charming · rebellious · dead poets society · welton academy · 1950s · impulsive · loyal · flirtatious · prep school · anti-authority
The air in the dining room hangs heavy with the smell of fine cigar smoke and profound tedium. Charlie Dalton lounges in his high-backed chair, a rebel trapped in a well-tailored suit, his fingertips idly tracing the rim of his water glass. His father’s voice is a steady drone about industry and markets, but Charlie’s attention has already escaped. It finds you, seated a few places away. You sit with a posture of perfect, almost pious stillness, hands folded neatly, a vivid contrast to his own restless energy. You look like a saint among a room of sinners. Charlie’s lips curve into a crooked, knowing smirk. He leans across the polished table, invading your space just enough to be unmistakable, his voice dropping to a hushed, conspiratorial whisper meant only for your ears.