Seperation // Gally x Reader

Chapter Twelve- Take Notes

Gally's POV

When the others emerge from their shower, droplets of water dripping from their damp hair. They all seem strangely relaxed- the showers here must be pretty good.

"Alright, who's ready to refuel?" Valentino chuckled, stretching his arms over his head. Minx quietly raises his hand, his stomach growling in agreement. Christopher grabbed a stray towel and meticulously wiped down the equipment he'd used. "Just give me a second to clean up," he said, his voice slightly strained.

For some reason, I lost all sense in that moment. I sauntered over to him, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "Easy there, captain. Save some wipes for the rest of us, will ya?"

I expected to hear Valentino and Minx laughing behind me, but it was dead silent. I turned to face them and their eyes were wide. It was then that I truly realised how stupid that decision was.

Christopher elbowed me in the thigh, hard. "Don't touch me again, jackass. Alright?" He growled, walking away towards the punching bags. Valentino's hand finds me shoulder as I massage the patch on my thigh. That's definitely going to leave a bruise.

"Yikes, that was stupid. At least you learnt your lesson. Now, come on. We're hungry," he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out a door on the back wall. "We'll save you a seat, Chris!" He called out behind us, but was met with a disinterested grunt.

The hallways had begun to look the same, and I'm glad I have people who escort me everywhere or I'm sure I would get lost. We arrive at the dining hall, but there are only a handful of people scattered across the tables. "What's going on? Where is everyone?" I ask. "Lunchtime is different to breakfast and dinner. Groups can decide when they want to have it, usually once they're finished a segment or goal in their training. We tend to have ours early," Valentino replied.

We sat at our usual table, but they only grabbed three trays. "Isn't Christopher gonna come?" I ask, picking away at the food they'd given me. "Nah, I doubt it. He'll probably eat with Vella and Reece and meet up with us later today. We're meant to be having a day off, but we figured we might as well show you what to do."

"Oh, right. Well, thanks, I guess."

We eat in silence for a few minutes, and it becomes unbearable. "So... how did you guys get here?" I query, both of them momentarily lifting their gazes from their food. "What do you mean?" Minx asks, shovelling a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. "Well, how did you become... a part of this?"

"Oh..." he said, flashing Valentino an awkward glance before falling silent. I raised my eyebrows, prompting them to answer. Valentino sighs before speaking, "Well, I was put into one of WICKED's camps when I was younger, but they didn't want me. I'm fine with that, though. No offence but it seems like quite a shitty life."

"The Flare infected the tunnels and a few members of the group I was staying with. We all evacuated but we didn't manage to stay together. When we split, I got stuck in the Scorch... only for a few days but it was still a living hell. Some of Lawrence's recruits found me and took me in," Minx answered, his face emotionless.

"What about Christopher?" I ask. From what I can tell, he's either one of the earlier people to join, or he's just arrogant. He holds a hatred towards WICKED that matches that of my own, so it's fair for me to be a least a bit curious.

"He hasn't told us much. I know he came here when he was much younger, early teens or something. All we know is that WICKED took his sister, presumably put her in one of the mazes. He really hates them." Valentino says.

Minx swallows another bite of his meal. "Anyways, Gale," he said, a warm smile softening his features. "First time observing, what'd you think?"

My nerves began to settle. "It was, uh, intense? You guys were all really impressive." My words felt clumsy, but genuine. A hint of a smirk played on Valentino's lips. "Just wait till you get out there yourself. But hey, gotta crawl before you can walk, right?" While the words could've felt patronizing, his tone stayed friendly.