CHAPTER FIVE!
( WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF? )

   YOU, VIOLET, AND the boys sat in the library. You were seated in the back, nearly pressed up against on of the wooden bookshelves. A map of Welton and the surrounding area was laid out in front of you on the table.

"Okay, follow the stream to the waterfall. It's right there. It's got to be on the banks," Neil whispered as he pointed out the directions.

"I don't know, it's starting to sound dangerous," Cameron said.

You rolled your eyes. It had been funny before, but Cameron was really getting annoying. Everything was about merits and grades to him.

"Why don't you stay home?" Charlie retorted.

"For God's sake will you stop chattering and sit down!" Mr McAllister called from the front of the library.

You all turned your eyes back to your own papers, which in all honesty were just decoys in case the supervisor decided to walk past your table. Neil was the only one who didn't listen, instead he walked away from your table and sat down next to Todd, who was all alone. You smiled, Todd wasn't completely forgotten after all.

"Neil, Neil!" You heard Todd plead. You looked up to see Neil walking back over.

"Guys, Todd doesn't want to read. That's alright with you guys, right?" he asked, but his tone implied that it wasn't really a question. Whatever you said, it was clear that Todd was coming, and he wasn't going to read.

"Yeah, sure."

"Of course."

"Yep."

"Perfect," Neil nodded.

"Wait, we need snacks," you stated.

"Yes! Great idea Y/N. Everyone bring whatever you got. Oh, and don't forget smokes," Charlie smirked, whispering that last part more softly.

❦

Later that night, you and Violet were sitting anxiously by your door. Neil told you to go outside of the backdoor of Welton after your hall monitor had went to bed. You both sat in silence, listening closely to the soft footsteps of Mrs. Benson pacing back and forth in the hall. Suddenly they ceased and you heard a door click. You waited a few more moments out of caution. You nodded to Violet and she grinned, unlatching your door slowly. The two of you slipped out of your room, pulling your hoods over your heads. You crept down the stairs, praying desperately that they wouldn't creak. To your relief, you made it down without any problems.

The crisp air played on your cheeks, sending a shiver down your spine as you stepped into the night. Violet looked around cautiously before turning back to you with an exhilarated twinkle in her eye. She held up her hand for a high five. Silently, your hands met in triumph.

"Hey!"

You jumped and turned to see Charlie's face only centimetres away from your own.

"Don't do that! You scared me," you whisper-shouted. You were thankful that the darkness covered your blush.

"Oh come on, don't be so jumpy. We're all gonna be fine," he grinned. You let out a breath and nodded, giving in to his lighthearted charm.

Seconds later the rest of the group appeared.

"Let's go," Neil lead the pack off into the woods. You all trudged through the forest, one by one you turned on your flashlights.

You all searched for the cave, splitting up into smaller groups. The woods felt a little creepy, but not worse than Welton school grounds. You'd take a wolf over Mr. Nolan any day.

The wind howled and the trees rattled. You walked next to Violet and Meeks, parting from the main trail. You felt goosebumps rise on your neck as you walked into the dark tangle of trees.

"Arrr, I'm a dead poet!" Charlie shouted, popping up in front of you, Violet, and Meeks out of nowhere.

Someone screamed, and Charlie started laughing hysterically. "Guys, over here!" he called.

"Dammit, Charlie I told you not to do that!" Your own facial expression betrayed your stern tone as you smiled.

"Come on, I told ya there's nothing to worry about."

"You're funny. You're real funny," Meeks said, recovering his composure. You looked over to see that Violet was clutching Meeks' hand. She quickly let go and sheepishly stepped towards you. Your gaze moved to Charlie and you saw that he had noticed too. He grinned at you and then at Meeks.

"Good going pal," Charlie teased. Before Meeks could say anything Charlie hopped down into the cave. "You coming or not?"

You all gathered in the damp cave. Meeks sat in the centre, trying to start a fire. All he was really doing was filling the cave with smoke.

"It's too wet," he concluded.

"God, Meeks, are you trying to smoke us out of here?" Charlie complained.

"No, no, the smoke's going through this opening," Meeks pointed upwards.

