Elite ~ a Newt love story

Chapter 4

Emma didn't know what she was supposed to be expecting when the greenie came up in the box.

Mostly, her thoughts were concerned with what supplies would come up this time.
She had sent a request with the box for more grief serum last month, but some part of her was worried there wouldn't be any.

That would be just like those twisted, shuckfaced.......
Her right hand unconsciously balled into a fist.

"Emma? You okay?" Chuck's voice brought her out of her storm cloud.

A slight smile grew on her face at the appearance of the boy.
For some reason she just couldn't actually stay upset when Chuck was around, and that was saying something.

"Just....concerned about supplies." She answered distantly.

"What do you think the greenie will be like?"

Emma didn't get a chance to answer him then, as the alarm went off one final time, signaling the arrival of the box.

The top slid open, and through the grate she noticed the greenie, a boy, lifted up on one elbow, an arm shielding his eyes from the bright sunlight.
She took quick note of his features; tall, with damp brown hair plastered against his forehead, and hazel brown eyes.

Gladers gathered around, some of them laughing at the poor shank, Emma glaring at them for their behaviour.
"Slim it! You remember what it was like."

With sheepish looks on their faces the boys helped her lift the grate, making the greenie back into a corner of the box.
Gally jumped down, making the small  room shake.

"Day one greenie. Rise and shine."

Emma rolled her eyes at this.
The Builder almost always said that to the newbies, and always insisted on being the first one to greet them when they came up.

Without ceremony, Gally then lifted him by the front of his shirt, tossing the greenie up onto the dirt outside the box, eliciting more laughter and raucous chatter from the group.

"Looks like a Slopper to me," commented one boy.

"I could use some help in the kitchen," Frypan grinned.

Emma tried to work her way more towards the front of the small crowd, pushing them back.
"Come on guys give him some space to breathe already!"

But before she could do anything else, the greenie bolted to his feet, and pushed through the wall of bodies surrounding him, running as fast as he could to get away.
"Hey we got a runner!" Zart yelled.

Obviously, the greenie was terrified, managing to make it several yards away before promptly tripping, and face planting in the tall grass.
An explosion of laughter came from the rest of the gladers.

Emma put her head in her hand, groaning.

"Klunking shuckfaces the lot of them...." she muttered.

Greenie getting to his feet, he slowly turned, taking everything in, the other gladers applauding.
Emma jogged over to him, a few others trailing behind whilst the rest of them began unloading the box.

"Hey."

The boy stepped back at her approach, breathing a little unsteady.

She put her hands up. "Its okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?"
The boy rasped. No doubt he'd been screaming on his way up.
Most of them did.

"My name is Emma," she said softly. "Can you tell me your name?"