Different (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

Chapter 8

Luise dragged her tired feet as she sat on a wooden stool near the homestead. She was dead tired, from plowing the soil to tending the injured to cooking un-identifiable grub. She just didn't feel like doing any of those jobs-she wanted one thing.

She wanted to run the maze.

Luise tied her blonde hair into a high ponytail as she gazed at the glade. The others were sweaty as they worked and worked. From a distance you could see Gally scolding another glader, and it looked like a brawl was brewing up.

Luise could see Gally shoving the kid with one strong push. Luise was ticked off, the guy was ruthless. Before she knew it her legs had begun to move on it's on, her pace quickening as she neared Gally.

Before Gally could have hit the kid, Luise stepped up and grabbed his fist with all her might.

"What is wrong with you?!" She gripped his fist, clenching it as Gally winced in pain.

With one move, Gally freed his hand from Luise's grasp, glaring at her in the process.

"That's what I'm supposed to say! Why do you keep on meddling in other people's business?!" Gally had now grabbed Luise by the collar but Luise didn't flinch an inch. The other Gladers where readying there selves to prevent anymore casualties, to Luise's dismay.

"You're a disgrace." Luise muttered. Gally seemed to have had his intentions cleared as he let go of Luise's collar. He turned around, and looked at Luise.

"You've earned my respect. I ain't bothering you till you do something wrong."

Luise was dumbstruck and at loss of words. She did not know what had just transpired in the previous events. She did not anticipate Gally's sudden change of heart, it creeped her out, like literally.

Luise checked the boy being bullied by Gally.

"You alright?"

He nodded meekly and said 'thanks' before he left.

----

Luise was called in a gathering when evening approached, as the raven colored sky had come.

Newt told her that the gathering was an off-limits meeting to the gladers, not unless you are a keeper. She was curious on why they required her to attend.

Luise sat under the long-oval shaped table with the keepers sitting on their proper seats.

When all the other keepers were comfortable, Alby had called the 'gathering' to signal the meetings beginning. Minho looked bored as he looked around.

"So the reason why I called you all here is for the observations in our first female glader; Luise." Alby stated, waiting for each keeper to present their keen observations.

"She flunked everything." The keepers said simultaneously.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Newt questioned, his eyebrows furrowed at their surprising answer.

"She couldn't butcher an animal." Winston began.

"She couldn't cook." Frypan added. "If left un-attended, she could burn the kitchen down."

Gally remained quiet, as the next keeper spoke.

"Nor could she plant properly." Zart snickered, and the remaining keepers stated all of their observations.

This time Minho was stifling a laugh, and Luise swore to herself that she'd kill him afterwards.

Luise felt ashamed, and pretty much useless. It just didn't feel right, this wasn't what she wanted.

"How bout makin her a slopper?" One keeper joked, earning a look from both Minho and Newt since the joke was pretty much said in a offensive manner.

They went on and one on how Luise just couldn't do anything right.Luise just wanted to dig a large hole and jump right into it, she wanted to cover her ears as they chattered and chattered about her.

"She should try running the maze with me."

Luise looked up to check who had spoken; It was Minho.

"That's absurd! If can't even do simple tasks do you think she'd even survive the maze?!"

Arguments began, with Minho's idea being the stupidest thing they'd ever heard.

"Will you all just bloody shut it?!" Newt exclaimed, irritated at their responses.

The keepers had shut-up as they waited for what the two leaders would say.

Alby looked at Newt expectantly.

"Just one day, she get's to run the maze. If she's good enough, Minho would handle the matter." Newt said, everybody nearly jaw-dropping.

"Now wait a second, that's just too much!" Gally roared, his peaceful conposure was broken off as he looked at Alby for the andwer he wanted to here.

"I agree with what Newt says."

Everybody stared at Alby, even Luise who was the current subject of their meeting.

"One day running the maze for her last evaluation. If she fails, she'll get no second chances and she'll end up as a slopper."

The keepers found it an agreeable deal as they nodded.

Gally looked so sour, disappointment evident in his face.

"Alright then it's settled. I declare the gathering to he successful and is now about to end."

With that, the keepers had left leaving only Minho as he waited for Luise.

Luise approached Minho, eying him.

"Why would you fight for me?"

Minho only sniggered. "Just be thankful shuck, I just gave you your last chance. Rest up and I'll come pick you up early in the morning."

Minho walked away, saying his last word with a smirk.

"Do your best Goldie."

Luise smiled as she went out of the homestead.

"You just had to always have the last word."

To Be Continued...