Free Dead Poets Society by Nancy H. Kleinbaum Page A

thing—where had Charlie picked them up?
    “Guys,” Charlie
said, pulling Gloria close to him as the other boys’ eyes opened even wider, “I
have an announcement. In keeping with the spirit of passionate experimentation
of the Dead Poets, I’m giving up the name Charles Dalton. From now on, call me
‘Nuwanda. ”
    The girls giggled;
the boys groaned. “You mean I can’t call you Charlie anymore, honey?” Gloria
asked, putting her arms around his neck. “What’s Numama’ mean, sugar?”
    “It’s Nuwanda, and I
made it up,” Charlie said.
    “I’m cold,” Gloria
said as she squeezed closer to Charlie.
    “Let’s get some more
twigs for the fire,” Meeks said,
    Charlie shot Meeks a
look as he and the other boys left the cave. Charlie walked to one wall,
scraped off some mud and wiped it on his face like an Indian brave. He gave
Gloria a sexy stare and followed the boys off into the forest to gather some
firewood. Tina and Gloria whispered and giggled.
     
    As the society
pledges were tramping through the woods, Knox Overstreet bicycled off campus to
the Danburry residence. He parked his bike in the bushes on the side of the
house, took off his overcoat, and stuffed it in his saddlebag. He straightened
his tie, leapt up the steps to the front door, and knocked. Loud music blared
from the house, but no one answered the door. He knocked again, then turned the
knob and walked in.
    Knox found a wild
fraternity party in progress. He saw one couple making out on the entrance hall
couch. Other couples were on chairs, couches, stairs, or on the floor,
oblivious to anyone else around them. Knox stood in the entrance hall, unsure
what to do. Just then he spotted Chris, walking out of the kitchen, her hair an
uncombed mess.
    “Chris!” he called.
    “Oh, hi,” she said
casually. “I’m glad you made it. Did you bring anybody?“
    “No,” Knox said.
    “Ginny Danburry’s
here. Look for her,” Chris said as she started to walk away.
    “But, Chris...” Knox
shouted over the blasting music.
    “I gotta find Chet,”
she called back. “Make yourself at home. ”
    Knox’s shoulders
slumped as Chris walked briskly away. He climbed over couples sprawled on the
floor and dejectedly looked around for Ginny Danburry. Some party , he
thought.
    Out near the cave at
Welton the boys stumbled in darkness, feeling the ground for twigs and logs.
“Charlie...” Neil hissed.
    “It’s Nuwanda.”
    “Nuwanda,” Neil said
patiently. “What’s going on?”
    “Nothing, unless you
object to having girls here,” Charlie said.
    “Well, of course
not,” Pitts said, bumping into Neil. “Sorry. It’s just that... you should have
warned us.”
    “I thought I’d be
spontaneous,” Charlie whispered. “I mean, that’s the point of this whole thing,
isn’t it?”
    “Where’d you find
them?” Neil asked.
    “They were walking
along the fence past the soccer field. Said they were curious about the school
so I invited them to the meeting,” he said matter-of-factly.
    “Do they go to
Henley Hall?” Cameron asked.
    “I don’t think
they’re in school,” Charlie said.
    “They’re townies?!”
Cameron nearly choked.
    “Sshh, Cameron,
what’s the matter with you?” Charlie said. “You act like they’re your mother or
something. You afraid of them?”
    “Hell, no. I’m not
afraid of them! It’s just, if we get caught with them, we re dead.”
    “Say, boys, what’s
going on out there?” Gloria Called from the cave.
    “Just gathering
wood,” Charlie called back. “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