Promises That Won't Last ☆ Gally - TMR

Four months fly by when you're stuck in a Maze

It's been four months since I arrived and since Billy's banishment. I finally found myself a job in the glade. I'm a runner! It was hard to find a job. I was a horrible cook. Too clumsy to be a builder. Too weak to be a bagger. Slopper and slicers were just a no for me. Track-hoe seemed like too much work, but gardening with Newt was fun. Med-Jack was easy, however so many gladers would come in with minor cuts and asked for me specifically to bandage them up. Ugh! Alby thought with that happening, being a Med-Jack wasn't the best for me. Which left me with the runners. 

When I first arrived Minho mentioned that I was fast and that I should consider becoming a runner. He was also the one to bring it up when discussing my final placement for a job in the council hall. Alby allowed me to start with training. Every morning for a week Minho would wake me up when the sun would rise and help me train. We would do laps around the glade. He gave me workouts to do as well 'to make sure I'm fit enough to keep up'. If anything he should be doing these workouts so he can keep up with me. It was a lot of work and oddly I enjoyed it all. At nights I would go against different runners and gladers in a race, I was unbeatable. Minho couldn't even win against me. He always had an excuse though. 

After a week of training Minho brought me into the maze. It was fun and easy. I loved running down the long corridors of the maze. The green vines of ivy grasping along the rough edges of concrete walls. It was beautiful if you looked at it the right way. Minho taught me how to map and memorize the maze. Not even after a few days Minho gave me the go ahead to go and map on my own. It was exhilarating! 

With becoming a runner, Alby had to explain a little more about the maze to me. For example, grievers have these things called stingers. They will sting you and send poison through your body making you go mad. Only two people have ever survived a griever sting. They don't remember seeing the griever though since it happened so fast or that they passed out immediately. So, no one has really lived to tell the others the story of what a griever looks like. I sort of wished to see what one looks like. I could only imagine something slimy and big and gross and maybe even a little hairy. 

Besides me becoming a runner nothing much has happened. Gally and I haven't talked about that kiss we shared in the forest back when I first arrived. We smile and wave at one another to be polite, besides that he ignores me. I mostly hang out with Fry, but also Winston, Minho, Ben, Jeff, Clint, Zart, Alby, and Newt. Gally hangs out with the builders and the odd time with Fry or Alby. Sometime he even sits at our table during dinner. I must admit I do like Gally, a lot. I'm just too nervous to bring it up. We haven't talked about the kiss and there's a reason for it I'm sure. Probably because Gally realized it was a mistake or he realized he didn't like me that way. Or the worst option I created in my mind, he just wanted to kiss the new girl. Billy did, so why not see for himself. I try to avoid the last option from coming across my mind. 

Wow, four months fly by when you're having fun... or when you're stuck in a maze. 

A new greenie was supposed to show up today and I wasn't excited, though greenie's are horrible. Ask so many questions, I now understand and feel bad for the gladers for when I showed up in the box. Anyway, today began like any other day, woke up just after the sun rose and got dressed. To add on, I finally have my own room in the homestead which I can't be anymore grateful for. I quickly grabbed some breakfast and packed my lunch before meeting Ben and Minho in the runner shack. I got my runner armor on and headed out as soon as the doors opened. I was doing section two's outskirts today as Ben did the inner corridors of it. Minho had his day off and took his time training and working out. Runners never get a break it seems. 

Ben and I arrived at section two. We split ways instantly agreeing that we would meet at the entrance to the glade in five and a half hours. It would give us plenty of time to map and get back.

"See ya sis" Ben yelled as we ran opposite directions. 

"Later Ben, stay safe" I yelled back, throwing a quick salute at him which was something Minho, Ben, and I do anytime we split up in the maze. I just started doing it for some random reason when I first became a runner and now it's like our thing.

Left. Right. Right. Left. Right. Right. Left. Right. Left. Left. 

I repeated the turns I took in my head as I wrote them down on my notepad. The wind blowing against my face gave me the feel of freedom that I always get while running. Running was my get away from the reality of being stuck in this shucking maze. I loved it! Time would fly by so quickly when I was running and before I knew it I was heading back to the glade where I saw Ben already standing at the doors waiting for me. 

"There you are slow-poke" he said playfully. I lightly punched him in the arm. 

"Your such a shank" 

"Ouch! That hurts my heart. My own sister thinks I'm a shank!" We both broke out into laughter as we headed to the running shack to draw our maps- my least favourite part of the job that I usually try to get Ben or Minho to do. 

"Okay! I'm done with my map! See ya shank" I said to Ben while throwing my map to the piles of paper on the corner desk. 

"Later shank!" He bellowed back to me as I left the hut. I quickly went to the showers and washed up and put some fresh clothes on. This was my second favourite thing of the day. First being when I go out into the maze. I went to the washing tub and washed my sweaty clothes. Jack a newer greenie that I have recently befriended was on the lookout today for when I was in the shower. I told him he could leave and go back to the glade, he was hesitant at first since when he first came up everyone told him the story of what happened with Billy and about the forth rule, they always do this to scare the greenie's to make sure they don't even think about touching nor hurting me. However, after lots of persuading, Jack finally left through the trees and went back to the glade. 

As I was washing my clothes, rubbing the cloth against one another to wash the dirt off I got an overwhelming flashback to that night with Billy. The memories always bring tears to my eyes. 

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. I repeated to myself in my head trying to focus. My breathing got heavier and faster. It soon became harder to breathe, like I was drowning. This happened every time I came to wash my clothes, so every day. Which is why I always excuse the gladers that are on look out for my shower time because I don't want them to see me doing this. They would just be worried for no good reason. 

"Finley?" a voice came from behind me. A voice I hadn't heard in a long time. I turned around quickly to see none other than Gally. A shirtless Gally to be exact. He had his shirt in his hands. He must be here to wash it and his chiseled abs were very clear to see. 

"Gally... uh... what..." I struggled to form a sentence as my breathing was still uneven. Why is it always Gally that sees me falling apart? The first night in the glade, the night after what happened with Billy, and now. Not a long list but long enough to be considered as a list. 

"Hey, it's okay Finley. Just breathe." He said trying to help me calm down. 

"Don't you think I'm trying that!" I replied angrily. 

"Sorry, I'm just trying to help." He said a frown forming on his face and his eyebrows furrowing. 

"If you want to help, leave me alone!" I firmly said. Closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing, I was able to regain control after another minute or so. When I reopened my eyes Gally was still standing and still shirtless. I turned back around and continued washing my clothes and hung them up leaving Gally there speechless and confused.