Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jeffrey: Wanted to make sure you got my message last night. If you didn't, Mom and Dad are coming to Boston so you have to stay at Welton for spring break.

todd: why?

Jeffrey: They want to see me and meet Kaitlyn.

todd: who?

Jeffrey: Kaitlyn, you know, my girlfriend.

todd: i did not know.

Jeffrey: Well, Mom and Dad are spending the week with me in Boston. They just don't want to waste their time driving up to Vermont and then back down to Boston, you know?

todd: you mean they dont want to waste their time on the son they never wanted, got it.

Jeffrey: That's not what I said at all, Todd, and you know it. It's just not worth it to drive up to Welton just to turn around and come back down to Boston.

todd: its not worth it to see their own son and take him home for spring break, got it.

Jeffrey: Todd, stop being dramatic.

todd: why couldnt you stand up for me?

Jeffrey: I want them to meet my girlfriend, Todd. This has nothing to do with you.

todd: it has everything to do with me and you know it jeffrey.
todd: why did it have to be the one week i was supposed to come home for the break? they didnt pick me up for thanksgiving because they were visiting you. they didnt pick me up for christmas because they were visiting you. and now they wont pick me up for spring break because theyre visiting you.
todd: rather convenient of them to suddenly be available to visit you when they promised me i could come home.

Jeffrey: You're being ridiculous, Todd. You're acting like a child.

todd: I AM A CHILD, JEFFREY. THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
todd: what the hell kind of parents continuously abandon their child as often as mom and dad abandon me?
todd: im 16 years old and i cant drive. i cant come home on my own, and they refuse to pick me up to spend time with their precious little golden child instead.

Jeffrey: Get on a train or a plane, it's not that difficult.

todd: i have severe anxiety, i cant get on a plane or train alone. and i cant afford a ticket anyway because mom and dad stopped sending me allowance three months ago with zero explanation.
todd: whenever i go out with my friends and we eat, i cant pay for my own meals because i have no money. do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? they all know how wealthy our family is, yet they have to pay for me because i cant afford my own dinner because mom and dad cut me off for reasons unknown to me. i assume its because they forgot they even have another son.

Jeffrey: You're turning this into a whole issue for no reason.

todd: why dont you ever stand up for me, jeffrey? i wanted to go home for the break. i wanted to switch out some of my books because i already read them all three times through because i planned to switch them out over christmas break. i wanted to switch out some of my thick sweaters with lighter clothes for the spring. what am i supposed to do now?

Jeffrey: Suck it up, Todd. You can't always get what you want.

todd: all i want is a family who loves me.

Jeffrey: Well, you're certainly not getting it here with an attitude like this.

todd: fuck you asshole.

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John Keating had been enjoying his quiet morning so far. He’d woken up in George’s arms (his favorite way to wake up) and they’d spent some time lazily trading kisses as the sun began to stream through the curtains. Eventually, John had to go back downstairs to his own room to get ready for the day of teaching he had ahead of him. He put on some khakis and a red sweater before making himself a cup of coffee.

He’d been sitting on his small couch sipping his coffee when the knock on his door came.

Curiously, he placed his coffee mug on the small table in front of him and made his way to the door, wondering who would be knocking so early. He knew it wasn’t George, as George never knocked anymore. But who else would be paying him a visit an hour before breakfast?

He pulled the door open, surprised to see Neil and Todd there; Neil in his Welton uniform and hair neatly combed, and Todd in his pajamas and robe. Neil had a worried expression on his face as he kept an arm firmly wrapped around Todd’s back. Todd’s eyes looked glossed over with tears, but his face was blank. John noticed that Todd’s body seemed to be trembling.

“Boys, what’s wrong?” He asked as he stepped back, letting them into the room.

Neil guided Todd inside and sat him down on the couch before walking back over to John, who had shut the door.

“He woke up while I was in the shower. When I got back to our room, he was just staring blankly at the wall. He hasn’t said a single word so far today. I don’t know if something happened or what. But I’m scared. I’ve never seen him like this. I didn’t know what to do, so I brought him here,” Neil explained, keeping his voice low so Todd wouldn’t hear it.

John nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a guttural scream. John and Neil’s heads whipped to where Todd was sitting. The boy in question was hunched over, resting his elbows on his knees as his hands came up over his ears and tugged at his hair. Loud sobs wracked Todd’s body as he began to rock himself back and forth.

John and Neil jumped into action, rushing over to Todd. Neil sat down next to Todd and softly pulled his hands from his hair to stop him from hurting himself. Neil held Todd’s hands tightly in his own as Todd continued to wail. John knelt in front of Todd, placing a gentle hand on the distraught boy’s knee.

“Todd, baby, what’s wrong?” Neil asked, trying to keep the fear from his voice.

“They hate me,” Todd blurted out through his quick breaths. “They hate me. They hate me. They hate me.”

Todd kept repeating those words like a broken record as he continued to rock, and that’s when it clicked for Neil and John; Todd must have been talking about his family.

“Neil, do you know if he has his phone with him?” John asked over Todd’s mumbling.

Neil seemed startled by the question. “Uh, no? I don’t think so. I think it was on his bed.”

“Could you go grab it? Somebody must have called or texted him,” John said. When he saw how hesitant Neil looked to leave Todd, he continued. “I’ll take care of Todd, don’t worry.”

After a minute, Neil finally nodded. He pressed a kiss to the back of Todd’s hand before standing up and leaving the room. John took Neil’s place on the couch and wrapped his arms around Todd’s shaking form, careful not to startle him. He pulled Todd against his chest and held him tightly, trying to stop Todd’s movements so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

Todd seemed to snap out of his trance and twisted himself in John’s arms, sobbing into John’s shoulder as his hands gripped the back of his sweater tightly. John held the boy close, rubbing his back to try to soothe him as he cried.

“They hate me, Daddy, they don’t love me,” Todd choked out, his voice muffled by John’s sweater. “I’m worthless to them.”

“Oh, Todd,” John said, his heart breaking for the boy in his arms. “You are not worthless, buddy, you’re not. Shh.”

“I am, I am, they hate me,” Todd cried. “I’m not good, good enough for them. They don’t, they don’t wanna see me. They h-hate me!” As Todd spoke, he was starting to get more hysterical, his words coming out as sobs and his voice cracking.

John leaned back and took Todd’s face in his hands, lifting his head to look him in the eyes. Poor Todd's eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks were flushed, and rivers of tears flowed down his face. John used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away some of Todd’s tears.

“You are an incredible young man, Todd. You’re more than enough. You’re not worthless,” John said, looking intensely into the boy’s eyes to try to get through to him.

“I am,” Todd whimpered, his voice cracking. “I mean nothing to them.”

It was clear to John that Todd was far too upset to talk things through right now. John simply pressed a fatherly kiss onto Todd’s forehead and pulled him back into a hug. He sat there with Todd, letting him get his emotions out, as he waited for Neil to return with Todd’s phone so they could figure out what was going on.

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Mr. Keating: Good morning, Arthur. Is there any way you could get some of the other teachers to cover my classes today?

Dr. Hager: I absolutely can, yes. Are you ill?

Mr. Keating: No, I'm fine. I just have a student with me who is in absolutely no condition to go to class or be alone right now. I need to be here for him right now.

Dr. Hager: Of course, I understand. May I ask which student so I can have him excused from class for the day?

Mr. Keating: Todd Anderson. Something happened with his family and he's extremely upset, I can't leave him like this.

Dr. Hager: I'll send an email to his teachers. Thank you for letting me know. I'll have your classes taken care of as well.

Mr. Keating: Thank you. I also need you to update the list of students who will be staying over the break to include Todd.

Dr. Hager: Oh, I see. You know, Jeffrey was a stellar student, but I never liked him or his parents very much as people. Nolan adored them, but I always had a bad feeling about them.

Mr. Keating: Yeah, they just broke the news that Todd can't go home for the break anymore and it turned into a huge argument with his brother. That's why he won't be in his classes.

Dr. Hager: Poor boy. I'll add him to the list for spring break. Everything will be taken care of.

Mr. Keating: Thank you, Arthur.

Dr. Hager: Thank you, John, for looking out for your students. Welton Academy is incredibly lucky to have you here.

Mr. Keating: I'm the lucky one.

