Disclaimer: I do not own any Dead Poets Society characters or any of the plot. They are all the wonderful work of Tom Schulman.
Author's Note: I can't believe I actually finished. Thanks again to Hermione.
Chapter Six: A Tribute
Oh, no! I thought as I saw Neil being dragged away by his father. Charlie tried to go to him, to reason with him, but it was no use. I watched Neil leave, praying that for once things would turn out as they should.
But they didn't turn out as they should.
I was called in to Dr. Nolan's room at 6:30 the next morning. It was so much like the last time I had been here, in Senior year. The desk and the face glaring it me. Only then I had been surrounded by friends, while now I was all alone.
"Uh oh," whispered Tom, as we saw the night prefect making the rounds with his flashlight. Suddenly it pointed directly at us, making me squint in the harsh white light.
"Boy are you guys in trouble." Stated the prefect. It was a goody-goody Senior from the other class, one I had never liked much who lived to polish the Headmaster's boots. He led us to the main hall and told us to wait while he got the Headmaster. We all sat, fidgeting nervously but too afraid to talk. We saw Headmaster Peterson coming down the hall and stood up, automatically standing at attention while in our casual, beer-stained clothes, slightly drunk, and completely terrified. He walked past us in his office and a few minutes later called out "enter."
We heeded the call of doom, falling in in a straight line in front of his desk. "Where were you?" he started right off the bat.
"In town, sir." replied Sam without hesitation, knowing, as did we all, that when the Headmaster asked you a question you answered promptly and truthfully.
"Ah. And why were you there?"
"To have fun, sir" Max replied. Stupid answer, Max, I thought. I stood in the shadows and tried to avoid being noticed so I wouldn't answer as drunkenly as Max had.
"Fun?" He contemplated. "You wanted to 'have fun'? Well, it's a good thing you already had it as the coming months will be anything but fun." The Headmaster shot back. "Let me make this perfectly clear. The only reason I am not expelling you boys immediately is because you have all been accepted to the Ivy League and it would affect the reputation of my school." He glared at each one of us in turn, I lowered my gaze and wished that we hadn't drank so much, while at the same time ecstatic we weren't expelled. "Your punishments are as follows: from now until the end of the year, you will serve community service every week day and on Saturdays. You are restricted to the grounds. None of you may attend social events such as dances, the school play, or enter the Senior's Common Room. If you break any of these rules even minutely you will be expelled. Do not think I don't mean what I say." He paused. "I will be writing to each of your parents" He glared at us all once again and announced, "You may go." We filed out silently and headed to our dormitory, escorted by the prefect on duty.
Just as we were about to part, Will whispered "So, same plan next Saturday?" I elbowed him but he just smiled, and I smiled back, glad for once to be confined to Welton's walls and not forced to leave them.
Two months later I graduated the school, left Hell-ton with a diploma in my hand, friends at my side, and family at my back. I had everything I could ever want, and I left the school the happiest I've ever been.
"Mr. Keating." Dr. Nolan snapped me out of my daydream and I entered his office.
"Dr. Nolan…what's wrong?" The Headmaster's face looked furious and I wondered what I could have possibly done to elicit that face. It couldn't have been about a simple tea kettle?
"It's Neil Perry…he…he…committed suicide. Last night." It was as close to crying as I had ever seen the headmaster.
"Neil?" I couldn't believe it. I sat there in shock for a few seconds, trying to block the thought from my mind. Meanwhile, the Headmaster regained his intimidating composure.
"I had a long conversation with Mr. Perry this morning. He is considering taking action against both you and the school. Therefore as of now, you are on probation. Your classes will be taken over for the following days. Let me warn you, John, there is not much hope for your case." I stared at him. "You may go." Shakily, I did.
I went to my room and shut the door, trying to accept the fate of Neil. There was a knock on my door and in came Iain McAllister.
"John, what's happened? The whole school is buzzing with news."
"Iain. Oh, God. Neil Perry killed himself." And that made it final, those four words. I sat down on my hard, uncomfortable bed and cried, unmanly though it was. Iain made me tea and went to his room to get biscuits, then sat down beside me and watched me cry, handing me tissues every so often.
