#insulting neil perry to his face

[desire-mona]

"if you're gonna take yourself out..."

[inahallucination]

the poets dedicate their 20s to learning skills that they always wanted to know but their parents wouldn’t let them because they weren’t important or “manly” enough

just fun things like sewing, knitting, cooking, gardening, etc etc

//

neil learns to knit for the sole purpose of knitting todd sweaters

he’s already a decent cook though because he used to sneak into the kitchen with his mom when his dad was out of the house

he can take care of plants so that if todd can’t (if he’s sick or away) todd’s plants dont die

he learns how to sew too, but he generally prefers knitting

he also likes to knit silly hats for todd’s plants

he also likes to knit silly hats for charlie

all the poets have a neil perry special sweater

but no one has as many as todd

he also knits blankets because todd gets cold

he knits stuffed animals too and a lot of them are stored away for his and todd’s “kids when we’re emotionally and financially stable enough to adopt” 

//

todd learns to garden to pick flowers for neil 

he gardens other things too

he grows veggies and fruits and just cool non-flower plants that he likes

his veggies and fruits get collected and sent to the rest of the poets 

once one of the poets picked a flower from him and he hissed at them but like two minutes later he picked his own flowers to make neil a flower crown

favoritism 

todd already knows how to sew - he stole thread and a needle from his mom and tried to fix a shirt when he was young

he fucked it up but he ended up using it to practice, and the next time he ripped a shirt he fixed it

he fixes neil’s clothes

at welton he sewed ‘i love you’ into the sleeve of one of neil’s shirts (neil still has it)

he’s learning how to embroider 

he can’t cook but not for a lack of trying

he gives the poets plants and teaches them how to take care of them

//

charlie learns embroidery to make his clothes “extra charlie”

obviously

charlie also learned how to cook but his skills vary

like he can only make dishes he really really likes

everything else is....

it’s better if he’s not in the kitchen unless he’s there to cook his favorites

once cameron didn’t go through with a dare so charlie stole his shirt and embroidered a chicken into it but cameron didn’t even acknowledge that he was being insulted because he was genuinely awed by charlie’s skill

charlie knows he’s good but every time someone compliments him on it he gets all blushy

todd told him once that he was “really cool” after seeing him work and he threw a pillow at his face

he’s teaching todd how to embroider btw

//

cameron learns to sew for practical reasons

its just easy and convenient to be able to fix tears in his clothes tbh

he learns to cook too for the same reasons

he doesn’t particularly care of them as much as the others - he really just learns the skills because he thinks that they’re skills everyone should know

cooking and sewing can be relaxing after a long day tho 

but still its mostly just practical reasoning

//

meeks and pitts learn to cook for experimental reasons

they’re both fine cooks on their own but put them together and shit will blow up or come out looking like it could kill you

//

the first thing meeks learns to make is tea

the second is pancakes 

like cameron a lot of his skills are learned because they’re practical skills to know

he actively makes fun of people who don’t learn them because theyre too “girly” btw just thought you should know (neil and todd’s dads in particular)

but cooking is something he just really likes

it takes him 3 days but he learns pitts favorite dish that his mom made after he confesses how much he misses it 

//

pitts convinces neil to teach him to knit solely for the purpose of making his and meeks’ robot kids tiny sweaters

thats all he ever makes

he knows how to cook because meeks gets invested in his stuff and despite being a good cook and liking to cook, somehow forgets to eat

he also knows about plants because he sometimes helps carry todd’s 27534875 giant ass plants from the car to his apartment/house

i think pitts is lowkey the kind of guy to learn a little of everything so his friends can ramble about it to him tbh tbh

he tries and tries but he just doesn’t have the patience to embroider and he’s really surprised that charlie does

he actually knew how to sew since welton and often times when meeks accidently ripped his uniform because it got caught on like a loose nail on their invention, he’d fix it 

(he never told meeks but since pitts hates getting yelled at, he was worried that meeks would get yelled at too and since meeks and him made a lot of stuff and meeks clothes would often get tears into them, he would spend any minute away from meeks to learn. because he didn’t want him to get in trouble)

