Free Dead Poets Society by N.H. Kleinbaum Page B

“We’re on our way.” Turning to Cameron, Charlie whispered, “You just keep your mouth shut, jerk-off, and there’s nothing to worry about.”
    “Watch out who you call a jerk-off, Dalton!”
    “Oh, calm down, Cameron,” Neil said.
    “It’s Nuwanda,” Charlie snapped back as he headed into the cave. The others followed. Cameron seethed with anger. He watched the boys enter the cave, waited for a minute, then followed.
    They threw their twigs and a log they’d found on the fire, and sat around the growing flames. “Wonder how Knox is making out.” Pitts laughed.
    “Poor guy,” Neil sighed. “He’s probably in for a big disappointment.”
    It was a disappointed Knox who wandered through the huge Danburry house and ended up in the butler’s pantry. Several kids stood talking while one couple was kissing passionately. Knox tried not to look as the boy’s hands kept moving up the girl’s skirt, and she kept pushing them away. Knox spotted Ginny Danburry, and they exchanged embarrassed smiles.
    “You Mutt Sanders’s brother?” a huge line-backer-type guy asked Knox as he mixed a drink.
    “No.” Knox shook his head.
    “Bubba!” the linebacker called to another huge, drunk jock who leaned against the refrigerator. “This guy look like Mutt Sanders?”
    “You his brother?” Bubba asked.
    “No relation,” Knox said. “Never heard of him. Sorry.”
    “Say, Steve,” Bubba said to the linebacker, “where’s your manners? Here’s Mutt’s brother, and you don’t offer him a drink? Want some bourbon?”
    “Actually I don’t …” Steve didn’t even hear Knox. He pushed a glass into Knox’s hand and filled it with bourbon, adding a tiny splash of coke.
    Bubba clicked glasses with Knox. “To Mutt,” he said.
    “To Mutt,” Steve, the linebacker, echoed. “To … Mutt,” Knox agreed. Bubba and Steve drained their glasses in one swallow. Knox followed their lead and burst into a coughing fit. Steve poured everyone more bourbon. Knox felt as if his whole chest was on fire.
    “So what’s Mutt been up to?” Bubba asked.
    “Actually,” Knox said, still coughing, “I don’t really … know Mutt.”
    “To Mighty Mutt,” Bubba said, holding up his glass.
    “To Mighty Mutt,” Steve echoed.
    “Mighty … Mutt,” Knox coughed as they drained their glasses again. Knox continued to cough, and the linebacker knocked him on the back.
    “Take it easy there, bud,” he laughed.
    “Well, I’d better find Patsy,” Bubba hiccupped as he slapped Knox on the back. “Say hello to Mutt for me.”
    “Will do,” Knox said. He turned to see Ginny smile at him as she wandered out of the pantry.
    “Gimme your glass, bud,” Steve called, pouring Knox more bourbon. Knox felt his head begin to swim.
    The fire blazed inside the cave. The boys and Gloria and Tina sat closely around the woodpile, mesmerized by the dancing flames. The candle on the head of the “cave god” sputtered.
    “I heard you guys were weird, but not this weird,” Tina said as she looked at the pitted statue. She pulled out a pint of whiskey and offered some to Neil. He took it and sipped, trying to act as if it were natural to take a swig. He handed it back to Tina.
    “Go ahead, pass it around,” she said. The fire and the warmth of the whiskey gave her plain face a pretty, flushed glow.
    The bottle went around the circle. Each of them tried to pretend he liked the bitter taste. Unlike most of the others, Todd managed to keep from coughing as he swallowed the whiskey down.
    “Yeah!” Gloria said, impressed by Todd’s drinking. “Don’t you guys miss having girls here?” she asked.
    “Miss it?” Charlie said. “It drives us crazy! That’s part of what this club is about. In fact, I’d like to announce that I’ve published an article in the school paper, in the name of the Dead Poets Society, demanding girls be admitted to Welton, so we can all stop beating off.”
    “You what?” Neil shouted, standing up. “How