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

Chapter Fifthteen

Wake up. Run. Map. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. That's all it has been for the past few weeks and if it wasn't for Newt, Minho and Riley I would have gone insane. Well more so than usual. We think we come close to an answer but then we end up back at the beginning with nothing. This is just impossible! I pick up a knife and aim at the tree. Thwack. It loges itself into the trunk dead centre of the x I carved into the bark. You can probably tell that this is my favourite thing to do when I'm frustrated and need to cool off and think. I pull out the knife and stand back again, aiming for the centre. As I'm about to throw a small face appears in front of my target. I lower my knife and stare at the Greenie. "Uh s-sorry Jo, Riley said that you could help me?" The Greenie asks more than says.

Flipping the knife and placing it into the waist band of my shorts, I approach the Greenie. "Help with what Greenie?" His glance keeps on averting mine as he nervously pulls at his sleeve. "W-with meeting the uh Keepers?" He shyly asks again. I chuckle at him. "What's your name Greenie?" I ask kindly. He turns to look at me and his nervousness slowly diminishes. "Olli." "Well Olli, come on. Time for introductions! By the way, why did Riley say that I could do it instead of him?" "I don't know, he never said." There's a slight pause as I mutter under my breath. Shank, you owe me an explanation! I walk out of the tree line, turning to see if Olli follows. He practically has to jog to keep up with me. "Sorry kid, I should really slow down for ya shouldn't I? Well this is what you get for walking with a Runner!" To my surprise the Greenie laughs. "So who're you supposed to trial with first?" "Alby said something about the Gardens." Is his reply. "Well best introduce you to Zart first then!" I walk, slower than my normal pace, over to the gardens with Olli in tow. "Hey Zart the fart!" Zart groans at the nickname. "'Sup shank? Why's Greenie with you?" "Riley said to him that I could introduce him to the Keepers without any explanation, so here we are! Zart this is Olli the Greenie, Ollie this is Zart Keeper of the Track-Hoes. I'll leave you two to it!" I wave as I run off before Zart can argue. Now time to track down Riley!

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"Well I'm kinda busy Jo! Gally's got me fixing this wall so I couldn't exactly look after the Greenie. I knew today was your day off from running so-" "-So you thought that I would have nothing better to do?" I ask Riley with my hands on my hips. "Yeah?" "You're lucky I like you shuck face." With that I stalk off to the doors waiting for the Runners. I sit cross legged facing out into the maze. Picking a blades of grass I wait for my friends to appear from around the corner. Minutes pass, feeling like hours, when movement catches my attention. A tired looking Minho rounds the corner followed by a disgruntled looking Newt. Same old. Standing up I watch as the boys jog past me to the map room without a second glance. Yep, they're both shucked. Giving up on going to talk to them, the Homestead seems like the perfect place to wait for them to cheer up a little. If not I know what my job is. I slouch against one of the walls and as ever wait. A sudden tiredness overwhelms me, I fight the urge to close my eyes but they become too heavy to keep open. Darkness welcomes me once again.

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"There's got to be some answer some where! We've been doing this for two years! Two years Minho!" Newt exasperates as the two Runners walk out of the old shack begrudged by the lack of progress. "I know shank, just slim it! We will one day, maybe not tomorrow or the next day. But some day we will!" Minho comforts his old friend. They both approach the Homestead and are startled to see the only girl ever to enter the Glade out for the count against one of the walls. Newt initially thinks that she has had one of her black out moments and panics. Minho on the other hand, let's out a slight chuckle when he hears the soft snores from the sleeping girl. "You would think that she was the one to run the maze for both of us today." He whispers to the relieved boy next to him. "We should get her to her room, let her sleep." Newt quietly tells Minho. "Yeah what about Alby, he'll notice and put her in the slammer won't he?" "Not if we have anything to do about it." Newt replies as he picks up a sleeping Jo and carries her bridal style. He can't help but think that she is the only one that keeps the Gladers hopeful, gives them light in the darkness. What would they do without her? Newt knows that he wouldn't be able to survive without his friend, his symbol of hope. Unbeknown to him, Minho watches him carrying his friend with a smile, not his signature smirk. Although he would like to do so, but he can't help but smile at the two. Jo has no clue of the impact she has on the boys. But W.I.C.K.E.D do.