Left Behind -Gally-

Chapter 17

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Emma walked through the Glade. Her hands were shoved in her pockets as she looked around. Newt and Zart were talking about something, but she wasn't listening. The sun was almost entirely behind the Maze walls, creating a colorful sky. It was beautiful, something that didn't happen often.

Looking to her right, she noticed a figure at the Builder's station. It was Gally. It didn't surprise her that he was still working. He was often the last one to leave. Without saying anything, Emma walked away from her friends. They were too absorbed in their conversation to notice her sudden disappearance.

Emma crossed the Glade quickly, her eyes locked on Gally's back. He was hunched over a table, body tense. She felt nervous approaching. When Gally was frustrated, he tended to be rude. It was unintentional but happened frequently. That last thing she wanted to do was upset him.

But all rational thought went out the window. Her feelings clouded her judgment. "Hey," she greeted once close enough. "Still working?"

Gally's shoulder relaxed slightly at the sound of her voice. "Yeah," he responded. "Somebody has to."

Emma stepped closer, eyeing the papers sprawled out in front of him. "Can I ask what you're working on? Maybe I can help."

Her genuine offer caused Gally to smile. "It's nothing." He turned around, facing her. "Just some ideas." Emma nodded, biting her inner cheek. "I saw you talking with the Greenie earlier." The change in conversation was quick.

"Oh, yeah." She ate dinner with Chuck. He was very talkative once he was comfortable. Emma enjoyed his company. "Felt sorry for him seeing him all alone." That didn't surprise him.

"Alby said he's a bit useless. Shucked himself three times before they got him from the Pit. Probably going to make him a Slopper. Can't argue much with that."

"Hey." Without thinking, she nudged his shoulder. "He's young, but he's nice. Give him a chance." Chuck was younger than most, and entering the Glade wasn't easy. Nobody was helping him.

Gally grunted. The work from before had entirely left his mind. His attention was solely focused on the conversation. "We all came up in the box the same. I'm not giving anyone special treatment."

"I wouldn't expect any differently from Ole Captain Gally." It was the first time she had called him that. Hearing her call him that, Gally tensed. "But not all Greenies are bad." There was no response. "Gally, you okay?"

"Yeah," he snapped out of his thoughts. Gally cleared his throat, taking a step back. "I need to find Alby." The conversation had come to an abrupt end.

"Oh." Emma masked her disappointment well. "Okay. I saw him talking to Fry in the Kitchens a bit ago. He might still be there."

Gally gave her a curt nod. Wordlessly, he marched in the opposite direction. Emma watched him leave, wondering if she had said something to upset him. The conversation was going well. What could she have said?

Brushing it off, Emma walked toward the Homestead. It was still early, but she didn't want to be outside any longer. Relaxing her muscles after a long day sounded appealing. However, as she prepared to enter the building, she was cut off. "Emma, hey," it was Jordan. "Haven't seen you in a while."

She froze, shifting her attention to him. "Yeah, I've been busy." Busy avoiding you, she thought.

"Been meaning to catch up but haven't been able to get you alone."

Emma offered him a forced smile. "Yeah." What was she supposed to say? He had been angry with her after Alby spoke with him, going out of his way to give her the cold shoulder, and even spoke negatively about her to a few others. Then, he was suddenly no longer angry and trying to corner her whenever she was alone. Luckily, in the past, someone had seen them. There was nobody now.

"How's your ankle?"

"Healed. Has been for a while."

"That's good. No more accidents, right? I know how clumsy you are." He slapped her shoulder roughly. The force caused her to jolt.

"No more accidents." Casually, she glanced over her shoulder. There were several Gladers nearby in sleeping bags, but none of them were paying attention.

"That's good." The conversation was painfully awkward. "Look-"

"I'm actually headed to bed," she cut him off. It wasn't her intention to be rude, but talking to him was the last thing she wanted tonight.

"Already?" He took a step closer. "Suprised. You're usually up late, wandering around when everyone else is asleep."

"Yeah. Been a long day, you know?" Jordan took another step, but she slipped inside the Homestead. "See you around." Without waiting for a response, she walked quickly toward her room.