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BECAUSE OF THE GREENIE BONFIRE, THERE WOULD BE NO DINNER. Appetizers would be served that evening at the Greenie celebration, so Samson worked quickly in the Kitchen alongside Frypan and Brandon. They prepared hot dogs, bacon, and chestnuts to be roasted on the fire.
Samson's thoughts seemed to drown him as he worked. He had to admit, he was nervous to talk to Thomas, and he had no idea what he was going to say to him, especially if his memory had been wiped. Thomas arriving in the Glade couldn't have been good news. It meant that Samson needed to get stung sooner than he thought.
Once all of the food was almost ready, Frypan and Samson headed outside to set up tables around the fire. Samson caught himself scanning the Glade every once in a while in an attempt to locate Thomas, but he was nowhere to be found. Samson and Frypan finished setting up the last table, standing back to admire their work for a moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Samson found Thomas, leaning against the wall of the Homestead with Chuck. Samson stepped forward, keeping his eyes trained on Thomas.
"Hey, Fry? I'll be right back," without another word, Samson started towards the Homestead quickly, his heart rate quickening by the second. Chuck and Thomas both watched him come over, but the expression on Thomas's face was blank. He didn't recognize him. Still, Samson forced a smile.
"Chuck, how's it going, buddy?" he called to the younger boy, whose face lit up. Samson didn't talk to Chuck much, but he was a good kid. He turned to Thomas. "Thom-Greenie," he quickly covered up his slip-up with another smile. He needed to play it safe for the time being. If Thomas didn't have his memories or know his name, Samson would have a lot of explaining to do.
When Thomas didn't respond, Samson pressed on. "Do you remember your name? Or anything at all, for that matter?"
Thomas shook his head in shame. Samson sighed. "You don't?"
Chuck and Thomas both lifted their heads. "Don't worry, Greenie. Takes everyone a while to get their names." Chuck said.
Samson watched Thomas carefully, searching for any signs that he knew who he was. But that seemed to make him more uncomfortable.
"Why're you staring at me?" Thomas asked defensively.
Samson crossed his arms over his chest. He turned to Chuck again, motioning for him to leave. Chuck didn't seem to understand and stayed put. Samson stepped closer to him.
"Chuck, could you give Th-" he caught himself again. "The Greenie and I a minute, please?"
The boy groaned. "No, I'm helping him settle in. We were--oh no," Chuck's eyes widened in terror, staring directly behind Samson, who swallowed hard before turning towards whatever had caught Chuck's attention. Thomas was gone from his spot against the wall and was heading straight for the Maze. His actions made Samson's heart jump with fear and anticipation. A small part of him hoped he did have his memories and that maybe, he knew what he was doing.
