ASUNDER (I) : tmr newt

65: I'm Faint

Leo 65

"This is all that came up?" I riffle through the box of clothing, staring it down. I'm going to have to move it into our room tonight to let the girls sort through it. It's sort of funny to me that no one slept in the room last night but me. Dawn, I can almost guarantee, was sleeping with Minho.

Jackson nods at me, kicking the box my way. He seems distracted, or as if he has somewhere better to me. I didn't realise he doubled as a Bricknick, since it was he who lied about Michelle beating him up.

"It's all I gave you, isn't it?"

There is very little in here. Four additional pairs of pants, I assume one for each of us girls, and eight shirts. They are colour-coded, coming in only blue, green, red, and purple. I can take a guess which shirts will fit us easily.

I want to roll my eyes at his tone. Obviously this isn't his fault, but I'm just at a lost. "I think I might need to put in another order."

He scoffs at me, rolling his eyes. I see he doesn't award me the same pleasantries as I give him. At least I can be thankful he hasn't stabbed himself and blamed me. "Yeah, right."

Does he have some sort of problem with me? If he does, it doesn't matter. I take the box and simply leave his shed, heading back to the Homestead.

I place the box on the floor in the center of our room, across from the few mattresses that Newt helped me bring up earlier. His limp made it harder for him to walk up the stairs, and I wish I had asked him how it had happened.

Apparently the Bricknicks had lost our mattresses for over a week. Smells a bit like klunk to me, but whatever.

"I thought I'd find you here," Gally walks in, staring me down.

Did he really? Since when does he talk to me "Well, found me you have."

"I need your help." He begins, ashamed to admit it. "Alby threw Michelle in the Slammer last night."

He must know about Ben. Shucking Hell, how did he find out? Why hasn't he said anything yet? What is happening?

"What happened?" I ask.

Gally welcomes himself into my room, sitting on one of the mattresses on the floor. He looks around the space, his eyebrows twitching. I didn't realise he cared much about her more than as a worker. He has saved her life before, when she was nearly banished, so I can't say I'm entirely surprised.

"What can you tell me about Ben?" He sits down across from me, and I pause.

I don't think much about them. "I don't know. Doesn't he work for you?"

I don't think much about him. I sit on the fact that Gally saved Michelle's life. As much as Minho and Newt seem to go on about how much they hate Gally, I think I can tell he means well. He just portrays it differently than them. Like, he obviously cares about the Glade a lot and all the people in it.

If I were in his shoes, I'd be suspicious of us girls too. I can't hate him for that, and I can't hate him for stopping Michelle's banishment even though I get the feeling he hated her.

"Alby thinks she knows something," he tells me.

I don't like that one bit. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It's my fault, anyway," he sighs, breathing out. It seems this is the most apologetic Gally can become. "I really don't like you."

Where is that coming from? "Sorry?"