Disclaimer:
I thought of something funnier than twenty-four.
-✼-
It was absolutely silent once again as everyone in the room simply stared at Minho. I expected him to burst out laughing and say, "Just kidding!" but no such thing happened. He stayed as serious as the rest of us.
Gally, of course, decided to start the second uproar by standing up and being unnecessarily loud. "That's ridiculous!" He faced Newt and pointed at Minho, who had sat back down again. "He should be kicked off the Council for saying something so stupid."
You should be kicked off the Council for all those false accusations with no proof! I thought, though this time I kept my mouth shut. Newt just got done saying that the rules stated no suggestion was impossible, or something.
Surprisingly, some Keepers actually agreed with Minho's suggestion. For instance, Frypan started clapping to drown out Gally's voice. However, some people, such as Winston, didn't. He shook his head and mumbled something I couldn't catch over all the fuss. Thomas put his head in his hands like he was trying to drown out all the noise. And me? I just stared at Minho and we had a silent conversation between us.
I looked at him with an expression that clearly stated, Are you crazy?
Minho shrugged like, What was I supposed to do?
I mouthed, "I can't be Keeper of the Runners!"
He pointed to Thomas and mouthed back, "Then he can."
I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes for a minute before continuing the silent conversation with Minho. I pointed to him and mouthed, "You have to stay the Keeper of the Runners."
He looked confused. I sighed and repeated myself with tons of hand movements to get my point across. I pointed to him again. "You. Have. To." I motioned my hands downward. "Stay." I waved my arm toward the Keepers. "Keeper. Of. The." I pretended to run while still seated. "Runners."
He seemed to understand that time, but gave me no answer. He just smirked instead and I collapsed back in my chair in defeat.
Newt angrily put his notepad down, and that was when I knew it was about to get serious. He started going around and screaming at people to shut up. It was quite the sight, especially because at first no one paid any attention to poor Newt. Gradually, though, order was restored.
"Shuck it," Newt said shortly, narrowed eyes sweeping around the room. "I've never seen so many shanks acting like teat-suckin babies. We may not look it, but around these parts we're adults. Act like it, or we'll disband this bloody Council and start from scratch." He walked from end to end of the row of Keepers like a drill Sargent giving orders. "Are we clear?"
Newt had scared them all into silence. Then, one by one, they all nodded their heads, even Gally, whom I guessed wouldn't be able to stand the shame of being kicked off the Council.
"Good that." Newt sat back down in his chair, putting his handy-dandy notebook into his lap. He used his pencil to scratch out a few lines and then looked up at Minho. "That's some pretty serious klunk, brother. Sorry, but you need to talk it up to move forward."
Minho looked exhausted, but still defended his case all the same. "It's sure easy for you shanks to sit around here and talk about something you're stupid on. I'm the only Runner in this group, and the only other one here who's been out of the Maze is Newt."
Huh? Newt went into the Maze? When?
I looked back toward him and caught his eye, but he just shook his head. I wasn't sure if that meant "I'll tell you later" or "I won't tell you at all."
Gally opened his big mouth and started to talk. "Not if you count that one time that I—"
"I don't!" Minho shouted before he could finish. "And believe me, you or nobody else has the slightest clue what it's like to be out there. The only reason you were Stung is because you broke the same rule you're blaming Thomas and Dylan for. That's called hypocrisy, you shuck-faced piece of—"
I wanted him to continue so badly, but Newt interjected. "Enough. Defend your proposal and be done with it."
I couldn't believe that Gally had been in the same position as us (well, almost) and yet he was trying to get us Banished or thrown into the Slammer for all eternity, or whatever his recommendation was. It was so irrelevant that I didn't even remember what it was.
Minho was having a showdown with Gally. They were both staring each other down, their faces red as the tomatoes growing in the Gardens and looking like they could pop any second. Finally, they broke the stare and I could breathe a little.
"Anyway, listen to me," Minho continued. "I've never seen anything like it. They didn't panic. They didn't cry. They didn't even seem scared. Dude, they've been here for just a few days. Think about what we were all like in the beginning. Huddling in corners, disoriented, crying every hour, not trusting anybody, refusing to do anything. We were all like that, for weeks or months, till we had no choice but to shuck it and live."
