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DRESS
(( — DEAD POETS SOCIETY — ))

—prologue: the fundamental beliefs of welton

LORAINE NOLAN sat in the rows of teachers, as the ceremony began. her father stepped into the middle of the stairs and began to speak, his voice echoing back from the walls.

she imagined the distaste that had probably already settled into charlie's features and had to hold back a giggle. her brother send her a disapproving look and she quickly looked down at her folded hands, that were resting in her lap.

overall she looked like she had been invented to an important event and not the back-to-school church service she was attending. the white dress, that had once belonged to her mother, was reaching down to her knees. it had short sleeves and was closed up to her neck. she felt like she was suffocating and she knew that she looked ridiculous, topping the whole outfit off with a hat that was twice as big as herself.

"gentlemen" her father spoke now "what are the four pillars?". rows of students stood up at the same time and answered in unison. "tradition, honor, discipline, excellence"

across the room, loraine caught the eyes of neil and eagerly smiled at him. she was about to raise her hand and wave, but the motion was caught by her brother, who gently moved her arm back to its original position, just shaking his head.

it wasn't to say that thomas and loraine did not get along. thomas was a good man, he was nice, but also strict and he was seven years older than his sister, dividing them even more. it was his ambition in life to scold her just as much as to be fond of her. in his eyes, she was only young and a girl, something she would grow out of eventually.. well, the first part at least.

neil rewarded her smile with a bright one of his own, nearly giggling at how ridiculous this ceremony was year and year again. neil and she had grown up together, knowing each other since they were children, as neil and his parents had lived right next to them, only a few feet between their windows. he and loraine went to the same preschool before they eventually both got into welton. loraine being the only official exception to the obvious gender rule there.

the students sat down again and nolan continued. "in her first year, welton academy graduated five students. last year, we graduated fifty—one. and more than seventy—five percent of those went on to the ivy league"

loraine pushed out her tongue at that in disgust. she couldn't imagine leaving a school full of boys, to go to a college full of boys. the last one not even forbidding girls.

"this kind of accomplishment is the result of fervent dedication to the principles taught here. this is why you parents have been sending us your sons. this is why we are the best preparatory school in the united states"

the room began to clap, while nolan nodded with pride. "as if proven the beliefs of this school, i have gone as far as to send my own children, to learn and grow within these halls. my son thomas graduated from harvard last year and came back to teach law until he eventually starts his career as a lawyer. my daughter loraine, the only girl who's ever studied at this school, is a prime example of elegance and restraint, which will one day give her the opportunity to marry a good man and become a great mother"

again the room began to clap, while thomas and loraine stood smiling at the crowd. internally loraine was screaming. thomas squeezed her arm as if he knew what was going on inside her, subtly telling her that it wasn't the place nor the time to discuss her future as a woman in a male dominated world.

he knew so much as that she had a very different opinion than her father. thomas didn't fully agree with her opinion, but he recognized her ambition and intelligence and felt sorry that wife and mother were all their father saw fit for her.

"as you know" nolan continued "our beloved mr portius of the english department retired last term. you will have the opportunity later to meet his replacement, mr john keating—" nolan turned around and gestured at a kind—looking man, who stood up at the mention of his name. loraine had seen him around once or twice before, as he had settled in a few days before the boys had arrived.

"—himself an honors graduate of this school. and who, for the past several years, has been teaching at the highly regarded chester school in london". once again the room applauded and keating sat down with a friendly nod.

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AFTER THE CEREMONY had ended, loraine stood next to her father and brother, saying goodbye to the leaving parents.

"what a lovely dress" mrs anderson, the mother of a former student complimented

"oh thank you, mrs anderson" loraine smiled "it belonged to my mother"

"you take after her, i notice the same beauty in your features, now that you've grown into a young woman" the woman held onto loraine's hands tenderly and smiled at the girl

"thank you" loraine smiled politely, just as her father and brother wrapped up the conversation they were having with mr anderson. the second son of the family stood awkwardly next to his mother, unsure where to look and catching loraine's eyes a few times.

she outstretched her hand "i'm loraine nolan" she said and waited for him to grab onto her hand. it took him a moment longer to react, but then he shook it.

"todd anderson" she could sense from his reluctant behavior, that he was quite shy and not outspoken.

"it's nice to meet you, todd" she smiled friendly "we're in the same year, so i'm sure we'll see each other again"

todd just nodded and went along with his family, exchanging a few last words with mr nolan and sending loraine a (what seemed to be, although it was quite hard to tell due to his almost neutral face) friendly smile.

"gale" mr perry shook both the hands of nolan and thomas and smiled at loraine. neil send her a playful grin, before he outstretched his hand, seemingly shaking hers, while he sneaked a note into her hand. her hand wandered back to the side of the dress, where she let the folded piece of paper slip into her pocket.

"hello mr nolan, thomas" neil greeted shaking both older men's hands.

"neil" nolan greeted "we expect great things from you this year"

"thank you sir" neil beamed

"well, he won't disappoint us" mr perry took a look at his son "right neil?"

"i'll do my best, sir" he answered and loraine had to hold herself back from rolling her eyes. her father could be insufferable at (many) times, but at least she never had to call him sir.

with another friendly nod, they both left the church.

loraine, who remembered the note, smiled at her father. "father?" she asked softly "would it be alright if i went up to my room? i think i'm getting a headache and i'd like to be presentable for dinner later"

in a world where most men thought of women as inferior and to put it plainly, stupid, the only real benefit was to use that to your advantage.

loraine's father didn't just believe her, because he thought she told the truth, but because she was a girl and girls weren't fit for misbehaving or breaking the rules. especially not the girl he had raised and who had over the years, acted so perfectly, you could not in a hundred years even assume she was lying.

"off you go, sweetheart" nolan smiled "get some rest. but be on time for dinner" mr nolan was strict with his children, but even though he had views his daughter would never agree with him on (not that she would openly discuss that ever) he did love them both. he was a man of his time and even though loraine could not forgive him for so wickedly robbing her of a future, she could at least see the good in him some times, if very rare times.

loraine nodded and pressed a kiss to her father's cheek. walking out of the church hall and into the building where her room was located.

due to the fact, that nolan thought it would be important to be as independent as possible, she was surprisingly allowed a room in the boy's rooms hallway, even if it was at the end and the only room that was so far off, it seemed like it wasn't even located in the same hallway anymore.

the only real advantage in playing the innocent and perfect little girl, was that nolan trusted her. never once in her life had she made a mistake, perfecting the art of lying and manipulating things to her advantage.

also, most of the boys in the school would do a lot of things just to spend time with her, even so much as declaring they had been responsible for a prank she had carried out. loraine thought it was rather sad, but in a world that would eventually catch up to her, she would play her cards as long as it was possible.

as long as she was the only girl in a school full of boys, she was free and alive. reality could have her soon enough, when she was eventually owned by marriage and motherhood.

but that day wasn't today, because loraine slipped her hand into the pocket of her skirt, clasping it around neil's note and taking out the very real proof that her life wasn't over yet.

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