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

Chapter Fourteen

Thwack. I draw my machete back out of the wood, rising above my head again. With all the strength I can muster, thwack. Pulling the blade back again I drop it. I sit on the ground staring at the trunk, the scars on the bark from where I've lashed out at it. "What that tree ever do to you she-bean?" Gally asks as he sits next to me. I laugh as I look at him. "Nothing, just got in the way!" Truth be told it's been two weeks since my fall out with my friends. I've avoided them at all costs, fortunately for me I haven't been needed to go into the maze at any point with them. I've learnt to tolerate Gally and spent most of my time with him, Riley and the other Keepers. Oddly no one has asked why I've been ignoring my friends, maybe they've heard, gee these boys do like to gossip! I laugh at myself. "Guess you're feeling better about those shucks?" Gally asks me. "Meh. Still ignoring them though, they do deserve that, toying with me like that." I sigh, something that I've been doing a lot lately. "Anyways, back to work! Come on Gal." I stand, picking up my machete and placing it in it's holster. We both walk out to the centre of the Glade and then go our separate ways. A glimpse of dirty blonde hair and spiky black hair makes me suddenly turn in the opposite direction. I can't face them. No way. Just keep going the other way, like always.

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Successfully avoiding the boys is harder than it sounds. No matter where I turn to now they re-appear. It's like they've planned this. Oh great can't avoid them now, just have to ignore them. I walk up t Riley who is at the opposite end of the box to Newt and Minho. "Excited about not being the Greenie anymore?" I ask him. He laughs "Yeah so Gally can't call me Greenie anymore!" "Yeah but I can call you shank instead!" Gally says and the surrounding boys laugh with us. I can't help but see Newt and Minho looking at me and talking to each other. Their discussion seems quite heated. My gaze is diverted to the box as the light goes green and it starts to open. We move back so Gally can get into the box and Alby can be there to greet the Greenie. Zart throws down a rope and Gally appears again with a small boy who looks no older than twelve. He has light, reddish hair and light brown eyes. "Poor boy." I say to Riley. "Hey you never gave me any pity!" He elbows me and I laugh slightly as Alby takes him off for the tour. "That's because you looked like you could take care of yourself, he's quite scrawny and small." I counter. "Fair play." He says. "Are you two shanks gonna stand there all day or help?!" Gally shouts up to us. I laugh and jump down into the box and help with the supplies.

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Another Greenie bonfire. I can't actually believe it's been two months since I got here. A lot has happened since then. I'm sat all on my own as the boys mess about, relaxing and joking around to unwind. I can feel eyes burning into the back of my skull but I don't turn around. I know all too well who they belong to. Why can't they get it into their thick skulls that I'm not going to give in! "Hey Jo!" I snap my head in the direction of the voice. All the builders are gathered around near the wrestling ring. To hell with it! I down the rest of my jar and stand up. I smile at the boys as I join them. "Think you could beat Gally again?" One of the boys, Michael, teases. "Are you seriously doubting me?" I say with fake hurt. The boys laugh. "Well let's test that shall we Jo." Gally says and gestures towards the ring. I smirk and remove my shirt leaving me in my tank top. "Never thought you'd ask Gally." Just as I step into the ring I notice Riley with the Greenie who looks as jumpy as ever. I smile at him and he hesitantly smiles back. Alby stands on a crate and begins his little speech on the rules. I tune him and everyone else out, only focusing on Gally.

Should be easy to beat him again, I know all his moves. We start to circle each other, waiting for the other to move first. The boys watching chant and clap, a rhythm matching our steps. I briefly take my attention off of Gally and scan the circle. Suddenly I make eye contact with Newt and everything seems to stop. He looks at me pleadingly, everything it that one glance tells me that he's sorry, really sorry. All of a sudden I feel an impact on my side like I did on my first day. My face meets the dirt and I lie still. Gasps escape the crowd, not expecting Gally to beat me. The one time I let my guard down. I don't move, I stare into the dirt in a trance. "Jo? Jo are you alright?" I hear Alby ask, footsteps approach me.

