Dead Poets Society

asked.
    “Cameron’s a fink! He’s in Nolan’s office right now, finking!”
    “About what?” Pitts asked.
    “The club, Pitts. Think about it.” Pitts and the others looked bewildered. “They need a scapegoat,” Charlie said. “Schools go under because of things like this.”
    The boys sat in the trunk room and stared at each other. Soon they heard the sound of a door opening down the hall. Knox went to the door and looked out to see Cameron entering the hallway. Knox stepped out and motioned for Cameron to hurry up.
    “Cameron!” he whispered loudly. Cameron looked at Knox. He hesitated, then walked down the hall and entered the trunk room. The rest of the group stared at him.
    “What’s going on, guys?” Cameron asked innocently.
    “You finked, didn’t you, Cameron?” Charlie said, grabbing his shirt collar.
    Cameron pulled away. “To hell with you, dumbo,
    I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
    “You just told Nolan everything about the club is what I’m talking about,” Charlie shouted.
    “In case you hadn’t heard, Dalton, there’s something called an honor code at this school. If a teacher asks you something, you tell the truth or you’re expelled.”
    Charlie moved toward Cameron again. “Why you...”
    Meeks and Knox pulled Charlie off. “Charlie...” Knox said.
    “He’s a rat! He’s in it up to his eyes so he ratted to save himself!” Charlie shouted.
    “Don’t touch him, Charlie,” Knox warned. “You do and you’re out.”
    “I’m out anyway,” Charlie said, pushing back.
    “He’s right, there. And if you’re smart, every one of you will do exactly what I did and cooperate. They’re not after us. We’re the victims. Us and Neil.”
    “What does that mean?” Charlie asked. “Who are they after?”
    “Why, Mr. Keating, of course. The ‘Captain’ himself. You didn’t really think he could avoid responsibility, did you?”
    “Mr. Keating? Responsible for Neil? Is that what they’re saying?” Charlie pulled himself free of Meeks and Knox.
    “Who else do you think, dumbo?” Cameron said. “The administration? Mr. Perry? Keating put us up to all this, didn’t he? If it wasn’t for him, Neil would be cozied up in his room right now, studying his chemistry and dreaming of being called doctor. “
    “That’s not true!” Todd cried. “Mr. Keating didn’t tell Neil what to do. Neil loved acting.“
    “Believe what you want,” Cameron shrugged. “But I say let Keating fry. Why ruin our lives?“
    “You bastard!” Charlie bolted across the room and struck Cameron in the jaw. Cameron fell to the floor, and Charlie straddled him.
    “Charlie!” Knox groaned.
    Cameron looked up and grinned as he rubbed his cheek. “You just signed your expulsion papers, Nuwanda,” he laughed. He covered his bleeding nose. Charlie turned and walked out. The others followed him.
    Cameron lay alone on the floor. He shouted after them, “If you guys are smart, you’ll do exactly what I did! They know everything anyway. You can’t save Keating, but you can save yourselves!”

Chapter 15

    In the room, Neil’s bed stood stripped and his desk empty. Todd sat at the window, looking across the campus at the administration building. As he watched, he saw Meeks escorted out of the building and toward the dorm by Dr. Hager.
    Todd peeked out of the door of the room. Meeks and Hager entered the hallway, and Hager waited while Meeks walked silently back to his room.
    He passed Todd without even looking at him, and Todd saw the tears streaming down his face. Meeks slammed his door shut behind him.
    “Knox Overstreet,” Dr. Hager called, as he waited impatiently at the end of the hall.
    Knox came out of his room and joined Hager. They walked out the door and back across the campus.
    Todd waited a few minutes, then walked acrossthe hall to Meeks’s room. He knocked. “Meeks, it’s Todd,” he called.
    “Go away,” Meeks said, his voice hoarse and throaty. “I have to study.”
    Todd paused, realizing what had happened. “What happened to Nuwanda?” Todd asked Meeks through the closed door.
    “Expelled,” Meeks said flatly.
    Todd stood stunned. “What did you tell them?” Todd asked, again through the door.
    “Nothing they didn’t already know,” Meeks said.
    Todd turned away. He returned to his window and watched as Knox was escorted back to the dorm. Again, Todd peered into the hall. Knox and Hager entered. Knox’s chin quivered, on the verge of