unscripted | dead poets society ✓

22 | a fiery soul she was

     "SHE'S WAKING UP!"

     Presley fluttered her eyes upon to the sound of frantic whispering somewhere near her. It takes some time before her vision adjusts itself, and when she does, she sees Neil staring down at her with concern etched on his features.

    "Shut up, guys."

    "Not too loud."

     "How are you feeling?" Presley had to blink twice to see if all this was real as she looks up at Neil, who looked so desperate as he asked her that question. The girl doesn't answer, and settles on sitting herself up, to which Neil quickly helps her.

     Her eyes focus on the scene in front of her. Mr. Keating together with the dead poets were standing on the edge of her bed. Her hospital bed. Knitting her eyebrows in confusion, she can't really remember what happened that she wound up here.

     "You're blonde now." Was the first thing that came out of Charlie's mouth. It didn't sound playful, or sardonic, or knowing. It sounded hollow, like an ocean with no water. Like a body without blood. Empty.

     Presley softly chuckles. "Why are you all here?" Her eyes turn to Neil, whose expression stayed the same as he carefully observed her facial expressions to see if something was bothering her.

     "Neil told us." Knox says, his voice cracking a little. "And Mr. Keating too." Only then did Presley turn to look at Mr. Keating who looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Honestly, all of them looked like they had zero sleep.

     "We'll talk later," Mr. Keating says. "I'll leave you guys with her." Was what he said before turning to exit the room. Presley noticed that Neil's eyes were bloodshot from crying, which made her so mad at herself.

     Why did she have to collapse in the middle of everything? Why did she have to be such a burden to these people? Why did they have to care so much? Too many questions yet so little time. "Are you gonna have surgery?" Meeks speaks up, sniffing in the process.

     "Relax, geez, its not like I'm going to die." Presley jokes bitterly, but all were silent, not even finding the joke a little bit funny.

     "Bad joke, Pres." Neil mutters under his breath. "Don't even joke about it."

     By now, Todd had tears streaming down his face. When Neil told them, he felt like he could gladly suffocate and wanted to take away her pain so that he would have it instead. But he knew it was impossible, so all he could do was watch. "Wh-why didn't you tell us sooner?" His voice cracks, and his heart shatters.

     Presley sent them a sad smile, as her chest tightens ever so slowly. "I had no idea I was going to leave a mark on all of you." She chuckles wryly, blinking away the tears that started to form in her eyes. "I'm sorry. This was what I was afraid of."

     Todd now understood why she tried to push everyone away. Why she was so mean, so cold. So closed up from the world and from other people. She didn't want people to get attached to her, because she knew she was going to hurt them if she leaves.

     "Elvis, I swear to god." Charlie's vision was clouded up by tears as he looks up to blink them away. "Don't you dare die." All Presley could do was smile. Before Welton, she thought she was going to be unhappy even after she leaves the world behind. But she was wrong.

     "I was just finally warming up to you." Pitts smiles bitterly, scoffing in the process. He wasn't that close to the girl, but when they heard she was taken to the hospital because she collapsed, he didn't know how to feel. "Why?"