Seven Days

Series

Day Three

Disclaimer: I do not own the Dead Poets Society. If I did, would I be writing this? No, I'd be out with the poets in the cave and enjoying the magic of literature as well. I also do not own any poetry I used in here. I'm not that brilliant. You will obviously recognize the one poem and the other material I got from actually using search engines. Even ordinary people can write wonders in poetry.

A/N: I started the new semester of college today and I decided to try and update this while I had the chance. I already have homework that I need to do but I felt like this needs to be updated first. Love me, yes? Anyhow, please enjoy and leave a review! They keep me motivated to write more and update quicker.

"All of you, down. I want you seated! Do you hear me? Sit down!" Nolan commanded the class of juniors.

Keating stared at all of the boys standing on their desks in wonder. "Thank you, boys. Thank you."

Todd kept playing the scene from his English class over and over again in his mind. He had no idea what compelled him to do it exactly. Suddenly, the overwhelming urge to let Keating know swelled to the surface. It was the last chance he had and he knew it. The boys would be kept away from their favorite teacher and all contact information would be kept confidential. That was why he had sprung to his feet when before one could barely get a word out of him before. If he had the chance to do it over again, he wouldn't change a thing. So many other classmates and friends had shown their support. Keating was right. Words can make a difference and change the lives of others. If they wanted to, they could manage to change the world with their ideas. How much exactly all depended upon the people involved.

As the door clicked shut behind their Captain, the boys had stayed standing on their desks. An eerie silence settled over the room briefly as the gravity of the situation sunk in for everyone. As soon as Nolan recovered he began barking orders. One by one, the boys stood down from their desks and Todd was the last one to do so. "Anderson!" Nolan barked. "Out of this class! I'll deal with you later!"

The poet stood there for a second before just gathering his things and leaving the classroom. He noticed the smile Knox shot his way and he managed a wary one back. At least the actions of giving Keating a proper farewell hadn't caused his friends to get into trouble. Well, at least so far they seemed to be okay. He was ready to take on the full punishment for his actions. Anything was worth it to show to the others what needed to be done. Todd wandered back to his dorm to drop off his books.

After settling everything on his side of the room he tried to figure out what to do with the rest of his spare time for the day. He had homework of course. When didn't they have homework? It was as if this whole school lived and breathed for it. By the end of the year, each student probably used a good amount of the forest. That's when he realized something. Everyone else was either in class or working. No one would notice if he slipped away out towards the cave and for a walk in the woods. In fact, it was rather exhilarating to think about. Pulling on his sweater, he quickly exited the dorm. Todd didn't get too far down the hall when he heard a voice call for him. Stopping, he turned around and noticed it was Cameron.

His jaw clenched. "What do you want, Richard?" he asked coldly.

"Nolan says he wants you to go wait in his office. He's going to end class early so he can deal with it," Cameron sneered.

Todd clenched his jaw harder. Cameron probably volunteered to do this just to make the poets even madder. Without saying a word, he stormed past the ginger boy and to Nolan's office. He took the correct seat and sat there as patiently as he could. About fifteen or so minutes passed until Nolan entered the small office. The older man took a seat behind the desk and the two eyed each other.

"Mr. Anderson, what you did back there was completely disrespectful to me and it broke the rule of following an instructor's orders," Nolan began.

Todd just nodded numbly. He didn't care to hear it. He didn't give a damn about any of it. All he cared about was Keating, poetry, his friends, surviving the school year and Neil. Damn it, Neil. Just damn it.

"I understand that you are going through a difficult time. Many of Mr. Perry's friends are and I want to try and let you off a little easier for the time being. This is your warning. If you act out again, you will be expelled."

Again, Todd just nodded. He wasn't really listening all that much to what Nolan was saying. Nothing mattered anymore except what Neil would have wanted and how Todd was going to get through another day without him. That one point in time with Keating gave him firmer ground to stand on for himself and he felt a little more energy rise within him from the recharge. He could get through this third day. He just had to.

Nolan continued. "As punishment, you will serve detention every day for three weeks after classes for two hours. You will either use the time to study or for other assignments that are given to you. Sports will be put on hold for three weeks as well, we will contact your parents and you are banned from off campus days for the next two months. Have I made myself clear?"

When Todd didn't answer he was prodded again. He nodded. "Yes, Mr. Nolan," he mumbled.

Nolan stared for a moment before sighing. "I wish things didn't have to be this way, Mr. Anderson. However, rules are rules and we cannot make an exception. I hope you understand that." Getting no response again, he sighed once more. "You're excused. Punishment goes into effect tomorrow."

Taking that as his cue to leave, Todd rose from the borrowed chair and left the stuffy office. Classes were still in session and if he didn't waste time, he would most likely be able to get to the forest and back without any kind of complication. Glancing around to make sure the coast was the clear, he exited the building and headed for the tree line. Once near it, he broke into a run and entered the forest with ease. Again, the feeling of swelling happiness and bittersweet memories broke into his chest and he slowed to a leisurely walk.

At that moment, one of Keating's favorite poems came to mind and had never been clearer. Todd forced a small laugh under his breath. "I went to the woods…" he started and trailed off. It was then that he felt it. The simple act of reciting poetry out loud and lingering in the forest he spent time with Neil brought him closer. It brought him closer to Neil and he could just feel it. If he was going insane, he didn't care. The rush built back up inside of him and he tried it again.

Todd recited with ease, "I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived."

Somehow, with obvious clarity Neil was with him again. If Todd closed his eyes long enough, he could make out the vision of his best friend's smiling face. His heart stuttered at that before kicking into overdrive. No matter how sick this made him, the fact that it made him feel better was all the more worth it. Todd walked deeper into the woods, the foliage getting thicker as he went. The further he dug himself in, the deeper he felt himself being lodged into Neil's memory and he could hear the beating of his heart.

The thought of going back to the cold, lonely dorm room spurred on not only the movement of his mouth but also his feet. Todd swallowed thickly. His own words were suddenly pouring from his heart. "My heart will never let you go, I'll never say good bye. A lot of my hours are now spent in the place where you lay, as I sit crying, wondering, who would you be today." Neil had had so much potential and it had all gone to waste. He truly could've been anything he pleased. His father just wouldn't see to reason. That was the most upsetting thing. The idiot couldn't even see the truth to his own son's demise right before his eyes when it was his entire fault. Then again, he wouldn't be able to come to terms with it being his fault. It had to be some kind of sick, twisted coping mechanism.

Todd continued to walk until the air grew cooler and the sun started to lower in the sky. Coming to a stop, he plopped down on a fallen tree trunk and he stared up at the treetops. He wasn't worried about being lost. He had just walked straight into the forest and he could walk straight back out. He drew in a deep breath and then realized something.

Time could pass just as easily was water rushing down a stream but it didn't mean it would heal anything. Scars could so get new wounds and take months to heal. Scars stayed around. Sometimes, they marred the flesh forever. Neil had become a scar. One Todd would never want to erase or lose from his heart, mind and soul. Neil helped Todd become who he was today, for better or for worse. He was just going to have to take the good with the bad and try to deal with. The problem was, the seventeen year old just didn't know how to deal with it.

As he stared up at the sky, the same sky that Neil used to stare up at, he drew in a shaky breath that was full of uncertainties. That's when Todd realized something else. That sometimes the only way to stop hurting is to stop breathing.

A/N: I hope you liked it! Again, I never have a true plan as to where the stories I write will take me. I just take the moment I have while writing and go with it. That's just how I work.