unscripted | dead poets society ✓

11 | art of silence

     TODD ENJOYED THE AFTERNOON writing on his notes as he poured out his thoughts along with his heart and soul on the piece of paper in front of him. The birds chirped above him, and as if that gave him an idea, he smiles to himself.

     These past few days have been going so well for Todd as he started to remember how timid he was before. Now, he felt like he belonged in a group, he felt wanted, loved.

     Catching sight of the boy, Presley decides to approach him, upon realization that she hasn't really tried talking to the boy before. The soft afternoon breeze grazes Presley's skin as she clears her throat, gaining the boy's attention.

     Todd looks up at her with something between a shocked and caught expression. Not really knowing how to talk to the girl, he tried to think about a way how. "May I sit?" Presley asks, to which Todd responds with an awkward nod.

     "You don't have to feel foreign around me, Anderson, I don't bite." This makes Todd crack a smile. "Why are you sitting here by yourself? Where's Neil?"

     "I- if that's your way of asking me where he is, I won't answer." Todd finds himself joking as he turns to look at Presley. His stutter comes back since he wasn't really used to talking to Presley yet, the habit coming along naturally when faced with something new.

     "Really, now?" Presley gives him a challenging look, almost like a threat, which Todd found quite funny as he bursts out laughing. "I'm not looking for him, I'm actually hiding from him." The girl then proceeds to dramatically look around for and suspecting people as if she was indeed hiding, resulting in Todd to snort.

      "Why hide if he'll find you anyway?" Todd quirks up an eyebrow, finding it indeed easy to talk to Presley. To be honest, Todd thought she would be difficult and scary to talk to, but surprisingly, she wasn't.

     But then again, Todd knew nothing about her. Presley was about as closed off as a rock, unable to be cracked open, until force is applied, momentarily shattering her in the process.

     Presley replies with a shrug, turning to look look at the scene before them. "I guess — " Shaking her head, she refused to answer, settling on saying, "I don't know." Todd nods in understanding, knowing fully well that it was time to drop the subject.

     "I have problems, Todd." The boy whips his head towards her direction, as her eyes stayed fixated straight forward. "And I don't want Neil to find out about them. I don't know, I just don't want him to get too attached."

     "You don't wanna be a distraction?" Todd fills in for her, earning a hesitant nod of agreement from the girl. "Believe me, I know how you feel. His father basically controls his life, and thinks everyone that are not teachers that hang around Neil is a distraction."

     "His father is such a — " Presley trails off as she refuses to bad mouth the old man. Todd turned to look at her with an expectant look, hoping she would go on. "I'd rather not say it."

     Todd playfully rolls his eyes upon hearing this, shaking his head in the process. He watched as Presley's mind raced a thousand miles per hour, her eyebrows knit in concentration as she seemed to glare at the sun. "You might burn down something with your glower."

     "Meh. That'd be better." Presley smiles in Todd's direction, to which the boy responds with a confused look. "If the world would burst in flames before me, I would stand by and watch as everything combusts and turns to ash."

     "That's a weird way to spend your afternoon." Todd comments. "I don't really relish the idea of seeing everything spontaneously combust so I don't think that would become a hobby of mine in the near or far future."