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FAIRY
Either I mistake your shape and making quite, Or else you are
that shrewd and knavish sprite Call'd Robin Goodfellow:
PUCK
Thou speak'st aright; I am that merry wanderer of the night. I
jest to Oberon and make him smile When I a fat and bean-fed horse
beguile, Neighing in likeness of a filly foal: And sometime lurk
I in a gossip's bowl, In very likeness of a roasted crab, And
when she drinks, against her lips I bob And on her wither'd dewlap
pour the ale. The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,
CHARLIE
He's good. He's really good.
PUCK
Sometime for three-foot stool mistaketh me; Then slip I from her
bum, down topples she, And "tailor" cries, and
falls into a cough; And then the whole quire hold their hips and
laugh, And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear A merrier
hour was never wasted there. But, room, Fairy! here comes Oberon.
FAIRY
And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!
LYSANDER
Then by your side no bed-room me deny; For lying so, Hermia, I
do not lie
HERMIA
Lysander riddles very prettily: Now much beshrew my manners and
my pride, If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied. But, gentle friend,
for love and courtesy Lie further off; in human modesty, Such
separation as may well be said Becomes a virtuous bachelor and
a maid, and, good night, sweet friend: Thy love ne'er alter till
thy sweet life end!
LYSANDER
Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;
DIRECTOR
Neil. That's your cue, Neil. Come on, Neil. Here's your crown.
Let's go.
PUCK
If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream, Gentles,
do not reprehend: If you pardon, we will mend: And, as I am an
honest Puck, If we have unearned luck Now to 'scape the serpent's
tongue, We will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
CHARLIE
Yawp!
KNOX
Yeah, Neil!
MR. PERRY
Excuse me, I'm Neil's father. I need to see him.
DIRECTOR
Your father. He's-
MAN
What did you think? WO
MAN
Really I thought you were all just wonderful!
MR. PERRY
Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me.
CHARLIE
Neil, Neil, you were great.
NEIL
I can't, guys.
TODD
Neil! Neil!
KEATING
Neil. Neil. You have the gift. What a performance You left even
me speechless. You have to stay with-
MR. PERRY
Get in the car. Keating, you stay away from my son.
CHARLIE
Neil! Neil! Mr. Perry, come on.
KEATING
Don't make it any worse than it is.
CHARLIE
Is it okay if we walk back? Captain? Knox.
MR. PERRY
We're trying very hard to understand why it is that you insist
on defying us. Whatever the reason, we're not gonna let you ruin
your life. Tomorrow I'm withdrawing you from Welton and enrolling
you in Braden Military School. You're going to Harvard and you're
gonna be a doctor.
NEIL
But that's ten more years. Father, that's a lifetime!
MR. PERRY
Oh, stop it. Don't be so dramatic. You make it sound like a prison
term. You don't understand, Neil. You have opportunities that
I never even dreamt of and I am not going to let you waste them.
NEIL
I've got to tell you what I feel.
MRS. PERRY
We've been so worried about--
MR. PERRY
What? What? Tell me what you feel. What is it?
MR. PERRY
Is it more of this, this acting business? Because you can forget
that. What?
NEIL
Nothing.
MR. PERRY
Nothing. Well, then, let's go to bed.
NEIL
I was good. I was really good.
MRS. PERRY
Go on, get some sleep.
MR. PERRY
It's all right. It's going to be all right.
MR. PERRY
What was that?
MRS. PERRY
What?
MR. PERRY
That sound.
MRS. PERRY
What sound? Tom?
MRS. PERRY
What is it? What's wrong?
MR. PERRY
Neil.
MRS. PERRY
Tom, what is it? What's wrong? Neil?
MR. PERRY
Neil?
MRS. PERRY
I'll look outside. Neil?
MR. PERRY
No!
MR. PERRY
Oh, Neil! Oh, my God!
MRS. PERRY
Oh! No!
MR. PERRY
Oh, my son!
MRS. PERRY
He's all right.
MR. PERRY
My son! My poor son!
MRS. PERRY
He's all right! He's all right! He's all right! He's all right!
He's all right! He's all right!
MR. PERRY
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it.
CHARLIE
Todd? Todd.
TODD
Oh, Charlie.
TODD
What is it?
CHARLIE
Neil's dead.
TODD
It's so beautiful.
CHARLIE
Todd. It's okay, Todd.
PITTS
Calm down.
CHARLIE
It's all right, Todd.
PITTS
Todd, it's okay. It's okay, Todd.
CHARLIE
It's all right. Now, listen.
TODD
He wouldn't-- He wouldn't have done it.
MEEKS
You can't explain it, Todd.
TODD
It was his father!
CHARLIE
No!
TODD
He wouldn't have left us. If he knew-- He wouldn't have. His dad
was-- his, his father did it.
CHARLIE
Todd.
TODD
His father killed him.
MEEKS
You can't explain it, Todd.
MEEKS
Todd!
CHARLIE
Leave him be.
BOYS
All my life Thy light shall surely follow me And in God's house
forevermore My dwelling place shall be Amen
MR. NOLAN
The death of Neil Perry is a tragedy. He was a fine student. One
of Welton's best. And he will be missed. We've contacted each
of your parents to explain the situation. Naturally, they're all
quite concerned. At the request of Neil's family, I intend to
conduct a thorough inquiry into this matter. Your complete cooperation
is expected.
CHARLIE
You told him about this meeting?
PITTS
Twice.
CHARLIE
That's it, guys. We're all fried.
PITTS
How do you mean?
CHARLIE
Cameron's a fink. He's in Nolan's office right now, finking.
PITTS
About what?
CHARLIE
The club, Pissie. Think about it. The board of directors, the
trustees and Mr. Nolan. Do you think for one moment they're gonna
let this thing just blow over? Schools go down because of things
like this. They need a scapegoat.
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