WE ARE GOLDEN--DEAD POETS SOCIETY

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The girls hurried down the stairs, a mixture of perfume trailing behind them. The boys were not quite ready yet, but someone else was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. A pretty girl with short blonde hair stood uncertainly at the door.

"Excuse me? Sorry to bother you, I'm looking for Knox Overstreet?"

The girls immediately knew this must be the famous Chris Noel.

"Oh yes, he should be down any minute, " Azalea assured her. "You must be Chris, Knox talks about you a lot."

Chris blushed and smiled shyly.

"Yes, well."

Quickly she changed the subject.

"What are your names?"

The girls quickly introduced themselves.

"Are you going to the play tonight?" Camille asked, taking in the new girl's long dress and white gloves.

"Yes, actually. Chet didn't want to come so here I am," she shrugged. "I'm guessing you all are going as well?"

"Yes, our friend Neil is Puck," Camile smiled.

Loud footsteps came from the hall.

"And here come our boys," Lilith announced. 

Cameron appeared first, not noticing the girls. Pitts was the first to see them, stopping to stare at the group of gorgeous girls clustered around the door. Charlie let out a low whistle, eyes taking in his girl's red dress.

"Chris?" Knox said, surprised.

The Welton girls nodded ferociously from behind Chris. 

"What are you doing here?"

Mr. Keating called from outside.

"Gentlemen, ladies, let's go."

"Good luck, Romeo," Scarlett whispered as she passed Knox. 

Once outside, Lilith found herself hand in hand with Charlie. He could not take his eyes off her, the way her dress exposed just enough leg to be slightly scandalous, how her eyes sparkled in the streetlight. 

"You look fucking phenomenal."

She blushed.

"You're not so bad yourself," she told him, planting a kiss on his jaw. 

They piled into the car, waiting for Knox. He was talking animatedly to Chris.

"Will you be joining us, Mr. Overstreet?" Keating called.

"Go ahead, Captain. I'll walk."

The car pulled away, the exuberant Welton students talking and teasing each other light-heartedly. 

"Who wants to place bets on Knox getting Chris to come with him to the play?" Charlie grinned.

"No, I think he'll win her over," Azalea grinned, remembering Chris's reaction to the news that Knox talked about her.

"You won me over," Meeks whispered in her ear. Cheesy as it was, Azalea smiled, turning to face him. He looked very handsome, she had to admit. 

They pulled up to Henley Hall.

"I hoped I'd never come back here," Scarlett joked, staring at her former school.

"Why, you broke too many girls' hearts?"

"No, they broke mine. I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she added hastily as her friends looked at her concerned.

"Do you think we'll see Mr. Duckinton?" Camile asked, repressing a shudder.

"God, I hope not."

"Who's Mr. Duckinton?" Pitts asked.

"Our old Etiquette teacher. Complete moron. Everyone hated him except the bootlickers," Scarlett told him.

The moment they entered their old school, the girls were hit with a wave of nostalgia. The familiar posters, people, and perverts reminded them of home, in a twisted, uncomfortable sense.

They took their seats, waiting for the play to start. Camille was full of anticipation, eyes drawn like a magnet to the blonde girl next to her. Neil was going to be wonderful, she just knew it. Nothing could go wrong tonight, as far as she was concerned.