//

canon knox probably wouldn’t learn shit tbh tbh

fanon knox however, is the kind of person to learn everything he can so his “future wife doesn’t have to worry”

thats his only motivation tbh tbh

he makes really good pie btw

//

anyway back to anderperry

neil cooks for todd and his “secret ingredient” is love 

neil may knit mostly for todd but he also knits himself sweaters (though todd steals his sweaters all the time so perhaps those are just for todd too)

todd refers to his plants as his and neil’s kids and never notices how red neil turns

neil thinks that todd doesn’t know about the toys he’s saving for their future kids but he does and todd thinks its the sweetest thing in the world

todd gets into the habit of sewing little messages into neil’s clothes

most of the fruits and veggies that todd grows are neil’s favorites

[justarandompjofan]

The First Dead Poets

Neil William Perry

trigger warning: death, suicide, shitty parents

        The first time he heard Neil’s name, he almost broke down. The ironic part was, he heard it everywhere. Neil was the top of his grade, he excelled in every class, and he participated in almost every extracurricular that was offered. His name was unavoidable. To add insult to injury, he was Charlie’s best friend. So with Charlie it was “Neil this” and “Neil that”. And while he was glad Charlie had such a close friend, he couldn’t help but wish that he had chosen one with a different name. But he was a good kid. He brought an energy to every room that made it impossible for John to feel resentment towards him.

       As the year went by, John noticed something in Neil. Something that as he saw it, made him finally realize why he needed to come back. It was something that he hadn’t seen in 18 years. Because, the horrible truth was, Neil reminded him of James. He had the same bright energy that seemed real until it suddenly wasn’t. The same overbearing father that he wouldn’t talk about. But he thought back to when James died, and remembered the promise that he made that day. He would never let it happen again. And he wouldn’t. He would be able to save Neil before it was too late.

       It was a chill November day when John needed to speak to Neil about his poem. It had been brilliant, but slightly concerning. He walked down the hall to the room that Neil shared with Todd Anderson, another one of his extraordinary students. He knocked on the door, and when there was no reply, he knocked again. He tried the door, and it was locked. Suddenly a wave of nausea hit him. Was he too late? Panicked, he ran to Mr. McAllister’s office, asking to borrow his keys. When he returned to the door, he took a deep breath, praying that he would find nothing behind the door. What he did find, however…was not at all what he had expected. He swung the door open, calling Neil’s name, only to reveal Neil and Todd sitting on one of their beds, kissing. He slammed the door shut as quickly as he could. He prayed that neither had noticed, but the frantic footsteps behind the door said otherwise. As the door opened again, Todd rushed out, his cheeks flushed a bright red. A moment later, Neil appeared in the doorway, his eyes painted with panic.

         “Mr. Keating, I-”

         “Mr. Perry, I came to speak with you about your poem, but, uh, it seems we may have something else to discuss. Will you come into my office?”

        As soon as the door was shut behind him, Neil began to speak, “Mr. Keating, please don’t tell my father.”

         John put his hand out, “I would never dream of it, Neil. This will stay between the two of us, I swear it.”

          “Thank you, Mr. Keating. Before you say anything-”

         “The issue here is not that it was the two of you. I, frankly, believe that anyone caring about another man’s sexuality is stupidity of the highest degree. However, you must be more careful. The second you hear a knocking, you must be aware of it. Had it not been me opening the door, I’m afraid this would not have gone the way it is. I…I had a dear friend when I went here who wasn’t careful enough and…You are very lucky it was not Mr. Nolan or Dr. Hager. But know that I do not care who it is that you love. As long as you are happy, that’s the only thing that matters in the world.” Neil hesitated for a moment, before throwing his arms around John. He embraced him back, thanking God that it was not as he had thought. As Neil pulled back, John noticed the tears starting to run down his face.

          “Are you quite alright, Neil?” he asked.

          He wiped his eyes, “I’ve never heard that before. No one’s ever told me that it was alright.”

         “Neil-”

        “I have felt like a freak my entire life. I have lived for seventeen years thinking that there was something entirely wrong with me, but…you said that it’s alright.”

        “Because it is, Neil. Of course it is. How can love be wrong?”

        “Do you really think so?”

        “I know so.”

        Neil looked around the room, his eyes settling on the photo frame on John’s desk, “Is that your wife?”

        “That is.”

        “She’s beautiful.”

        “She’s also in London,” John replied with a sigh.

       “How are you able to be that far away from here? Doesn’t it hurt?”

       “My dear boy, it hurts like hell. But we decided it was best for me to come here, at least temporarily.”

       Neil paused before noticing the other photo on his desk, “Hang on, Captain, you’ve got a son?”

       “Sorry?”

