W.I.C.K.E.D's Girl [Book One]

Chapter Nine

I knock on the door and call through "Clint? Jeff?" "Jo what can I do for you?" Jeff peers over to me from the other side of the room. "As Minho put it I "got a bit friendly with a beetle blade."" I hold up my hand and walk further into the room. Jeff bursts out into laughter and I send a glare to him. "It's not that funny!" Jeff keeps on laughing and I can't hold the bubbling laughter back anymore. A few minutes pass as we both laugh and Jeff fixes up my hand. "There we go, almost good as new!" "Thanks Jeff! I'm guessing Clint's with Paul." Jeff's expression changes and I realise that I've hit a nerve. "Sorry." He just looks at me and then replies "It's alright, he just seems to be getting worse. The changing affects everyone differently but we've never seen it like this." There's an awkward silence between us until Jeff speaks up again. "Fry will be serving soon, maybe you should go and beat the others to it." "Thanks again Jeff." "No problem." I start to walk back out when I turn back to face him. "Say Jeff, got any ideas for a good dare for Minho?" He looks perplexed "A dare for Minho? Why do you need a dare for him?"

"Well we raced back and the last one back has to complete a dare-" "-wait Minho was the last one back?!" Jeff looks amused by this. "Yeah! It was a close call between him and Newt but Minho tripped at the last second!" "Well if I come up with anything I'll let you know." "See ya Jeff!" With that I bound out of the homestead and head to the deadheads. I climb up a tree on the outskirts and watch the Glade in all its glory. A figure approaches me from the map room. Jumping down I land on my feet but sit back against the tree. "Thought I'd find you here!" Newt says as he gets closer. "No you just saw me come over here Newt." I stick my tongue out at him. "Cute." He says sarcastically. "Slim it." We both laugh at each other. "Well what do you want?" "What can't I just see my favourite greenie?" I roll my eyes at him. "Newt I'm the only greenie! And no, you must have some reason!" "True, true. I was just wondering what are you going to dare Minho to do?" I ponder for a moment. "Well that's the thing, I can't think of anything yet! I asked Jeff as well but he said he would let me know once he's thought of something." Newt sits down next to me and scratches his head. His face then lights up. "I've got it!" He then stands back up and pulls me up with him. He starts to march off without another word. "Aren't you going to tell me then!" I shout after him. Newt spins back around and grabs my wrist "Here's the plan."

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Sitting with the keepers, Newt and I keep smirking at each other. Soon our plan will fall into action. "Ok you two, why the shuck do you keep smirking?" Minho asks us. And action! "Honestly minnow! Have you forgotten about your dare already?!" I batter my eyelashes at him with the almost permanent smirk playing on my lips. He groans in response which causes stifled laughs among the rest of the keepers. "What is it then?" "All in good time my friend!" I wink at him and the other keepers give us a knowing look. All the keepers except Minho and Gally know of the dare, why Gally you ask. All in good time! Alby starts another conversation to distract Minho and Gally whilst Newt and I signal Ben to come over. He walks towards Gally and pulls him away from the rest of us. Once he's out of ear shot Newt and I turn to Minho. "So you want to know your dare then?" Newt asks. "What kind of shuck question is that? Of course I do!" I grin evilly. Minho notices and a look of panic strikes his face. "Your dare is..." "to..." Newt continues for me. "Steal Gally's clothes when he's in the shower and then-" I say "Wait WHAT!" Minho shouts and we hush him, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. "As I was saying, and then run around the Glade with his shorts on your head." Newt silently laughs as Minho fails to speak, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "You pair of shucking shuck-faced slintheads are going to pay for this." He mutters as he stands and stalks off. "He took that better than I expected." Alby says as Newt and I burst into fits of laughter. "It's a good job we're all in on this otherwise you'd both be facing time in the slammer." I hold my laughter for a second to respond "Yes mother!" with a mock salute. Alby just laughs at me. I'm starting to feel like I belong.

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"Ok Minho, you ready?!" We're walking towards the showers as other gladers that are in on the dare stand back waiting for the action. I stop once we're near the showers and push a hesitant Minho forwards. He takes a deep breath and creeps in. Bouncing on the balls of my feet I wait in anticipation for Minho to return and complete his dare. Seconds later he darts out with Gally's shorts on his head and makes a B-line for the lookout. The boys all laugh and cheer. I begin to cheer for Minho as a string of profanities are strongly carried out from the showers. I stop dead in my tracks as I turn to see a rather red faced Gally wrapped in a towel march out of the showers. I freeze on the spot, not expecting Gally to chase after Minho. The boys jeer whilst Gally and Minho run a mock around the Glade, I start to unfreeze and return to laughing at the scene before me. Suddenly my vision becomes fuzzy and my hearing becomes muffled. What's wrong with me? My chest feels tight and I struggle to breath. A hand is set firm on my shoulder and a blurred face comes into my line of vision. I can't work out what they are saying or who they are. They shake me slightly as I sway, my eyelids and limbs becoming heavy. I can't fight the darkness anymore and allow it to envelop me.