How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Twenty-three

- The new greenie -

"And... there," I say, tying off the bandage on Billy's hand. He'd managed to trip while running—knife in hand, of course. "Next time, try not to run with sharp objects, okay?" I add with a chuckle.

Billy grins sheepishly. "Lesson learned. Thanks, Y/N." He hops off the bed, flexing his newly wrapped hand.

I nod, smiling back, but before I can say anything else, a loud siren blares through the Glade.

"What the hell..." I mutter, glancing toward the door.

"It's the Greenie alarm. Come on!" Clint shouts, already bolting out of the med-hut.

I follow close behind, sprinting to the Box. A crowd has already gathered when I arrive. The familiar hum of machinery fills the air, and the Box's green light flickers on. Gally and Fry move quickly to unlatch the lid.

But when they open it, there's only a stack of supply crates.

"Uh... where's the Greenie?" I whisper, glancing up at Clint in confusion.

Andrew jumps into the Box, scanning for any sign of movement. "Maybe they forgot to send one?" Billy suggests, but his words hang uncertainly.

"See anything?" Gally calls out.

Andrew begins to answer, "Nope, nothing her—"

Before he can finish, the Greenie launches out of the shadows, tackling him to the floor of the Box.

"Whoa!" Theo shouts, throwing an arm in front of me and pulling me back instinctively.

"Hey! Stop!" Alby yells, already jumping down into the Box.

Chaos erupts as Alby and Newt struggle to wrestle the knife out of the Greenie's hands. Andrew flails beneath the newcomer, desperately dodging swipes of the blade.

"Calm down!" Clint shouts, but his voice is barely heard over the commotion.

Finally, Alby and Newt manage to disarm the Greenie. "Theo, Justin!" Alby barks, his voice firm. "Get him to the Slammer. Let him cool off."

Theo and Justin jump into action, dragging the thrashing Greenie toward the Slammer.

I exhale a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, watching as the rest of the Gladers work to pull Alby, Newt, and Andrew back out of the Box.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask Andrew, noticing blood trickling from a cut on his lip.

He nods but winces slightly. "Yeah, just a scratch."

"Come on, let's get that cleaned up," I say, grabbing his wrist and guiding him toward the med-hut.

Once inside, I grab a damp cloth and gently press it to the cut on his lip.

He hisses in pain, pulling back slightly.

"Big baby," I tease with a grin.

"Oh, shut up," Andrew retorts, though the smile tugging at his lips gives him away.

I finish patching him up, and we head back to find the others. Spotting Newt and Theo near the Slammer, I walk over with a smile.

"Hi," I greet them, tucking my hands into my pockets as Andrew wanders off.

"Hey," Theo says, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

I shrug. "Bored, I guess."

The three of us settle into an easy conversation, keeping an eye on the Slammer as the Greenie's muffled shouts gradually fade. The tense energy in the air starts to dissipate, but a lingering curiosity about the newcomer remains.