How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Thirty

- Not a girl -

Life in the Glade had its routines, but introducing a new Greenie was always a mix of chaos and excitement.

"Hey, Zart!" Leo's voice carried across the garden, breaking the usual calm.

"Yeah?" Zart shouted back, matching Leo's volume.

I paused, wiping dirt off my hands, staring at them in disbelief. "Are they really going to yell back and forth all day?" I muttered to myself. Newt was busy with second-in-command duties, so I'd volunteered to help Zart in the gardens—a decision I was quickly regretting.

"I finished fertilizing the tomatoes and used the last of it. What do you want me to do now?" Leo bellowed.

"For crying out loud, GO GET SOME MORE THEN!" I yelled back, frustration finally bubbling over.

"Yeah, yeah, keep ya pants on!" Leo retorted as he stomped off, his cheeky remark earning a laugh from me despite my annoyance.

I walked over to Zart, who was sporting a smirk. "What's next?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the mischief in his expression.

Before he could answer, the Greenie alarm blared, cutting through the air. My heart raced—another new arrival.

"Let's start with that," Zart said, springing to his feet. Together, we ran toward the Box, the rest of the boys close behind.

We gathered around the Box, waiting for the lights to turn green. Alex came up beside me, his face lined with curiosity. "What's happening? What are we waiting for?"

"The lights have to turn green before we can open it," I explained, not taking my eyes off the Box.

Moments later, the lights flickered to green. Justin and Billy jumped into action, sliding the heavy doors open to reveal a young, scared-looking guy inside.

"Fuck!" I blurted out, slapping my hand over my mouth the second the word left. A chorus of exasperated looks met me from all sides.

"Sorry..." I mumbled sheepishly, lowering my hand.

Alby dropped down into the Box to greet the Greenie. "Don't mind her," Alby said, gesturing toward me. "She just really wanted it to be a girl this time."

The Greenie didn't say anything, just nodded nervously as Leo and Alby worked together to pull him out.

Standing unsteadily, the new boy looked around at the group of faces surrounding him. His gaze landed on me, and I offered him a small, encouraging smile. He gave a hesitant nod before shifting his attention to the others.

"What's your name?" Zart asked as he stepped forward, his voice calm and friendly.

"I... I don't remember. Why don't I remember?" The Greenie's voice cracked as panic started to creep in.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," I said gently, stepping closer. "We've all been through this. It's normal." He took a shaky breath and nodded.

"Well, Greenie, welcome to the Glade," I said, giving him my best reassuring smile. "I'm Y/n. That one over there with the blonde hair is Leo, and the other one with curly hair is Alex."

I paused, glancing at Alby. "You already met Alby—the one without hair."

The boys erupted into laughter, even the Greenie managing a small smile. Alby, however, shot me a playful glare.

"And over there are Justin and Billy," I continued as they waved at him before heading back to work.

"Y/n, you taking over from here?" Alby asked.

"Yeah, I've got it," I replied confidently. I'd done this enough times by now that it was second nature.

"Good," Alby said, nodding before walking off, likely to find Newt for more leadership duties.

I turned back to the Greenie with a reassuring grin. "Come on, I'll show you around."