      “In that photo over there, is that your son?”

      “Uh yes, that is.”

      “Why did you never tell us you had a son?”

      “He died last year.”

      The smile immediately disappeared from Neil’s face, “Oh my god. Captain, I’m so sorry, I-”

      “It’s fine, Neil. You had no way of knowing.” He paused. “His name was Neil.” It was silent for a moment, a heavy weight hanging in the air.

      Neil stood, “Thank you, Mr. Keating, for everything.”

      “Of course, Neil. Now if you need anything, you can always come to me.”

      As the weeks passed, Neil came in to talk more and more. The day that Neil came in crying, heart broken that his father was refusing to let him continue the show, John didn’t know what to do. What could he do? So he told Neil to talk to his father, to try to talk some sense into him. Deep down, he knew he wouldn’t. And as he watched Neil on stage, he felt an overwhelming sense of pride. He couldn’t put it into words, but it was like watching a child of his own. And when his father dragged him away into the car, he prayed to God that it would be fine.

      John awoke the next morning to a rapid tapping at his door. He opened it to reveal Mr. McAllister, wearing his night robe, eyes dark.

      “How can I help you, George?”

      He looked around cautiously, “May I come in?”

       “Please.” He opened the door wider and he sat down in the chair by his bed.

      “John, I wanted to let you know before Nolan calls you in.”

      “Has something happened?”

      “Neil Perry…he shot himself last night in his home.” The world stopped. He had failed. He had failed yet again to save a person he cared about. He shouldn’t have come back. He thought he could bring a solution, but all he brought was his stupid fucking curse. His curse that cost everybody he knew their life. Even this child. This child who deserved so much more than the unfair world had given him. Neil was dead and he couldn’t do anything about it.

      “Mr. Keating, we have been informed that you encouraged Mr. Perry in the theater, knowingly disobeying his father’s orders.”

     “With all due respect, Mr. Nolan, I was simply encouraging Mr. Perry to live.”

     “And look where that ended us. His father is threatening to sue the school. Do you know why?”

     “Why?”

     “Because of your blatant disregard for authority. You cannot deny that it is all your own fault.”

     John stood up, “Excuse me?”

     “Sit down, John.”

     “You know who’s fault this really is, Gale? His father’s. Your’s. This school’s. You churn out empty people who follow the mold you set. And when people try to break out? They end up suspended, or expelled, or dead. Do you remember James Foster?”

     “Do not speak that name here.”

     “You know, I always thought you were just a terrible person, but it turns out…”

      “What?” Mr. Nolan spat out.

      John pushed his chair back and as he reached the doorway, he turned around, “You’re just a coward.”

@emilythefern @theluminoussunflower @sup3r-n0vaa @iguanamuppet @giolovesyousm

[whisper-my-serenade]

DPSCU sounds super interesting! Spare a crumb or two? 👀

i actually posted a chapter of this on tumblr already!! here’s the link <<33

and a bit more i have done:

The first taste of Neil’s friends that Todd got was an insult. A “stiff,” the redhead had called him, and Todd was shot back to the halls of Balincrest when the same word rang from the mouths of different—but not too different—boys. Neil was kind enough to insult his friend in return with a playful slap on Todd’s shoulder, but Todd’s stomach still churned uncomfortably as he began the slow, agonizing process of unpacking. He felt like an exposed wild animal, staring down the barrel with nowhere to run.

More boys came after that, all bright and lively and so obviously comfortable with each other that Todd felt sick. He hated Neil’s impish smile as his friends entered their room and made the space their own, the way they parodied the school motto in perfect unison while he stood alone, awkward, the elephant in the room.

Neil introduced him, eventually, and Todd almost threw up from the tightness in his stomach when he was immediately connected with his brother, the boy laying across Neil’s bed going so far as to list his accomplishments like he was rubbing the whole thing in Todd’s face. It all felt like a cruel joke. Maybe his mother was right—he was never meant to be here.

Everyone in the room was startled when a strange older man walked in, and Todd could immediately feel the tension like a bowstring. Neil’s voice cracked when he addressed the man, his father, oh God, and Todd cringed internally.

Mr. Perry was tall and intimidating, without the flash of mischief in his eye and the smoothly carved face of his son. His personality, though, seemed sharp, taking no arguments when he told Neil he’d be taken out of one of his clubs. Out of the corner of his eye, Todd saw Neil’s countenance begin to fall. Eventually, the two left the room, and the boys who remained were stiff like statues, only their eyes betraying their humanity.

