WE ARE GOLDEN--DEAD POETS SOCIETY

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Saturday came, and Meeks and Azalea biked into town. Laughing, they raced down the streets, weaving in and out of the cars. Stumbling into a tiny booth in a charming cafe, the pair soon found themselves asking random questions, dying to know each other.

"Alright, my turn," Azalea giggled as she finished telling Meeks her most embarrassing story. She pursed her lips, trying to think of a good question.

"Okay, what's your greatest fear?"

Meeks raised an eyebrow.

"Getting personal are we, Knight?" He teased.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Azalea responded, suddenly growing very tense. Meeks saw her knee begin to bounce nervously.

"No, it's okay, Lea. I'll answer," he told her, smiling reassuringly.

The nickname slipped out before he could help it. Azalea chuckled in relief, but her shoulders remained tensed up, her spine rigid.

"My greatest fear is probably...um..the people I care about dying or getting hurt."

Azalea met his eyes, and hers Meeks found leagues of understanding, years of doing the comforting and not getting comforted. He saw pain, yet beauty in those dark brown eyes.

"What about you?"

"What?"

"What's your greatest fear?"

The girl opposite him let out a humorless laugh.

"I've never told anyone, I guess," she muttered. "Probably my father."

Meeks could feel the torment radiating off her, and he hated it. She shouldn't have to feel pain, this splendid human sitting across from him. Hesitantly, he pressed further.

"Why?"

"Are you sure you wanna know? It's not all sunshine and rainbows."

"Some things we just need to get out of our hearts."

Again she looked him dead in the eyes, seeing a youthful wisdom  and without batting an eyelid, told him. She told him how, when she was six, her mother had died, and her father had gone insane. She told him about all the times he had come home drunk, screaming about her mother. By the time Azalea finished talking, she was shaking. Not with fear, but with loneliness.

Meeks slid into the other side of the booth and pulled her into a hug. She tensed up, not used to it, but quickly relaxed into his hold.

"Sorry," she whispered, voice cracking slightly.

Meeks stroked her hair, silently vowing to never let her go.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for."

They walked their bikes back to Welton, hand in hand. Neither of them really said much, but nothing needed to be said. They were made for each other.

From his bedroom window, Mr. Keating watched the pair meander back into the castle. He sighed in contentment. There was nothing more wonderful than young love, especially when there was a chance it would last forever.

-----------------------------------------

"So? How'd it go?" Lilith asked Azalea as she entered their room.  They made eye contact and happiness was written all over her face.

"It was nice," she confessed. "Really, really nice."

Lilith cheered and drew Azalea into a hug.

"See, I told you you'd be fine," she chided.

Scarlett burst into the room, Neil and Charlie hot on her heels.

"Come on, you two, you'll miss dinner."

A/N don't forget about azalea's

dad he'll be coming back soon

that bastard