Let Me Be Your Shelter (Being Re-Worked)

Day 31: Changes

Time was not a friend to the glade. It passed slowly, and while life had become far less difficult, it had also become immensely boring. I had liked the routine at first, but now everyday felt the same. I wondered often if Alby had ever heard of the word "fun". 

"Hey! Jo!" Zart's voice shook me into consciousness. "Wake up!" I peeled my crusty eyes open and groaned out my morning breath. As my vision cleared through the bright light of the sun, I could see Zart's curly blonde head peering over top of my face. His eyes were luminous and his grin excited if not a little frightening .

"The crops can wait ten minutes," I whined rolling over in my hammock.

"It's Box Day. You know what that means?" he asked.

 His enthusiasm only forced me into a deeper hibernation. "I can sleep in?" I mumbled tightening my blanket over my shoulders.

"No, you're not the Greenie anymore! Come on, get up!" He pushed me slightly making the hammock swing gently back and forth. It was just enough of an annoyance that I had to prop the top half of my body up to try and re-balance myself. I turned to see that he was no longer next to me, but had ran out of the homestead leaving me far too awake and very much confused.

"Jo, you're not up yet?" It was Mikey, who looked like he was going to start bouncing off of the Maze walls.

"Why is everyone so... happy?" I grumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Because Greenie," Gally popped up next to him. I had known both these boys long enough to know that it was rare either of them got up this early by choice, let alone be excited about it. "The box comes back up today."

"That means new supplies," Mikey explained. "Hey Gally, you think I'll get the TV I requested?"

"You're not getting a TV," Gally said dryly. He looked to me and I simply smirked back at him in amusement, while Mikey pouted in disappointment.

"A new Greenie comes up today too, right?" I asked.

"Yup!" Mikey confirmed.

Good, I thought to myself. I never did like that stupid nickname anyway.

"But even better than that; I talked to Alby and he said we could all take the day off."

"So then why am I awake right now?" I looked to both of them. They knew I wasn't a morning person.

"I think you'll be thanking Zart soon enough," Gally shrugged. "That siren is not fun to wake up to."

"Yeah, I remember," I groaned again bending down to grab my shoes. A sudden thought occurred to me. I looked up at him and asked "Do you think it could be another girl?"

"Maybe," Gally responded, although I got the sense he didn't really believe what he was saying.

"Shuck, I hope so," Mikey sighed with a dreamy look in his eyes. He glanced at me quickly and tried to recover his statement. "Not that you aren't- I just meant-" Gally and I both gave the "Shut up, Mikey" glare that I had come to learn from the other guys. "You know what?" he said awkwardly. "I'm gonna go see what Bach is cooking up for breakfast. See you Shanks later."

"Who you callin' Shank, Shank?" Gally toyed with him while Mikey walked away. Mikey smirked back at him and waved goodbye, not forgetting to give me an annoying flirtatious wink before striding off. As I finished tying my shoes Gally turned to me and said, "Alright, Greenie, let's get a move on. I have a surprise for you."

My eyes widened immediately. "Is it my bungalow?" I chirped, jumping out of my hammock, planting my feet firmly on the ground. "Is my bungalow ready, Gally?!"