❛ In the still of the night I held you. 'Cause I love you so. Promise I'll never let you go. ❜
DEAD POETS SOCIETY
chapter ten
"WAIT! WAIT! I have a good one!" Cameron shouted, waving his hands between Eliza and Charlie, who were still bickering. All the boys looked at Cameron with deadpan expressions, not expecting much from him. "I do! There's a young married couple, and they're driving through the forest at night on a long trip, and they run out of gas, and there's a madman on the—"
⠀⠀⠀The boys interrupted Cameron with a loud, annoyed groan from having heard the story one too many times.
⠀⠀⠀"I love that story," Cameron said quickly, his shoulders hunched forward in defeat.
⠀⠀⠀"I told you that one," Charlie stated, taking his cigarette back from Eliza.
⠀⠀⠀"You did not," Cameron said quickly. "I got that in, uh... camp in sixth grade."
⠀⠀⠀"When were you in sixth grade? Last year?" Charlie mocked him.
⠀⠀⠀Across the room, Pitts interrupted the pair. He had a better horror-filled poem up his sleeve from the book rather than tales from the playground.
⠀⠀⠀"In a mean abode on Shankhill Road
⠀⠀⠀Lived a man named William Bloat,
⠀⠀⠀And he had a wife, the bane of his life
⠀⠀⠀Who always got his goat
⠀⠀⠀And one day at dawn with her nightdress on
⠀⠀⠀He slit her bloody throat."
⠀⠀⠀Chills went down their spines despite the laughter filling the cave.
⠀⠀⠀"Oh! It gets worse!" Pitts assured them as Knox took the book from his hands to read on.
⠀⠀⠀"You want to hear a real poem?" Charlie asked the boys with a cheeky grin, sending Eliza a wink, hinting at his earlier comment.
⠀⠀⠀"What? Did you bring one?" Meeks asked Charlie as he knocked the book back towards him.
⠀⠀⠀"You memorized a poem?" Neil asked.
⠀⠀⠀"I didn't memorize a poem. Move up," Charlie told Neil, scooting him off his rock at the front of the group. "Birdie, you might want to close your eyes for this one," Charlie told her as he unfolded the poster pulled from his breast pocket.
⠀⠀⠀Eliza eyed him, leaning back against the rocks as she watched him closely, taking a long drag of the cigarette Charlie had handed her before he went up.
⠀⠀⠀"Alright," he sang, unfolding the last piece of the page to show a woman naked and obviously ripped straight from a playboy.
⠀⠀⠀Eliza laughed at the sight as the rest of the boys gawked in stunned silence.
⠀⠀⠀"Oh, wow," Meeks muttered.
⠀⠀⠀"Where did you get that?" Cameron asked curiously, his eyes never trailing off the page.
⠀⠀⠀Charlie shrugged, shuffling around some before reciting the poem he had written on the back.
⠀⠀⠀"Teach me to Love? go teach thyself more wit;
⠀⠀⠀I am chief Professor of it.
⠀⠀⠀The God of Love, if such thing there be,
⠀⠀⠀May learn to love from me."
⠀⠀⠀Charlie finished with a smile, winking at Eliza once more as the boys cheered and clapped.
⠀⠀⠀"Wow! Did you write that?" Neil asked once the applause died down.
⠀⠀⠀"Only if his name is Abraham Cowley," Eliza mused. She extended her legs out in front of her, thankful she wore pants because of the amount of mud soaking into them.
⠀⠀⠀Charlie moved off the rock, calling for the next person to go up as he settled back beside Eliza, an arm over her shoulder.
⠀⠀⠀Neil regained his place at the front, opening his book to read the poem marked by Keating.
⠀⠀⠀"Alfred Lord Tennyson," Neil introduced.
⠀⠀⠀"Come, my friends.
⠀⠀⠀'T is not too late to seek a newer world,
⠀⠀⠀For my purpose holds
⠀⠀⠀To sail beyond the sunset.
⠀⠀⠀And tho'
⠀⠀⠀We are not now that strength which in old days
⠀⠀⠀Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
⠀⠀⠀One equal temper of heroic heart,
⠀⠀⠀Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
⠀⠀⠀To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."
⠀⠀⠀"That was real nice, Neil," Pitts called to him a few moments after he finished.
⠀⠀⠀"Who's next?" Neil asked, turning to look at the society members (minus Todd) who had yet to go.
⠀⠀⠀"Eliza!" Knox called from across the room with his innocent smile directed at her. "You haven't gone yet."
⠀⠀⠀Eliza frowned at Knox, her eyebrows floating together in annoyance and slight trepidation. She wasn't the best at public speaking. Eliza may be a little loud and easy to talk to but standing there, demanding attention from them all. Well, she was never good at that.
⠀⠀⠀"Um, I don't know," she laughed nervously.
⠀⠀⠀"What? You have to!" Meeks exclaimed. "You're the Captain of this society," he continued, pushing her shoulder so that she leaned closer into Charlie before she snapped back into her rigid position.
⠀⠀⠀"Alright, alright, fine!" she stated, snatching the book from Neil.