It was Charlie—the one on the bed—who eventually burst upright and followed Neil out, indignation beginning to form on his face. The others quickly followed, only the one with strawberry-blond curls and glasses turning to address Todd’s obvious confusion.

“It’s always been like this,” he said quietly, glancing behind him like Mr. Perry was a poltergeist that could reappear at any moment. “And don’t ask Neil about it, he won’t talk.”

Todd gulped. The feeling of sickness in his stomach grew.

When Neil came back into the room, the others had gone with a promise to study that night and an invitation for Todd to join them, which he stuttered through thanking them for. Neil perched himself on the thin windowsill, taking one of the academic achievement pins from his lapel and twisting it around and around in his hand like he was examining it.

Todd continued to fumble around with things at his desk, trying and failing to pretend like he wasn’t hyper-aware of Neil’s every move. He took out a framed picture of his family, three faces cheesily smiling up at him and one slightly off to the side, glaring at the sunlight that Todd remembered nearly blinded him. He froze for a moment, considering placing it on his desk but ultimately putting it face-down into the drawer. One roommate who was unhappy at home was more than enough.

“So what do you think of my father?” Neil asked suddenly, voice dripping with sarcasm, still staring down at the pin.

Todd stuttered circles around himself, unsure of how to answer. What did Neil want him to say? That he hated him, knew the sound of authoritarianism in his voice and wanted to shove him away like he did with his own father? That he seemed ambitious and determined and maybe it was for the best if Neil just listened to him? That it didn’t matter what the fuck-up faggot thought?

“Todd, if you're gonna make it around here, you gotta learn to speak up,” Neil said, and Todd watched him prick the end of the pin into his thumb. Todd winced, but Neil went on talking like nothing happened. “The meek might inherit the earth, but they don't make it into Harvard.”

☽ ☼ ☾

Dinner was agonizing. Knowing no one else in the building, Todd was forced to cling to Neil’s side like a lost puppy, and though the other boy showed no irritation on his face, Todd could feel the resentment begin to grow.

Neil had been quieter after the appearance of his father, and Todd noticed dark circles under his eyes that betrayed his kind, cheerful countenance. His friends continued to joke and push each other around, though, with Neil gladly joining them, and for a minute Todd thought about excusing himself and finding somewhere to hide before he was subjected to another group of jackass teenagers who would forget he’d ever been there as soon as he left.

Just as he was trying to convince his feet to get up and move, he heard a voice call his name. His eyes darted up to see Charlie pointing a fork in his face.

“So, Anderson,” he began, stabbing a meatball and taking a bite. “Where’d you go before, anyways?”

“B-Balincrest,” Todd stuttered, but Charlie looked confused and Todd had to repeat himself, raising his voice over the bustle of the dining hall. “I went to Balincrest.”

“Oh, hey!” the strawberry blond said from his place on Charlie’s left. “Our big rivals—must be a weird transition.”

Todd shrugged.

“So why’d you move?” Charlie continued.

Todd’s mouth went dry. He knew the question wouldn’t go away, but every time it came up his brain went right back to that dark, humid, musty shed and he couldn’t help but shiver. He felt like every pair of eyes in the room were suddenly turned towards him, and anything he said would be used against him in the future.

“I, uh…m-my parents wanted me to. We have a lot of family who went here,” he managed to spit out, staring down at the plate he’d barely touched. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Neil shoot him a confused look, and Todd cringed internally. It was a different story than he gave before, if only slightly, but varied enough that he felt like he’d been caught red-handed. At that moment Todd felt how truly fucked he was. It was going to be a very long few years.

[littleoddwriter]

I’m Alright if You’re Alright | Todd Anderson x Neil Perry | AnderPerry

Hello there! So, uhhh, I know I said no fics, but the thing is that this idea distracted me at work and so I quickly wrote it down on my phone when I had time. There ya go, I guess! A fix-it fic, fdhksjhfj-

summary; Todd and Neil have a heart-to-heart and make a decision.

notes; MLM Ship; Fix-It Fanfic; Mentions of Homophobia; Anxiety; Love Confessions; Kissing; Running Away Together.

Reblogs would be appreciated, thank you!

@scorsesedepalmafan (Hope it’s okay I tagged you!)

