Silence

Chapter 9

I woke as usual the following morning. As it was still very early, I decided to take a shower. Because of the greenies however, I didn't feel completely safe in stripping down in case one of them wandered over to the showers. As I collected an exchange of clothes, I decided to wake Minho. I knew that he wouldn't peak and that he would understand my thoughts.

I walked over to Minho's hammock and gently shook his shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me. "Em" He said, his voice still very groggy. I held up my clothes at him and he seemed to understand me. "Of course" Minho rose from his hammock and walked with me.

In order to make the showers private, Alby and I had built a sort of smaller house. Inside this was a shower as well as a bench for clothes. The door didn't lock however, so Minho was now acting as a barrier outside. I smiled at Minho before closing the door, I knew that I could count on him.

I stripped down and felt the cold water run down my body. With the help from some soap, I removed as much dirt as possible before trying to untangle my hair. When everything was done, I dried of and got dressed. This time I decided in 3/4 length cargo pants, a black tank top and a light blue sweater over that. I dried my hair as much as possible before opening the door.

Minho turned around and dragged a deep breath through his nose. "Ah, fresh" He joked at me, winking with one eye. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity before nudging him in the direction of our hammocks. I placed the dirty clothes beside my hammock, washing day was later. Minho and I then turned and walked over to the Box. It was still open and unpacked. "Let's get to it" Minho said as he jumped down.

We had finished emptying half the Box when Gally came to collect us for the breakfast. "Sunshine awake?" Minho said and flung his arm around my shoulder. "Sunshine and companion" Gally muttered. Minho chuckled as we walked on towards the kitchen area.

As we reached the kitchens, all of the newbies eyes fell on us. "Box half cleared" Minho said to Alby as he ruffled my hair. I smiled at Minho before pushing is hand away. "Em, I'm deeply hurt" Minho placed his hands over his heart and sobbed. I pushed him towards the breakfast as he laughed at me.

"Another boyfriend?" George's voice changed the mood and the laughs died out. "Sorry what?" Alby said, turning his attention away from his breakfast. "Yesterday the girl hit me in the face for challenging Gally, by the evening she is all over Newt and now she's entering breakfast glued to Minho. She shagging everyone here?"

"You're a piece of clunk, you know that?" Gally slammed his fist onto the table, making Jeff and Clint jump. "First of all, that girl has a name. Emily" Alby said. "Second of all, we've been here together for a month, only the five of us. It might not seem long to you, but we've been through a lot. We're like family and family stand by one another" Alby finished before sitting down again.

I smiled at Alby and mouthed a "thank you", but George's words stung. She shagging everyone here? I turned to the countertop and got a plate of fried eggs handed to me. "Don't listen to him" Frypan said. I smiled at him. I had known him for less than a day, but I liked the guy.

Gally moved over so that I could sit down on the bench between him and one of the new guys, Zart I believe. Zart seemed kind of shy, but judging by conversation both he and Newt looked like they knew how to handle a garden. "I'm telling you, dry the wheat and we can make good bread" Zart said, Newt nodding at him. I smiled at the two before turning my attention to Gally. I listened as he was talking to Jeff and Clint about their impression of the Glade as I finished my breakfast.

"Right everyone" Alby's voice cut through as the conversations died out. "We're all new to this, so here's how it's gonna work. Minho and Em, you continue with emptying the Box. Jeff and Clint will then help carry the things to its places." Minho and I nodded at Alby to let him know we had understood him.

"Newt and Zart, gardening duty. The others will follow me and Gally to the building area and help there. Frypan, dishes and lunch in four hours" Alby rose from his seat and walked towards the building area, the boys he had called following him. Newt waved to us before taking Zart towards the gardens. "Right greenies" Minho said and stood up as well, "off we go".

Jeff and Clint where very nice guys. They asked a lot of questions about the time before they had gotten here and seemed interested in all that we, or at least Minho, had to say. "Isn't it frustrating to not be able to talk?" Jeff asked as he pulled up a box of clothes I gave him from inside the Box. Clint hit his shoulder, "That's not a nice question" He said.

I climbed out of the Box and reaches for my chalkboard. A bit, but I'm used to it I wrote down. "What if you need to say something right away, to answer someone?" Jeff asked, ignoring Clint's new punch. "Well, we mostly know what Emily is saying, with or without chalkboard" Minho said aa he handed a box of chalks to Clint. "If you get to know her as we have, so will you" He said and climbed out of the now empty box.

As lunch came, the four of us had placed the supplies where they needed to be. Newt and Zart had moved over to the animals and the rest where almost done with Gally's project. "Ah, lunch" Minho rubbed his hands together and sat down on one of the benches. I laughed and sat down opposite him. Jeff and Clint however, remained standing. "I'm starving" Newt said as he sat down next to me. Zart followed Jeff and Clint, nervously looking around.

"Why are you still standing up? We don't bite" Minho patted on the bench beside him. Jeff and Clint sat down next to Minho, Zart sitting down next to Newt. "So, how'd the gardening go?" Minho asked as Frypan carried out the last bowls of food before taking a seat next to Zart. "Em's raspberries doing okay?". "Actually, a few bushes have died" Newt said. I played shocked and put my hands over my heart, teasing like this common between us. "I'm so sorry love" Newt said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "I couldn't save them".

"What is going on?" Clint asked, looking quite confused. "They're just teasing. Trust me, this'll be you in less than a week" Alby said as he sat down on the bench as well. "Not yet, soon" Gally said as he saw me reach for my chalkboard. I made a puppyface towards him. "No! Must resist!" His hands covered his eyes as Minho and Newt laughed.

"What was that?" Winston asked. "As I've said to a few people before, we mostly know what Em is saying even if she isn't using her chalkboard" Minho said with a mouthful of potatoes. "As of now" He continued as I made a disgusted face, "she is saying that I should chew up before talking, to which I say never". He leaned over the table and opened his mouth wide. "Minho, disgusting" Newt laughed and shoved him back.

"For your question Winston, reaching for her chalkboard just now she was to ask if my project was done" Gally answered Winston as he poured some water into his cup. "Right" Winston seemed satisfied with his answer and dug into the food.

Lunch continued with laughs and jokes between us, as the greenies mostly sat quiet. At the end of the meal however, most of them had warmed up to us. "Now, if you all follow me" Gally rose from his seat and started to walk towards his building.

I was so excited that my foot got stuck in the bench as I rose to quickly and fell to the ground. I was shocked and didn't have time to take the fall with my hands. My foot still stuck in the bench it followed and landed heavily over my legs, sounding throughout the Glade as it collided with the ground. The others turned and Alby shook his head. "You're to clumsy, you know that?" He smiled at me and returned to help. "One, two, three and lift" Minho said as he and Alby lifted the bench, Newt grabbing my arms and pulling me up.

"You okay?" He asked. I nodded my head but grinned as I tried to put some weight on my foot. "Right, come here love" Newt lowered himself and Minho helped to lift me onto Newt's back. "Let's go see Gally's masterpiece"