The W.I.C.K.E.D Girl

4

I awoke gasping for air. I was drenched in sweat, my shirt stuck to my skin, my hair clinging to my damp forehead. I pushed it away from my face, one hand pressed to my chest in an attempt to calm down my racing heart. 

The boys around me were already awake, and Chuck was still in his hammock. He'd been sleeping, but as he heard my sudden movements, he jolted awake, looking as panicked as I felt. "What happened?" he asked, scouring my face for an answer.

I could only stare at him, still heaving as though I'd been running for hours on end. My lack of an answer sent him out of his hammock, hollering, "Alby! Newt!"

Breath in, breath out. Emily. Who had been the boy hugging the little girl—me? I couldn't bring myself to care, the revelation fresh and radiant in my mind. I swung my quivering legs over the edge of the hammock, but then Newt was next to me, and his hands were braced on my waist and he was helping me down. One look at my face, eyes wide, sent him spiralling into an inquiry as he let go of me. "What the bloody hell happened? Are you hurt, Greenie?"

I was smiling. At that, both boys frowned. My smile grew and grew, eventually shifting into a grin that gave way to a peal of laughter. Judging by the boys' expressions, they suspected I'd gone insane overnight. "Not Greenie," I said between bewildered laughs. "Emily. My name's Emily."

Relief washed over the two boys' faces. Chuck yelled in triumph and extended his palm, which I gladly high-fived. It was obvious Newt didn't know what to do, so I decided for the both of us. I wrapped myself around him, and his arms came around me without hesitation. It wasn't long before I let go, his warm soothing. When I glanced up at him, he was grinning, and a flash of warmth trickled through my chest.

Maybe that was the last step of integrating.

The boys that had been around in time to hear the news congratulated me, and I knew that word would soon spread.

After the small crowd dissipated, I turned to Chuck. I realised the back of my blouse was still soaked. "Are there any showers around?" 

Chuck cocked his head, as though he couldn't believe I was really asking such a dumb question. He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, showcasing his a pair of dimples. "Well, what do you think?"

I trailed after Chuck, smiling all the while. It had taken just a night for me to become somebody. I finally had something that was mine and mine alone, a name attached to my face, something they could call me that wouldn't be a nickname or their made-up slang. 

The showers were at the edge of the forest, and they consisted of six wooden stalls, each with its own tall log that had been carved out and filled with water and bar of soap. Before slipping inside, I asked Chuck to guard the door for me—unsurprisingly, there were no locks. Perhaps the boys were used to seeing each other, but the thought of being seen naked made me shiver. I waited patiently inside until Chuck brought me a fresh change of clothes, slinging them over the top of the stall door. "They're from the box you came in," he explained.

I took my old clothes off, then folded them neatly. I scooped some water in my hands and splashed it onto myself, then fumbled with the slippery bar of soap before beginning to wash myself. As soon as I was done, I looked through the clothes Chuck had brought me—there was a thin, black blouse, a brown hoodie, a pair of dark brown pants, some plain grey socks and boots the colour of tree bark. I exhaled with relief. I wanted to blend within the Glade, and bright colours wouldn't have helped me achieve that. I chose the long-sleeved blouse and the dark pants, throwing on the hoodie after remembering the weather wasn't always pleasant in the Glade. I changed my socks, but not my boots. After that, I put my hair up in a ponytail, and got out of the stall.