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charlie: @neil where are you
charlie: im texting this chat cause im assuming something happened since you came running up to the dorms before breakfast to get todds phone

knox: and now neither of you are in chemistry!!!

meeks: wait whats happening?

pitts: i thought you were asleep steven

meeks: just woke up a few minutes ago, whats going on?

cam: neil and todd both missed breakfast and arent in chemistry rn

charlie: how are you feeling meeks!

cam: MEEKS

meeks: getting better! i think ill still have to take a day off tomorrow, but i should be able to come back to class on friday

charlie: YAY MEEKS

knox: YAY

cam: thats good!!!!

neil: hey guys sorry

pitts: NEIL

meeks: neil whats happening

cam: whats going on pal?

neil: shit kind of hit the fan this morning

knox: what happened?

charlie: is todd okay?

neil: so basically todd woke up from a message from his asshole brother saying that their parents arent coming to take him home for spring break anymore
neil: todd and jeffrey got into a huge argument. todd was upset that jeffrey never stands up him, but jeffrey is so self centered that he cant see past his own nose. and it basically ended with jeffrey telling todd their family would never love him

meeks: WHAT

charlie: holy fuck

cam: oh my god????

pitts: what the actual fuck

knox: is todd okay??????????

neil: he blocked jeffrey but didnt delete the chat yet which is how i could see the messages, and thank god too because todd wasnt talking at first
neil: i brought him to keatings room around 7ish and todd had a huge,,, idek if it was a meltdown or a mental breakdown but whatever it was, it was bad
neil: hes practically glued to dads side now, and hes got an iron grip on my hand
neil: but he was in no state to go to class today which is why hes not there, and im not there because i need to be with him right now

meeks: poor todd omfg
meeks: do you guys need anything? im still in my dorm, so if he needs anything lmk and i can run it down to keatings room

neil: thanks meeks, we'll be okay for now i think

charlie: did todd say anything about his brother?

neil: when he first started falling apart he was mumbling that his family hates him and that hes worthless and not good enough, but hes in the middle of verbal shutdown right now so we arent pushing him to try to communicate with us, we're honestly trying to get him to fall asleep so we can talk about it without upsetting him, and then later when hes more calm we'll try to talk to him, and if he wants to write or text instead of talk, then thats fine

pitts: poor kid holy shit
pitts: is there anything we can do for you guys?

cam: neil do our teachers know you wont be in class?

neil: dad said george was going to take care of it, so they should know

cam: you guys told george whats going on too then, yeah?

neil: yeah he came down to get dad for breakfast and walked in on todd literally screaming

knox: nooooo toddy :(

charlie: can we murder his family for him

meeks: i fully support this idea

pitts: same here

knox: im in

cam: me too

neil: i wish guys, i WISH
neil: for now though todd is top priority, so no me or keating today
neil: george is taking over our class for keating later again

pitts: send todd our love please

meeks: yes please let him know we all love him very much

charlie: take care of our todderson

knox: let him know hes worth the world to us

cam: and that he will always be enough for us

neil: i will guys, thank you
neil: see you when i see you

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pitts: hey babe :)

meeks: pittsie <3

pitts: how are you doing upstairs? feeling any better? need anything?

meeks: my appetite is starting to come back and the coughing doesnt hurt as much as it did yesterday

pitts: YAY THATS GREAT
pitts: lunch is next period, do you want me to grab us lunch and ill come upstairs and eat with you?

meeks: that would be lovely :)
meeks: ive been missing you this morning

pitts: ive missed you too
pitts: i had no ones hand to hold while i was walking from latin to trig :(

meeks: babe you know charlie wouldve jumped at the opportunity to hold your hand
meeks: they love physical affection

pitts: yeah well charlies hands arent your hands

meeks: babe???
meeks: that was lowkey so romantic???

pitts: their hands are bigger than yours and i know i wouldve blurted that out and they probably wouldve made a dozen inappropriate jokes about it

meeks: and there goes the romance

pitts: LMFAO SORRY BABE

meeks: have you heard from neil or todd since chem?

