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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.
