𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 - TMR, Gally

029 - A Kid

"Awesome." I patted him on the shoulder. "I'll show you around."

He followed me, our pace equal because he had small legs and I had my limp... and I had small legs too. "What's your name?" His voice was no more a stutter, but not the most confident either.

"Valerie. Do you remember yours yet?"

His lower lip started to tremble already, as he shook his head.

"That's okay. You'll get it back in a few days. I'm sure you have a lovely name." I motioned at the Glade. "This here, is the Glade. We call ourself the Gladers. We live here. Grow our own food, we build or own huts, and everything beside that."

"No TV?"

I laughed. "Nope, sadly not. We tried to ask for one, though, but they wouldn't give it."

"Who's they?" He peeped.

I sighed long. "I don't know. None of us know. We call 'em the Creators, though. The ones that put us here." I pointed at the Box. "That's the Box. It's where you were just in. Once a month, we get a Greenie delivered. Like you. Once a week, we get supplies."

"Greenie?"

"New people in the Glade. Get used to it. You'll be called Greenie the coming month." I explained, constantly glancing to see if he was doing okay. "Moving on. We got different jobs here. Builders, Runners, Med-jacks, Track-hoes, Baggers, Slicers, Cooks, Sloppers, and Brick-nicks."

He frowned. It almost looked cute. "I don't even understand half of that."

I chuckled. "You'll learn."

"What's your job?"

"Third-in-command. I help leading this place together with Alby, our one and only leader, and Newt, our Second-in-command."

The kid nodded. He was a little bit shorter than me, cute, a bit chubby, but very nice. And, I wouldn't be the shortest anymore.

"I only see boys. But you're a girl." He muttered. "Why?"

"Because maybe my parents did the wrong pos- oh. I mean, uh, I don't know."

His cheeks filled with red, and so did mine. "Are you the only girl?"

"Yep. Except for my chicken. Josephine. I'll let you pet her later."

A tiny smile formed on his lips. "Okay."

"Yeah." I smiled too. "Over there we got the Homestead. Most boys sleep there. You'll be doing too. In a hammock. There's a few huts for the leaders and the Keepers. Keepers are the leaders of each job, if you get what I mean. The Bloodhouse for slaughtering, the showers, Med Hut, and Deadheads."

It surprised me he didn't ask anything about the gap in the wall, though somehow it relieved me, too. He didn't even seem to dare looking at it.

"I think you'll be okay, Greenie. You'll find your place." I confirmed. The smile on my face never left. He was so cute! And turned out, I loved kids.

But suddenly, his eyes widened, face washing over with fear. He hopped behind me fast. He hid. "Who's that?" The kid whispered as he pointed at a boy I recognized as my boyfriend.

"That's Gally. Keeper of the Builders."
Did I beg my mind to add 'my boyfriend'? Yes. Did I turn out adding it? Not yet.

Gally stomped toward us. The kid hid behind me even more, seeming so afraid for no reason. "Hey." Gally greeted, mostly looking at me.

"Hey."

A few seconds of silence. Then a small, "Hi."

Gally whispered to just me, "Why are they always scared of me?"

"Well, maybe because you look kind of mean." I whispered back. "And you're very tall and broad."

"I'm not scared of him." The kid spoke up, a little bit louder this time. I stepped aside, he shrunk.

"Hey." Gally put on his cold face. It made me wonder if he did it on purpose or he was just grumpy again. Or his usual self. "Gally. You may call me Captain Gally."

I wanted to bang my head on a tree.

"What?" The boy peeped. "B-but I thought... Alby was-."

"He's joking." I quickly interfered.

"I'm no-."

"He definitely is." I said awkwardly. "So how about we get some lunch? You hungry, buddy?"

His eyes turned big in desire this time. He wet his lips. "Yes."

"Okay. Let's go." I marched forward, Gally by my side and the kid behind us.

"You'd make a nice mom." He whispered.

"Shut up."

"I'm not even joking."

A middle finger.

We arrived in front of Frypan. The Greenie shyly greeted the Cook and got his food before following the rest of us to a table.

"Alright." Gally looked at him, smiling in a way that scared both me and the kid. "I'll introduce you to some boys here. Yeah?"

He nodded.

"That over there." He pointed at Minho, who appeared to have another day off. "That's who we call Minnie."

"Is his name Minnie?"

"Yes. Weird, I know, but hey, Gally's not so common either." He rubbed his chin. "That's Jeff. Him, we call-."

"Yo!" Ben joined us loudly. It startled the smaller boy. "Gally, Val, I see you got a child? And I've got a grandson?"

The boy's eyes went from Ben, to me, to Gally. "W-what?"

"I'm kidding." The Runner laughed loudly.

"I'm Valerie."

"Funny." He glanced at me. "I'm Ben. Not kidding. Remember ya name yet?"

"No."

"Doesn't surprise me. Anyway. What's up?"

"The—."

"No."

"—sky."

Ben threw his head back. "Valerie likes to make these stupid jokes. But I like her, so she's allowed to."

"Are you two dating?" The kid blurted out.

I choked on my food, Ben made an 'o' shape with his mouth, and Gally squeezed his fork so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I'm her boyfriend." He announced in a low tone.

Shame filled his face again. "Sorry. I- I thought because-."

"It's okay." I comforted. "Don't worry."