Saving Newt

Chapter 9

'I've got the wood, you're the expert.' He instructed and she smiled. Knowing that it was now the afternoon and there wasn't much point venturing into the maze for an hour, she began to build up the bonfire, resting pieces of wood against each other into a pyramid and adding more to the edges. She filled the pyramid with sticks, twigs, moss, used baking parchment and a few firefighters they stole from Frypan, who Brianna quickly learnt was very protective over his kitchen.

Once the bonfire began to take form, the Gladers began to drag logs across the field to act as back rest and they became very excited, saying that all they needed was a fun girl to join them and now it was all going to change for the better.

When everyone had eaten their dinner, Brianna began to light the bonfire and they watched it burn with excitement. Everyone was laughing and joking around, mocking each other and play fighting. Everybody loved to sit by the heat of the blazing fire in a circle, the entire collection of Gladers sent by the creators all in one place. It felt almost sacred. It felt perfect.

The Gladers even introduced a game by which two people had to enter an arena and fight until one leaves the circle. They created a wall around the circle with their bodies and were cheering each other on, yelling and laughing in their violent humour.

Newt walked over and sat beside Brianna, leaning against the log and drinking some of the revolting concoction Gally had invented, that looked and smelt like the contents of a lavatory. 'That looks revolting.' Brianna murmured, eyeing the concoction in Newt's hand suspiciously, he laughed and sat back so that she could lean a little on him.

'Woo, go Gally Wally!' Brianna cheered as Gally stepped out of the arena, smirking at a Glader who lay on the hard ground. He spun around and glared at her as she continued to spout words that rhymed with Gally, 'Shally, Sally, Pally, Wally, Gally!'

Brianna squealed with delight, drunk with happiness and the excitement of annoying the one person she hated the most. He humiliated her, she would bite back harder. 'What d'you say, Greenie?' There was a sinisterly calmness about his tone that warned danger to Brianna.

She wasn't fazed by him, however. 'Just cheering on, Gally Wally.' She retorted, winking at him.

'Oh yeah? You best leave the brave guys to do all the fighting, girl. Bet you couldn't last five seconds, Princess.' He sneered, directed mostly at Brianna, but also at those foolish enough to snigger at her words.

'Bet I could win, especially against you.' Brianna shouted back over the now hushed whispers of the crowds and the crackling fire. 'Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm pathetic.'

The boys around the camp fire roared with laughter, yelling a few things at her.

'Ooh, she's feisty.'

'I like her already.'

'Got guts, that one.'

'Win? Ha! You do amuse me, Greenie.' He smirked. 'Besides, I don't waste my time fighting girls.'

'It's on Gally Wally, except of course if you're scared.' Reverse psychology rarely worked on Gally, but as he stood facing Brianna, if worked a treat and he bared his teeth to contain his anger, saving it for the moment she entered the arena.

'You're on.' So far most Gladers had said that they wouldn't fight Brianna because she was a girl, but she refused this chivalry and refused to let anyone step down as if she were a damsel in distress. Most Gladers knew that she could beat them anyway.

'What if we were to change the game?' Gally asked and Brianna frowned.

'To what?' She demanded, placing her hand defiantly on her hip.