⠀⠀⠀"El! El! El! El! El!" the boys chanted as a bright blush came across Eliza's face. She waved her hands at them frantically to stop, and they did quickly, waiting in anticipation for what she would read.
⠀⠀⠀Eliza smiled awkwardly, but did as they asked, reciting,
⠀⠀⠀"Come slowly – Eden!
⠀⠀⠀Lips unused to Thee –
⠀⠀⠀Bashful sip thy Jessamines
⠀⠀⠀As the fainting Bee –
⠀⠀⠀Reaching late his flower,
⠀⠀⠀Round her chamber hums –
⠀⠀⠀Counts his nectars –
⠀⠀⠀Enters – and is lost in Balms."
⠀⠀⠀The boys cheered and cooed at her heartfelt words all the way until she turned bright red and rushed out of the spotlight to sit beside Charlie again. He took her by the shoulders and shook her in excitement.
⠀⠀⠀"Oh!" she exclaimed in realization. "That was the unfathomable Emily Dickinson, since none of you cowards will read a woman's work!"
⠀⠀⠀The boys whistled in response to her, taking up her words as a challenge while they watched Meeks shuffle on 'stage.'
⠀⠀⠀"THEN I had religion, THEN I had a vision.
⠀⠀⠀I could not turn from their revel in derision.
⠀⠀⠀THEN I SAW THE CONGO, CREEPING THROUGH THE BLACK,"
⠀⠀⠀Beside her, Charlie chanted with Meeks as he picked up the words while Knox picked up a metal container he had brought his food in to use as a drum.
⠀⠀⠀"CUTTING THROUGH THE FOREST WITH A GOLDEN TRACK.
⠀⠀⠀THEN I SAW THE CONGO CREEPING THROUGH THE BLACK,
⠀⠀⠀CUTTING THROUGH THE FOREST WITH A GOLDEN TRACK."
⠀⠀⠀The rest of them joined in, marching around in a circle using whatever they could find to add to the cacophony of music.
⠀⠀⠀"THEN I SAW THE CONGO CREEPING THROUGH THE BLACK,
⠀⠀⠀CUTTING THROUGH THE FOREST WITH A GOLDEN TRACK.
⠀⠀⠀THEN I SAW THE CONGO CREEPING THROUGH THE BLACK,
⠀⠀⠀CUTTING THROUGH THE FOREST WITH A GOLDEN TRACK."
⠀⠀⠀The newly formed Dead Poets Society chanted to their heart's content out of the cave and through the woods. They continued until they made it back into the earshot of Welton, where they quieted and pulled up their hoods to run across the lawn before anyone caught them.
⠀⠀⠀"We'll walk you as far as we can, Eliza," Pitts assured her as they came to the crossroads of the teacher's quarters and the boy's dorms.
⠀⠀⠀They made it to the stairwell; the boys huddling into a circle as they wished Eliza a goodnight.
⠀⠀⠀"Goodnight, El," Knox said with a soft smile, hugging her tightly. "Thank you for making me go."
⠀⠀⠀"Be safe," Pitts warned her as he approached, hugging her as well.
⠀⠀⠀"And don't stay up too late," Meeks finished after him, sending her a small salute.
⠀⠀⠀"You, too. Can't have my only friends getting expelled," she laughed slightly, saluting back to Meeks.
⠀⠀⠀Neil swooped in for a big hug, squeezing her tight in his arms as he whispered, "Goodnight, Eliza."
⠀⠀⠀"Goodnight, Neil," she whispered back as he let go and stepped back towards Todd. "And goodnight to you, too, Todd! It was nice having you there," she smiled, assuring him he was welcomed and wanted in their group.
⠀⠀⠀Charlie was the only one left, awkwardly standing in the middle of the small foyer. He looked around himself, noticing the others had left him behind. He shook his head but walked up to Eliza, staring down his nose at her.
⠀⠀⠀"Tonight was great," he said, not wanting to part just yet.
⠀⠀⠀"It was. I'm really glad we did it," Eliza said with a bright smile.
⠀⠀⠀"I guess this is... uh," he said, feeling him sway closer to her than he had ever been to her, his neck craning slightly down. "Goodnight," he whispered.
⠀⠀⠀Eliza could feel the warmth coming off Charlie, her hand still on his forearm as she, too, leaned in. His pink lips were inviting, and his lidded eyes peered into hers as he continued to move forward. Their lips brushed for only a moment before Eliza pulled away, the grip on his forearm tightening as if she never wanted to let go.
⠀⠀⠀"I'm sorry," she whispered, squeezing her green eyes closed so she wouldn't have to look at him.
⠀⠀⠀"No," Charlie assured her. "No. I'm sorry," he whispered with a small laugh, walking out of her touch. "Goodnight," he said quickly, skidding off to his room.
AUTHOR'S NOTE —
Hello! Here is the next chapter and is it juicy!
POEMS: Raymond Calvert, "William Bloat" // Abraham Cowley, "The Prophet" // Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses" // Emily Dickinson, "Come slowly - Eden!" // Vachel Lindsay, "The Congo"
SONG: In the Still of the Night by Five Satins
Thank you for reading! Leave comments telling me your thoughts on this chapter, but however you interact, know that I really appreciate you reading. I hope you enjoy, and until the next one.