I did end up going to dinner that night. I found my seat next to Neil once again, who talked about poetry with the table all evening. It seemed my brother and his friends were very big fans of poetry reading. They were a part of a club called the Dead Poets Society. They had meetings in this old cave out in the woods behind the school.

"Is this a school organized thing?" I asked, actually eating tonight since my self consciousness had given way.

"Well no, Dolls," Charlie said sardonically, "Do you actually think Nolan would let a bunch of guys go out in the middle of the night to read poetry in the woods?"

"Nah, we got the idea from Mr. Keating who actually started the society when he went here," Neil explained.

"So when do you have meetings?" I asked,

"You're not coming to it." Concluded Charlie, looking up at me.

"And why not?" I said, suddenly feeling defensive.

"Because you're my little sister," He replied, "You're Dolly! Stay home and read like you usually do! Anyways you'd be too scared."

"No!" I protested.

"I don't see why she can't go," Said an unexpected voice.

I looked over to see Todd, whom had never uttered a word around me, staring calmly at Charlie with pale, questioning eyes.

"Because, Anderson, she's too little," Charlie said shooting him down as quickly as he had gotten the courage to say something.

"I'll be sixteen next Thursday!" I said, getting very angry at him, "And I'm coming whether you like it or not. Does anyone else not want me to come?"

Nobody said anything. I smirked at Charlie and leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms and not diverting my eye from his fireball glare.

"When is the next meeting, Neil?"

"Tonight actually," He replied, watching us in amusement. He had said he was an only child so he probably didn't deal with these kinds of confrontations outside of school.

"Alright then, tell me what time and I'll be waiting."

At exactly 11:00, I found myself standing outside in the cool night air, waiting for the guys to sneak out of the dormitory. I had changed to a pair of jeans so I wouldn't freeze and had my fingers stuffed in the pockets of my overcoat.

Just then, I saw flashlights flip on and come out of the building across the way. Jogging toward them, we all kept quiet, running in a group till we were out on the playing fields.

"Rachael! You came!" Stated Meeks, as we dashed across the damp field.

"Of course I came!" I said with a shout of laughter.

It was an exceptionally clear night for the end of October, and I wanted to cherish it as much as possible. Throwing my hood back, I let the wind take me. A burst of mirth erupted from me once more for no apparent reason. In return Cameron looked at me as if I had grown three heads, but I ignored him. Tonight was going to be mine and no one else's.

According to the guys, the cave was an Indian hideout during the French and Indian wars. I didn't really believe them but I let them think I did. The meeting began with the reading of a poem by Thorough, about sucking out the marrow of life. I didn't much like it, but Neil, who led the meeting, seemed entranced by the words.

Next Knox had something he wanted to read,

"It's by Percy Bysshe Shelley," He began, clearing his throat, "Love's Philosophy."

"The fountains mingle with the river and the rivers with the ocean.

The winds of Heaven mix forever with a sweet emotion; nothing in the worldis single;

All things by a law divine in one spirit meet and mingle.

Why not I with thine?-
See the mountains kiss high Heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What is all this sweet work worth?
If thou kiss not me?"

He did a very good job of it, I had to admit. I clapped with the others.

"And to whom was that reading dedicated to?" inquired Pitts jokingly,

Charlie pretended to cough and somehow the word 'Chris' came out. The other boys laughed and clapped Knox on the back good naturedly.

"Who's Chris?" I asked, looking over at Knox.

"A girl," He said, crossing his arms and looking quite miserable.

"Knox suffers from unrequited love," Explained Neil who sat next to me, "She's a girl who lives in town."

"Oh, I see," I mumbled, feeling rather sorry for the guy, as he sat sulking in the corner.

"Who's up next?" Neil asked looking at the group, "Why not you Rachael, as a new member?"

The others agreed, except for Charlie who pretended to not care. Screw him; he needed an attitude change anyway.

"Alright," I said, standing at the head of the cave.

Neil handed me the dark green leather volume. On the cover in silver letters was embossed 'Five Centuries of Verse'. I opened it and flipped through till I found one I liked.

"Okay," I stated, situating the flashlight so I could see better, "This one is by Emily Dickinson. Its called 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'," I cleared my throat,

"Because I could not stop for death, he stopped kindly for me.
The Carriage held by just ourselves and Immortality.
We slowly drove, he knew no haste.
And I had to put away my labor and leisure too, for his civility.
We passed the School where Children strove at Recess- in the Ring-
We passed fields of Gazing Grain- we passed the Setting Sun.
Or rather- He passed us; the Dews drew quivering and chill,
For only Gossamer, my Gown, my Tippet-only Tulle.
We paused before a House that seemed a Swelling of the Ground,
The Roof was scarcely visible- the Cornice- in the Ground.
Since then- tis centuries- and yet, feels shorter than the day.
I first surmised the Horse's Heads were toward Eternity."

I finished and looked up at them. They clapped politely, even Charlie.

"Good job, Rache," Neil said as I handed him the book, "I think that's the first female poet we've heard here,"

"Really?" I asked, leaning over and picking up a cookie from the jumble of food in the center of the room, "Pity."

Neil grinned and then turned to the group once more, "Anyone else?"

"Todd, why don't you read something?" I asked, turning to the quiet shadow in the back.

He looked up at me like I had just signed his death sentence.

"Todd keeps the minutes of the meetings," Meeks explained.

I nodded, understanding that was asking too much of the painfully shy boy and turned back to the group.

"How about you, Meeks? You want to read?" Knox asked.

"Sure, why not." He said taking the book onto his lap and flipping on his flashlight,

"Hmm lets see here." He leafed through it for a few minutes till he came upon a passage he chose. "It's called 'The Eagle' by Lord Alfred Tennyson."

'He claps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring'd with the azure world, he stands
The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls
He watches from his mountain walls
And like a thunderbolt he falls.' "

He looked up with a grin, "Short but sweet"

An applause was given and things went quiet. No one else had anything to read.

"Well this had been a relatively quick meeting, but that's alright," Neil said, standing from his seat by me, "We'll try to have another meeting before Rache leaves, unless she still wants to come to these."

"Well yes!" I said enthusiastically, smiling at the other boys, "I really enjoyed it."

"Alright then, I believe no one else has a problem with her attending, save for her older brother,"

Charlie smirked but said nothing.

"Alright than, sounds good. Than I declare this meeting of the Dead Poets Society officially over."

We all stood and walked toward the cave opening, Pitts nearly decapitating himself in the process.

"Careful there big boy," Charlie joked, "We can't have you losing your head."

"I'll attempt to stay in one piece," replied Pitts, who rubbed the crown of his head that had met the stone ceiling of the cave.

I smiled. Poor guy. He reminded me of a puppy who had yet to grow completely into its body and was still slipping and falling around, calling the stumbling and occasional tripping that he made 'walking'.

We made out way back to the school, talking periodically, teasing Knox sometimes; sporadically you'd hear the standard 'shut up' from my brother to Cameron.

We made it back to the campus just as the big old clock on the main building's highest torrent chimed eleven.

".and further still at an unearthly height, one luminary clock against the sky." I quoted as I stopped to gaze up into the moon like face of the giant timepiece.

".proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right." Breathed a voice next to my ear. I looked over to see Neil, looking up at the clock as well. He looked down at me and we finished the verse together.

".I have been one acquainted with the night."

His lips parted as if he was going to say something, but the sharp whistle of Charlie, signaling that they were going back, in stopped him. I smiled softly.

"Night, Rachael." He said, than ran over to the dormitory.

I looked up at the clock one more time, tipped my imaginary hat at it, and walked along my way to the guest house.