WE ARE GOLDEN--DEAD POETS SOCIETY

CHAPTER TWO

The inside of Welton was no better than the outside. The halls were swarming with boys, all greedily eyeing the not-so-innocent Henley Hall girls. 

"Excuse me?"

Azalea took charge and tapped an older man, one of the teachers, on the shoulder. He turned around, and Azalea recognized him as the new English teacher, Mr. Keating.  

"How can I help you, ladies?"

"We're looking for the senior dorm, sir."

"No need to call me sir, my dear. Just follow those stairs up three levels and you'll be there," he smiled.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Keating."

The girls walked up and up the stairs until they reached the fourth floor. A hallway full of boys faced them, and several girls hung back, slightly daunted. 

"Oh seriously, it's not like they're aliens," Scarlett declared, fluffing her hair and walking confidently down the hall.  Azalea and Lilith follow with the rest of their group, rolling their eyes at any boy who so much as looked at them. 

The girls split off into pairs, with Lilith and her friends at the end of the hall. 

"Well, that was fun," Scarlett giggled looking at Camille.

"Hopefully they're not all pervs," Camille frowned, concern crinkling her forehead. 

"Not all of us." 

An unfamiliar male voice sounded from the doorway. There stood Neil Perry, Welton's golden boy in all his glory. Scarlett stared at him skeptically. 

"What makes you any different from everyone else in this school?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

The boy pretended to think for a second. 

"Well, I just want to get to know you, not well...you know," he trailed off awkwardly, and Camille held in a giggle at his awkwardness. 

"That works for me," Scarlett shrugged, holding out her hand. "Scarlett Armstrong."

"Neil Perry," he responded, shaking it. "And you are?" he asked, turning to Camille, who met his brown eyes without hesitation. 

"Camille."

Azalea knocked on the doorframe, eyes twinkling. 

"Making friends already, girls?" She asked, Lilith coming up behind her. 

"You know me," Scarlett grinned. "Neil, allow me to introduce Miss Azalea Knight-" the girl smiled kindly"-and the mysterious Lilith DuBarry."

Lilith rolled her eyes and offered Neil a tentative smile. 

"Nice to meet you both," he grinned. "Neil Perry."

A shout sounded from the hail and Neil groaned.

"I better go before Charlie sets my room on fire. See you around, girls," he smiled and with that, he left.

Camille glanced after him, wondering who Charlie was and if his seeming penchant for arson was a common occurrence at Welton. 
"Camiii..." Scarlet drawled, seeing her eyes follow Neil out the door.  

"What? Oh," Camille giggled, hiding her pretty face in her hands. "I was just wondering about the room being set on fire."

"Mhm," Scarlett teased, poking her.

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Neil entered his room, thoughts full of the four girls he had just met. He had half-expected all the Henley Hall girls to be silly, giggly idiots, but these four seemed smart and funny.

"Hey, I heard you got the new kid. Looks like a stiff!" Cameron laughed, interrupting Neil's train of thought. Just then, Todd, who Neil had met earlier, walked in. He didn't say anything to Cameron, just scooted past Neil to his own bed. 

"Oops," Cameron muttered, leaving.

"Listen, don't mind Cameron. He was born with his foot in his mouth, ya know what I mean?" Neil told Todd. Todd nodded but didn't say anything. 

"Rumour has it, you did summer school."

Charlie's distinguishable drawl sounded from the door. Neil turned around to Charlie, Knox and their friend Meeks standing in his doorway. 

"Yep. Chemistry. My father thought I should get ahead," he chuckled, rolling his eyes. "How was your summer, Slick?"

"Keen," Charlie responded, smirking. The boys filed into Neil's room. 

"Meeks. Door. Closed," Charlie called behind him.

"Yes, sir," Meeks responded mockingly. 

"Gentlemen, what are the four pillars?" Neil asked, in a near-perfect impersonation of Mr. Nolan. 

"Travesty. Horror. Decadence. Excrement," the boys responded. 

"So. Has anyone met any of the girls yet?" Charlie asked, lighting his cigarette.

"Yeah, actually."

All of the boys looked at Neil in shock.

"And..."Charlie prompted, looking excited. 

"The four I met seem really nice, actually."

"You met four?!"

"Relax, Charlie, that's barely a fifth of them."

"Still."

A knock sounded on the door. Charlie quickly stamped on his smoke. 

"Neil?"

It was Azalea, flanked by Camille and Scarlett.