➊ 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 - 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐨, ᵗᵐʳ

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕: 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞

Everyone was clustered in little groups around the bonfire. Chuck had tried to sit near Minho at first, but one look at my face made him change his mind fast. Smart kid.

So here I was—crammed on a tree trunk between Ben and Chuck, elbows practically touching.

"Sorry I didn't spend more time with you, Ly," Ben said, sounding guilty. "Minho and Alby didn't seem thrilled about it."

Minho I understood—just the sight of him made me want to hurl a log at someone. He was probably pissed I existed. Mutual feeling.

"Why Alby though?"

"He said I gave away too much for a Greenie's first day. Which is ridiculous—I barely said anything."

"I didn't either!" Chuck chimed in, mouth full of whatever Frypan had managed to cook.

"What! It's true!" the younger boy protested, crumbs flying.

"Yeah... no." Ben snorted.

Chuck stuck out his tongue like the mature twelve-year-old he was.

"I should probably introduce you to everyone, huh?" Ben smiled.

"Hey! I was supposed to do that!" Chuck jumped in, offended.

Ben rolled his eyes and gestured for me to follow. I didn't really care who did it.

Then someone called out.

"Hey, Greenie! Over here!"

I turned, confused. Greenie again? People had said it before, but I never asked what it meant.

"You need to be initiated right!" The voice belonged to a tall guy with arms like tree trunks and a buzz cut. His eyebrows were... alarmingly high. I couldn't stop staring.

"Go away Captain Eyebrows." Said Chuck crossing his arms on his chest.

"Captain Eyebrows, is that your name? I glanced at his forehead. I can see it."

His smile dropped, eyes narrowing.

"That dumb kid told you that? It's Gally. And he's full of crap," he snapped.

"Hey! Watch your mouth," I snapped back. No one insulted Chuck on my watch.

"Oh, I'm so scared. What are you gonna do, kick my balls?" Gally taunted.

Wrong move.

Before I even registered it, my knee was already connecting with his crotch. Like some automatic defence response I didn't know I had. He dropped like a tree, groaning.

Everyone turned.

"What did we say about hurting Gladers?" Alby yelled, storming over.

The whispers started instantly.

"What happened?"

"What did he do again?"

"The Greenie?"

"A girl doing that's gonna hurt his ego."

"Totally crazy," Minho muttered nearby.

"He called for it!" I shouted, ready to explain, when bam, something hard slammed into my cheek. The ground came at me fast and cold.

It was all a blur for a second. Then I heard Chuck's voice, soft and panicked.

"Evelyn! You okay? I can't lose my only friend!"