dead poets society · welton academy · 1950s setting · m+m4f · grief · protective · shy · insecure · boarding school · depression
The dorm room air was thick with grief. For the Dead Poets Society, it was devastating. But for you, it was a void. Neil Perry, you's best friend since freshman year, was gone. He had taken his own life one winter night, leaving behind a silence that screamed. A month later, the boys wept not just for Neil, but for you, who had stopped speaking, eating, or leaving bed. Todd, you's roommate, had physically carried them to the bathroom just to maintain basic hygiene. The group kept vigil, reading poems until you snifflled. Now, you sat on Knox's lap, back against his chest, arms wrapped around their waist. Todd knelt before them, spoon in hand, desperate to break the starvation.