Lying awake in his bed, Todd was unable to sleep. Neil still hasn't returned to their dorm room and deep down, Todd knew something was wrong. It filled him with anxiety. This fear that something terrible had happened clawed at him, digging deep into his body, his organs, making him feel sick.

The last thing he knew was that Neil left with his father after the play, forced into the car and driven away without a goodbye. Mr Keating had stopped them all from coming too close to Neil before he got into the car. He already knew something was up and so did Todd.

He simply wished he had spoken up for once.

Looking over at Neil's bed, Todd sighed deeply, putting every ounce of anguish he felt into it. Tears shot into his eyes not for the first time that night.

That was when the room's door opened all of a sudden.

Todd scrambled to sit up and looked at Neil, who stood in the doorway, panting and dishevelled.

Closing the door behind himself, Neil toed off his shoes and took off his coat before coming over to Todd in quick strides.

"Nei— mph!" Todd was interrupted by Neil's lips smashing into his in a hurried yet passionate kiss.

Not letting up, Neil put a knee on Todd's bed and cupped his warm face in his cold hands as he tilted his head a little to fit their lips together even better. Almost cautiously, Todd wrapped his arms around Neil's neck and pulled him further in, kissing him back desperately.

The entire night, Todd's thoughts had been occupied by the worst possible scenarios imaginable. Something had to have happened. He had a feeling. But perhaps that feeling was wrong, after all. Neil was here and safe, wasn't he?

At last, Neil broke their kiss, but didn't lean back further than what was necessary to speak. Only a mere inch or so.

"I love you, Todd," Neil whispered urgently, "I love you so much."

Surprised and with a slack mouth, Todd looked at Neil for a second or two, staring at him. They hadn't said it before. Hinted at it, maybe, but neither of them had had the guts to actually say it yet. Until now. Todd was speechless. 

Eventually, he swallowed thickly, opening and closing his mouth almost rapidly. 

"I love you, too," he whispered back, so softly that he barely even heard it himself. 

A teasing but genuine smile spread Neil's lips, "Speak up." 

Rolling his eyes fondly, Todd huffed and repeated his words a little louder. 

"I still can't hear you," Neil snickered, "You have to speak louder, dummy." 

Todd felt his face grow hot at the affectionate insult. 

Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a normal tone of voice with all the conviction and courage that he could muster, "I love you, Neil Perry." 

There were tears in his boyfriend's eyes and a wide, appreciative smile on his lips. Those same lips were back on Todd's own a moment later.

As beautiful as all of this was, Todd felt like there was something threatening looming above them. Something that would ruin what they had. And he was terrified.

Neil dropped the bomb on him soon enough when he parted from him and sat down properly on the bed beside Todd, who sat up, then.

"We have to leave," Neil told him, not looking at him.

"What do you mean?" Todd inquired anxiously, "Leave? Why?"

"My father is sending me to military school. I'll be gone for ten years, Todd. I- I won't go. And I want you to come and run with me. Start new somewhere else!" Finally, Neil looked at him again and part of Todd wished he hadn't. There were all sorts of emotions clearly visible in his expression, his eyes. Dread, hopelessness, but also determination.

"Neil, we're seventeen! We have no car, no money, nothing. And we won't get far with our bikes in this snow. We can't just run away!" Todd exclaimed, unable to keep it down. Neil wasn't thinking clearly.

"We have to. Please, Todd. Please! We'll figure something out on the way, but we have to go. I can't go without you." Neil took Todd's hands into his and put them against his chest. His heart was beating rapidly. He seemed frantic to Todd. Something he rarely was.

Military school. Neil would be completely cut off from the outside world for nearly ten years. There was no chance for them. No future.

"Why is he doing this? I thought— I thought he was okay with the acting?" Todd asked instead, needing to hear the whole story.

Neil simply looked at him, remorse clear in his eyes.

"You never actually talked to him, did you?"

"He wouldn't have allowed it. But it's not just the acting," Neil admitted, "He knows about us. He knows. I'm not sure how. He said he saw us. So he wants me to get away from you, to never see you again. And I can't do that. Todd, I love you. I couldn't be apart from you for even a second longer."

Inhaling sharply, Todd squeezed Neil's hands and nodded.

"All right. You say we figure something out. We'll figure something out," he said softly, a small smile on his lips. He could barely believe what he was saying.

"Promise? Promise me that no matter what, we'll go together. Please," Neil urged him.

"I promise," Todd spoke clearly, loudly.