pitts: no :/
pitts: george pulled us all aside before we went to trig and told us that keating let him know todd was asleep and that he and neil were going to talk
pitts: but thats all we know

meeks: god
meeks: i hope todd will be okay :(
meeks: i hate his family so much
meeks: todd is one of the best people ive ever met, and they dont even see that. they just see hes not his brother and they hate him because of it
meeks: he deserves so much better

pitts: well luckily he has all of us
pitts: we would all literally die and kill for him
pitts: and he wont be alone next week because neil and charlie are staying over the break too
pitts: maybe we could all do a group zoom call or something halfway through break to cheer him up

meeks: i really like that idea
meeks: we could plan it all and then surprise todd, im sure that'll lift his spirits :)

pitts: ill talk to the other guys about it while we walk to lunch and then ill lyk what they say when i come upstairs

meeks: thanks babe :)

pitts: i love you stevie

meeks: i love you too ger
meeks: now get back to your trig work so hager doesnt get mad at you for being on your phone

pitts: he literally saw me texting and said
pitts: "texting mr meeks? how is he feeling?"
pitts: he literally does not give a shit about me being on my phone

meeks: hager turning into a softie was not on my bingo card

pitts: ikr im gagged lowkey

meeks: highkey!!!

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charlie: how goes it?

neil: it goes
neil: it certainly goes

charlie: hows our precious todderson?

neil: still asleep, hes been out for a couple hours now and im guessing he'll be out for a couple more
neil: it was a really bad breakdown this morning so hes pretty drained

charlie: :(
charlie: did you and keating talk?

neil: yes, so todds staying for spring break, so we're gonna try to plan some fun stuff for next week to make sure hes having a good time, so if you have any suggestions let me know
neil: todd really liked the museum we did the class trip to, so we're trying to find some places like it a little closer to here
neil: i already told dad you and me wanna go bowling one day so we were thinking maybe the five of us could make a whole day of it. we could go to the bookstore, get lunch, maybe we could go to the park for a little while, and then we could do bowling and snacks, and then come back home and do a movie night?

charlie: i love that idea!! and theres a really cool sculpture park a few towns over we could go to, ive been there before, todd would LOVE it
charlie: i know a few other museums and exhibitions in the surrounding towns too

neil: if you could put a list together for us to go through with todd that would be amazing
neil: we want to make spring break memorable and exciting for him so he doesnt look back on it and only remember the fight with his brother and the disappointment from his parents, you know?

charlie: absolutely! ill get to researching during history class
charlie: we'll make next week the best week of todds life, i promise

neil: thank you charlie <3

charlie: now on a more serious note, what are we going to do about todds family? obviously you and keating and probably george are the only ones who read the fully conversation with jeffrey, but from what you told us earlier, its bad
charlie: what is he supposed to do over the summer?

neil: we're just waiting for george to get here and we're gonna talk through some options
neil: me and dad really only talked about the extent of what todds family puts him through
neil: i was filling in a few gaps for dad bc todd didnt mention some things to him that he has mentioned to me

charlie: update us later, will ya?

neil: of course
neil: seriously, thank you charlie
neil: tell the others thank you as well please

charlie: of course man, we've got your backs

neil: i love you charlie, youre the best friend i couldve ever asked for

charlie: right back at you neil :)

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George: I hope you don't mind, I just gave the juniors a free period.

John: That's fine, I was going to do the same anyway. I didn't like the lesson I had planned. We've already done something similar with another poem.

George: You're allowed to repeat lessons, John. Everyone does it.

John: That's boring! I can't become a boring teacher!

George: Darling, I would describe you as many different things. Boring is not one of them.

John: You're too good to me.

George: How's Todd? Still asleep?

John: No, he woke up about 10 minutes ago. He's cuddling with Neil. He's still in the process of waking up, so we don't want to bombard him with questions right now. We're going to give him a little while to gather his thoughts. And then if he wants to talk or write about it, we're here to listen or read.

George: John, we cannot let him go back home for the summer. After everything he's told us and what Neil told us earlier, it's not safe for him to go back there.

John: I know. But I don't know what to do. My first instinct would be legal guardianship, but I don't have space in my apartment for two kids. I would take him in in a heartbeat, but realistically, it's not possible given my living situation.

George: John, I'm going to say something crazy.

John: What?

George: Move in with me.

George: "John—"

John: "What the fuck?"

George: "I'm serious. I have a three-bedroom house, it's perfect for a family of four."

John: "What the hell are you saying, George?"

