Dead Poets Society ~ Charlie Dalton

Chapter Five: "I know what I want to do!"

It's Sunday, meaning that it's time for extracurricular activities, specifically for rowing and fencing. Mireille, who is freed from these activities since 'she's a girl and doesn't have to do such things', sits on the footbridge, letting her feet hang in the water. She is trying to come up with a poem while watching Charlie row. She has to admit, it looks pretty hot.

"Take a power train in two!", yells Nolan.

"Three, keep your eyes in the boat!"

Her thoughts are interrupted when a shadow casts over her. Turning around, she sees her favorite ginger friend.

"Hey Meeks", she greets, smiling up at him.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He sits down next to her, peeking at the paper on her lap. She sighs, leaning back, resting on her elbows.

"Poem. Mr. Keating", she explains roughly, looking at the water as Charlie and others row past her.

"Watching my hot boyfriend row." He laughs, ruffling her brown hair.

"Wanna help Pitts and me with our Hifi-system? We're pretty close to getting it to work", he says excited. She thinks for a moment before nodding.

"Sure. Why not." They stand up, Mireille glancing one last time at Charlie before walking back to Welton and up its roof with Meeks walking beside her.

"Ah. Hey Mireille. Can you take a look at this?", Pitts asks once they arrive. She nods, squatting down in front of the Hifi-system. She looks at it for a while before shaking her head.

"I don't see any-" Right then, she sees a cable plugged in the wrong plug. She sticks it out and puts it into another plug. They hear a static sound before it starts playing Rock 'n' Roll.

"We got it!", sighs Meeks relieved. He hugs Mireille tightly.

"Thank God, we have you." She laughs, shaking her head.

"Radio Free America!" As the music continues to play, the three friends on the roof start to dance, not caring if others see them.

Todd sits on his bed, scribbling down some lines, trying to create a poem. Before he could throw his block against the door in frustration, the door opens and Neil comes in, excited. Quickly, Todd turns his block around, making sure that Neil doesn't see what he's doing. He walks towards him, kneeling down in front of him and handing him a flyer.

"I found it", he says happy. Todd looks at him confused and then at the flyer.

"You found what?"

"What I want to do right now. What's really, really inside of me." Todd smiles at him briefly before looking at the flyer.

"'A Midsummer Night's Dream'", he reads.

"This is it."

"What is that?" Neil laughs bemused.

"It's a play, dummy."

"I know that. What does it have to do with you?" Todd glances at his friend questioningly.

"All right, they're putting it on at Henley Hall. Open tryouts. Open tryouts!", he explains excited, lightly slapping on the mattress. Todd still doesn't know what Neil wants to tell him with that.

"Yeah, so?"

"So!" He slaps the mattress again, standing up and turning to his best friend.

"I'm gonna act!", he shouts.

"Yes! Yes! I'm gonna be an actor. Ever since I can remember I've wanted to try this! I even tried to go to summer stock auditions last year, but, of course, my father wouldn't let me." Neil puts his blanket around his shoulders, standing on his bed and walking over his chair to Todd's chair, looking at him intensely.