"You sure about that?" Violet said, coughing.

"Maybe not," Meeks looked down at his attempts.

A yell split through the cave as Pitts tried to stand up, hitting his head on the low rock ceiling. Everyone started laughing as he rubbed his head.

"You alright?" Violet asked, seemingly the only person who didn't find this funny.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he groaned. "Oh god. Clowns."

"All right, forget the fire. Let's go!" Neil announced. Soon enough the smoke settled and everyone got comfortable, or as comfortable as one can in a cold, wet cave.

Neil stood up with the book in his hand, taking a drag from the cigarette that Charlie handed him.

"I hereby reconvene the Dead Poets Society," he stated professionally. Cheers broke out around him and you clapped loudly. Charlie dragged on his loud cheering longer than the rest. "Dalton, shut up," Neil said.

"Welton chapter. The meetings will be conducted by myself and the other new initiates now present. Todd Anderson, because he prefers not to read, will keep minutes of the meetings. I'll now read the traditional opening message by society member Henry David Thoreau. 'I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.'" he read.

"I'll second that!" Charlie cheered, bringing his cig up to his lips.

Neil continued, "To put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived." Silence was then unbroken except for a few low whistles in reaction to the poem.

"And Keating's marked a bunch of other pages."

"Alright, intermission. Dig deep right here. Right here, lay it down," Charlie exclaimed.

"On the mud? We're gonna put our food on the mud?" Cameron asked, disgusted.

"Meeks, put your coat down. Picnic blanket," Charlie said.

"Yes, sir. Use Meek's coat," Meeks muttered, but nevertheless removed his coat.

"Wait, we can use mine," Violet offered.

Meeks smiled at her but continued putting his coat down. "It's alright, what's a little mud anyway?"

She smiled back at him and began to empty her pockets.

"Don't keep anything back either. You guys are always bumming my smokes," Charlie added.

"Raisins?" Neil asked.

"Yuck."

"Wait a minute, who gave us half a roll?" Charlie said, looking around.

Beside you Pitts confessed with a full mouth, "I'm eating the other half."

"Come on," Charlie groaned.

"You want me to put it back?"

"No!" you interjected. "Definitely keep that."

"Hey, how about some scary stories!" Charlie suggested, staring at you.

"Honestly Charlie, quit trying to scare me," you narrowed your eyes at him. He just laughed.

"Whatcha so afraid of anyway? The dark?"

"No! Nothing. Never mind lets hear one," you said. Charlie handed you his cigarette and you took a drag before handing it back to him with a small smile.

"Oh I've got a good one," Neil smiled. "It was a dark and rainy night, and this old lady, who had a passion for jigsaw puzzles, sat by herself in her house at her table to complete a new jigsaw puzzle. But as she pieced the puzzle together, she realized, to her astonishment, that the image that was formed was her very own room. And the figure in the center of the puzzle, as she completed it, was herself. And with trembling hands, she placed the last four pieces and stared in horror at the face of a demented madman at the window. The last thing that this old lady ever heard was the sound of breaking glass." Neil ended dramatically.

"Ohhh... no..."

You looked around and saw that once again, Violet was holding Meeks' hand. But this time she made no effort to move it, and it appeared that he too was clutching hers tightly. You smiled, that'll be something to tease her about later.

"I've got one that's even better than that!" Cameron claimed.

"Ha!" Charlie shook his head.

"I do! There's a young, married couple and they're driving through the forest at night on a long trip. And they run out of gas, and there's a madman on the-"

"The thing with the hand-" Charlie interrupted. Everyone cut him off, completing the story.

"I love that story!" Cameron exclaimed.

"I told you that one," Charlie said.

"You did not! I got that in uh... camp in sixth grade."

"When were you in six, last year?" Charlie countered.

You almost felt bad for Cameron, almost.

❪ ⋆࿐໋ 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒎. ❫

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

I hereby reconvene the Dead Poets Society. I was going to put it all into one chapter but it felt like it was getting too lengthy. I'll be uploading the next part later this week. I literally have so much time on my hands now with sports and school cancelled, I hardly know what to do with it. Stay safe and healthy guys.

- s.