George: "Move in with me. You'll stay in my room, and Neil can take the guest room. The third room is my office, but we could turn it into a room for Todd, or we can let him and Neil share."

John: "We can't take Todd for the summer without his parents' permission, George."

George: "Which is why I'm going to call them and ask them if I could file for guardianship of Todd."

John: "Are you serious?"

George: "As a heart attack."

John: "And you know his parents will say yes because they'd do anything just to get rid of him."

George: "Please tell me you didn't just say that in front of him."

John: "Oh, God, no. I stepped into the hallway."

George: "Okay, good. So... what do you say about all of this?"

John: "I say I feel a bit like Miss Honey from Matilda."

George: "Yes, that's a good comparison. So, will you move in with me? You and Neil, and hopefully Todd?"

John: "Absolutely, George. Call the lawyer after school to start the process with Todd, and then call the Andersons. If Todd agrees, of course. And you're sure you're okay with this?"

George: "Darling, I wouldn't be suggesting it if I wasn't okay with it."

John: "Okay... okay. Okay."

George: "Are you alright?"

John: "Yeah, it's just... It's a lot. And I feel horrible for the kids. But it's the only way to keep them safe. And with Todd particularly, we can't let him go back to that house. With what he and Neil have mentioned about the physical abuse... he can't go back."

George: "I know. And we'll have to tread lightly, because if we piss off his parents, they'll sue us for everything we have. They're extremely wealthy. And you know how Todd is with big changes, so we'll have to take things slowly with him so he has time to adjust."

John: "Come to my room after class ends and we'll talk everything through with the boys, yeah?"

George: "I will. And John?"

John: "Yeah?"

George: "We've got this."

John: "We do."

George: "Alright, I've got to get back to supervising your class. I'll see you in a bit. I love you."

John: "I love you, too."

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cam: MEEKS!

meeks: CAM!

cam: up for a visitor?

meeks: for you cam, always!!!
meeks: ik pitts just went to go with knox to work their chem project, so im lonelyyyyyyy

cam: wanna watch a movie or something? i dont feel like doing my hw rn lol

meeks: omg yes!!!! can we watch fantastic mr fox its my comfort movie

cam: when we did movie night with that movie i LOVED IT

meeks: AND IM SO GLAD YOU DID ITS A GREAT MOVIE

cam: some might even call it a fantastic movie

meeks: god you sound like gerard

cam: HAHAHAHA
cam: let me get out of my uniform and into something more comfy and ill be right there

meeks: YAY

cam: is there anything you need before i come over?

meeks: no im okay, pittsie got me some more water before he went to see knox so im all set

cam: ok good
cam: then ill be over in a sec

meeks: YAY

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neil: chat i have an update

meeks: hang on lemme pause my movie

charlie: what movie and how far in are you

meeks: fantastic mr fox and we only have like 20 minutes left

charlie: whos we

meeks: me and cam

charlie: ofc the gingers are watching the fox movie

cam: i am insulted

pitts: im here neil

knox: so am i
knox: whats the sitch?

pitts: kim possible ahh question

knox: stfu

charlie: kim possible, another ginger

cam: bruh

neil: GUYS
neil: george is gonna file for legal guardianship of todd

charlie: WHAT

meeks: OH MY GOD

pitts: WHAT

cam: WHAT

knox: WHAT IS HAPPENING

charlie: DETAILS

neil: dad and george weren't comfortable with the idea of todd eventually having to go back home for the summer, so theyre gonna fix it
neil: and then if things go our way, me, todd, and dad are gonna move in with george after the school year ends
neil: george is on the phone with our lawyer rn, and after dinner hes gonna call the andersons

charlie: this feels like straight out of a movie

meeks: matilda!

pitts: YEAH OMG

cam: hows todd feel about all of it?

neil: hes still really upset about this morning, and understandably so. after george and dad proposed their plan, todd just started crying because he felt like he was burdening dad and george, but after we calmed him down and talked through everything, hes on board with it all
neil: todd is afraid of his dad, so he doesnt want to go home. he really only wanted to go home for the break to switch out his books and clothes, and his mom had promised him after christmas they would get him for spring break, but they changed their plans to go see jeffrey instead, and thats why todd was so upset
neil: and then jeffrey is just king of the assholes so naturally he only made things worse
neil: you guys know todd is the sweetest person alive and he wouldnt hurt a fly because he has so much love in his heart, but he looked me in the eye and said "i hate my family, i really really hate them"
neil: i have never heard him speak that way before so i knew he was serious.
neil: so we're gonna get him out of there
neil: hes just gonna need a lot of support, you know?

