MISTAKE | Minho / The Maze Runner

twelve

"You won't be the new Greenie anymore, Chuck," Vera said, looking down at the boy.

Over the past month, he's gotten a lot more comfortable with the Glade and the people who called it home. He's even started to pull pranks on the Gladers, but what do you expect when you have a twelve-year-old running around.

"Finally, I'm tired of people calling me Greenie," he muttered.

"Okay, shuckface," Vera laughed.

Before Chuck could say anything, Vera was already pulling him towards the Box. He thought of her as a big sister. She was the first person he saw in the Glade, and she was always there to comfort him when he wouldn't stop crying through the first few nights.

"Hopefully, it's someone my age," Chuck said excitedly.

"Or a shucking girl for once," Vera groaned.

"We don't need anymore girls, one of you is enough," Winston said, laughing as Vera punched his arm.

"The Greenie's coming up now!" Chuck said, jumping so he could see over the other Gladers.

Minho laughed when he saw the new Greenie, "that's one ugly shank."

Minho was right. The new Greenie really was one ugly shank.

Gally pulled him out of the Box, a glare on his face. Vera frowned, wondering what's gotten into Gally. He's been different ever since the Changing, but he hasn't ever looked at a Greenie with this much hatred on his face before.

"Ready to show the new Greenie around?" Vera whispered to Chuck.

Chuck nodded, saluting the girl before walking over to the Greenie.

~

The Gladers stood around the fire. It's become a tradition that every time a new Greenie comes, they have a bonfire.

Vera was pressed close to Minho, wincing as she took a sip of Gally's drink. Top secret recipe, no one knew what was in it, but they knew it got you drunk. Minho smiled down at her, pulling her even closer towards him.

Newt and the Greenie, Thomas, sat on a log on the opposite end of the fire.

"Is she the only girl?" Thomas asked, glancing over at the girl whose hair seemed to glow an even brighter shade of orange when she stood next to the fire.

"Yeah, better not get any ideas, shank," Newt said seriously, "the fourth rule of the Glade, don't touch Vera."

"Minho's touching her," Thomas stated.

Newt laughed loudly, "shuckface, you got a lot to learn around here. That's a whole different story. You don't go touching Vera unless you know her. Actually know her."

A dark look crossed over Newt's face, surprising Thomas because he seemed to be the only boy here, other than Chuck, who was actually kind.

"One Slinthead tried to take advantage of Vera. What Minho did to him was worse than what a Griever would do. He was a mess before Gally even got to him. Would've been a whole different story if Frypan, Clint, and Jeff weren't being held back."

"Gally?" Thomas asked, not trying to hide the shocked look on his face, "I'm surprised he wasn't the one who tried something with her."

"You listen here, Greenie. Gally was different before the Changing, and even now he wouldn't hurt one of us. We're family. The shank who did that to Vera got Banished. Vera and Gally are close. He's one messed up shank sometimes, but he's good," Newt said, giving Thomas a look that said, 'try and challenge me'.

"So, what's the deal with her and Minho?" Thomas asked, wanting to change the topic from anything but Gally, the boy who already seemed to have a deep hatred for him.

"C'mon, Greenie. Just look at them and take a guess," Newt said.

Thomas looked at the pair. Vera was laughing, surrounded by some boys Thomas didn't know the names of yet. Minho was looking down at her, a look in his eyes that suggested he could only be genuinely happy when she was around. Thomas thought it was odd, how in a place so dark and shrouded with uncovered mysteries, the girl brought light. He could see it in the way she hit one of the boys, as if he said something stupid, or how she laughed like there was nothing else to lose. He supposed there wasn't. Most of the people in the Glade have been stuck here for three years. Like Newt said, they really were a family. Thomas didn't know anyone; he had no close friends here, he wasn't apart of this makeshift family. The thought made him feel utterly alone.