❛ Guess you feel you'll always be the one and only one for me. ❜

DEAD POETS SOCIETY
chapter one

THE TIME WAS upon them when John Keating would begin his new job as an English teacher at the Academy for Spoiled Brats, otherwise known as Hell-ton. John had attended the school long before any of the boys who were spending their formative years there and would long have lasting memories of the institution.

⠀⠀⠀Welton sought after John Keating from his former attendance and high praise he'd worked for previously. However, a shuffle of the cards had led to misfortune for the Keating's, and the only girl to ever spend her school year at Welton was allowed entry.

⠀⠀⠀Eliza Keating was fifteen when her mother died and seventeen now. It had been two years since she had passed away, and John had in turn been the only family the poor girl had left. Her father had walked out on her, and anything extended past him was unknown.

⠀⠀⠀John never complained about taking her in. On the contrary, he was more than happy to take her in. Before John had moved to London, the two were very close, and even then, they often sent letters to one another. Now, he could nurture and care for her as he believed she deserved.

⠀⠀⠀Now, he had a new job at a prestigious school, and with the right amount of leeway, Eliza was allowed to live with John on campus. However, she would be homeschooled, would not attend any of the classes with the boys, and would only be allowed to interact with the boys for studies outside of class and lunch.

⠀⠀⠀Soon, the two would be off on their new adventure together. Into the halls of Welton, where the school's faculty would quickly realize that the man they expected was nothing like they imagined. Their students would have thoughts for themselves, live their lives as they would die tomorrow, and be changed for the rest of their temporary lives.

⠀⠀⠀John Keating was standing in the bathroom of the small motel that he and his niece shared as they awaited orientation day. The two had flown across the pond from London two nights prior and were still a little foggy in their routines.

⠀⠀⠀"Eliza, darling," John called, spitting the suds of toothpaste into the sink before turning back to their room. "Are you about ready?"

⠀⠀⠀"I'm ready," she nodded her head, spinning around the room as she checked off that she had everything in her head.

⠀⠀⠀John smiled, striding across the small room and pulling his niece into a hug, kissing the top of her head.

⠀⠀⠀"Have everything?" he asked, pulling back and smiling softly at the bag in her hand, and her suitcase sat beside her.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes," she nodded her head, dark eyebrows furrowing as the odd feeling in the back of her head said she had forgotten something. She pursed her lips as she tried to recall what she had misplaced before John had opened the side table drawer and pulled out her copy of Little Women.

⠀⠀⠀"Looking for this?" John teased, holding the beaten book back to Eliza.

⠀⠀⠀Eliza laughed nervously, folding the book between her hands as she nodded her head, embarrassed she had forgotten something so important to her.

⠀⠀⠀"Off we go then!" John cheered, taking his suitcase and his niece's, and headed out of the door. "To Hell-ton!"

⠀⠀⠀John marched out of the motel room, his nice shoes slapping against the pavement until he stopped at the trunk of his car. He took the bags that were in hand and tossed them carelessly inside before slamming the trunk. The two took to the sides of the vehicle, opening the doors. Then paused, staring at each other over the roof.

⠀⠀⠀"Now, being at such a prestigious school is tough work and will take a lot of dedication, but I believe that you can soar with flying colors!" John cheered, smiling wickedly at Eliza.

⠀⠀⠀Eliza raised one dark eyebrow, taken after her mother. "What do you mean?" she laughed. "I'm not attending Welton unless that has slipped that old head of yours."

⠀⠀⠀"I'm not that old, but you are being taught by me, and that is one hill to conquer!" he exclaimed, giving her a wink before slipping into the car. Eliza followed him before he started on his way to Welton. "Either way, you'll come to see that I am right. It will be tough, but the academics you learn in your youth will shape your understanding of the future."

⠀⠀⠀"Right, right," Eliza nodded her head, reaching out for the radio, and turned on the soft tune of Paul Anka's Lonely Boy.

⠀⠀⠀"Jokes aside, Eliza," John stated, turning his head for a moment to catch her eye. "Although I'm not a conventional teacher, especially compared to these conservative pricks who will want me to be, we must be careful. This is a perfect opportunity for you and for me. We may teeter the line of what we should do and end up doing, but let us not jeopardize this opportunity for laughs or silly mistakes.

⠀⠀⠀"Of course," Eliza stated, nodding her head as her features scrunched into concern for her Uncle.

⠀⠀⠀So much was riding on this opportunity. A new place to live. Maybe Diana could eventually come to Vermont once John knew this job was secure and Eliza wouldn't have to spend her year inside the school. There was more money here to help Eliza with college. Even a chance to change the lives of some of the boys confined to the stale environment.

