How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Fifty-nine

- Thomas... -

"Hey, guys?" I call out, noticing more boys gathering around the fight circle. "What's going on over there?" I ask, squinting to see what's drawing their attention. The guys follow my gaze, just in time to hear the crowd chanting, "Greenie! Greenie! Greenie!" The noise grows louder, and Minho, who had been watching the action quietly, looks up too, then stands to offer me his hand.

"Come on," Minho says, helping me up. We make our way through the group, Minho pulling me along by the hand, leading us to the front of the circle. Tyrell and Theo follow closely behind, all of us eager to see what's happening.

When we reach the front, we see the Greenie standing inside the ring, facing off against Gally. I feel my stomach tighten at the sight. "Shit..." I mutter under my breath.

"Okay, alright!" Gally calls out, looking around at all the boys gathered to watch. He then turns to face the Greenie. "The rules are simple, Greenie," he says, his voice full of mock enthusiasm as he paces around in the circle. "I try and push you out of the circle, and you try and last more than five seconds." The boys around us start laughing, clearly enjoying the show already.

"Ready?" Gally asks, and the Greenie, his expression uncertain but determined, nods.

The fight begins almost immediately as Gally charges at the Greenie, easily pushing him out of the circle. The crowd roars with laughter as the Greenie stumbles but is quickly thrown back into the center. Gally doesn't waste a moment, rushing forward and slamming the Greenie into the ground face-first in the sand. I wince, the thud of the fall sending a ripple of discomfort through me.

"Oh, ow," I groan, my fist instinctively flying to my mouth as if I could feel the pain with him.

"Come on, Greenie, we're not done yet!" Gally taunts, stepping back to give the Greenie a chance to get up. "Show us what you got!"

Theo yells encouragement from behind me. "Come on, Greenie!" He grins widely, and I shoot him a glare, not feeling as amused.

"What?" Theo asks, noticing my expression. He throws his arm around my shoulders playfully, making me roll my eyes. "It's just for fun," he says, dismissing my irritation.

The Greenie slowly gets to his feet, dusting off the sand, and shoots a glare at Gally. "Stop calling me Greenie," he says, his voice firm.

"Stop calling you that?" Gally mocks. "What do you wanna be called? Shank?" The group bursts into laughter. Gally looks around, asking for confirmation, and I clear my throat as he passes by me. "Sorry, and She-bean?" he teases, winking at me as the other boys start chanting, "Shank! Shank! Shank!"

"Does he look like a Shank?" Gally asks, grinning as he dodges the Greenie's next charge. The two start circling each other, testing their strength, before the Greenie lunges at Gally, both of them wrestling on the ground. Gally expertly flips him onto the sand once more.

"You know what? I think I've settled on Shank," Gally says with a satisfied smirk as he circles the Greenie again. The boys laugh, egging on the fight.

The Greenie, not giving up, charges again. But Gally, anticipating the move, pushes him back, sending him sprawling onto the ground with a loud thud. "Oh, damn, Greenie!" Tyrell laughs, slapping his knee.

"Yeah, there you go, Greenie!" Alby yells from the side, his voice full of encouragement as the group cheers. The Greenie struggles to his feet, his face flushed with exertion, and he looks around, catching his breath.

"Not bad for a Greenie, huh?" the Greenie says, trying to sound cocky despite his obvious exhaustion. But before he can say more, Gally takes advantage, swinging his leg out to trip the Greenie, sending him crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. I wince again, feeling bad for him.

"Oh, that's gotta hurt," I mutter under my breath.

"Thomas! Hey!" the Greenie suddenly yells as he struggles to rise, his eyes widening in recognition. "Thomas!" He repeats, as if the name is a lifeline.

I look over at him, surprised by his sudden outburst. The Greenie—Thomas—has remembered his name. A small smile spreads across my face at the sound of it.

"Thomas!" Alby calls out, a hint of pride in his voice. The boys cheer as Thomas stands up, dusting himself off.

"Welcome home, Thomas!" Fry says, stepping forward to hand him a drink. The cheers continue as we raise our glasses, celebrating the newest member of the Glade. Just as the atmosphere lightens, I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind, and I turn to find Newt grinning at me.

"Hi, Lizard," I say, with a smile, feeling a rush of affection.

"Hello, love," He replies, his voice warm.

Just then, Gally walks up to Thomas, offering a quick nod of approval. "Good job, Thomas," he says, but before Thomas can respond, a loud, eerie screech echoes through the Glade, cutting through the night air. Everyone falls silent, turning toward the source of the sound.

"What the hell was that?" Thomas asks, looking around, clearly unsettled by the noise.

"That, my friend," Gally says, his voice heavy with warning, "was a Griever." I feel a chill run down my spine at the mention of the creatures, and I shiver involuntarily. The screech of a Griever always rattles me, reminding me of the night I spent trapped in the Maze.

"Don't worry. You're safe here with us," Gally reassures Thomas, though the words do little to ease my nerves. "Nothing gets through those walls," he adds, before turning and walking off, as if the whole thing is no big deal.

"Alright, guys—and girl," Alby calls out, turning to look at me with a smirk as he adds "girl" to the end of his sentence. I offer him a small smile, feeling the warmth of the camaraderie. Newt, still standing close to me, lets go of my waist but stays just behind me as Alby claps his hands.

"Let's tuck it in for the night," Alby says, his voice commanding yet comforting. "It was a good night." He starts walking toward the sleeping area, the other boys following suit.

"You too, lovebirds!" Theo calls out from behind us, his voice teasing. I look up at Newt, confused by the sudden remark.

"How did he—?" I start to ask, but before I can finish, Minho yells from behind us.

"We see everything!" he shouts, making us both laugh.

"Alright, alright, we're going!" I yell back at him, shaking my head as I start walking toward the sleeping area. My hut is just beside it, so I don't have far to go.

"Night, Alby," Newt says as we make our way past him.

"Night, Newt. Night, She-bean," Alby calls back, his voice warm. I offer him a small smile before turning my attention to the hammocks.

"Night, Theo. Night, Min," I call out as I pass them.

"Night, Chuckie," I say, stopping as I pass Chuck's hammock. He gives me a tired smile and a wave, but I don't stop to talk, too worn out from the day's events.

I walk into my hut, feeling the weight of the day crashing down on me. I fall onto my bed without bothering to change into sleep clothes. I'm just too tired. The exhaustion from the day—of the fight, the Greenie reveal, and everything else—catches up with me, and I fall asleep almost immediately.