where all the poets went to die [dead poets society]

6 - why do women swoon?

"Now wait a minute," Cameron said with a concerned expression.

"We don't even know the cave he's talking about," Pitts said.

"I do," Neil grinned mischievously. "It's beyond the stream. I know where it is."

"That's miles," Pitts said.

"Sounds boring to me," Cameron said stiffly, not wanting any part in whatever this was.

"Don't go then," Charlie countered back.

"You know how many demerits we're talking, Dalton?" Cameron fired back.

"So don't come, please," Charlie stated with a shrug.

"Look, all I'm saying is that we have to be careful, we can't get caught."

"No shit, Sherlock," Charlie rolled his eyes.

"You boys there, hurry up!" Hager yelled from the school entrance, his glare so strong that the group could make it out from where they were on the grounds.

"All right, who's in?" Neil said with a giddy look.

"Come on, Neil, Hager's right -"

"Forget Hager," Neil interrupted. "Who's in?"

"I'm in," Charlie proclaimed loudly.

"Me too," Cameron said quickly, not wanting to be left out after all.

"I don't know, Neil," Pitts said, unsure.

"What? Pitts-"

"Pittsie, come on," Charlie said, clapping him over the shoulder.

"His grades are hurting, Charlie," Meeks said.

"You can help him, Meeks," Neil said, picking up speed as Hager, once again, yelled at them to hurry the hell up.

"What is this, a midnight study group?" Pitts glared at the group.

"Forget it, Pitts. You're coming. Meeks, are your grades hurting too?" Neil asked.

"I'll try anything once," Meeks said.

"Except sex," Charlie cackled.

"Ha ha ha."

"Maria, as legacy, you're obligated to come," Neil said to her.

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, but was too focused on keeping in pace with the boys who had now begun full-on sprinting towards the school building to be able to reply. It wasn't as if Neil had left her much space to argue in his statement, anyhow.

"I mean as long as we're careful," Cameron said, but the others didn't seem to hear him.

"What about you, Knox?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know, Charlie," Knox said, uncertainly.

"Come on, Knox, it'll help you get, Chris."

"Yeah? How?" Knox said quickly, intrigued almost instantly.

"Didn't you hear, Keating?" Charlie fired back, hand on the door. He laughed, wiggling his brows at Knox. "Women swoon."

"But why do they swoon? Charlie, tell me why they swoon. Charlie!" Knox called, but Charlie had already slipped inside. Knox turned to hold the door open for Maria who was flushed and breathing hard at having to keep up with the boys. "Maria, you're a woman, tell me, why do you swoon?"

What came after his question was a look Knox hadn't expected from his new friend's face. A look that Knox found upon his own face whenever he looked into the mirror and thought of Chris. And then Knox realized with a tickling fascination that the red on Maria's face wasn't simply from the cold or from running.