Remember for the Both of Us [COMPLETED]

12: No One?

I pulled up carrots in the garden, fuming. They had absolutely shot down my idea. No one--absolutely no one!--had even considered my idea. 

Thanks, Chancellor.

I popped over to the hose for a quick drink of water, and Minho sidled out of the Deadheads. "Hey, Greenie--"

"Hope," I corrected him.

"What you did at that meeting, that took guts. I'm sorry none of those milk-sucking babies had the guts to see the value in what you're saying."

"Weren't you the Keepers of the Runners?" I asked quietly. "Teresa said something about that."

He smirked. "Yeah. But hey, just saying, I'd do it. Who knows? There could be something out there that's changed."

"Do you think anyone else would join?"

"Thomas," he said without hesitation. "That kid had promise. Teresa'd probably jump at the chance to do something other than gardening... and if you're lucky," an expression of distaste passed over his face, "you could get Gally on board too."

"What's going on between you three?" I asked.

Minho almost choked on his own breath. "What?"

"Are you fighting over Teresa?"

He looked around. "It's none of your business, but having one girl in a Glade full of boys was never going to end well."

"How come none are going after me yet?" Hardly anyone had talked to me, and none had come up and made gross flirtatious comments or anything. (Thank goodness.)

He smirked. "Well, they're weirded out by having another Greenie, and it's pretty clear that you're N--"

Teresa bumped into him. "What are you talking about?" 

"Teresa," I said. "Minho thought you'd be a good Runner."

Before she could walk away, he cut in, "If we could get enough people, there's a shot Newt might let us run."

"Who else?" she asked resignedly.

"Thomas and Gally," I said carefully.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll talk to Thomas." She looked at me. "You talk to Gally."

"Me? I barely know him! And I kicked him in the shin!"

"Who's going to do it? Minho? We need this done as fast as we can. We only have a few days left." She glanced meaningfully at my arm, and grabbed a trowel.

At lunch, I saw her grab Thomas's arm, and I knew I had to find Gally. He was sitting in the Deadheads, whittling a stick. I swallowed. "Gally--"

He looked up. "Greenie."

"Sorry for hitting you," I said nervously. "And um..."

He turned his head to stare flatly at me. "What?"

"We had the idea that if we got enough people to say they'd be Runners--"

"Stop right there," he growled. "Did that once. Won't do it again."

"But--"

"No." He went back to whittling.

I thought of Minho's words. Having one girl in a Glade full of boys was never going to end well...

"You want Teresa to be safe, right?" He tensed. I pulled up my sleeve. "Look at this tattoo and tell me that bad things won't happen. Even if things go back to normal, people will die and who's to say you or Teresa won't be one of them? The only sure-fire way to make sure she's safe is to Run."

"How did you--oh I don't even want to shucking know..." he glared at me. "I suppose you figured it out all on your own, huh? Girl intuition or whatever klunk."

"But I'm right," I said. Oh I was never good at bluffing please just say yes say yes say yes please...

"Fine," he huffed. "I know Minho and Thomas are doing it to. As long as I don't have to do anything with them."

"Or maybe cooperating with them will impress her," I pointed out. "Just a thought."

From his glare, I guessed I'd overstayed my welcome and I quickly retreated before he smashed my skull in.