Stars ➳ TMR, Thomas [1] ✓

Chapter {5}

I lifted my gaze in complete and utter fright. It could only mean one thing; Alby somehow found out about my dream.

Directing my gaze toward other boys around me, I noticed Chris sending me a puzzled look, which I ignored and shrugged, standing up from the floor. I left the room as quick as I could, found Alby standing outside the Homestead with his hands over his chest.

"What's wrong, Alby?" I asked seriously, approaching the taller boy whose relaxed expression gave me some sudden courage I couldn't really place anywhere.

"Nothing." Alby answered lightly. "But I'm thinking, could you maybe take another job after the lunch just to speed up the process?" He questioned and I gave him a confused look underneath which I've hidden all the worry about that plaque, the dream and all other bunch of stuff that has happened days after my arrival. "We're close to getting out, so I need all possible Glader strength I can get."

"But I think I can't squeeze all of the jobs in four days that still are in this week." I replied, my eyes resting on Alby's face before shifting onto my shoes.

"Alright then. Get back to work." Looking a little hurt (I didn't know why that hurt him so much) Alby turned on his hill, left to check the other Gladers as I sighed again. Returning back to the workstation Chris cast me a questioning look, as him, Olly and another boy continued to work. His eyebrow were creased in confusion and his forehead glistening with sweat.

"What did he want?" Chris finally asked, lowering down the hammer and the gray nail that he had in between his fingers, his tall figure rushing to stand in front of me and his arm wiping the sweat drops with the back of brown shirt's sleeve.

"Something about the jobs. Nothing to worry about, hopefully." I spoke, pushing past him.

"Okay, let's continue." I nodded and grabbed the hammer from the spot on the newly replaced wooden floor where I left it before running out. Since Alby called me and until the lunch Chris kept quiet like he was in deep thought about something. Often I would catch him stop working for a few seconds and wistfully stare at one spot until finally he would shake it off and continue like nothing happened.

Then, after an hour or so my mind drifted off onto something unexpectable- Thomas. The name that rang a rusty bell in my mind, like buzzing off electrical device hidden somewhere deep and beyond reach. I thought of him for a while before almost whacking my finger with a hammer... Again. I guess being a Bricknick isn't as easy as I originally thought it was which makes this job not suitable for my clumsy self.

Finally the lunch began.

•••

Even with my constant reasoning with him, Alby ordered me to work with Builders for the rest of the day. Apparently, he needed to speed up my try-out process just for the sake of finding me a job quickly so he could concentrate on Runners and leaving this place; not that I blame him though. And so it started all over again.

Gally, the Keeper of the Builders, assigned us to different teams and workplaces. Our team, consisting of myself, Gally, and three others started working on a table for eating area. Well, others did a pretty good job while I struggled with almost everything, other then placing those planks over each other. Gally would check on me a few times and every time find a new action I've been doing wrong to complain about. Honestly, he looked like a nice person the first time I saw him staring at the fighting circle, and yet he had put on a cold exterior.

After the finished day with Gally's constant complains about me doing everything wrong I was released early from the Builder job. My back was set on a tree stump somewhere away from other Gladers as I observed the grassy area with hopefulness burning in my being. And then my eyes landed on Thomas. His tall figure leaning on another tree, arms crossed over his chest, his face scrunched up in observing manner. The whole time he had a troubling expression, until his eyes found me and he smiled. I smiled back, waving my hand lowly in the air. He copied my actions and started running to me only to stop when Nico appeared by my side, carrying two plates of food.