The Rebel •Newt TMR• HIATUS

2: The Bonfire

"So, you excited for the bonfire?"

The question had broken my train of thought and honestly caught me off guard. I glanced at the blonde, raising a brow in confusion.

"The bonfire is a tradition for us Gladers. Everytime there's a new Greenie, we welcome them with a bonfire." Newt informed, smiling at me.

I nodded, wishing I had a voice to continue the conversation further.

"Hey Newt!" A short boy with curly hair ran up to us, plopping onto the grass on the other side of Newt. It seemed like the kid wanted to speak more, but his jaw fell wide open as made eye contact. "H-hi!"

"Greenie, this is Chuck." Newt said, nudging the chubby boy, who merely blushed in response. A small smile crept onto my face as I gave the boy a wave in greeting.

"Does she talk?" Chuck whispered loudly into the blonde's ear. I looked away sadly, trying to fix my gaze on the little things like how the grass blew in the light breeze, or how the other boys were working on various jobs. Newt and Chuck continued their conversation quietly beside me.

Suddenly, Chuck got up and rushed to a built structure, which I've heard is called the "Homestead". A few minutes later, the boy came back with a notepad and a pencil. My face lit up and I snatched the supplies out of his hands and began writing rapidly.

After probably 2 minutes or so, I handed the notepad to Newt, who began scanning the pages with Chuck peering over his shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you two. I don't remember my name yet and I wish I knew why I can't speak. Why are we here? Who are the Creators and what do they want with all of us? How long have you been here? What's outside those walls? And lastly, what do I look like?" Newt finished reading out load and sighed.

"We're not sure why we're here or what the Creators want with us. I've been in here since practically the beginning, and Chuck's been here for a month. He was the Greenie before you. The walls encase the Maze, which everyone except the Runners are forbidden to go in." Newt took a deep breath before studying my features carefully. "You have gray eyes and auburn hair that goes to your collarbones. A few freckles are scattered around your nose and cheeks and your nose is small and cute." He concluded, blushing slightly as he watched me absorb the information.

Chuck nodded in agreement before adding, "You're pretty." Which caused Newt to send him a side glare.

I tried to picture myself with the description that the blonde had given me. It wasn't extremely detailed, but I trusted his description. Gripping the pencil once more, I scribbled a "thank you" on the paper and held it up for the boys, who simply smiled.

Later in the day, I decided it was a good idea to try to meet some of the boys in the Glade. Gathering up courage, I walked into the kitchen and up to a boy who seemed to be the cook around here. He glanced up at me and grinned.

"Hey! So you're the Shebean, huh?" The boy asked kindly. He had a cheery attitude and seemed really nice. I nodded and wrote on my notepad:

"That's me! It's nice to meet you."

"Well, I'm Frypan. If you need anything to eat, I'm your guy!"

The boy didn't even question the notepad or seem to judge me in anyway. I liked this guy.

Newt, Gally, now Frypan? These guys have such strange names.

———

It was nightfall and the Glade was dimly lit by the flickering fire. The boys were dancing and talking around the fire, drinking some sort of concoction that Gally had made. Some Gladers made small talk with me every once in a while, constantly offering me drinks. I politely declined everytime, not wanting to be vulnerable since I was the only girl.

There was a group of Gladers across from me that surrounded Gally and another Glader, who seemed to be fighting. Cheers rang out every now and again, startling me. I watched as Gally tossed the other boy out of the circle victoriously. He turned and smirked at me.

"Wanna give it a try, Greenie? Or are you too scared?" Gally taunted. I rolled my eyes and got up from where I was sitting on the grass. Before I could step into the circle, Newt pulled me back with a concerned expression.

"I don't think taking on Gally is such a good idea." He said, anxiously glancing at the brunette.

I smiled, patting his shoulder reassuringly before brushing past him. Gally stood before me, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

"Don't worry, I'll take it easy on ya." He teased. I cracked my knuckles, waiting to start.

"Three, two, one... FIGHT!" Another Glader yelled. I chose to wait for Gally to rush me, knowing that if I charged first that I'd likely lose. The brunette and I circled each other, some of the other boys pushed Gally forward a bit, growing impatient.

Gally finally rushed forward and swiped my feet out from under me before I could even dodge. My body fell to the ground roughly, I internally groaned in pain. The Gladers cheered, patting Gally on the back before he stepped forward and offered me a hand. Hiding my smirk, I gripped his hand and pulled him down with all my strength. He landed on top of me, his face extremely close to mine. Mentally preparing myself, I headbutted him hard before shoving him off and pinned him.

"Holy–" I cut him off with a punch to the jaw. The sound of his jaw cracking against my fist echoed in the silence of the Glade. Everyone was speechless. I got up and brushed my hands against my pants, cocking a brow at Gally mockingly. After a moment or two, the group of boys erupted with laughter as they cheered for me. My eyes searched for a specific face in the crowd.

Newt stood amongst the other Gladers, clapping loudly with a proud grin on his face. I gave him a goofy smile back before turning back to Gally, who had gotten off the ground looking irritated. There was a tense silence that loomed over the group once more as Gally stared me down while clutching his jaw. He eventually stuck out his hand, a glint of admiration flickered in his eyes. I hesitantly shook his hand and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Welcome to the Glade, Greenie."