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, I know," she continued. "Keep my head down, don't speak unless spoken to, and try to keep away from the faculty, even the students."

⠀⠀⠀John sighed loudly, patting Eliza's hand that rested on her thigh. "Now, I don't want you to become a recluse. You can come with me to my classroom and sit in my office. No one will know. And I'll even let you join one of my classes," he said with a smile. "The most promising, of course."

⠀⠀⠀"That would be nice," Eliza agreed. "Maybe I'll make some friends with the spoiled children of Hell-ton," she laughed, trying to imagine herself getting close to a bunch of greedy boys whose only thoughts were of prestige and a nuclear family destined for misery.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, now. Once they come out of the people their parents and the school has made them act as you'll realize they're just as smart and capable as you, my dear."

⠀⠀⠀Eliza smiled, encouraged, and hopeful by his words as the daunting Academy came to the horizon and edged closer and closer until the school sat before them, ready to be taken by storm.

⠀⠀⠀After parking the car, John took Eliza's hand in his, holding her tight.

⠀⠀⠀"Ready?" he asked her.

⠀⠀⠀"Ready," she agreed.

⠀⠀⠀John kissed the back of her hand, then cut off the ignition and Frankie Avalon's tender voice of A Boy Without A Girl.

⠀⠀⠀It was early in the morning, the students and their parents had yet to arrive, and even the faculty weren't present to begin set up for the ceremonies later. So only the Headmaster's car was parked in the parking lot as he made his way to the school.

⠀⠀⠀Mr. Nolan heard the Keating's car slam shut and waited at the school entrance for them. He looked mean with hair turned white and pale eyes dead and swimming. He had a permanent frown set on his face as he watched them approach.

⠀⠀⠀"Mr. Keating," Mr. Nolan greeted, the frown now replaced with a small smile. "It's a pleasure to have you teaching at Welton. I hope to have a good year with you," he nodded, the two shaking hands.

⠀⠀⠀"I, as well," John nodded, turning to his niece with a soft smile. "This is Eliza Keating. She will be studying with me throughout the school year. We appreciate it greatly that you have allowed her to stay here."

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, my dear, I'm sorry for your loss," Mr. Nolan said, taking Eliza's hand in his and shaking it kindly.

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you," she said, smiling as best she could to the old man. "I hope to have a fruitful year under your roof."

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, I do as well. Just keep to the guidelines I have set up for the two of you, and everything will be just fine," Mr. Nolan stated, looking from Eliza to John. "Let me show you to your room."

⠀⠀⠀Mr. Nolan led them into the teacher's quarters, none of the students were allowed entry. The hallway was long with cobblestone flooring and lined with doors. Mr. Nolan led them to the end, where a door was rested at the very end of the hall.

⠀⠀⠀"Typically, these rooms would be mine," Mr. Nolan explained as he opened the door ahead of them, as well as the one to the side. "But I found it more appropriate for the two of you to use them."

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, Mr. Nolan, we would be just fine in a single room!" John exclaimed.

⠀⠀⠀"Nonsense, a girl needs her space, as do you," Mr. Nolan stated, his stubborn mind made up. "I wanted to keep you together, but at a proper distance. There is a bathroom that connects, so if you need to speak with one another, you may do so without disrupting the rest of the school."

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you, Mr. Nolan," John said, his tone evoking a deep sentiment to Mr. Nolan's actions.

⠀⠀⠀"Of course, get unpacked and ready for the Welcoming Ceremony, and Ms. Keating, you are free to join as long as you sit in the audience."

⠀⠀⠀"Thank you, I would love to join," Eliza smiled, nodding her head.

⠀⠀⠀Mr. Nolan left the two to unpack and unwind before things got too hectic.

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

Hello and welcome to Fiat Nox. As you may have read, this book was previously written on my old account franlccastle. If you're interested in seeing what this story was before, feel free to go check it out there. But please note that my writing has grown a lot since then and I'm more proud of where I have come from then of that book.

This story will be a Charlie Dalton x Eliza Keating story and I hope to
 update it very often because I have most of the chapters re-written. I just need to hammer out that last act of the movie out and it will be all done. 

Thank you to everyone who has read, re-reads and is currently reading this fic. I appreciate all of you and I'm so amazed by the attentions this book has gotten. I hope you guys continue to enjoy this book and just know that everyone of your comments means the world to me, even if I don't respond.

SONG: Chances Are by Johnny Mathis

Thank you for reading! Leave comments telling me your thoughts on this chapter, but however you interact, know that I really appreciate you reading. I hope you enjoy, and until the next one.