the q u i t e o n e

chapter 4

       The students gathered in the study hall, a few students have their books sprawled across the table, writing furiously, some of them reading a book. They mostly only do extra study or finishing their homework that the teachers give them at the school. There's a particular group of students at a table in the corner of the room. They looks like they were discussing something serious, some of them have a frown on their faces, some confused expression.

"We just have to follow the sound of the water fall" one of them said, it was Neil.

"And then we just keep walking straight between the trees, the cave would not far from it" he continued while pointing at a line that are in the map. The others follow his hand with a serious face.

"Are you sure Neil?" It's Cameron.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I've been studying this map for a few hours" he reassure his friends.

"I can't believe we're serious about this" Pitts said, shaking his head but smile nonetheless.

"You all stop chatting and sit down" Mr. McAllister said while smoking at the front of the room, looking at them sternly. They all scattered around to sit down. Neil glanced at Todd who are sitting at a different table, writing something on his book. He immediately joined him.

"Todd hey" he said while sliding beside the boy. They're so close to each other, almost no distance left between them because they have to be whispering to each other for the sake of not getting detention.

"You come with us tonight, right?" He asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"No" the boy said so quitely he almost didn't catch it.

"Why not? God you are there, you heard what Mr. Keating said. We have to do something about it" he said with an urgent tone in his voice, hoping the boy will understand.

"Yeah, yea, yes" Todd said, his voice become more and more quieter in each words while shaking his head slowly.

"I thought you wanna do something?" He tried again.

"Yea, but-" Todd tried to reason but got cut off.

"But? But what?" Neil said a bit angry at first but repeated it again with a softer tone, a forced smile on his face. He don't know why he force the poor boy to join but he guess that he just want the boy to not getting left out.

"Keating said that everybody have to take turns reading, I- I don't wanna do that" he said while shaking his head, hands fiddles with papers to keep himself calm.

"God, you really have a problem with that, don't you?" He said while keep staring at the boy beside him. Todd turn his head at him after he said it, big blue eyes staring at his own brown ones for a moment.

"N-no, I- I don't have a problem. I just-, Neil I don't wanna do it, okay?" he said, back looking at his book in front of him.

"Right" he said with a defeated tone. He look at the table for a second, thinking for a solution to persuade the boy in to joining them.

"What if you didn't have to read?, What if you just came and listen?" He finally settled with the most save reason he could think of, hoping that the boy will agree.

"But that's not how it's work I-" Todd said but Neil cut him off again.

"Forget how it's work, what if- what if they said it was okay?" He said, more confident this time.

"But- but then I have to go up there and ask them" Todd finally looking at him for confirmation, he shrugged his shoulders and the boy immediately shakes his head.