CLARITY, (newt.)

two

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NOBODY BOTHERED HIM FOR A LONG TIME. He figured they'd forgotten about him, and quite frankly, he didn't care. For the time being, he wanted nothing more than to be alone. He needed time to process everything that had happened to him. He hated that he couldn't remember anything from his past. He didn't even know his name. He wished it would come back to him sooner rather than later. He sat up against a tree in the woods, racking his brain in an attempt to try and remember something. Anything. But it was no use.

Eventually, he began to hear his new name, Greenie, being thrown around in the distance. He groaned quietly but stayed right where he was. They were finally looking for him. He didn't know how deep into the woods he had gone, but the tredge he had made to get to the tree he sat underneath had taken him a long time. The woods behind him still seemed to go on for forever, and he found himself wondering what lied beyond them. He debated getting up to explore, and to further delay an encounter with one of the boys, but instead, he shut his eyes. He liked the shade and the solitude that the giant tree brought, and he had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time he'd sit under it.

The voices continued to grow closer and closer. Considering he wasn't going anywhere, he decided to wait for them to find him.

"Go!" someone screamed from behind him. His eyes flew open and he jumped forward, quickly covering his mouth with his hand to stop the scream that itched at the back of his throat.

However, after that, the shouting stopped. He wondered if they had given up and gone to eat. He slowly removed his hand from his mouth and began to relax again. There were no signs that anyone was looking for him anymore, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He resented the boys for leaving him all on his own, alone with no idea where or who he was. As an act of defiance, he decided he'd stay out there all night if he had to. The spot he'd chosen under the tree wasn't the most comfortable, but it was peaceful enough.

The sun began to set when the sound of feet rustling beneath the sticks and leaves picked up from behind him. His breath hitched in his throat and he quickly pressed himself up against the tree, praying whoever it was would go away.

"Greenie?" a figure emerged from the shadows. He jumped in his skin at the figure gasping loudly with a clamped hand over his heart. The boy stepped back, eyes wide. It was Newt, who tripped over a rock behind him and landed on the ground across from him. He stayed like that, exhaling loudly. Newt brought his hands down to his foot, holding it and wincing. 

He took a moment to abate himself before eventually getting to his feet. Newt did the same, brushing himself off and grunting in pain.

"How'd you find me?" he said tonelessly, not daring to look Newt in the eye.

Newt chuckled lightly. "You're not the only one who comes out into the bloody deadheads to be alone," he replied. "Come along, your food's gonna get cold," Newt started back toward the Glade, walking on his foot a little funny. He sighed, inevitably rising to his feet and began to follow Newt.

"You mean running off from the Glade is a typical "Greenie" thing?" he called to Newt, who was already trailing far up ahead. He cringed at the language he had used. The slang the boys had invented sounded foreign on his tongue.

Newt shook his head. "No, it's a typical Newt thing." he laughed off his depressing statement nonchalantly, keeping his eyes forward the entire time. They walked back to the Glade in silence, side by side.

As soon as they got back, Newt turned to him. "I didn't tell anyone that you'd gone off on your own because I figured you needed some time to yourself. But when Nick couldn't find you, I had to tell him and--"

"It's okay," he cut him off, nodding curtly.

Newt sighed. "Anyway, everyone was lookin' for you but when it started to get dark and some shanks started to complain, Nick and Alby told me it was my fault you'd ran off and that I needed to bring you back. So, I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to say to this. Newt's apology didn't exactly sound sincere, but he wasn't going to pry for a better excuse. He really didn't want to continue speaking to Newt at all.

"I'm gonna give you your tour tomorrow," Newt continued. They both stopped in front of the door of one of the huts. Newt tried a smile that he simply ignored. He pushed the doors open and left Newt behind.

As soon as he got inside, all of the chatter that was going around stopped and everyone turned their attention toward the door. He swallowed hard, immediately moving his gaze to the floor. Newt came in a moment later and motioned for him to move along.

Nick stood up from his table and cleared his throat. "Hey, Greenie. Where you been, man?"

He felt his cheeks heat up as Nick began to make his way over. Nick placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him toward a table. There was a plate set for him already, with green beans, corn and a slab of meat. He studied the plate for a moment before sitting down. The chatter amongst the boys resumed and he exhaled deeply.

Nick and Alby sat across from him, and next to him was a boy with warm skin and dark hair. None of them paid much attention to the Greenie until they were all finished eating. When he was done, the boy next to him turned his way and put out his hand for him to shake.

"Name's Winston," he grinned. "I'm Keeper of the Slicers. We could really use some help, us Slicers. There's only four of us. Rest of the Gladers are too squeamish."

Before the Greenie could swallow his food and reply, Nick answered for him.

"It's his first day, shank. Let him enjoy it. And good luck trying to get him to be a Slicer," Nick chuckled and Winston merely shrugged, grabbing his plate and pushing himself away from the table. Nick and Alby finished eating and waited at the table for the Greenie to be finished, too. He glanced up at them and they both smiled.

"So what do ya think, Greenie?" Alby asked, leaning his elbows on the table. He looked down at his empty plate and then back at the two boys, simply shrugging. They both laughed to each other and he joined in with a grin he couldn't seem to suppress.

"You've gotta get to know everyone, find a role that works for you, and then you'll fit right in," Alby exclaimed. The three of them sat in silence, just smiling at each other for a moment.

Nick spoke up, breaking the silence. "We've only got three rules, Greenie. First, do your part. You can sit around for the first few days, get to know the Glade, but after that, you gotta help out. No slacking."

He nodded to Nick and Alby, and Nick continued.

"Next, never harm another Glader. Here, it's all about trust. If you've got a problem with someone, you come to me, got it?" he nodded quickly again and Nick sighed. "And finally, you never go outside the Glade. Not unless you're a Runner, which probably won't happen. Tomorrow when you get your tour, Newt will show you where you can and can't go. I mean, you've probably already figured that out on your own just by looking around, but this is important. Beyond the Glade is dangerous." he concluded.