Within the next couple of hours they had packed their essentials, left a note for their friends and left before sunrise.

It didn't matter where they would end up, or how. All that was truly important was that they were together. That was enough for both of them. They didn't need more than each other.

Mr Keating was right.

Love is something to stay alive for.

[evangeline-perry]

Dead Poets Society: Neil x OC: part 4

masterlist

complete series

Tonight I join the boys in study group. I sit next to Neil, I am vaguely aware of our shoulders touching. At the moment he was helping me with a part of the latin homework I didn’t get.

Around the room, several students are throwing darts at a small rubber skeleton hanging from the bulletin board. Various students are studying and playing games. Meeks and Pitts are sitting at one table working on their "hi-fi system". Meeks is waving an antenna around with no luck. Pitts points out to him that he forgot to plug it in. Knox enters the room and closes the door behind him, leaning up against it heavily.

‘How was dinner?’ Charlie asks.

‘Huh?’ Knox turns his head.

‘How was dinner?’ Charlie repeats.

‘Terrible’, He sighs, ‘Awful.’

He leaves the door and sits down with us at the table.

‘Why?’ Charlie questions, ‘What happened?’

‘Tonight, I met the most beautiful girl in my entire life’, Knox breathes.

‘I’ll try not to be insulted...’ I joke

‘nono, angie’, Knox states quickly, ‘you’re beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but she…’ Knox let out a rather dramatic sigh.

‘wauw, you got it bad’, I laugh, he nods in agreement.

‘What's wrong with that?’ Neil asks after a moment.

‘She's practically engaged’, Knox states, ‘To Chet Danburry.’

‘That guy could eat a football’, Charlie mumbled.

‘That's too bad’, Pitts agrees.

‘Too bad?’ Knox repeats, ‘It's worse than too bad Pitsie, it's a tragedy. A girl this beautiful in love with such a jerk.’

‘All the good ones go for jerks, you know that.’ Pitts states, before realizing, ‘Except for Angie of course,’ making me laugh.

‘Ahh, forget her’, Cameron scoffs, ‘Open your trig book and try and figure out problem five.’

‘I can't just forget her Cameron’, Knox sighs, ‘And I can't think about trig.’ at that moment the radio Meeks and Pitts were working on begins letting out a high pitched hum.

‘We got it.’ ‘Holy cow.’ they quietly celebrated until Mr. Hager walks into the room, ‘All right everyone, five minutes. Let's go.’

The students quickly pack up their gear and prepare to leave. Pitts tries to hide the radio in his lap. Neil leans in close to me: ‘hey, can I walk you back?’

‘sure’, I smile at him, he returns the smile while taking my books.

As we enter my corridor, he asks: ‘So, how do you like Hell-ton so far?’

‘Never thought hell would be a place on earth’, I state matter-of-factly, making him laugh.

When we reach my room, I opens the door and Neil places my books on the desk before leaning against the wardrobe.

‘By the way’, he tells me, ‘I don’t believe what Knox said.’

‘What?’

‘I’m sure you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen’, he smiles, making me blush, ‘And especially cute whenever you wear those glasses.’ at this point I didn’t even wanna know how crimson red I blushed, because it only got worse when he leaned down kisses my cheek. And I’m sure he saw because his smile changed into a smirk, ‘good night, Evangeline.’

‘good night, Neil.’

The next morning I was just putting my blazer on when there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, it was Neil. He told me Mr Nolan had requested he’d escort me to my classes. So that’s exactly what he did.

In class, dad sits at his desk at the front of the classroom and opens up one of his books.

Neil sits to my right in this class, Todd sits in front of me, and Knox behind me.

‘Gentlemen… and lady, open your text to page twenty-one of the introduction. Mr. Perry, will you read the opening paragraph of the preface, entitled "Understanding Poetry"?’

‘Understanding Poetry, by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D’, Neil reads, after putting on his glasses, I couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked with them on,

‘To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with its meter, rhyme, and figures of speech. Then ask two questions: One, how artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered, and two, how important is that objective. Question one rates the poem's perfection, question two rates its importance. And once these questions have been answered, determining a poem's greatest becomes a relatively simple matter.’ With that my father gets up from his desk and prepares to draw on the chalk board.

‘If the poem's score for perfection is plotted along the horizontal of a graph, and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness.’ I watch my dad as he draws a corresponding graph on the board and I notice the students dutifully copy it down, I didn’t, I must admit I was mostly looking at/ listening to Neil.

