𝐃𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ² / ³

𝟢𝟢𝟧，𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮

"It's pink," she says dryly.

"Yes," Jasper nods. "I figured out you like that color. Half of your closet is full of it."

She hums. Steps closer to him, until her mouth is next to his ear. Lowering her voice, she speaks, "And have you ever seen a killer walk around with a pink fucking gun, Jasper? I'm not a fool."

His Adam's apple moves, eyes widening. "You could be a trendsetter," he quietly brings out.

For a few seconds, she's silent. Then, a satisfied smile forms on her face. "You're right. Pink's good."

It took Jasper exactly one day to realize she isn't playing with him, and that she is ready to kill him if he doesn't obey.

"So you're really planning to just start assaulting WCKD's employees?" He tosses more wood into the fire. A sizzling sound comes off it.

"Yeah. Hey— do we have marshmallows?"

After a few seconds of watching her with a frown, he starts snickering. "No, kid, we no don't. Now tell me somethin' about yourself. I don't even know your damn name."

Should she? She doesn't fully trust this guy yet. He murdered his own family, after all. Though he was infected back then. Now, she gives him the serum once a week.

"It's Joan," she eventually mutters, stabbing her knife into the Scorch's sand.

"How old are ya?"

"Why?"

"Well, I don't know— you killed a few people, ask me to steal guns, are smart as hell, pretty tiny, got quite a young face too... you're like a mix of everything. One sec, I think I'm with someone my age, and then you're acting like a toddler. Do we have marshmallows?" He mimics the last words, which makes her scowl.

"I don't know. Almost seventeen?" She shrugs. "How old are you?"

"Forty-one," he says. "Gettin' a bit old by the time." A pause. "You came from the Maze, right? I've heard rumors."

"Yeah," she replies, and swallows.

His eyes gain more interest. "Tell me 'bout it."

"Rather not."

"Hey, we're gonna start trusting each other here, alright? We might've made a deal, but we're not gonna act like you're the adult."

The girl elbows him in the side. "I'll tell you whatever I want and nothing more."

"Had some good friends?"

"None of your business."

"So you were either very lonely or had awesome friends that you lost in some way, didn't you?"

"I didn't lose them," she grits out.

His eyebrows fly up. "Then where are they now?"

"I left them for their own sake."

"Oh, you caused the loss—"

"Shut up." Another elbow in the side. "I didn't lose them. Well, maybe a little bit. And I'll officially lose them once they find out I murdered people, but they won't have to."

"Ever planning on meeting them again?"

She shrugs. "Yeah. After beating WCKD and curing as many people as possible."

"Why didn't you take them with you?"

"No time for that. Besides, one is in a wheelchair. He might be better off with others, who can spend all their time with him. And another is just a little kid that I love and despise at the same time. He'd take my chemicals all the time. Another one is way too stubborn and will interfere with my science because he knows things about it."

"Sounds like you."

"He's my cousin," she mumbles, then speaks up. "Another one is too kind for all this murder and the Cranks. Another one slaughters animals for food, so he'd be handy, but it would be weird to only take him with me. Another one is even more stubborn, would talk my head off, and mess around. Another one wouldn't allow me to murder at all. He's more of an adult than you."

"Got plenty of friends, I see."

Joan twists the blade that's still in the sand, then fidgets with her necklace. "I guess."

"Miss them?"

"Only when I have nothing else to think about."

But since Gally is kind of always on her mind, she doesn't have a lot of time to miss the rest.

Except for at night. With a pillow in her arms, she's able to find some comfort, but then her mind does wander to the rest. Especially Camil.

"Don't go too harsh on yourself, yeah? You're just a kid."

"Kids don't get locked up in Mazes. Or kill," she answers. "Anyways— tomorrow, we're gonna get more Cranks to cure. They'll help kill the employees."

He sighs. "Whatever you say. Anything else on the program?"

She shakes her head.

"Nice necklace you got there. Made it yourself?"

A nod.

"You mind?" She holds it up. "I made it yesterday. Just gotta work on the opening. Can't put it on by myself."

He clears his throat, muttering some kind of agreement. Quickly, he puts the thing on, his fingers tickling her back, then he has turned away from her again.

"Thanks." She puts her hand on her hips. "So what are we staring at now?"

"The water."

"Beautiful," she comments.

"Sure," he says.

"You won't snitch?"

"Never ask me the color of anything again, and I won't."

A smile forms. "Deal. Hey, what size do you suggest, though?"

"Oh, shut up."

She swallows again. Blinks a few times as she readjusts herself on the tree trunk.

"Everyone is dancing and having fun, Gally. I'm not tired. Just a few more minutes."

He sighs.

"Please? I won't drink swear nothing else— I mean, I swear I won't drink anything anything else."

"Fine," he grumbles, turning around. "But you'll stay right here..." and puts her against the same tree trunk as before, her back resting against it.

Stupid tree trunks. She doesn't want to reminded of him. There's other things she should be busy with.

"Kid, tell me why you're randomly sad all the time. Yesterday, when you made that lavender oil... when you saw I noticed the clothes you brought with you, and whatever else happened."

"Nothing."

They're both silent for a while. She watches the fire, suddenly back at the Bonfire. The dancing boys, the wrestle wring, Gally's drinks, and the laughs.

"The clothes," Jasper starts, "they're boy clothes. That's it, isn't it?"

"What's it?" She spits out.

"There's a boy," he states, half-grinning and half looking at her in awe.

"No there isn't."

"What's his name?"

"There's no boy."

"He must've really liked pink. Since all the clothes are pink."

"No, he doesn't—"

"Ha, got you."

"...because there is no boy," she peeps, but he has caught her already. "Okay, fine, maybe there is a boy, but that's none of your business! I'm going to bed."

"I'll keep interviewing you until you kill me. Then when I'm dead, my ghost will haunt you for breaking our deal. That you killed me while I followed all your orders."

"Well, Jasper, now I order you to not speak a word of him again."