CHAPTER NINE
ADELAIDE
Today, I officially mark my seventh day in the Glade. They will decide my job today and I am pretty hopeful on being chosen as a Runner; Minho said that I am a natural, pretty good than the rest of them. My chances of being a Runner is pretty high, because I may or may not have purposely performed way bad than I could have in the other jobs. Except maybe Builders and Med-jacks. So, they can definitely think that I am cut to be a Runner.
I would be a Runner today and tomorrow, I would run with Minho. We would do the section 4 tomorrow.
I just had to get come cookies from Frypan to Ben and voilà, all the Runners secrets are out.
I literally spend my time sitting in my tree, staring at the horizon.
What if we use the Box Hole? Every entry has to have an exit too right? Why didn't they think of that?
I would definitely suggest that to Minho tomorrow. Maybe that's how we could get out.
"Adelaide!" Stan calls out to me. "Come on, the Gathering's gonna start now!"
Finally. I wring my hands in excitement and quickly climb down.
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"Ally! Wait! Just listen!"
I walk out of the Gathering Hall, super annoyed, ignoring Minho call. So annoyed that I refuse to acknowledge Newt, brushing past him.I see him shoot a frustrated glance but I keep on walking.
To the Deadheads. To the Deadheads.
A few steps later, a hand tries to pull me back. I shake Newt off me and walk away faster.
I growl in frustration as his face pops in front of mine. "What?!" I snap, anger evident in my voice.
"Why are you mad at me?" he ask, confusion laced in his voice.
"A Med-jack? Really?" I shake my head at him, confused. "You clearly knew how much it meant to me to be a Runner. You knew."
He runs his fingers through his hair. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. But a Runner? Couldn't you get any other job?"
"Why would I want to get any other job?" I raise my voice, "I want to be a Runner. Why can't I get to choose what I want to be? Why do you all get to chose that for me?!"
"Because that's how the things go here. It always does." He sigh, rubbing his temple with his fingers.
"Things did go according to your rules, didn't it? I tried all the jobs and I was only the best in Runners. Even Minho told me that I ran the fastest. The fastest!" I am now, breathing heavily, my chest rising up and down rapidly."You don't care for that do you?!" I almost yell at him. "I don't want to be a Med-Jack!"
"Don't think I don't know that you purposely performed poor in other jobs so that you'll get to be a Runner,' Newt raises his voice too. "You can't do that!"
"Yes! Yes, I purposely performed poorly in other jobs so that I could get to be a Runner, because that's what I ever wanted to be."
"You don't have to go into that bloody place everyday, and risk your life!" he almost yells at me.
From the corner of my eyes I see a few boys and Stan, stare at us, before Minho and Alby ushers them off.
"Why? Why not?" I hiss.
"You can't, okay?"
"Why?" I press. "It is because I'm a girl. Isn't it?"
Newt's glare at me falters. He sighs, shaking his head. "No, Addie, its not like that-"
"This is the reason why you all are still here!" I sneer at him. I am seeing red now, my anger blowing up all my rational thoughts. I don't care if the whole world is listening to us now, what happened is the height of injustice.
Just because I'm a girl?
"You don't let people do the jobs they want to do! You don't let enough brain to work out the Maze! A big, freaking place and there is only fucking seven runners out of thirty-nine people who could actually do something to get us out! But no, all you think is rules and order.
"Never thought about using the brain power we have to find the way out!"
"It is dangerous out there! People die in there! The Grievers tear people." he animatedly swings his hand in the air.
"Its because you made it sound so invincible and horrifying that they die of terror! They don't even think of trying out for Runners."
"You were not there from the beginning. You didn't see what we all did. You didn't start from the scarps. You came in when everything was running smoothly. When everything had been established. You didn't see the deaths. You don't know! Don't act like you know! The world doesn't revolve around you! Don't act as if you own everything!" he yells.
My heart shatters.
I can hear it shatter.
The only person I trusted had betrayed me.
His eyes softens and he reaches to hold me.
"Addie, look-"
I give a dry laugh, stepping away from him.
"I know this much that we won't go anywhere until we shake things up. Two years and it should be more then enough indication that what you all are doing is wrong."
I storm up to my room and slam the door shut. I slide down on the floor, against the door, dread clutching my heart as I tuck my head between my knees.
What hurt me the most is Newt is the one who doubted me.
The person who I trusted the most; maybe even with my life.
He betrayed me.
Once the tears start to fall, they don't stop and neither do I try them to.
At least my tears should have the freedom.
TOTAL WORDS-997