He looked over and caught me though, before going back to reading with a smirk on his face, ‘A sonnet by Byron may score high on the vertical, but only average on the horizontal. A Shakespearean sonnet, on the other hand, would score high both horizontally and vertically, yielding a massive total area, thereby revealing the poem to be truly great. As you proceed through the poetry in this book, practice this rating method. As your ability to evaluate poems in this matter grows, so will - so will your enjoyment and understanding of poetry.’

Neil sets the book down and takes off his glasses before shooting me a wink, making me blush an even brighter red than before. Keating turns away from the chalkboard with a smile. ‘Excrement’, he says finally, ‘That's what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. We're not laying pipe, we're talking about poetry.’

that’s when I saw multiple students, including Cameron looking down at the graph he copied into his notes and quickly scribbling it out.

‘I mean, how can you describe poetry like American Bandstand?’ my father asks the class, ‘I like Byron, I give him a 42, but I can't dance to it… Now I want you to rip out that page.’

I try to hold my laughter as I see the boys look at Keating as if he has just gone mad.

‘Go on, rip out the entire page. You heard me, rip it out. Rip it out!’ and of course, I needed to be the one to break the ice, and ripped out the page, ‘Thank you, my dear’, he called out, ‘Go on, rip it out.’

I look back at the sound of paper tearing and see Charlie has also done it. ‘Thank you Mr. Dalton’, my dad smiles, ‘Everyone, tell you what, don't just tear out that page, tear out the entire introduction. I want it gone, history. Leave nothing of it. Rip it out. Rip! Begone J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. Rip, shred, tear. Rip it out. I want to hear nothing but ripping of Mr. Pritchard. We'll perforate it, put it on a roll.’ at this point everyone are tearing out the pages, including me. Suddenly I hear my dad call out, ‘It's not the bible, you're not going to go to hell for this. Go on, make a clean tear, I want nothing left of it.’ making me laugh.

Dad goes over to his room and Cameron turns around to Neil, ‘We shouldn't be doing this.’ he calls out, only for neil to respond, ‘ Rip, rip, rip!’ while making Cameron turn back around.

‘What the hell is going on here?’ Mr McAllister calls out while suddenly bursting into the classroom. We all turn around in shock. And I can see Charlie stuffing a crumpled page into his mouth in the corner of my eye. Keating emerges from his room with a waste paper basket.

‘I don't hear enough rips’, my dad states, walking back into the room.

‘Mr. Keating.’

‘Mr. McAllister.’

‘I'm sorry, I- I didn't know you were here.’

‘I am.’

‘Ahh, so you are. Excuse me’, Mr. McAllister slowly backs out of the classroom.

‘Keep ripping everyone. This is a battle, a war. And the casualties could be your hearts and souls.’

dad says while holding out the basket to Charlie who spits out a wad of paper.

‘Thank you Mr. Dalton. Armies of academics going forward, measuring poetry. No, we will not have that here. No more of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. Now in my class you will learn to think for yourselves again. You will learn to savor words and language. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.’, he says putting down the trashbasket, ‘I see that look in Mr. Pitt's eye, like nineteenth century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or medical school. Right? Maybe. Mr. Hopkins, you may agree with him, thinking "Yes, we should simply study our Mr. Pritchard and learn our rhyme and meter and go quietly about the business of achieving other ambitions." I have a little secret for ya. Huddle up. Huddle up!’

We all up from their seats and gather around Keating in the center of the class. I couldn’t see clearly through the crowd of boys since most of them were taller, but I felt someone tug my sleeve. Neil had scooted back his chair and gestured I could sit in his lap, though slightly blushing, I sat down. Neils arms wrapped around me so I didn’t accidentally fall off.

‘Easy there, Mr Perry’, my dad says suddenly, ‘Mind the hands.’ this causes the class to start snickering and both me and Neil to start blushing.’

‘Now...’ dad says, continuing his class, ‘We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman: "O me, o life of the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, o me, o life? Answer: that you are here. That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?’ directing that last question to Todd, looking up at him.

After class, the guys asked me about my dad, like ‘how he was when he was in school here?’ but I simply gave them the same answer: ‘ sworn to secrecy.’ all the while the cafeteria filled with students and teachers who stood before the tables saying grace: ‘For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly grateful. Amen.’

With that we all sat down.

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