Amaurotic \\ The Maze Runner [Newt] [1]

Chapter Thirty-One

[ P A S T ]

[ Y E A R - T W O, M O N T H - T W O ]

"My name is Chuck." The boy greeted himself, in a small voice. "I don't know how I remember it, but I do."

The young boy known as, Chuck, was the new Greenie of the Glade that month. They all sat at the bonfire, having their monthly celebration, whenever they got a newbie in the Box. Joining the Glade with the rest of them.

Nova blindly circles Gally in the pit, right in the middle of the other Gladers. Gally does the same. Almost as though two wild bears had found each other in the wild, and were fighting for dominance of the pact.

"Now, Nova," Gally mentions. "Don't be afraid to holler at me to stop. Because when you say so, I'll stop. I'll try to go easy on ya'."

The other Gladers chuckle with him.

Nova smirked, "I may be a girl, but you'd surprised how far I've come from day-one. Don't go easy on me, with you, I won't need it." She teased.

The Gladers around them hummed an 'oooo', Chuck clapped his small chubby hands in amusement with a bright smile, sitting on a wooden lunch table that the Builders had created.

"Alright, Greenie, if you say so." Gally smirked back. "Let's see what you've got now that you're trained."

Gally lunged towards Nova, doing as she said to and not going easy on her. Nova quickly jumps to the side, which almost got him out of the circle already. But Gally was quick on his feet, and slid to a halt, staying inside the circle at all costs. Nova was quick on her feet as well.

Gally grabbed onto her, and Nova onto him. And they spun and spun, almost like they were dancing, with an amused audience around far and wide. Nova already had enough of the spinning, and began to feel dizzy.

So therefore, she brought her leg up in-between the both of them. Kicking Gally right in the gut, causing him to groan. She let him go, and he fell back, right into the sand on the ground.

Gally spit sand out of his mouth. Nova grinned widely, "Whose the one getting sand in their mouth now, huh?"

Gladers surrounding them laughed along with her. Luckily Gally was a good sport about it, and laughed as well.

"Wow. You really got me on that one, now did ya'?"

Nova held her hips, "The shank's given up already, I see?"

Gally growled with a dark chuckle, "Nah, I'm just gettin' started."

Gally quickly twisted around, trying to catch her legs. But Nova remembered what she had learned from him previously through her first year there. And she knew better than to fall for that old trick.

Nova quickly dodged his legs, by jumping over them like they were playing a big game of jump-rope. She didn't know where she remembered the name of that game, it just suddenly came to mind. She wondered if her past had anything to do with it...

She tried keeping herself balanced after jumping over his legs, and Gally found a way to bring her down with him. He quickly grabbed onto her arm, and pulled her down. Nova's back hit hard against the sand inside the circle, and Gally straddled her.

"Check," Gally smirked in victory. "Slinthead."

With her free hand, she could feel a few of the Gladers feet. And from then, she knew they were right at the edge of the circle.

"Are you sure?" Nova wondered.

Gally was confused, "Huh?" He hummed.

With a grunt she pulled at what hair she could grasp on his head, forcing him to arch back. Grab a fist full of his shirt on his chest, and pushed him over. She let him go. And so now, she was the one straddling him. One knee on the dirt, and one foot flat on the ground, on either sides of his waist. Almost as though she were in a purposing position. Holding one knee with her left hand, and her right hand flat on the dirt next to Gally's head.

Right outside of the circle.

"Checkmate." Nova's chest heaved, very confident with her claim.

"Nice try shank, you're outside of the circle too." Gally smirked.

Nova squinted her blank eyes, "Am I?"

Gally looked over to where her right hand was, seeing as her hand was inside the circle. Not him. Gally chuckled with a tight grin, "Well played, Nova."

The army of Gladers roared out in Nova's victory, cheering her on. As she finally did it, she was finally able to beat Gally in his own game. For once.

Nova stood up off of Gally, lending him a hand. He took the offer, and she helped him to his feet. He dusted himself off.

"I'll get you next time," Gally threatened, in a playful manner. "This is the last time you actually beat me."

"In your dreams." Nova smirked again, holding her hips.

"That was great!" Chuck laughed with joy, his smile full of pride. "I wish I could do that someday."

Nova smiled down at him, only seeing his golden particles. She chuckled and ruffled his curly hair, "Maybe one day, buddy."

She then added, "Its getting really late now, we should probably get you to bed? I'm quite tired myself."

"Aww!" Chuck whined. "But I'm not even tired!"

Nova shook her head, "Don't complain ya' little shank. Its part of the rules, and we stick by them, or else."

"Or else what?" Chuck asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

Nova paused, not wanting to tell him. He was too young. "Just, or else."

Chuck huffed, crossing his arms walking towards the hammocks. "Stupid rules." He muttered lowly.

Nova laughed with a big smile, as they both headed to bed.

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Here's chapter thirty-one! :)

What was your favorite part of this chapter?

I'm really proud of myself, to be honest.

Xoxo <3