What If | tmr, newt ✓

Chapter 2

When Newt explained that the doors would close soon, blocking us off from the Maze outside and the rest of its horrors, at first I didn't believe him.

For some reason, instinct told me I could trust him about the Maze, how it has us trapped here. But those massive walls moving? I'm no engineer, but it seems surely impossible. So when I feel a very slight shaking of the ground and hear loud, low-pitched rumbles all around, I am shocked to the core. I watch in fascination as, indeed, the flawless stone walls extend slowly together to meet in the middle, eventually closing. I can sense Newt looking sidelong at me, smirking, but I'm transfixed by the sight I just witnessed.

"Told ya," he says smugly. "Now come on, you must be hungry."

Tearing my eyes away, I reluctantly follow him to what must be the kitchen area, on the edge of the line of trees. Even as I sit down at a table with him, I feel my stomach churn as I look down at my sandwich with zero appetite. What I thought was hunger must have just been nerves, or maybe shock; either way, I can't pull myself to touch the food. Especially not with all the boys around us starting to appear to eat, giving us strange looks. When Newt shoots me a glance, I take a bite just to please him... and gag.

"Where on earth do you get meat from?" I explain, trying my best to force the mouthful down my throat. I may not remember anything, but I can say for certain that eating animals is wrong.

"We farm the animals ourselves," he says proudly, clearly having taken my question the wrong way. "Winston - over there - he's head of the slicers. And of course, Frypan does the cooking."

"Right," I murmur, setting it back down on my plate, wanting desperately to throw up. "I, uh, don't want to appear ungrateful, but... I don't eat meat."

Newt frowns, explaining - after some thought - that it shouldn't be a problem, but is soon interrupted by two more boys joining our table. "Hey shanks, this is, uh, the Greenie. And this is Alby-" he motions to the boy next to me, who merely nods solemnly, "and Minho." The Asian boy winks at me, making heat rise to my cheeks as I glare at him, unsure.

"Nice to meet you, greenie."

Alby speaks next. "Newt, you should have called a Gathering straight away. Clearly something's changing." I glance sideways at the leader. He has dark skin, dark, wise eyes, with his jaw set in place, dead serious. He could potentially be a couple years older than everyone.

"Sorry. Didn't think there was a problem just because she's a she, not a he."

It's a pathetic excuse, really. Alby was right - if this place is full of boys, of course something's different about me turning up. But I notice that as Newt spoke, he tilted his head away from his leader - concealing the bruise on his jaw. I thank him silently; no doubt Alby would have had me punished.

"Well, we're having one as soon as we finish eating."

We were left in silence for a few painstaking seconds, and I could feel the heat of a couple dozen of stares on the back of my head.

"So, Greenie, tell us something about yourself." Minho says, smirking, knowing full well I can't answer.

I lean on the table with my elbows. "Hi, Minho, my name's - oh wait, I forgot. Sorry. And I'm - oh, would you look at that. It appears I have no idea who I am."

Across the table, Newt chuckles quietly. I even sense Alby smile slightly.

"Looks like I've got competition. Sorry, shank, but I'm the king of sarcasm around here."

"Better step your game up then."

"Or, a king could have his queen," Minho winks.

I snort. "You disgust me."

He finally laughs. "Just messing with you," And leans across to tousle my hair playfully. I sit back, smiling, when it hits me; I have no idea what I look like. I can tell just by standing that I'm relatively tall, but I bring my hair in front of my shoulders to see. Ash brown, with some lighter and some darker highlights.

"Hey, guys, how old do you think I am?"

"Same as average, maybe younger. Fifteen or sixteen?"

The three guys continue to talk as they finish up their meal, and I just sit quietly, buried in my own thoughts. I'm so submerged that I hardly register when they stand to leave.

"C'mon, Greenie," Newt says.

I sigh, getting up from the bench. "Quit calling me Greenie?"

"If you can think of an alternative, then sure."

I gently punch his arm, enough so he gets the gesture but not enough to give him another bruise, and he laughs. As we walk towards one of the poorly made buildings, a few metres behind Minho and Alby, I look across at his jaw. That bruise looks painful. Not to applaud myself or anything, but that was one hard punch.

To my dismay, he catches me staring, and fails to bite back a smirk. "Admiring the view?"

I avert my eyes ahead in embarrassment, mumbling, "No, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For giving you that," I indicate to his jaw. He just rubs it once, winces, then turns back to me. Not wanting to make the situation any more awkward, I stare ahead silently as we keep walking. Newt opens his mouth to speak, then decides not to, all the time gazing sidelong at me as if to check I'm still here.

When we reach the building, which Newt explains is the gathering room, I am ushered to a solitary chair and wait awkwardly whilst some other 'Gladers' file in. I know Alby, Minho, and Newt, of course, and vaguely recognise Frypan and Winston from earlier, but that's the extent of my knowledge. Once more, I am in the spotlight, feeling like I'm under examination. I fiddle with my hair as I wait for Alby to quieten everyone down.

"Keepers," he says, "this is the Greenie. And if you've all managed to lose your sight today, she's a girl. Which is not shucking normal." He lets some of the 'Keepers' hold muffled conversations before starting again, and I sit there awkwardly, trying to decide whether to stop fiddling with my hair or start braiding it, and instead just tugging on the ends. "So, we need to figure out what to do. Technically, she hasn't broken any rules yet-" I decide not to glance at Newt for fear of drawing attention to myself, "- except for the one we thought the creators gave us: guys only. She also claims not to remember anything, and she came here the same way as the rest of us. So, if you slintheads have any ideas, put them forwards."

There is general discussion and I risk a glance upwards. Newt and Minho are both staring at me, but smile encouragingly when I catch their gaze.

"I don't trust her. We should lock her in the Slammer. Banish her, maybe," one particularly tall glader states. His glare is enough to raise my heartbeat and I can feel blood rush to my head.

"Thanks for your opinion, Gally, but you have no reasoning. That's a little harsh."

"Maybe there is no way out, and the creators expect us to live here, forever, keep our generation going," another boy suggests with a suggestive glint in his eye. I sit up a little straighter and cross my arms over my chest defensively.

"That won't be necessary," Alby says extremely harshly, and thankfully nobody seems to agree to the suggestion. "Any other ideas?"

"Maybe we should leave her in the slammer for tonight. If the creators made a mistake, they have the freedom to come and take her back. If not, just let her be."

Even though I still don't know what the slammer actually is, that suggestion seemed to be the most reasonable, and I make a mental note to thank the guy who came out with it. Alby leans over and swiftly talks to Newt in hushed tones, before they mutually come to a decision.

"Alright, Greenie. If you can last one night in the Slammer, you can stay."