In Dreams We Drown

3- A New Rule

Newt

I watched as Alby got close to the Greenie and murmured something in her ear, unable to hide the slight frown I could feel forming on my face. Whatever Alby had said, I wasn't going to be able to hear it above the loud yells of my fellow Gladers. I couldn't really blame them for being excited- they always got like this the night of a bonfire, and with the added surprise of the girl Greenie, I could see that spirits were at an all-time high. For some reason, this thought unsettled me. Beth was leaving now, moving towards the door, trying to ignore the calling and yelling from the nearest Gladers. I thought she'd done well at the Gathering, considering that she'd been placed in front of a group of rowdy teenage boys. She'd held her own, answered honestly, and I could tell that any misgivings Alby had about the girl were starting to fade.

Alby moved to close the door once Beth had left, and turned back to face the room. He stood for a moment, eyes of fire scanning the Gladers' and their behaviour. Minho leant closer to me.

"What're the chances we're about to get a telling off?" Minho grinned, clearly not fazed by the idea of being yelled at by Alby. I smiled too.

"Yeah, we're in for a bollocking all right." I couldn't blame Alby for being annoyed and wary of this new development. I was sure he was thinking the same thing I had been, the same thing that was probably going through Gally's mind, maybe even Minho's. The new, female addition to the Glade was bound to shake up the order it had taken us so long to establish.

"Enough!" Alby's voice was stern and impatient, and it proved how well respected he was that the Gladers seemed to immediately lose their voices. "We've got some things to discuss, Shanks."

"Here we go..." Minho muttered so only I would hear.

"Things have changed in the Glade. There's no point denying it. This girl, she's changed things. The way we work, the way we survive, the way we behave- all of that must change now."

"Says who?" It was Winston who had decided to chime up. A brave move, considering the look of death Alby now gave him.

"Says me, shuck-face! We can't just pretend nothing has happened. We've got a girl in the Glade, and while we're all here acting like a bunch of slintheads, she isn't safe."

"The shebean seemed to defend herself well enough earlier, right Gally?" Minho smirked and I rolled my eyes, knowing he was desperate to get a reaction out of Gally. Gally, however, seemed intent on ignoring the comment.

"We're excited, I understand that." Alby sighed. "But think for a second how Beth must be feeling right now. How she felt when she climbed out of the Box and found herself surrounded by all of your ugly shuck-faces!"

The room was silent now, and I hoped Alby's words of wisdom were getting through to the Gladers. Looking around at disappointed frowns and mischievous smirks, I wasn't sure.

"Alby's right!" I stood as I spoke, and turned to voice my opinion to the group. One of the privileges of being second-in-command was the right to speak at any Gathering. "Beth might pretend to be calm in this situation, but she's probably freaking out right now. And you lot whistling at her, or shouting, well that's not gonna help anything!"

Gally stood in response to what I had said, and my jaw tensed. I waited for him to argue against me, though I'd been hoping he at least would be on my side. Gally liked law and order, and I couldn't see him enjoying the thought of intimidating a girl. Alby nodded at Gally to speak.

"Has anybody considered why the Creators might have sent a girl up? To me, that seems like a more important conversation than Alby telling us to leave the Greenie well enough alone. We all know some of us will listen, and some slintheads will keep acting like slintheads regardless."