Dead Poets Society

father, like son, eh?” Joe laughed. “Have you met our daughter, Virginia?”
    “Oh, that was your daughter?” Knox asked enthusiastically, pointing toward the staircase.
    “Virginia, say hello,” Mrs. Danburry instructed as a cute but rather plain fifteen-year-old girl stood up from the floor on the other side of the room. Her books and pages of neatly written notes were strewn across the floor.
    “It’s Ginny,” she said as she turned to Knox. “Hi,” she said and smiled shyly.
    “Hello,” Knox said, glancing briefly at Ginny, before staring again at the staircase where his eyes stayed glued on the slender legs he saw standing there. He heard a giggle come from that direction, and he turned awkwardly back to Ginny.
    “Sit down, sit down,” Mr. Danburry said, gesturing toward a comfortable leather chair. “Did your father ever tell you about the case we had together?”
    “Pardon?” Knox said absently. The girl in the tennis dress was coming down the stairs with a tall athletic-looking young man.
    He didn’t tell you what happened?” Mr. Danburry laughed.
    “Er, no,” Knox said, unable to take his eyes off the girl. The couple stepped into the room as Mr. Danburry started to recall the story.
    “We were really stuck,“ he reminisced. “I was sure I d lost the biggest case of my life. Then your father came to me and told me he could weasel a settlement—but only if I gave him the entire fee from our client! The son of a gun!” He slapped his knee. You know what I did?”
    “Huh?” Knox said.
    “I let him have it!” he roared. “I was so desperate, I let your father take the whole fee!” Knox faked a laugh, trying to keep up with the hysterical laughter of Mr. Danburry, while his eyes kept darting to the couple standing in the doorway.
    “Dad, can I take the Buick?” the young man asked.
    “What’s wrong with your car?” Joe said. “Chet, where are your manners? Knox, this is my son Chet and his girlfriend, Chris Noel. This is Knox Overstreet. ”
    “We sort of met,” Knox said, staring at Chris. “Almost. ”
    “Yes.” Chris smiled as she answered.
    “Hi,” Chet said, totally disinterested.
    Mrs. Danburry stood. “Excuse me while I check on dinner,” she said.
    “Come on, Dad, why is this always a big deal?” Chet asked.
    “Because I bought you a sports car and suddenly you want my car all the time.”
    “Chris’s mom feels safer when we re in a bigger car. Right, Chris?” Chet shot her a wicked smile, and Chris blushed.
    “It’s all right, Chet,” she said.
    “It’s not all right. Come on, Dad...” Joe Danburry walked out of the room, and Chet followed after him, pleading. “Come on, Dad. You’re not using the Buick tonight, so why can’t I?”
    While the bickering continued in the hall, Knox, Ginny, and Chris stood awkwardly in the library.
    “So, uh, where do you go to school?” Knox asked.
    “Ridgeway High,” Chris said. “How’s Henley Hall, Gin?”
    “Okay,” Ginny said flatly.
    “That’s your sister school, isn’t it?” Chris said, looking at Knox.
    “Sort of.”
    “Ginny, are you going out for the Henley Hall play?” Chris asked. “They’re doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream," she explained to Knox.
    “Maybe,” Ginny shrugged.
    “So, how did you meet Chet?” Knox asked Chris. Both girls stared at him. “I mean, er...”he stammered.
    “Chet plays on the Ridgeway football team, and I’m a cheerleader,” Chris explained. “He used to go to Welton but he flunked out.” She turned to Ginny. “You should do it, Gin, you’d be great.”
    Ginny looked down shyly as Chet came to the door. “Chris,” he smiled. “We got it. Let’s go.”
    “Nice meeting you, Knox.” Chris smiled again as she walked out, hand in hand with Chet. “Bye, Gin.”
    “Nice meeting you, Chris,” Knox choked out.
    “Might as well sit down until dinner,” Ginny suggested. An awkward moment of silence followed. “Chet just wanted the Buick so they can go parking,” she confided with a blush, not being able to think of anything better to say.
    Knox watched through the window as Chris and Chet got into the Buick and kissed, long and hard. His heart was pounding with envy.

    Two hours later, Knox staggered into the lobby of the dorm where Neil, Cameron, Meeks, Charlie, and Pitts were studying math. Pitts and Meeks worked on assembling a small crystal radio as the study session progressed. Knox collapsed onto a couch.
    “How was dinner?”