A Way Back - The Maze Runner (♡Newt) UNDER EDITING/REWRITE

Chapter 18

Cally's pov

I cheered along when Brandon got pushed out of the circle by Gally. We all knew Brandon didn't stand a change against him the moment he had entered the playing field. Gally's like the champion in here. I didn't know that since he had been lying in the Med-room the last time we had this camp fire thing. But now it had come clear to me that he was. And not only because people called him the King of the circle. No one had beaten him yet, I wasn't watching at first, but after some time my attention got drawn to it and I started watching. So far I had seen 4 matches and Gally had won all of them.
Brandon seemed pretty disappointed that he had lost. I made my way to him and helped him up from the ground. "Not bad, Shank!" it was a genuine compliment, but the boy didn't seem convinced. "You've got more guts that I do! I didn't challenge him my second day in here."
"Hey, Cally!" I heard a hars voice call me, I looked up to see Gally's eyes staring straight at me. "I challenge you!"
I laughed, thinking he was joking. "Yeah, no thanks, man! I'll pass!"
"What? You're scared? Are you scared for a challenge, Newbie? Or is it 'cause you're a girl?"
This did get me to snap at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, Cally! We all know you can't beat a guy! Girls are weak and you're proof of that!" I heard the crowd of boys laugh. They were clearly enjoying Gally's attempt to provoke me and stupid enough, it was working.
"Ha! You wish! The only reason that I don't wanne fight is because I don't wanne crack that ego of yours!" The crowd was getting all excited and it was hyping me up.
"If you're so sure ya can beat me-"
"Hell yeah, I can!"
"Than come and proof it!" Now the crowd started cheering and before I knew it I got pushed into the circle. That was the moment my anxiety kicked in and brought me back to reality.
Ow fuck me. Why did I had to let myself get into this? Stupid feminism got me brainwashed.
As I stood in the circle Gally got ready and so did I. I brought my hands into fighting position as I bended my knees slightly. Gally smirked at me, "I'm so gonna beat you," he said.
"I would like to see you try." I responded, immediately regretting it afterwards. Why did I say that?? I never did this before! I could be awful at this. Could be? I most definitely am. I'm smaller then him, I'm weaker then him. That's genetically decided, I can't change that. The only thing I am-
My thoughts got interrupted when Gally rushed at me, shoulder first as a bull trying to hit me with his horns. I jumped to the left, making him miss me.
-is faster.... okay, so, tactics. I need one of those if I want to win.
After he recovered himself he turned to me again, this time I ran at him, hoping he would jump aside so I could see which direction he preferred to jump. But instead of jumping away, he straightened up and flexed his muscles. Not realizing in time what he was going for, I ran into him, only to be shot back and fall to the ground.
Gally on the other hand only had to take some steps back. He laughed, "is that really the best you've got? Then you're even weaker then I thought." I got up from the ground, but didn't say anything, I just looked at him with a dangerous amount of determination.
"Are you gonna give up?" Gally continued with raised eyebrows.
I reacted by getting back in my start position, "you wish."
"If you're sure." He said before attacking me again. This time I did some steps back, making sure I was close to the edge. A second before he hit me, I jumped away. He tried to regain his balance, but I gave him a small push on the back, making him fall over and out of the circle.
The whole group around us started cheering for me. Suddenly I felt really awkward, I showed my teeth in a fake smile while giving a small bow as if I was wearing a dress. Then I turned to Gally, who was lying on the ground, looking surprised. I offered him my hand to help him up, but he declined by slamming it away.
"That was luck, Newbie. I want a rematch."
"If you insist, " I said while walking back with him into the circle.
The second match was a bit longer. There was a lot of silently challenging each other with fake attacks before we actually did something. When I looked at the crowd for a short moment I saw that it had become way bigger then it was before. Among the crowd of other Gladers now Alby, Newt and Minho had joined in.
"Ya can do it, Cals!" I heard Newt call out with his hands around his mouth, letting him draw my attention to him, but I shouldn't have. That one moment of distraction was enough for Gally to bash his shoulder into my ribs, shooting me out of the circle.
The crowd started cheering as I crawled up again, helped by Brandon and Newt. "That's a shame. You were doing great!" Brandon said, excitement in his voice.
"Ya beat him the first time, so that's a win." Newt added, he wanted to say something else, but I didn't let him.
"Hey Gally!" I called out at him, "I want a rematch!"
He turned back to me, "you had your chance." He said.
"That's not fair! I gave you your rematch! Now I want mine."
"Well you're not getting it, Newbie."
The realization dawned on me that reasoning with Gally was a lost cause. So instead, I decided to do what should work with every Gryffindor. Provoking like he had done with me.
"Ow I see. You're scared! Don't want to lose from a girl again, right?"
This got the raven haired boy to turn back to me. "What? I'm not scared of you."
"You're just a sissy. Now you know I can beat you, you don't have the nerve anymore." The crowd exploded again with enthusiasm. Making Gally realize it would look bad for him if he declined.
"Fine! You wanne lose again, Newbie? Let's get it over with!"
"Winner takes all!" I shouted as we took our positions.
This time it was quick. He attacked me three times before I made my move. First I tried my 'jumping away so he will fall out' trick, but he turned out to be not as stupid as he looked and didn't fall for it again. So I decided to change tactics.
I ran at him, but before I hit him I jumped around, ending up behind him. He turned around as fast as he could, but when he faced the direction I was in I jumped to the other side again. He tried to bash into me with his shoulder, but I jumped away, making him stand by the edge of the circle. I waited until he had turned around before letting myself drop to the ground and kick him in his knee cavities. Making him fall backwards. Landing outside of the circle.
