𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐄 𝐃𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐑𝐄, c.d.

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

CHAPTER FOURTEEN | THE BLANKET
Mr. Keating slowly approached Todd's desk, the boy with his head in his hands, hoping he would walk past without a word.

"Mr. Anderson, I see you sitting there in agony. Come on, Todd, step up. Let's put you out of your misery." Cove had felt sorry for the boy who didn't seem to want to be in class in the first place.

"I didn't do it. I didn't write a poem." For the most part, the boy was telling the truth. He did write a poem, a beautiful one in fact. The boy was just too scared to speak out loud that he told Cove he was willing to receive a bad grade if it meant he didn't have to speak out loud.

"Mr. Anderson thinks that everything inside of him is worthless and embarrassing. Isn't that right, Todd? Isn't that your worst fear? Well, I think you're wrong. I think you have something inside of you that is worth a great deal." Mr. Keating walked up to the blackboard and began to write. "I sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world. W. W. Uncle Walt again. Now, for those of you who don't know, a yawp is a loud cry or yell." Todd sighed, trying to calm himself down as Mr. Keating continued on. "Now, Todd, I would like you to give us a demonstration of a barbaric "yawp." Come on. You can't yawp sitting down. Let's go. Come on. Up." Todd reluctantly stood up, following Mr. Keating to the front where he would be stared at by all of his classmates. "You gotta get in "yawping" stance." The Anderson boy looked at his teacher in confusion, his brows raised as he tried to look at everything but the eyes staring up at him.

"A yawp?"

"No, not just a yawp. A barbaric yawp." The timid boy quietly spoke, only for Mr. Keating to tell him to be louder.

"Yawp."

"No, that's a mouse. Come on. Louder." Todd yelled out louder, making the man grin. "Oh, good God, boy. Yell like a man!"

"Yawp!" Everyone's heads shot up, looking up at the boy, stunned and amazed by his sudden volume.

"There it is. You see, you have a barbarian in you, after all." Todd went to return to his seat but the older man quickly stopped him. "Now, you don't get away that easy." Mr. Keating turned Todd around, pointing out a picture on the wall. "The picture of Uncle Walt up there. What does he remind you of? Don't think. Answer. Go on." Mr. Keating slowly began to circle around Todd as he stuttered.

"A m-madman."

"What kind of madman? Don't think about it. Just answer again." Their teacher shook his head as Todd answered again. Mr. Keating huffed, telling the boy he could do better than a crazy madman. The older man told the blonde to free his mind and use his imagination.

"Uh, uh, a sweaty-toothed madman." Mr. Keating grinned as Cove and Charlie looked at each other in amusement in the back of the class. Every so often, Knox would turn around and say something about the poor boy in the front of the class.

"Good God, boy, there's a poet in you, after all. There, close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close 'em. Now, describe what you see." Mr. Keating put his hands over the blonde boys eyes, the two slowly beginning to spin around.

"Uh, this image floats beside me."

"A sweaty-toothed madman?"

"A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain." In the back of the class, Cove leaned forward on her desk, resting her head in her hand as she listened intently to her new friend.

"Oh, that's excellent. Now, give him action. Make him do something."

"His hands reach out and choke me." Their teacher nods with a grin, telling the boy in front of him that he was doing good. Mr. Keating removed his hands from Todd but the blonde kept his eyes closed. "And, and all the time he's mumbling. Mumbling, Truth. Truth is like, like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold." The students around Cove begin to laugh including Knox and Charlie. The girl grabbed two more pieces of paper and crumbling them up, tossing them at both of the boys heads. Todd suddenly opened his eyes before Mr. Keating quickly gestured for him to close them again.

"Forget them, forget them. Stay with the blanket. Tell me about that blanket."

"You push it, stretch it, it'll never be enough. You kick at it, beat it, it'll never cover any of us. From
the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it will just cover your face as you wail and cry and scream." Todd opened his eyes as the class sits scarily silent. Cove, along with the rest of the class begins to clap and cheer as Mr. Keating walked up to Todd, whispering to him.

"Don't you forget this."