Minho stood up again and pointed to me and my brother. "Just a few days after they show up, they step out into the Maze to save two shanks they hardly knew. Well," he glanced at me, "one more than the other. But still, all this klunk about them breaking a rule is just beyond stupid. They didn't get the rules yet. But plenty of people had told them what it's like in the Maze, especially at night. And they still stepped out right as the Door was closing, only caring that two people needed help." He took a deep breath, seeming to gain more strength and confidence as he went on.
"But that was just the beginning. Dylan was even trying to slap some sense into me, but I wouldn't have it. After that, they saw me give up on Alby, leave him for dead. And I was the veteran — the one with all the experience and knowledge. So when Thomas and Dylan saw me give up, they shouldn't have questioned it. But they did. Think about all that willpower and strength it took for them to push Alby up that wall, inch by inch. It's psycho. It's freaking crazy.
"But that wasn't it. Then came the Grievers. I told the two we had to split up and I started the practice evasive maneuvers, running in the patterns. Thomas and Dylan, when they should've been wettin' their pants, took control, defied all laws of physics and gravity to get Alby up onto that wall, diverted the Grievers away from him, beat two off, found—"
"We get the point," Gally snapped. "Tommy and Dylan here are some lucky shanks."
Minho rounded on him furiously. "No, you worthless shuck, you don't get it! I've been here two years, and I've never seen anything like it. For you to say anything..."
Minho paused, rubbing his eyes and groaning in frustration. I looked over at Thomas to see his mouth dropped open. Chuckling a bit, I turned my attention back to Minho, whom I was very proud to call one of my best friends.
"Gally," Minho said in a much calmer voice, "you're nothing but a sissy who has never, not once, asked to be a Runner or tried out for it. You don't have the right to talk about things you don't understand. So shut your mouth."
Gally also stood up in a 'Hold my earrings, Winston' kind of way. "Say one more thing like that and I'll break your neck, right here in front of everybody." Spit flew from his mouth and it was very disgusting. I scooted my chair farther away from him.
Minho laughed cruelly, then raised his hand and shoved it in Gally's face. The Builder flew backward into his chair, which caused it to tip over backward and crack in two. My mouth dropped open in shock as Gally scrambled to stand. Minho stepped closer and stomped his foot down on Gally's back, forcing him to stay down.
Thomas plopped back into his seat. I hadn't even realized he had been half standing.
"I swear, Gally, " Minho sneered, "don't ever speak to me again. If you do, I'll break your shuck neck, right after I'm done with your arms and legs."
Newt and Winston were grabbing Minho away from Gally before I could blink. Gally jumped up, his face twisted in rage which made it even uglier than before. But he knew better than to make a move now. Instead he stood, his chest heaving up and down.
Finally he backed away, half stumbling toward the exit behind him like a drunk. His eyes darted around the room, and I could see the pure fury in them even from the distance I was seated. He backed toward the door, reaching for the handle.
"Things are different now," he said, then spit on the floor. I crinkled my nose. "You shouldn't have done that, Minho. You should not have done that." His maniac gaze moved to Newt and my stomach churned. "I know you hate me, that you've always hated me. You should be Banished for your embarrassing inability to lead this group. You're shameful, and anyone who stays here is no better. Things are going to change. This, I promise."
Before I could even stand up and shout, "As if you could lead us any better!" Gally had already left. But before anyone could react, he popped his head back in the room.
"And you two," he said, glaring and me and Thomas, "the Greenbeans who think they're friggin' God. Don't forget I've seen you before, Thomas — I've been through the Changing. What these guys decide doesn't mean jack."
I opened my mouth before he could stop me. "I went through the Changing, too, and I didn't see anything wrong with Thomas."
Gally rounded on me. "Yes, but as you oh-so-mightily declared yourself, something went wrong with your Changing." He looked at Newt. "Might want to explain further to your shuckin' boyfriend who would do anything in the whole shuckin' world to keep you from the punishment you deserve."
He paused, looking at everyone in the room. Then his eyes landed back on Thomas, who looked utterly neutral, and said, "Whatever you came here for — I swear on my life I'm gonna stop it. Kill you if I have to."
I stood up so quickly that my chair moved backwards three feet. "Over my dead body, you will!"
But Gally had already swung the door closed behind him.
gif is dylan being fed up with gally
___________
ok so the reason dylan insults gally so much is bc shes still v mad at him and fed up with everything and i tried to imply that and i hope it amused you bc it sure did amuse me
"hold my earrings, winston" gets me every time
dedicated to kiley bc yay new friend!!!!!!!!
~kristyn