knox: well duh neil, we're not just gonna ignore him
knox: we LOVE todd, hes our little brother

charlie: we're all here for him

meeks: and you know my father is similar to todds, so let him know that if he ever wants to talk about it, he can always come to me

cam: and i get the whole living up to impossible expectations thing, so he can talk to me too

pitts: neil please make sure he knows we all love him so much

neil: thanks guys, i will
neil: uh hang on

pitts: ???

meeks: whats wrong?

cam: neil where did you go

charlie: neil?

knox: uh????

neil: im sorry
neil: todd just threw up
neil: his anxiety gets really bad you know how it is

meeks: oh no :( is he alright

knox: aww :(

charlie: i hate this for him

neil: he'll be alright, he just needs to get it out of his system
neil: we wont be at dinner though

pitts: dude thats fine, dont even worry about that right now

cam: just focus on todd, we'll be fine

neil: thanks for being so understanding today, i know its probably been a weird day for you guys

charlie: neil how many times do we have to tell you that we're your FRIENDS
charlie: we LOVE you
charlie: we would literally DIE for you
charlie: you do not have to thank us for caring about you guys! its what friends are for!

meeks: I SECOND THAT!

cam: I THIRD IT

pitts: I FOURTH IT

knox: I FIFTH IT

neil: i love you guys :,)

knox: WE LOVE YOU TOO

cam: WE LOVE YOU BOTH

meeks: AND TELL TODDY WE LOVE HIM

charlie: WE LOVE NEIL AND TODD

pitts: SO SO MUCH!!

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Doug: "Anderson residence, Doug speaking."

George: "Hello, Mr. Anderson. This is George McAllister from Welton Academy calling."

Doug: "Ah, Mr. McAllister! You were always one of Jeffrey's favorite teachers. What can I do for you?"

George: "I was wondering if I could speak with both you and your wife, regarding Todd."

Doug: "Todd?"

George: "Yes, Todd. You know, your son."

Doug: "You ought to watch your tone with me, McAllister. But fine, I'll get the wife."

George: "Thank you."

(There is a pause as Doug goes to find Judy)

Judy: "Hello, Mr. McAllister. Doug said you called."

George: "Yes, I wanted to speak with you both about Todd."

Doug: "Is it about his grade? I saw he got a 93% on his last Latin quiz. Truly a disappointment."

Judy: "He'd better be studying right now. Jeffrey never got 93s."

George: "Actually, I was calling to ask if I could file for legal guardianship of Todd."

Judy: "Excuse me?"

Doug: "What the hell are you playing at?"

George: "I want to file for legal guardianship of Todd. I've already had a long talk with him, and this is what he wants."

Doug: "If this is him trying to victimize himself after saying such vile things to our Jeffrey, so help me—"

George: "That is exactly why I want to take him in. You don't love him. You don't care about him. You constantly cut him down and make him feel ashamed of himself for simply existing. He has severe anxiety and depression that you ignore, and you don't advocate for him when he tries to express his needs in regards to him being autistic. And I know you've hit that child more than once, that you lock him out of the house when he doesn't score as high as Jeffrey would have, and that you don't let him eat when he doesn't do what you want him to. I refuse to let him back into your home at the end of the school year because it is not a safe environment for him to be in."

Judy: "What, so you're just going to adopt him? You actually want him? He's an incredibly high maintenance child, you know."

George: "Is it that hard to believe that people actually love your son? Just because you don't love him, doesn't mean everyone else hates him, too."

Doug: "Fine, just take him. We never wanted another kid anyways. You can pick up some of his belongings at the end of the school year. Is there anything we need to do regarding paperwork?"

George: "...Uh, well, I'll have to, uh, double check with my lawyer on that."

Judy: "Please do. Email my husband should anything come up."

George: "I just have one request."

Doug: "What is it?"

George: "I cannot afford to send him to college. I can't even afford to keep him enrolled at Welton next year."

Doug: "Shoot me an email, we'll sort out funding for him. Will that be all?"

