I Know Places [Thomas The Maze Runner]

[04: The Greenie's Name]

The Greenie didn't move until everyone chanted, prompting him to join the fight. Soon, the entire Glade was looking forward to the showdown. Elle bit her lip, unsure of where this was going. She knew Gally wouldn't hurt the Greenie, but he was already harbouring resentment against the other boy. It could be a friendly round, or it could end badly.

"Come on, Greenie! Yeah!" Chuck bellowed happily, hoping his new friend might take Gally down a peg.

"Chuck!" Elle laughed, pleasantly surprised by his enthusiasm.

The younger boy shrugged. "What can I say, I like to be entertained," he confessed.

Reluctantly, the Greenie got into the circle. He wiped his hands on his pants and approached Gally.

"Okay. Alright," Gally said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He circled Thomas. "The rules are simple, Greenie. I try and push you out of the circle, you try to last more than five seconds." The group guffawed at his snide remark, heightening Elle's anxiety.

A nearby voice called, "Take it easy on the Greenie, Gally!"

"Ready?" Gally asked. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed the Greenie by the shoulders and pushed him to the edge of the circle. Several Gladers caught him before he could fall, laughing as they eased him back into the circle. Swiftly, Gally pushed him to the ground. He landed with his face in the sand, coughing and spluttering. Elle was reminded of when Gally shoved the Greenie in front of the Maze earlier that day and winced. The Greenie turned around, incredulous, and stared up at Gally.

"Come on, Greenie. We're not done yet," Gally goaded him, moving back so the Greenie could get to his feet.

"Show him what you got," someone in the crowd encouraged the Greenie.

He stood, shaking the sand from his clothes and facing Gally. "Stop calling me Greenie," he ordered, growing sick of his teasing. The Gladers hushed to hear their conversation. Elle spotted Alby looking impressed that the Greenie stood up for himself.

"Stop calling you that?" Gally echoed innocently. "What do you wanna be called? Shank?" Everyone cackled. Even Chuck seemed to be enjoying himself, whooping in agreement. Elle wondered if she and the Greenie might fit in like Chuck did in a month. "What do you think, boys?" Gally asked the crowd. "Does he look like a shank?" A few boys chimed in with their agreements. The Greenie ran aimlessly at Gally and was overpowered by the stronger boy. He put the Greenie in a headlock and sent him rolling to the ground.

Everyone roared, "Oh!"

"You know what? I think I'll settle on shank," Gally smirked. The crowd laughed heartily at this conclusion.

Elle didn't know how much more she and the Greenie could take. He wasn't getting physically hurt, but she wasn't sure how much more of his frustration he could hold in. The boys simply saw it as good fun. Even Newt and Alby were eagerly looking on with grins on their faces. But Elle knew something had to give sooner or later. "Come on, Greenie," she decided to encourage him, hoping it would all be over soon. "Don't let him talk to you like that."

The Greenie, sick of Gally pushing him around, used the larger boy's momentum against him, ducked under his arm, and pushed him face-first onto the floor. Even though it was still inside the circle, the fall fractured Gally's pride, especially because the Gladers screamed happily, "Oh!" Even Minho looked mildly impressed, and Elle wondered if the Greenie might find a way to get the recommendation to become a Runner. Alby stepped forward with a smile, ready to end the fight.

"Not bad for a Greenie, huh?" He mocked Gally with growing confidence right before Gally turned and kicked his legs out from underneath him.

Elle and Newt gasped in surprise at the harsh act, wincing as the Greenie fell and smacked his head, groaning in pain. The crowd complained at the foul play, grumbling. Stepping forward to help the Greenie up, Elle pushed past Gally, ignoring him when he said she was breaking the rules of the game by interfering. She brushed past Gally, kneeling beside the Greenie and checking if he was alright. "Hey, you okay?" Elle asked softly. He stared into space with a glossed-over look in his eyes.