Mr. Pitts yelled.

'Gentlemen.' I opened my door. 'What seems to be the trouble?'

Charlie Dalton merely laughed. 'I think I have rubbed off on Meeks!' He nearly doubled over in a fit of hysterics. 'I never knew Meeks had it in him. All this time…'

Mr. Pitts remained angry looking. 'It wasn't funny, Charlie.'

'Come on, Pittsie. It was hysterical!' Charlie pleaded.

'What happened?' I pushed for more answers.

Meeks uncharacteristically looked timidly at me. 'I hid the science project he was working on.'

'The one we've both been working on and look how long it took!' I could tell Mr. Pitts was not happy.

I knew I should not have laughed, but I found I couldn't help it. 'Mr. Pitts, I assure you that there was no harm to your project and there's something in life you must learn.' I looked around at the young faces looking at me, seemingly anxious for what I was going to say. 'There are times that jokes are pulled on us at our expenses. I know. Jimmy Talfar pulled one on me that nearly got me expelled, but the point is that you need to know how to respond, Mr. Pitts.'

He looked at me. 'How?'

I smiled. 'Revenge.' I winked at Meeks, who was laughing despite Mr. Pitts being angry. (3)

A man said: "Thou tree!"

The tree answered with the same scorn: "Thou man!

Thou art greater than I only in thy possibilities."

I smiled to myself when I remembered how angry Mr. Pitts was and how hard the others were laughing. I hoped that they would all grow strong enough to take a joke and give one back. Mr. Meeks certainly got his back, and then some. Charlie, ever the prankster, helped Pitts pull it off and Mr. Meeks, ever the gracious one, handled it with the grace and dignity one associated with him. Mr. Pitts pulled a joke that would have angered anyone, especially someone who took schoolwork seriously, as Mr. Meeks did. But, to this day, I'll always remember how beautifully gracious Mr. Meeks handled it.

Mr. Meeks was the last one to sit in my class, looking all over his desk and in his books. 'I can't…they can't be gone.'

'Mr. Meeks? What's the trouble?' I looked up from my notes.

'I can't find my Latin notes. We've got this big test coming up and I can't find my notes.' He was starting to stress.

'Where do you last remember having them?' I stood up to help in the search, but as I approached his desk, I noticed Mr. Pitts, Mr. Overstreet, and Mr. Dalton all grinning ear to ear. I never took my eyes off of them. 'I wouldn't stress too much. I'm sure Mr. Dalton took excellent notes and will help you study. Won't you, Mr. Dalton?'

I saw Charlie's smile fade. 'Yes, Captain.' I could hear the heavy sigh.

'Mr. Overstreet is also quite the scholar, so he'll help too. Right, Mr. Overstreet?'

Knox sighed. 'Yes, Captain.'

'And, Mr. Pitts. I know what a scholar he is…'

'I'll help him study, Captain.' Mr. Pitts read my mind.

Mr. Meeks looked back at the three of them and smiled. He held up a notebook. 'Never mind. I just found them.' I swore he winked at the three co-conspirators. 'I just kept looking over the same notebook, forgetting I have a new one for Latin class.' He stood up. 'Thanks, Captain.'

I smiled. 'Welcome.' (4)

A warrior stood upon a peak and defied the stars.

A little magpie, happening there, desired the soldier's plume, and so plucked it.

I knew I'd miss the times with these wonderful young men. All of who changed me to one degree or another. Mr. Meeks taught me he really lived up to his last name. I sipped my coffee and thought of a poem that reminded me of Mr. Meeks and I wrote it down. I looked out the window when I finished writing and smiled. Mr. Meeks. I would forever remember him as the quiet rebel.

The wind that waves the blossoms sang, sang, sang from age to age.

The flowers were made curious by this joy.

"Oh, wind," they said, "why sing you at your labour, while we, pink beneficiaries, sing not, but idle, idle, idle from age to age?"

(1) This is my own original piece…just gave it to Meeks.

(2) We didn't see this in the movie (obviously) and I wanted to show a bit of Meeks and a different side that we didn't get to see, but is still keeping with his character. We all know, in the movie, it was Overstreet, Hopkins, then Anderson. Hope you like this part.

(3) & (4) Thanks to HannahCimsGwendolyn for these ideas!