Be Mine

Chapter 6

   "What the shuck are you two doing?" Minho's voice woke me up. I opened my eyes and saw him standing in the doorway. Newt's arm was still around me.
I felt Newt stir and his arm came off me and he sat up. "Minho, what are you doing?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Just came to say good morning," Minho smirked.
I rolled my eyes. "That's not the reason why you're here."
"Well aren't you smart?" Minho teased. "We're having a bonfire tonight."
"Why?" I asked.
"To celebrate you, Greenie," Minho explained. "We always have a bonfire to welcome the new Greenie and we haven't been able to have one for you yet. Mainly because you landed yourself in the Slammer the day after you got here."
I felt my cheeks burn red and Minho laughed. "It's okay, Addison. We all make mistakes."
I only nodded, not making eye contact with Minho.
"Well, I gotta go," Minho said. "I'll see you two at the bonfire, I hope?"
"We'll be there," Newt said.
"Great," Minho winked at me before leaving.
"You ready to work as a Med-Jack today?" Newt asked. "Usually a Med-Jack is the last job you try out for, but I knew how much you wanted to be one so I asked Alby if you could try out today."
I looked at Newt and smiled at him. That was so nice of him to care about me enough to do something like that. I felt so bad that my true heart's desire wasn't to be a Med-Jack, but to be a Runner. I would have to try to persuade him to let me be one, but not now. I had to at least try to be a Med-Jack for a day. It wouldn't feel right if I didn't.
"Thank you, Newt," I said. "That means a lot."
Newt returned my smile. "Anything for you, love."

After breakfast, Newt walked me to the Med-Jack hut and introduced me to Jeff and Clint. Newt left and Clint immediately started telling me everything there was to know about being a Med-Jack. I tried paying attention, but there was a lot to take in. Jeff went off somewhere so I listened to Clint talk for about thirty minutes.
   "Got it?" He asked.
   "I think so," I said, although I was positive I wouldn't remember anything he just told me.
   "Good that," Clint said.
   Just then, someone walked in. It was Gally.
   "What happened, Gally?" Clint asked.
   "Some shank dropped a piece of shuck wood on me while we were building Addison's room," Gally explained. I felt bad since he got hurt doing something for me.
   "Come on, Addison," Clint said. "I know just how to fix this. Watch me and then you will take the next patient yourself."
   I just nodded. I watched Clint work his magic and I had no idea what he was doing.
   "Just lay down, Gally. Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back. Stay with him, Addi, make sure he doesn't do anything to hurt himself," Clint said before leaving the hut.
   I sat down on a stool facing away from Gally. Just enough so it looked like I wasn't looking at him, but I could still see him out of the corner of my eye. He just lay there on the bed, not making a sound. After a few minutes, I glanced over at him to make sure he was breathing.
   "Are you okay?" I asked.
   "Yeah, why?"
   "Just making sure."
   Silence. Awkward silence, oh how I hate you! I thought.
   "Um, Addison?" I heard Gally say.
   "Huh?"
   "I'm, uh, sorry about what happened two days ago," Gally apologized.
   I was shocked. Mainly because I thought Gally hated me for what I did and also, he didn't seem like the type of guy who apologized very much. "Oh, um, i-it's ok," I stammered, not knowing what to say.
   "Were you okay in the Slammer?" Gally asked. "I was worried about you."
   Gally was worried about me? I was even more surprised. "Yeah, I was fine."
   "That's good," Gally said.
   I nodded slowly. "Gally, you were worried about me?"
   He looked embarrassed, as if he had just realized the words that had come out of his mouth. "Um, yes, I mean no. Well, yes," he admitted.
   "Aw, Gally, that's so sweet."
   "It is?" He looked surprised.
   "Yes," I said and before I could stop myself, I got up and hugged him.
   "Ow," he said, his right hand immediately coming up to his left shoulder.
   "Oops, I'm sorry," I felt bad but he just grinned and muttered something that sounded like "it's fine".
   Gally and I spent the next hour talking and laughing. I was having such a good time that I almost felt sad when Jeff and Clint came back and said that Gally was good to go.
   The rest of the day dragged on slowly. Only two other boys, both Slicers, came in to get bandages on their badly cut hands. Besides that, nothing much really happened.
   After what felt like hours of doing nothing, I heard a voice that came from the doorway.
   "Hello, love," Newt said.
   "Hey, Newt," I said, happy to see him.
   "Ready to go to the bonfire?"
   "Yup!"
   "How was working as a Med-Jack?" He asked me as we walked toward the crowd of boys.
   "It was good," I lied. The only part I had actually enjoyed was talking to Gally.
   "Addison!" I heard someone call my name. I saw Gally waving at me, motioning me to go over to him. I made my way over to him with Newt at my heels.
   "Hey Gally," I said cheerfully.
   "Hey Addison," Gally looked happy which the rest of the Glade found unusual. "Oh, hi Newt," he greeted him with less enthusiasm than he had greeted me with.
   "Gally," Newt said with a slight nod. It was obvious that these two did not care much for each other and I was determined to fix that.
   "So, how's your shoulder, Gally?" I asked.
   "Much better, thank you."
   "What happened to your shoulder?" Newt asked.
   "Some shuck face dropped something on me while building Addison's room, which is now ready," Gally explained, looking at me while saying the last part.
   "Awesome! Thanks Gally!" I exclaimed.
   "No problem, Addi," Gally said. That was the first time he called me that.
   Newt didn't seem to like the fact that Gally had a nickname for me. He angrily grabbed a bottle of something that did not look very appetizing and drank it.
   "So, how are you, Addi?" Gally asked.
   "I'm good, how are you?"
   "I'm good. So much better now that you fixed my shoulder," he said the last part while eyeing Newt.
   Newt gritted his teeth and looked away from us.
   "Bad day?" Gally asked innocently.
   I knew Gally was being sarcastic, but I didn't like the fact that he was teasing Newt.
   "No," Newt said coldly as he stormed away from the bonfire.
   I got up and started after him.
   "Where are you going?" Gally called after me.
   "Somewhere!" I replied.
   I ran out into the clearing and saw Newt head for the Deadheads.
   Why does he have to go to my least favorite place, especially at night? I wondered.