Dead Poets Society

“Just did a big case for GM.”
    “Ah. I know where
you’re headed—like 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