The crowd cheered while I jumped up and down in celebration of my victory. This time the big smile on my face was real ad I made a deep bow for the crows.
I turned to Gally, who again, was laying on the ground. I stuck out my hand to help him up, this time he looked at it. "I won't bite, Gally." I said jokingly. Gally glared at me, but accepted my hand and let me help him up.
Minho came to me and he and Ben lifted me on their shoulders, "We've got a new champion!" Minho shouted, again igniting the shouts and applause from the bystanders.
"Guys, let me down," I said to them, not very fond of sitting on some guys' shoulders. But they didn't hear me. In order to get his attention, I slapped Minho's on the back of his head, "put me down, Prettyboy!" I commanded him the moment he looked at me. He signed to Ben that they had to put me down and they did.
After the Gladers had calmed down I was able to move around again. I went to the kitchen and took some of Frypan's drink, I hadn't had any yet. As I walked back outside I was greeted by an enthusiastic Minho. "Well, well, well. If it isn't our new King of the circle." Minho lay his arm around my shoulders and forced me to walk with him, not that I minded, I wanted to walk with him anyway.
"Bitch please, I'm the Queen." I said laughing, Minho laughed too.
"I'm glade you're enjoying yourself- But wait. Didn't you say that this wasn't your 'definition of fun'?" He teased, putting quotation marks on the last three words.
"Yes, I did. And it still isn't. But I am enjoying myself." I took a sip from my drink the moment I had finished my sentence.
Just before we reached Alby and Newt we passed Brandon, who was sitting against a log on his own. "Hey Brandon!" I called out to him, I could hear Minho protest but I ignored him. After hearing me call his name he looked up at me, "come with us!" A smile appeared on his face as he stood up and started his way to us.
"You really had to ask him to come?" Minho whispered to me, his voice close to whining.
"He was all alone, I don't want him to feel lonely." I whispered back just before Brandon reached us.
The moment we had joined Alby and Newt Brandon got a bit nervous. I could feel it and it was kinda obvious as he started to mess with his shirt.
"Congratulations, Cally." Alby said, "a new King of the circle."
"Thanks, Alby, but it'-"
"She's a Queen, Alby. For God's sake, the Shank's a girl." Minho said in an offended voice, even though we all new he was faking it.
I turned my head to Minho, since his arm was still around my shoulders, "you little hypocrite, you just called me a king."
"And you corrected me and now I'm correcting him."
"By the way, Minho, could you give me my shoulders back?" Instead of pulling his arm away he tightened it around my neck, forcing my head to be pressed against his chest as he rubbed his knokkels over my head.
"I could but this is more fun."
"O my Goood, Minho! Let me go!"
"What did ya say?" The boy asked, effortlessly continuing to harassing my hair.
"You heard me! Let me gooooo!"
"What? I don't understand what you're saying."
"Please, let me go, Minho. I'm asking you, pleeaaas?"
"Oow! You want your head back? Sure, you can have it." After he said that he let go of me, a big grin on his face.
I took some steps aside and pulled my hand through my hair. Feeling all the tangles he had created in such a short period of time. "Uhg! Minho! Look what you did! It's a freaking mess."
"It already was a mess, I just redecorated." He said, his smile widening. I slammed my fist against his arm, but he just kept smiling.
"So..." I heard Brandon say. "Are you two like, a couple or...?"
We all started laughing, except for Newt, who seemed less amused by the question.
"I guess that's a no...?" Brandon said, the sentence more sounding like a question then a statement.
"No," Minho said while giving me a pat on the back, "no, we're not."
"We're friends, that's all." I continued.
"Wait a second," Minho started, "who says we're friends? Did it ever occurre to you that I hate your guts?"
"I just did, Slinthead. Besides, if you hated me, why would you willingly spent time with me outside of the Maze? It could be because I hang out with the Shanks you wanne hang out with so you're stuck with me. But that's not it because you also come to me when I'm alone. Conclusion, you see me as a friend or at least like me a little." Newt laughed and a small chuckle escaped Alby's mouth.
"No comments." Minho said. "But now we're at the topic. Cally, do you like anyone in the Glade?"
"Of course I do," I started in a matter of fact tone, apparently surprising everyone as they looked at me with big eyes. "I like you, and Newt, Alby, Clint, Jeff, Fred, Gideon, Mickey, Bark of course, even Gally in some weird way and you." I said to Brandon, "even though I don't really know you yet, but up until now you seem fine."
"That's not what I ment," Minho said annoyed.
I laughed, sometimes are boys more like teenage girls than they realize....
"O really? What did you mean?" I asked as innocently and clueless as possible.
"Do you have a crush on someone in the Glade?" Minho specified.
"It depends."
"On what?" Newt asked, tilting his head slightly to the left.
"On if I say no, you're actually gonna believe it or you're gonna push me until I say yes, even though the real answer is still no."
"So the answer is no?" Minho tried to conclude with a question.
"Indeed, my answer is no."
"Are you sure?" Alby continued, shooting Newt a quick look.
I sighed. "Yes, I'm sure."
"If you say so," Brandon spoke up. Making me roll my eyes.
"Seriously? You too?"
"What? I only said if you say so." Brandon said defensively.
"Yeah, but in that 'I don't believe you but I'm just going to agree with you' way." Noticing my irritation (I mean, who couldn't at this point?) Brandon smiled awkwardly at me as if that was some kind of apology. I looked around the Shanks around me, but I could see they were doubting my words. "Com'n guys, really? You're just not gonna believe me?"
"I believe you," Newt broke the silence. "I mean, we can't feel what you feel so if ya say you don't have a crush on someone, I believe you."
"Thank you!" I exclaimed. "See? That's a good friend, right there. At least he listens to what I say." I drank the last of Frypan's drink out of my cup. "I'm gonna get more, does any of you want some?"

~.~.~

Edited: 02/06/2020