George: "Yes, thank you."

Judy: "Have a good night, Mr. McAllister."

George: "You as well."

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knox: hey baby you wanna come hang out before lights out!!!

charlie: always!!!
charlie: you wanna watch funny cat videos?

knox: sure id love to!!!

charlie: excellent
charlie: lemme get my #jammies on and ill be right over :P

knox: STOP SAYING JAMMIES
knox: ITS EITHER PAJAMAS OR PJS
knox: NEVER JAMMIES

charlie: pajammies

knox: you disgust me

charlie: as i should!

knox: im literally on my knees begging you to stop saying jammies and pajammies

charlie: on your knees, you say? ;)

knox: NOT LIKE THAT
knox: get your head out of the gutter

charlie: which head?

knox: CHARLIE OH MY GOD

charlie: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

knox: I HATE YOU

charlie: its called keeping you on your toes!

knox: whatever! just get changed and come here for cuddles!

charlie: alright lemme get my pajammies

knox: i cant stand you

charlie: thats why you love me though

knox: yeah i do love you

charlie: :D

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neil: hey meeks, how are you feeling? i wanted to check in earlier, but its been a crazy day

meeks: all good, neil! no worries!
meeks: ill probably stay out of classes again tomorrow just to be safe, but im starting to feel better which is good :)

neil: thats great! you think youll be okay for the surprise party on saturday?

meeks: oh definitely!! i should be fine to go back to class on friday, so ill definitely be fine for keatings party, dont worry

neil: YAY
neil: we'd all be so sad if you couldnt come

meeks: luckily that wont be an issue!!!!!

neil: good!!!!

meeks: and how is neil today

neil: neils tired and feels horrible for his boyfriend

meeks: wanna talk about anything?

neil: no, im okay right now
neil: my brain is all jumbled up, i think i need to sleep on my thoughts and sort them out tomorrow before i talk about it yk
neil: thanks though meeks

meeks: of course, and i get it
meeks: i get like that too sometimes
meeks: no point in trying to explain your feelings when you dont fully understand them yourself

neil: exactly
neil: youre a real pal steven meeks

meeks: stop i love you neil

neil: i love you too meeksie

meeks: oh and send todd my love!

neil: of course!

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charlie: neil give todd a goodnight hug from me

pitts: me too me too!!

neil: *sent a photo: Todd is in his bed, curled on his side. His eyes are half shut, indicating that he's nearly asleep. He's still wearing his pajamas from the morning, but not the robe. Keating sits on the floor near Todd's head with a hand in Todd's hair, and George sits on the edge of the bed rubbing Todd's back.*
neil: dont worry guys, todd is surrounded by love rn

meeks: awwwwww

cam: i thought i heard the two of them up here
cam: theyre such good parents for you guys

knox: STOP THATS SO CUTE NEIL

neil: theyre trying to get him to sleep, he was a little on edge about having to leave them, so they offered to come sit with him until he falls asleep

pitts: thats so sweet :(

charlie: do you guys need anything?

neil: no we're okay, thanks though charlie :)

cam: try to sleep tonight neil, dont stay up all night worrying

neil: :0

knox: hes right neil, try to get some rest
knox: you could use it pal

pitts: i second that
pitts: you did a great job taking care of todd today, now take care of youself and get some sleep

neil: i will dont worry
neil: im just waiting for toddy to fall asleep so i can climb in bed behind him :)
neil: but i promise i will sleep!

meeks: good!!!
meeks: night neil :)

pitts: night all!

charlie: goodnight my fellow poets i love you all

cam: goodnight, love you guys

knox: night everyone :)

neil: goodnight friends <3

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neil: thank you dad

Mr. Keating: Always, son.

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neil: thank you george, seriously

George: You don't have to thank me, Neil.

neil: youre saving him, you know
neil: after today, i honestly dont know if he wouldve been able to survive the summer at home
neil: youre saving him

George: I will always take care of him, Neil. Me and your dad both will. And I know you will too, as well as all of your friends. We've all got Todd's back.
George: We'll keep him safe.

neil: i know, but still
neil: thank you

George: Of course.
George: Get some sleep, and if you need anything during the night, text one of us.

neil: i will :)
neil: night george

George: Goodnight, Neil.