How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Fifteen

- A LOT of dirty clothes -

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm gonna go get some lunch," Justin said, stretching his arms.

"Oh, yes, please—I could really eat something," I replied, feeling the hunger pangs setting in. Together, we made our way to the eating area, where most of the others were already gathered.

"Hi!" I greeted them with a bright smile as I grabbed a plate from Frypan, then slid into a spot between Newt and Theo. Justin took a seat between Winston and Billy.

"Hey," the boys responded with casual waves, continuing their conversation. I dug into my meal, savoring the warmth and simplicity of the food after the morning's work.

"So, how was your day?" Clint asked, turning toward Justin and me. His tone invited a story, and I decided to humor him.

Taking a thoughtful pause, I glanced around the table, the warm light flickering across their faces. "Well, it was eventful," I began, a small smile playing on my lips.

I nodded toward Justin. "We started with a laundry mission—conquering the mighty pile of dirty clothes. And let me just say," I added, smirking at the group, "you guys have A LOT of dirty clothes."

Justin chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, no kidding. We could probably open a second maze just for all the laundry."

The group laughed, and I joined in before adding, "At least we got it done. Right, Justin?"

"Right," he replied with a grin.

Curious, I turned to Newt. "What about you? How was your day?"

Newt leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "Well, it was pretty eventful too," he said, his voice carrying a note of amusement. "Spent the morning in the gardens with Zart and Theo." He nodded toward Theo, who gave an exaggerated thumbs-up.

"But," Newt continued, his lips twitching into a grin, "we had a little situation with the animals."

"What kind of situation?" I asked, intrigued.

Newt raised a brow, clearly relishing the story. "Let's just say a certain someone managed to let the goats out of their pen."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" Theo protested, leaning forward in mock outrage. "We were just playing around, and they slipped out!"

The table erupted into laughter. Even Alby chuckled, shaking his head.

"Chasing those bloody goats around half the Glade wasn't exactly on my to-do list today," Newt added, smirking at Theo.

"Hey, you helped, didn't you?" Theo shot back, grinning.

"Yeah, you're welcome for saving your arse," Newt retorted playfully, earning another round of laughter.

"Sounds like everyone had a pretty eventful day," I said, taking another bite.

"You could say that," Alby said with a grin.

As the conversation continued, the laughter and banter around the table filled the air, weaving a sense of comfort and belonging that felt more precious with each passing day in the Glade.