𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 & 𝐄𝐂𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘-𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮

EIGHTEEN

The days passed by quickly and I found myself standing with the rest of the boys, waiting for the new Greenie to come up. I knew Chuck was more than ready to pass his greenie title onto someone new. He still hasn't made any other friends other than me and my group, but he didn't mind. He was made a Slopper because he was so bad at the other jobs.

I tried to reassure him, but there was only so far I can go with lying that it wasn't the worst job known to have here.

Making friends with Clint and Jeff was easy and any time everyone else was busy I would hang out with them. They definitely knew how to crack a joke. I guess they would have to be funny, with such a slow and boring job that the Med-jacks were. It wasn't often that people got hurt.

Though, I was grateful because I got to be there as Newt got better. Not just physically but mentally. It wasn't long before he was walking around the Glade without his crutches. But I thought it was more about his stubbornness than not actually needing them. I had decided to let it be. As long as he was up and out of the Med-hut.

The other boys had gotten used to me being there finally, but there were still some boys who kept their distance, which I didn't mind because I wanted to stay as far away from trouble as possible.

Gally had let up considerably and didn't try to hang around any second he could, but I could feel him watching from a distance. Which I was fine with.

The boys were getting restless and their endless chatter filled my ears. I felt myself become restless and didn't realize that it took this long for the box to arrive. I had been unconscious when both Chuck and I came up.

I was crazy to think about how much had gone through in the short amount of time that I had been here. But I feel like I could finally heal from it. I have taken it one day at a time, like Newt had told me he was. I felt it was more freeing.

The box finally hit against the doors and I could hear the Greenie scream from inside. The boys laughed and I wondered what was so funny. They had all gone through this exact process, couldn't they be more empathetic?

The doors opened and I peered over to see a metal crate. Two boys grabbed the top of it and pulled open the cage doors. It was quiet as we all looked inside. There was a single boy, surrounded by supplies. I frowned. From what I had gathered since being here, the supplies only came up once a week and not when the Greenies came up. Why send them now?

No one else seemed to notice as they threw out words, asking each other what job the Greenie looks like he would get. I heard Winston laugh and say, "Looks like a Slopper to me."

"I could use some help in the kitchen." Frypan added.

"Gally, go get him." Alby said.

Gally jumped into the box and I heard him say, "Day one Greenie. Rise and Shine."

The Greenie was thrown out of the box and at our feet. His face was covered in fear and he was panting. The boys surrounded him, continuing their laughter. The Greenie stood up quickly and broke through our group, making a dead sprint to the Maze doors.

"Isn't anyone going to stop him?" My question was lost to their voices and laughter when the Greenie tripped over himself and fell to the ground.

I watched as the Greenie laid there for a second and then stood to look around at the Maze walls. Alby sent the Badgers to collect the boy and to put him in the Slammers to prevent him from running again.

I had trained with the Badgers and thought they had the most useless job. Not a lot of people got in trouble often, so we were just left to watch over the boys. Waiting for something to happen. I was glad when the dinner bell rang and I hadn't run faster to the Kitchens before.