The Maze Girl

Hush Shush

A week passed again. Many people mourned, but I could tell that Alby was certainly stepping up to being a leader quickly. I hadn't told anyone my suspicions yet. I never had the time. It was certainly suspicious, though.

Honestly, I was planning to tell Minho the next time we were on a run together. I was also going to go back to being a slicer. After that incident, well, let's just say I didn't like the maze as much. Or my fellow runner, Bub. No way did I want to risk running with him again.

So as soon as I could, I resigned, went back to my old job and all that. Finally saw Gally again. He seemed glad I was a slicer again. I was still hesitant about telling. Right now, only Minho knew, and I could tell he didn't believe it.

So another week passed. The Greenie became a slopper. I saw him cleaning out a piss-bucket, so it was obvious. Then Bub went and got himself stung...

I actually learned that his name was Ben, after Clint(the med-jack keeper) asked me to try singing to him like I did for Gally. You can imagine I flat out refused, and Gally was sure grinding his teeth when he heard.

"Gally," I said, just before bed that day. "There's something I've been meaning t' tell you."

"What's that?" he asked, turning toward me with the softest gaze I'd seen out of him since he was stung. He was actually smiling a little suddenly.

"That day," I started, looking away a bit, "the day Nick died in the maze... I think Alby and Ben killed him." Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his expression harden and the trace of a smile went away.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"It's just strange," I said. "They said there was a Griever at the cliff, but it would've been chasing them. I didn't hear any clicks or anything that Grievers do."

"You could've just not noticed it," he suggested.

"I know," I said. "I thought about that. That morning, while we were packing, Ben insisted that we only needed three sandwiches, even though there were four of us going."

He was silent a moment, then nodded. "Alby's attitude changed quite a bit after Nick's death," he noted.

I looked at him and nodded. "You see what I mean?"

"Yeah," he looked up at me, as the rest of our little gang appeared suddenly. "Was that all?"

"Yeah," I said, looking away. As an afterthought, I turned and pecked him on the cheek, then climbed into bed. By the group's snickering, I could tell he was probably turning red. I smiled and closed my eyes.

"G'night, you worthless shanks," I said, rather loudly, before falling asleep.

The rest of the week was quite uneventful. Working, eating, etc. In fact, nothing happened till the next Greenie. (Well, except the two-year celebration, but that was a while back.)

Anyway, so I heard the siren and of course ambled over. I got there as the siren stopped and stood by the edge with Gally.

"Wonder who the new Greenie is?" I asked.

"As long as he's not annoying," Gally responded.

We waited, and waited, and waited. Finally the box doors opened and I looked down at the boy.

"Kinda cute," I muttered, leaning back as Gally leaned in to see the new boy. He looked around 16 with brown hair. Not too bad, compared to the rest of the Gladers.

Gally scowled as they pulled the kid out and let him look around a bit. "Look at the Greenbean," Gally said. "Gonna break his shuck neck checkin' out the new digs." I and a few others laughed. he had a point.

"Shut your hole, Gally," I heard Alby respond. The new kid was taking in the people now.

I turned to the little group around me. "Kid looks like klunk with that hair," I commented. "He'll be a slopper for sure." They all snickered, except Gally. He was watching the new kid. Surely he knew by now that I don't seriously call the others cute.

Either way, the kid was talking now.

"Which Keeper he gonna get?" I heard someone nearby call out.

"I told ya, shuck-face," I responded, having located the boy to be near enough to have heard earlier. "He's a klunk, so he'll be a slopper-no doubt about it." The kids around giggled at this.

"Shuck," Gally said in reply, "he probably can't even do that much, bet my liver on it." I smiled at him as our eyes met.

"I said shut your holes!" Alby exclaimed, glaring in our direction. "Keep yapping and next break'll be cut in half!"

I smirked as the Greenie kept looking around. He met Gally's eyes for a moment. I could tell. Very few could meet Gally's eyes and not stare for a moment. He just had that type of eyes. Gally turned and walked away, toward the flagpole and the bench by it. I watched him go, then looked at the Greenie, who was still watching Gally. The Greenie barely met my eyes as he quickly looked away. I went to sit with Gally.

"Your shoulder's developing ice," I said as I sat.

"Eliot," Gally said. "I want you to promise me that you won't go near him."

I chuckled. "Why? You think he's cute?"

"Eliot," he said sternly, looking at me. "This is no time for games. That boy is bad news."

"Why?" I asked.

"I saw him," Gally said, looking back toward the box. The Greenie had sat against a tree to meet our leaders. "During the changing," he said. "That shank was there. And I'm about willing to bet Ben would say the same."

"You think he's with the creators?" I asked. "The Greenie is probably just like one of us at this point. The creators wouldn't send one of their own and risk their safety."

"Still," Gally started, "keep away from him unless I'm with you. I don't trust him."

"Good that," I said with a nod.