Boy Oh Boys! (Season 1)

Chapter 5-2

The rest of Charlie's post-lunch classes went as smoothly as she could hope for considering the new addition of classmate Pace. Suffering his dirty looks across a classroom full of witnesses was much better than getting yelled at all alone in their dorm room. However, the safety of lessons couldn't last forever, and it was soon time to return to Athens.

"You just have to make it through the week," Charlie told herself that night. "And then you can get your own things for the dorm. Like a blanket!" she swooned at the thought of finally getting a warm night's sleep. "You just have to make it through the week," she repeated, completely impatient for the following weekend.

~~~

To Charlie's pleasure, the rest of the week flowed by with the worst Pace moments consisting only of more dark-eyed glances over the desks or cutting in front of her in the lunch line. Charlie took extra care not to touch anything that might even possibly belong to Pace, and spent most of her evenings in the common room with the other boys.

"Pace really needs to quit coming to class again so Mr. Campbell can leave me alone," Rib groaned Thursday night as he entered the dorm, still wearing the mascot head. "I think he just misses having someone to punish everyday," he added. "I didn't even do anything this time!"

"If trying to steal the specimens from the Science lab isn't anything!" Demeter chortled.

"What? I needed them for my movie!" shouted Rib, finally removing the bear head. "My horror flick's gonna be the best in Film Club. And just in time for Halloween, too!"

"Speaking of clubs, don't forget tomorrow night's Astronomy Club," Demeter reminded Charlie.

"That's right!" Charlie smiled. "Where do we meet?"

"Out on the field," answered Demeter. "You'll love it."

"Uh-oh," Rib looked at them warningly. "The field by the woods?" he asked.

"Yeah, so?" Demeter crossed his arms.

"Tomorrow night?" wondered Rib.

Demeter nodded impatiently.

"Then good luck," said Rib. "Tomorrow night's the full moon. It's just like my favorite scene in 'Shouts From The Woods' where the guy and girl are-"

"Shut up," Demeter narrowed his eyes at Rib.

"Yes, please do not scare Charlie," added Max.

"Don't worry," Demeter told her. "Astronomy isn't scary. It's romantic."

"But not as romantic as poetry," argued Apollo.

"Just be careful, Charlie," continued Rib.

"Ignore him," said Demeter. "I'll be there to protect you," he winked, but that only made Charlie dread the following night even more.

~~~

"Astronomy?" Printz raised his brows when Charlie told him about her new extra curricular Friday morning. "Zenith's in that club. He likes it."

However, before Charlie could respond, Pace blasted out of the dorm and blew past them down the hallway.

"You know, I think he was nicer when he skipped class," frowned Printz.

"I think so too," Charlie sighed, and they began to make their way along the hall in Pace's wake.

~~~

"So, are you still really going out there tonight?" Rib whispered during Chemistry.

"I have to," Charlie told him. "I need an extra curricular."

"You could always come to Film Club," offered Rib. "Having a female actress would really make my movie better."

"Yeah... I think I'm just gonna stick with Astronomy..." Charlie could just imagine what making a movie with Rib would be like.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," said Rib, though a little too loudly.

"Rib. Go to the principal's office," their teacher shouted.

"Oh, great," Rib moaned and shuffled out of the class, leaving Charlie alone to deal with Pace's sharp looks from the back of the room.

~~~

"Why do you look so sad?" Max asked Rib during lunch.

"You got stuck with Calli The Bear duty again, didn't you?" Demeter laughed.

"Yeah, what are you, the new Pace? We don't need two!" Apollo shook his head as he watched the real Pace lumber out of the cafeteria with his lunch.

"We don't even need one," joked Demeter.

"Sure we do! How else can we enter the Olympics?" Rib pointed out. "I have to compete so I can show Bradford who's really better!" he glared out the window at the Sparta table. "Tomorrow's plan to convince Pace has to go perfect. So make sure you stay out of danger tonight," he added, shooting Charlie and Demeter a playfully grim look. "And if you see any dark shapes in the trees- run."  

~~~

When the sun began to set, Charlie and Demeter started for the field to meet with the other club members. Despite being surrounded by the large group of star-observers, Charlie still found her eyes nervously wandering towards the darkening treeline. It looked an awful lot like the movie cover of "Shouts From The Woods."

"Look, Charlie!" Demeter stepped aside from his telescope. "The constellations are really bright tonight!"

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" Charlie squinted through the eyepiece.

"That cluster of stars right there- Can't you see?" Demeter frowned. "Let me see." Demeter peered back into the telescope. "Oh, it went out of focus. Hey, can we borrow your telescope for a minute?" he turned to a member beside them who had his eye up to his own scope.

"No way!" the student looked up. It was Zenith.

Demeter sighed and turned back to Charlie.

"I'm gonna go see if someone can adjust our lens," he told her. "I'll be right back."

As Demeter made his way towards the club leader, Charlie's vision drifted back to the woods. Maybe it was her imagination, but it looked like a fog was emanating from the trees. She peeked up at the sky. The moon was shining brightly- and full. Just then, a rustling from the trees made her dart her attention back to earth. Something was moving amongst the trunks.

Turning her blurry telescope on the trees, she tried hard to catch a glimpse of what could be lurking out there.

"I can't see anything," she frowned, but as she pulled back from the viewfinder, she found herself standing face to face with a bear. "AHHHHHGGGGHHH!" Charlie screamed, falling down and taking the expensive telescope with her.

"Whoa! I didn't think you'd get that scared!" Charlie glanced up to see Rib taking off the mascot suit.

"Rib?" Charlie sat up, breathing fast.

"Are you okay?" Demeter rushed back over to help her up, the club leader right behind him.

"Nice job!" Zenith laughed, spying the fallen telescope.

"What happened?! Do you know how expensive those are?!?" the leader had now spotted the busted equipment.

"I'm sorry! I'll go..." Charlie sighed, sad to have failed at yet another club.

"It's okay," said Rib as he walked her back. "You can always still join Film Club."

Charlie looked at him hesitatingly.

"Think about it," Rib went on. "Nothing can be as bad as wearing this thing, right?" he held up the mascot suit.

"Good point," agreed Charlie.

"So you'll join??? Yes!!!" Rib exclaimed excitedly. "Hold on. I need to go put this thing away," he added, hefting the bear costume over his shoulder. "Be right back. And beware the woods," he grinned before dashing off to return the mascot to the shed across the field.

Charlie frowned and quickly turned to survey the woods.

"Why does it have to be so spooky out here," she shivered as her mind sped through a million frightful thoughts. "What was that?" she blinked into the darkness, but saw nothing. "Oh, great. I'm hearing things now." Charlie continued to stare into the trees and finally saw a shape moving through the shadows. "Rib better not be messing with me again," she humphed. However, with a quick glance back across the field, she spotted Rib entering the athletic shed. "Wait a minute," she thought, blood suddenly going cold. "If Rib's over there... then who's that?"

Charlie slowly backed up, but then she caught a flash of blue-streaked hair as the figure disappeared deeper into the woods.

~~~