Maze Runner: The Subject Experiment

23 ❀ A New Greenbean

For once Sky felt the urge to get up on time. Newt was being set free this morning. She hated to admit it but she couldn't wait to have him around again.

Sunlight crept into the hall as the keepers began to wake up.

After glancing at Newt's empty bed, Sky got up and walked to Minho.

"Can we go and get Newt?"

"Wow, eager to get rid of me already?" asked Minho. "I thought I was a good supervisor!" he cried.

Sky smirked at him. "Wise up, Minho. You know I like you too. And you can still hang around me, nothing's stopping you."

"Well, we need to get the baggers to release him."

As Minho and Sky walked out of the council hall to Billy and Jackson, Alby approached them.

"It's promotion day, greenie," Alby informed her.

Sky rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought I'd gotten rid of that nickname."

"You'll be rid of it today, if you're ready to call yourself a Glader," said Alby, leaving them with the baggers.

Sky remembered that today marked a month since she'd come up in the box. She also recalled that every month the box came up with fresh supplies and a new greenie. Finally there would be someone newer to the Glade than her.

When they reached the pit Newt was released.

Despite his condition, he met them with a weak smile.

"Morning, you guys alright?"

"Us? You should be worried about yourself, you look like klunk," scoffed Minho.

"You're right mate," chuckled Newt. "I suppose I should clean myself up."

"Do it quick so we can get some breakfast, I'm starving!" groaned Sky.

"Typical!" cried Minho. "You've been starving in the pit for two nights and all she's concerned with is food!"

"Hey!" shouted Sky, batting Minho's head playfully.

...

After Newt got ready the three of them went to breakfast. They sat down together with a bowl of Frypan's soup each. After their usual joking and 

"Yous are such good craic!" said Sky, laughing at another of Minho's jokes.

"What the shuck is a crack?" asked Minho.

"Oh you know, like...fun, banter," explained Sky.

Minho shook his head before looking at the other two with a mischievous grin.

"You two make a good couple with your weird voices."

Newt seemed used to this sort of comment, but Sky reeled back in defence of them both.

"How the shuck do we have weird voices?" she interrogated.

Minho shrugged.

"You both speak funny and use words none of us have ever heard before."

Newt stayed silent.

Sky rolled her eyes. "It's not our fault you shanks have a limited vocabulary."

Minho laughed. "Relax, slinthead. Anyway, I should go get ready for the maze...and leave you two alone," he added slyly with a wink.

Sky screwed up her nose at him as he sauntered off.

"Minho's right, you know. We're different," stated Newt.

"Why?"

"Dunno, must be because of where we came from. But it's nice."

"What is?" asked Sky, cocking her head at the boy sitting to her right.

"Having someone else around with a different accent."

The girl paused for a minute to ponder this.

"Yeah, I guess. But their accent is the weird one."

Newt burst into laughter. Then, seeing Sky's confused face, he explained why.

"Finally, someone who understands me. I thought I was going crazy when to me everyone was speaking strangely! They hadn't even heard the word 'bloody' before!"

"Really? That's offensive," joked Sky. "I'm glad you're out of the pit. I missed you," she commented offhandedly.

Newt went quiet. He looked down at his bowl of soup. "I missed you too," he said seriously. His voice was soft and honest.

Sky's heart fluttered. "You did?"

Newt nodded, blushing and still unable to meet her eye.

"Aw, thanks," she said sincerely.

All of a sudden there was a tremble in the ground and a loud booming noise came from the box.

Newt looked up. "You ready to meet the new greenie?" he asked.

"Here he comes!" yelled Winston, standing up from behind them.

She got up and shouted back. "It could be a she!"

"You wish!" He gave her a charming wink.

"Oi! Watch it!" she warned.

"Whatever you say, girlie!" he shouted, running off.

Newt and Sky shared a look before joining the rest of the Gladers, all running to meet the new Glader. They rushed to the box. The metal covering split apart and Gally pulled open the cage doors. The Gladers peered curiously in at the new arrival.

Please be a girl, please be a girl, please be a girl...

It was a boy.

Sky sighed with disappointment. She'd wished she could have just one other girl to talk to.

The boy got up. He was visibly frightened, with big brown eyes staring in fear. Alby pushed in front of the crowd and jumped into the box. He held his hand out for the boy to grab and he helped him out.

He was tall and very thin, with lanky arms and legs. Even his nose was long and thin. His short black hair was covered by a light brown capped hat.

He didn't try to escape. He just stood there with Alby in the middle of the circle of Gladers. The commotion began as the group feasted on the sight of the new greenie.

"I thought we were gonna get another girl!"

"He's too skinny to be a builder anyway."

"A track-hoe?"

"Maybe..."

"Look at him, he's shaking!"

"Too scaredy cat to be a runner!"

The boy was dazed with confusion. He just stood numbly, watching the jeering crowd.

"Shut it the lot of you!" yelled Sky. She knew how hard it was to be in that position.

Alby held up his hand for silence. Immediately the crowd stopped chattering.

"I'll give the greenie a tour. But first there's something I have to do." 

He looked directly at Sky.

"Gally, take the greenie and keep him out of trouble till we come back."