How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Fifty-six

- Calm, calm, calm -

"Woah, hey," Tyrell says suddenly, his voice cutting through the usual stable sounds as we sweep the floors. I glance over at him, following his gaze, and feel my stomach drop.

"Oh, god..." I mutter, seeing the Greenie wandering dangerously close to the doors of the Maze.

"Come on!" I urge, dropping my broom and rushing out of the stables just as I spot Gally marching toward the Greenie with purpose.

"HEY!" Gally's voice booms, and before I can get there, he shoves the Greenie roughly to the side.

"GALLY! Knock it off!" I shout, sprinting toward the scene. The Greenie scrambles to his feet, glaring at Gally.

"All right, calm, calm, calm," Gally says, his hands raised in mock surrender as he steps back slightly.

"Hey, don't touch me!" the Greenie snaps, his voice tight with a mix of fear and anger. The commotion has drawn a crowd, boys rushing over from all directions.

"Woah, take it easy," Gally says, attempting to sound reasonable but doing little to defuse the situation. "Just relax."

"Yeah, because being shoved to the ground by someone twice your size is totally relaxing," I retort, stepping closer. Before I can move any farther, I feel a hand wrap around my wrist. I turn to see Theo pulling me back, his expression cautious.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you guys?" the Greenie shouts, his frustration boiling over.

"HEY! Watch your language in front of the kid!" I say, pointing to Chuck, who stands off to the side, wide-eyed and silent, clearly out of his depth.

"Just calm down, all right?" Newt's voice cuts through the chaos as he arrives beside me. He extends one arm toward the Greenie in a calming gesture, the other moving protectively in front of me.

"No," the Greenie replies, his eyes darting around the gathered boys. "Why won't you tell me what's out there?"

"We're just trying to protect you," Alby says firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"For your own good," Newt adds, his voice steady and reassuring as he moves closer to the Greenie.

"You guys can't just keep me here!" the Greenie yells, his voice echoing across the Glade.

I glance at Tyrell, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that's a new one," I whisper, knowing that no other Greenie has ever accused us of imprisoning them before.

"I can't let you leave," Alby says, his words measured but serious.

"Why not?" the Greenie shoots back, confusion and defiance etched across his face. Before anyone can respond, the familiar rumbling of the Maze walls fills the air. The boys fall silent, the Greenie turning toward the source of the noise as the wind picks up, blowing sand into the Glade.

I instinctively turn my back to the wind, shielding my face with my arm. Theo steps closer, giving me cover as the massive doors begin to slide shut.

As the final clang echoes through the Glade, Gally steps forward, his voice low and threatening. "Next time, I'm gonna let you leave." He walks past the Greenie without looking back, the tension thick in the air.

"And who's gonna hold back She-bean then?" Tyrell quips, his grin breaking the tension slightly. A ripple of laughter spreads through the group, though the Greenie remains frozen, his eyes locked on the now-closed doors.

I shake my head, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Come on," I say to Tyrell, motioning back toward the stables. "We've got work to finish."

He falls into step beside me, still chuckling softly. "You know, one day, you're gonna scare the Greenies more than the Maze does," he teases.

"Good," I reply, smirking. "Keeps them from doing something stupid."

As we reach the stables and pick up where we left off, the tension from earlier begins to fade, though the sight of the Greenie's defiant expression lingers in my mind. Something tells me this one's going to be trouble.