My arm and the rest of my body jerks upwards as someone pulls me up. "Jo? Shank answers us! Are you alright?" Gally asks, more like demands me to answer him. "Yeah. Just, I need to go." With that I run out of the ring and straight into the homestead. Just as I'm about to close my door Newt comes into view. "Jo wait! Please!" He begs, part of me wants to slam the door in his face but the other part tells me to listen and let him in. So I do just that. "Look Jo I'm really sorry. It was just stupid, I let Minho drag me into it as revenge for the dare you gave him. I didn't think it would upset you like that, I mean it's really killed me that for the past two weeks we haven't spoken to each other. I tried to talk to you but you would walk away and I guess I just miss you Jo, being able to laugh and joke around with you. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore or anything-Oof" I cut him off when I hug him. He sheepishly returns the hug. The shucking idiot. I pull away from the hug and laugh at his face, a mixture of relief and confusion. "I forgive you Newt. I forgave you a while ago, it's just that, I don't know. Probably needed to cool off for a bit." He smiles as do I. We probably both look like the Cheshire cat. "I'm glad that that's over with! But I'm still going to give Minho the silent treatment seeming that it was his idea." I say and Newt chuckles. It's good to have my best friend back.

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Newt and I are laughing like old times and when Minho tries to join in I give him the cold shoulder. Harsh I know but his face is priceless! "Come on Jo! How come you've forgiven Newt and not me? I've said I'm sorry!" Minho pleads as he follows me to the map room. I ignore and try to stifle my laughter that's bubbling at the back of my throat. He huffs in defeat as we enter the wooden shack, readying for a day's run. See since I've proven myself more than once in the maze Alby and the other Keepers have agreed that I can run the maze like any other Runner. Which for me is great because I feel that I'm actually making a difference, trying to find a way out. But as ever we don't seem to be coming any closer. "You're one mean shank you know that right?" Minho says as we pack our packs. "I'm mean?! You-" I quickly smack my hand over my mouth. Damn! Minho laughs and points at me. "Finally broken you haven't I Chipmunk?!" I glare at him but it's no use, I can't stay mad at him forever. "You know what Min? I forgave you a while ago like I did with Newt, it was just fun to annoy you!" I say, triumphantly crossing my arms over my chest with a smug smile. Minho returns that smug look and walks over to me. What the shuck is he doing? In a flash he has me in a headlock and is messing up my hair. "MINHO!!!" The boys laugh at me and I huff in annoyance. Minho lets me go and I go back to packing my pack. "You're the shuckiest shuck-faced shuck there ever was." I say to Minho and he bursts into a fit of laughter. "I like that Jo! Might use that one myself!" "Come on you shanks! Get a bloody move on!" Newt tells us and we hurry up with packing.

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I love the feeling of running. It's not exhausting for me, it's exhilarating. If my dreams are memories then I know I was trained to do this, to run, to fight. But why? Why train me to do such things and not the boys. Maybe that's why the creators sent me here, to help them. I can run these corridors with such ease, it's like second nature to me. So much so, that I run ahead of my partner, today being Minho. He doesn't seem to mind, just so long as I don't lose him completely. Rule number three of being a runner, never leave your partner behind. We've been running for a few hours now, only two left until the doors close. Enough time left. I slow down a bit for Minho to catch up. We're not too far from the Glade now, a couple more turns and we're on the home stretch. Nothing new to report, same old shucking walls. There must be some end to this. Maybe there's something we've over looked. The creators want to challenge use, that part is clear. Think outside the box Joan. "JO! You can stop running now!" Someone shouts as I'm pulled out of my thoughts. Oh we're back. I jog towards the map room whilst avoiding any glances of the Gladers that snicker at my obliviousness. "What's got you all lost in thought?" Minho asks as we walk into the room. I sit at the table and pull out some paper and start to map. "Just the maze, the creators, there has to be more to it than this!" I say and gesture to the maps scattered around the table. "Jo maybe you're over thinking it. We've tried everything already." "Everything? Maybe you need to think outside the box." "Go on then, what's your shucking idea?" I look at the maps but nothing comes to mind. "See?" Minho says and sits opposite me. I groan in response and carry on with my map. One day, just maybe we'll find the way out.