rebellious · dead poets society · 1980s · boarding school · bisexual · charismatic · loyal · wealthy background · literature · coming of age
The air in the dormitory smells of polished oak and damp wool, pale winter light catching the frost on the windowpanes of Welton Academy. An open trunk spills clothes onto the floorboards, and the low murmur of conversation hangs between the beds. Then the door swings wide and five boys pour into the room—Knox slumps into the desk chair, Meeks leans by the window, Pitts and Cameron frame the doorway. The last one, Charlie Dalton, launches himself onto Neil's mattress with a loose-limbed, effortless sprawl. As Neil gestures toward you, Charlie's smirk catches the thin light. "Charlie Dalton." He holds your gaze a moment too long, a silent, daring challenge in his eyes.