The Girl

Chapter Two

 "Will she ever wake up?"

"I don't know, Shuckface!"

"Well, you're the medjack!"

"I got my job the same way you did!"

I awaken to two Gladers arguing. As my vision clears I see that it's an Asian boy and another boy I've never seen.

"Finally," The Asian boy exclaims. "We thought you were dead, Gree-"

"It's Elizabeth," I cut him off.

"Hey! She remembers her name," He says somewhat sarcastically. I realize there's a pounding in my head.

"Ugh, what happened?" I ask, holding my head.

"You were walking with Newt when you tripped over a knife and hit your head on a piece of wood," He says.

"God, I'm an idiot- wait. Who are you? Where's Newt?" I ask, the look on my face cautious, as I still don't really know where I am and who they are.

"Calm down, Elizabeth. I'm Minho. You've been asleep for a day and a half. Newt stayed with you, hoping you'd wake up before we forced him to get some sleep. He wouldn't leave until I promised to stay with you and wake him if you got up. He was sleep-deprived," Minho says, beginning to get up out of his chair next to my bed.

"You don't need to wake him up," I blush. "He needs rest. Don't wake him up for me," I beg Minho.

"He'll kill me if I don't wake him up. I promised," Minho replies as he gets up and starts walking out.

"No-" I try to get up out of bed when a wave of vertigo washes over me and I fall backwards.

"Woah there. Don't stand up. I have to wake him up, Beth." He says. I begin to open my mouth to say something about the nickname but he interrupts me with an apology.

"No, don't apologize. I like it," I smile up at him. He returns my smile.

"Then I guess I'll have to find a new one for you," He smirks and runs off.

About five minutes later he returns with an over-enthusiastic and sleep-deprived Newt.

"You're awake!" He shouts and sits in the chair Minho has been sitting in when I woke.

"Yeah, and you're sleep deprived. You should go back to sleep." I tell him.

"I don't wanna leave you again. What if you remember your name?" He argues.

"I, um, I already did," I tell him.

"Really?" He asks.

"Elizabeth, or Beth," I reply.

"Wow, that's a pretty name," He smiles.

"You need sleep." I plead.

"No." What a stubborn little shank.

"We'll give you two some privacy," The medjack says as he and Minho leave the tent.

"Newt, please. You look tired. Don't go through all this trouble for me. I'm really not worth it," I plead.

"What do you mean you're not worth it?" He asks me. He suddenly seems less sleep deprived.

"I just, I don't want you to lose sleep over me. I'm fine, really," I tell him.

"Beth..."

"Newt I said I'm okay," I plead.

"No, you don't seem okay. You seem different the other gladers, and it's not just because you're a girl. You're uptight. Why are you so frightened all the time?" He asks.

"I...I don't know. I just don't understand anything here. Why am I the only girl? Who put us here? Why is the only thing I can remember a stupid song? Why are there big rock doors that open and close automatically? Why were we sent here without any idea what the hell we're doing here? What on earth did we do to deserve this?" At this point I had tears threatening to spill over my eyelids onto my cheeks. I couldn't take the not knowing, the empty holes, the confusion.

"Hey, it's alright. Just remember that you're not alone. I've never seen anyone this uptight before, aside from myself," He brushes a piece of my long brown hair behind my ear. I look up at him, and feel somewhat calm hearing that someone else felt this hell too. He hesitantly takes my hand over the cot. I take it and close my eyes, a tear falling down my cheek. He reaches up to brush it away and I smile. I open my eyes to see him push up from the chair and sit next to me on the side of the cot. He pulls his arm around me comfortingly, and I can't help but find myself leaning into him. I don't know how long we sit there before the warm company has us both drift off.