Growing Pains

Chapter Five

They were all silently sneaking through the woods. They all were sure to be dead silent until they were iut of ear shot as to not get caught.

They went deeper into the trees and as they were looking Allison felt someone grab her shoulder.

"ARG IM A DEAD POET" Charlie yelled shining a flashlight under his chin.

Allison laughed.

"Awe Charlie you need to try harder than that to scare me."

"Guys over here!" He said pointing to the cave.

They all filed in and sat down. Meeks tried starting a fire but the ground was too wet and all it did was smoke.

"Its too wet." He stated.

Elizabeth and Catherine both looked at each other and laughed.

Ignoring the girls laughing Charlie said "God are you trying to smoke us out of here?"

"No, no, the smokes going right up this opening," he said pointing up.

Pitts was the last one in, and as he aproached the group he tried to stand up and hit his head.

After a few minutes of chaos they all had a seat. They sat in a circle, Allison sat next to Charlie and Neil and Todd were seated across from them. Allison smiled at Todd and winked. He chuckled.

"Whats so funny?" Neil asked curiously, wanting in on whatever joke was being laughed at.

"Its nothing! Nothing at all." Todd said nervously.

Allison mocked Todd in a playful way and Charlie poked her in the leg.

She gave him a questioning glance and he just laughed.

"Alright, lets go ladies and gentlemen." Neil said. He dramatically stood up, holding the book Keating had left for them.

"I hereby reconvene the dead poets society."

Everyone cheered and waited for Neil to continue with the introduction.

"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."

"I'll second that." Charlie said.

"To put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived." Neil continued. "And Keating's marked a bunch of other pages." He said flipping through the book.

"All right, intermission. Dig deep right here. Right here, lay it down." Charlie said.

All the boys laid their snacks down but the girls didn't move.

"Well, go on. We're waiting!" Charlie exclaimed.

Allison giggled. "We didn't know we were supposed to bring snacks."

"Well. Now you know." He said turning his attention the the pile of food on Meeks' coat.

"Raisins?" Neil asked.

"Yuck." Knox said.

"Wait a minute who gave us half a role?" Charlie asked.

"I'm eating the other half!" Pitts exclaimed.

"Alright, just don't talk with your mouth full." Elizabeth said.

After they all settled down and each had a snack they started reading. Allison and Charlie ended up sharing the box of raisins.