How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Twenty-four

- showing the greenie around -

After about an hour or so, the greenie finally calms down, his breathing becoming less erratic, and we decide it's time to take him out of the slammer. "What's your name?" I ask, hoping to break the ice. He looks up at me with a smirk that gives me the impression that he's not as rattled as he might seem. "Jack," he replies in a flirty tone, stepping toward me and almost towering over me as he does. The way he looks at me makes me take an instinctive step back.

"Well... Jack," I say, my voice steady despite the fact I can feel his presence looming closer. "Welcome to the Glade," I continue, offering a small smile. "I'm Y/n, and this is..." I begin to introduce myself before turning toward Newt and Theo. "Newt, and Theo," I add, pointing at the two of them behind me. Both of them shoot Jack a dirty look, clearly not too thrilled by his attitude.

Just as the tension starts to build, Alby strides over to us, his presence commanding attention. "Oh! I see the greenie finally calmed down," he comments, eyeing Jack with an approving glance. He looks at me, his tone shifting to a more practical note. "Y/n, can you show Jack around the Glade?" he asks, and I simply nod in agreement.

Turning back toward Newt and Theo, I give them a small smile, saying, "I guess I'll see you later." Newt grins at me, his eyes softening with warmth. "I'll just be right over by the gardens if you need anything, okay?" he says. I nod once again, feeling reassured before I turn back to face Jack.

"Alright, come on, we've got a lot to see and not a lot of time," I tell Jack, my tone a little firmer now, and start walking ahead, Jack falling into step just behind me.

As I show Jack around the Glade, I can't shake the feeling that he's watching me the whole time. His eyes seem to follow my every move, and it starts to make me feel a bit uneasy. Unable to ignore it any longer, I turn around to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Um... do you mind?" I ask, my voice trying to stay light but with an edge to it. He just smirks back at me.

"Why? You don't like the attention?" he teases, his tone playful, and I can't help but roll my eyes, turning back to face the path ahead.

"So... Y/n," he continues, clearly trying to keep the conversation going, "what do you do around here for fun?" he asks, his voice curious. I shrug nonchalantly, trying to sound casual despite the discomfort creeping up on me.

"Not much to do here, but we do have a bonfire every time a new greenie comes up the box, this time being you," I explain, glancing over at him to see the hint of pride in his eyes.

"So, like a party to welcome me?" Jack asks with a chuckle, clearly amused by the idea. I nod in agreement, "Yeah, something like that," I respond, as we continue walking.

After several hours of giving Jack the full tour, we make our way to the eating area, which is the last stop on purpose, perfectly timed for when it's time to eat. As we approach, the others start gathering at the table, and I take a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief that we've made it through the tour.

"So, this is where we eat," I explain as we reach Fry, who's handing out the food. Fry looks up at me with a grin. "So, how's it feel to get upgraded, She-bean?" he asks, his voice teasing. I grab a plate for myself, then one for Jack, before replying, "Would be nicer if you guys stopped calling me she-bean," I joke, even though I secretly don't mind the nickname they gave me when I first arrived.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen," Fry says, laughing as he hands us our plates.

"She-bean?" Jack asks, clearly confused as we make our way to the table where Newt, Theo, Gally, and Alby are already seated.

"Long story," I reply with a shrug, before sitting down between Newt and Theo. We all start digging into our food as the chatter around the table picks up. But once again, I can feel Jack's eyes on me, and it's making me feel uneasy.

"Hey!" Minho suddenly calls out as he takes a seat beside Theo.

"Hi, Minho," I smile, trying to shake off the feeling of Jack's gaze still lingering on me. I take a bite of my food, hoping the distraction will ease the tension. Minho looks up, his eyes narrowing as he takes in Jack's presence. "Now, who do we have here?" he asks, his tone playful.

"It's the new greenie," Billy chimes in from across the table, offering an explanation.

"Oh, well, welcome to the Glade, Greenie," Minho says, his attempt at humor obvious as he tries not to make it sound too sarcastic.

"Thanks, and by the way, it's Jack, not Greenie," Jack retorts, his voice laced with a playful defiance, and I can't help but chuckle at Minho's surprised expression.

"Yeah, no, that, that's not gonna happen," Minho responds, shaking his head as if the idea is absolutely ridiculous.

"And what do you mean by that?" Jack asks, clearly annoyed by Minho's refusal to call him by his name. The tension between them starts to grow thicker, and I can feel the need to step in before it gets out of hand.

"He means that he's not gonna call you that until the next greenie gets sent up," I interject smoothly, hoping to ease the building tension before it turns into an argument or worse, a fight.