It was official. I was fired. I had signed the documents, received my severance, all that was left was to actually leave. At least Mr. Perry isn't suing me, I thought wryly. I packed up my belongings slowly, occasionally running across something that reminded me of Neil and then I would shake my head, still somewhat in shock. I looked out the window and saw Iain leading an obscure Latin course outside. I waved to him and he touched his hat. It was our only goodbye.
Later that day I went to my old classroom. I had been ordered to leave by three o'clock that afternoon and this was my last chore, the one I kept putting off. I walked slowly to the door, dreading entering it. I heard Dr. Nolan inside and my stomach turned to ice. I remember the time I had written lines in here for hours with a friend. I smiled, my stomach thawed the tiniest bit, and I knocked on the door. "Come," called the harsh voice. Oh, God. It was my Juniors. How could I have forgotten? My eyes strayed to Neil's seat and then up to the furious face of Dr. Nolan.
"Excuse me. I came for my personals. Should I come back after class?"
"Get them now Mr. Keating," growled Dr. Nolan, still blazing with anger. I hurried across the room into the antechamber beside it. I heard him discussing Dr. J. Evans Pritchard and thought of the irony of the situation.
"They're all ripped out, sir…" It's a good thing they've already fired me, I though, because if not they would have for making students deface school property. I glanced at the clock; it was 2:57. I had to leave. I took a deep breath and tried to walk as silently as I could. I was almost out when I heard a shout behind me.
"Mr. Keating! They made everybody sign it!" I turned around and stared at Todd incredulously. Dr. Nolan glared at me while walking over to Todd's desk.
"Quiet, Mr. Anderson," he barked.
"You gotta believe me. It's true." Todd was being so brave and looking so desperate that I had to say something.
"I do believe you, Todd," I assured him.
"Leave Mr. Keating." Dr. Nolan ordered me. No! I wanted to say. No! You are crazy not to realize the great things about these kids. You keep them locked up when they've done nothing, you punish them with homework and lines and heavy wooden paddles. But of course I said none of this, I just stood there, unable to leave yet unable to defend myself.
Luckily I had Todd to do it for me. "But he wasn't his fault!" he protested.
"Sit down, Mr. Anderson!" Todd reluctantly sat back down, unhappy but resigned. I recognized how much he had changed and was reluctant to leave him. "One more outburst from you or anyone else and you're out of this school! Leave, Mr. Keating." I had grown attached to these boys, to this school and classroom and all that lay beyond the woods. "I said leave, Mr. Keating!" I knew my battle had been lost and turned to go once more when a voice lit up the whole room.
"O Captain! My Captain!" It was Todd again, making the biggest stand he could. He stood on his desk and I remembered that day of class. You must always look at things from a different point of view. I turned and looked at him in pure amazement. Dr. Nolan was still yelling but it made no difference.
"O Captain! My Captain!" This time it was Knox. I saw how his determination had won him a girlfriend and he seemed to be attributing it to me.
Next Pitts stood on his desk, followed by others, including his best friend Meeks. I watched them in silence, accepting their humbling tribute. Oh my God I'm a teacher. Soon I realized that I was getting the boys in more trouble by staying. They knew it, too, but weren't going to back down. I had to leave, but not before acknowledging them. "Thank you, boys. Thank you." I said softly, and walked out the door.
I passed through the gates of Welton once again, only this time not a graduate. I was not happy or carefree. Still, I left with something. I left knowing I had made a difference in the lives of the students. Perhaps not in the way I would have hoped, but for some it was good. Just look at Todd. He would do great things. He would probably get punished, as I often had during my days at Welton, but he would survive. I wouldn't be surprised if I heard his name again one day, if I owned an anthology of poetry by Todd Anderson. I sighed and tucked this Welton chapter in with the others in a corner of my brain. I was taking the train to New York, to see Will and Tom. Sam and Max were coming tomorrow. I could picture us laughing and reminiscing and acting the same way we did when we were seventeen.