The phone rings, a wailing klaxon in the silence of the office. He stares at the receiver for a second, then reaches a shaking hand out.

"Hello?"

"Neil is that you?"

"Todd?" he lets out a shuddery breath.

"Yes it's me, I" a laugh sounds down the line "I just wanted to tell you that you were amazing tonight,"

"Shouldn't you be in bed? You'll get caught"

"It doesn't matter, I needed to tell you. We're so proud of you. Carpe Diem!"

"My dad's not so pleased." he laughs, but it sounds mechanical to his ears.

"I'm sorry, it's crazy for me to be calling this late. I just felt the sudden need to- Don't worry about your dad, I'm sure that he'll come round. I mean, you were so great!-"

"Todd! You're rambling. Thanks though, that means a lot, but, He's not, He's never-" panic rushes up in his throat and there is silence down the tinny line as they both take a breath.

"Neil, are you okay?"

"Todd?" his words come as a strangled sob.

"Todd I'm holding a gun."

There's a long pause.

"Todd, are you still there?" his voice sounds desperate.

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Todd my dad won't come round. He's pulling me from school, forcing me to military school, then medical school. He's never gonna free me. I'm trapped for the next ten years! I'll never be free of him, I'm caged. He doesn't Fucking listen, I don't know what to do, I. I can't live like that!" He shivers violently, the cold frozen air in the house circling round him and his bare skin prickles.

"Neil! You don't have to do this. Neil! You hear me! Your father can't do that."

"He will"

"Neil, put down the gun and come to school. We can, we can- I don't know, but we'll think of something," He hears the words, that have an edge of hysteria to them, but the gun remains frozen in his hand. He raises it to his temple, hand now steady.

"Neil. Are you going to put down the gun?" Todd's voice cracks. He holds his breath, then lets it out in an even stream.

"No, I don't think so"

Todd gasps, full of anguish, and for a second, his hand shakes away from his head. They sit in silence for a minute, the snow outside rattles against the windows. Todd finally speaks.

"Neil, were you happy?"

He thinks of the pride in Mr Keating's face when he told him about the play, their meetings in the small, dingy cave with excitement and mystery at their fingertips, and Todd's small, secret smiles directed at only him, and an unexpected sob rattles his body.

"Yes, Todd, I was happy."

"Todd? Will you stay on the line?" He keeps his voice steady for him.

"Yes, Neil, I'll stay in the line."

With careful fingers, he places the phone down on the desk with a quiet clunk.

Todd leans his forehead against the cool metal of the phone booth. The gentle quiet of the night swells around him, the rumble of the clouds unfairly soothing, the snow settling on the ground with melancholic beauty, and no tears could fight their way out of his eyes.

The shot rang out through the speaker, a dull bang reverberating into his skull, and he lets the phone fall from his hand.