dandelions || 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘰 (COMPLETED)

iii - keepers, gatherings and eyebrows

KEEPERS, GATHERINGS AND EYEBROWS
-
"when you're looking at me."

• • •

          STILL GUIDED BY THE TWO PECULIAR BOYS, she returned to the "glade". that's what everyone seemed to call it, and there wasn't really any other word she could think of to describe the settlement encaged in the walls, so she followed suit. and besides, her logic told her that perhaps if she mirrored the people's language and gained their trust, she'd find out key information to help her escape. yet as much as she didn't want to admit it, things were starting to get better in the glade. or maybe it was just because of the number of attractive boys who seemed to have every bit of their attention set on her.

"y'know greenie, for a second there i thought ya had the chops to be a runner. still do, if i'm honest," newt told her as soon as she approached him. it appeared as if every single person living in the glade was gathered at the maze entrance — and for the first time, she realised there were no other girls in sight.

the boy she'd run into minutes earlier chuckled. "not on my watch, newt. it's not safe out there. today's the first and last time she'll leave these four walls."

"how come you're allowed out then?" she chimed in, immediately regretting it. her first words ever spoken to the majority of the boys, and she'd already lost every ounce of confidence she thought she had around them.

"minho is a runner. keeper of the runners, actually — the very best. runners run the maze everyday, mapping it and memorising it." newt explained to her. he'd definitely been the most helpful so far, but his guidance came at the cost of a few whispers in his direction and several dirty glances. she assumed he wasn't meant to tell her as much as he already had.

and she now knew the name of the boy she'd run into — minho.

"well done minho!" a gruff voice called out from behind, its cheerful tone not matching its raspiness.

"greenie could've died if it wasn't for you." another one said.

"actually, he nearly killed her," the kind boy who walked her back contributed to the conversation. "the girl ran smack-bang into him!" at that she smiled slightly, only to feel newt elbow her side and start chuckling at her.

the dark-skinned boy, alby, walked up to the group gathered around the girl and addressed them sternly, "gathering. now." he sounded bothered and everyone cleared off, a few boys following him over to a rickety wooden building on the other side of the courtyard. the girl froze, not knowing whether to follow alby (who she assumed was some form of leader) or not.

then she felt a hand touch her shoulder, but as unnerving as it should've been to her, it felt oddly familiar — as if she'd felt it before. a voice tickled her ear saying, "c'mon, shebean. meeting's about you, you deserve to be there, don't ya think? have a say?" she then realised it was minho, and rolled her eyes at him teasingly.

she nodded and trailed behind him, willing herself not to smile, and not to give this boy, minho, any satisfaction of knowing he'd achieved what she knew he probably wanted to.

• • •

the room smelt damp, with an earthy yet dusty scent to it. she counted ten boys seated on one side of the room, one of which being minho, and beside her sat newt and alby.

"they're all keepers," newt whispered to her. even though that information barely helped her figure out anything, she nodded in response and admired how kind newt was being compared to the hostile behaviour of some of the others.