The next day, a lot of the Gladers were slacking in their work. Newt said it was Gally's drink. It tended to have repercussions the following day. Emma had no idea what was in the drink, but she never planned to drink it again.
Zart was one of the many who was struggling to complete his work. He kept sitting down, needing a break. He had refilled his water five times before Frypan rang the lunch bell. It was rather amusing. Newt and Emma joked the entire time, which only annoyed the Keeper of the Track-Hoes.
Eventually, Emma was tasked with bringing Frypan a few cabbages. It was the first time they had grown any in the Glade. They didn't turn out as big as they hoped, but that was expected. It was a learning process when it came to growing new fruits and vegetables.
As she walked toward the Kitchens, someone nearly collided into her. "Oh," Emma gasped, stepping back. "Sorry, I didn't see you."
"My fault," the shaggy red-haired boy laughed. He brushed the hair out of his face. Emma hadn't seen him before. He was taller than her by several inches, almost towering over her. "I wasn't paying attention. It's been a long day."
She smiled at him, readjusting the basket in her hands. It wasn't heavy. There were only a few cabbages inside. "I understand."
The boy eyed the basket in her hands. "Need any help?"
"Oh," Emma chuckled. "No, it's not heavy."
He looked in the basket. "Lettuce?"
"Close, cabbages."
He laughed. "That was definitely my second guess." There was a pause in his words. "Are you a Gardener?"
"Yeah," she confirmed. "Usually tasked with the jobs nobody else wants to do, like bringing food to the Kitchens."
"Headed there now?" Emma nodded. "I'll join you, if you don't mind, of course."
"Not at all." They began walking. "I'm Emma." recently, she had been meeting other Gladers. It was a refreshing change.
"I know," he responded. She glanced at him curiously. "You are the only girl. Your name gets spoken quite often." That didn't surprise her. "I'm Jordan."
He was sweaty, more sweaty than most. "Are you a Runner?" On his back was a bag. A lot of the Runners wore them.
"Slicer, actually." She grimaced. "I know. I get that a lot. It wasn't my first choice, trust me." Not many had a choice in their job. "But I like to think it could be worse. I could be a Slopper."
"I think I'd rather be a Slopper." Emma couldn't be a Slicer.
Jordan laughed again. His laugh was loud but not forced. "I'll give you that. It's not for everyone." They continued walking under the blazing sun. "I am surprised to hear you're a Gardener. Seems like a dirty job for someone like you."
She raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously. "Someone like me? A girl?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Jordan rushed out.
She didn't believe him, but Emma decided to disregard the comment for now. "I'm kidding." But she wasn't, not entirely.
They stopped in front of the Kitchen. Frypan looked up at the sight of them. "Hey, Greenie."
Emma rolled her eyes. "Not the Greenie, Fry." It was clear he did it purposely, knowing it bothered her. It was a reoccurring pattern with her friends. They kept calling her Greenie.
"What do you got for me?"
"Cabbages, grown for the first time in the Gardens."
Frypan picked up a cabbage, tossing it in the air before catching it. "Sweet, thank you." He emptied the basket before tossing it aside. "How's your day going?" Frypan often started conversations with anyone who approached the Kitchens. It got lonely with just him and Martin there.
"Good," Emma promised him. "Boring, but it always is in the Gardens."
Frypan chuckled, silently agreeing with her. "Nice to see you, Jordan. Don't usually see you hear during the day. Not unless you're eating lunch."
"Yeah," Jordan said. "I nearly took Emma down while she was walking here. Thought I would offer her some company on her walk over. Least I could do." His hand landed on her lower back.
The girl froze momentarily, slightly stunned by the contact. Frypan watched the entire scene play out. He watched as Emma's face paled, her lips parting in surprise. "Yeah," she squeaked as his hand remained where it was. "Right."
"Thanks, Emma," Frypan quickly shut the conversation down. "Appreciate it. Jordan, since you're here, could you bring these boxes back to Winston?"
Jordan hesitated but nodded. "Sure."
"Good that."
The moment he dropped his hand, Emma moved away. "I'm going to get some water." Neither had a chance to respond. The girl grabbed a glass jar and practically sprinted toward the water pipe. It was the only excuse she could think of to leave.
Looking up, her eyes locked momentarily with Gally. He was, not to her surprise, getting water. Emma groaned inwardly. Of course, Gally would be there. He was always there. Upon locking eyes, he turned away. Emma realized he must have been watching her talk with Jordan and Frypan. Shaking off her discomfort, she approached him.
Despite her mind begging her to be quiet, she spoke. "Hey, Gally," her tone was how it usually was when she greeted him. Overly cheery but never forced. "I saw you in the fighting ring last night. You're really good. Zart says you always win." Silence, as expected. "I tried your drink last night. It wasn't for me, unfortunately. Made me cough a lot." Nothing. "I guess it's an acquired taste, huh?"
Gally turned off the water. Without looking at her, he walked in the opposite direction. Emma sighed but wasn't disappointed. It was expected. Gally was never going to talk to her. Looking to her right, she noticed Frypan. He was laughing, having watched the interaction. Jordan was nowhere to be seen. Rolling her eyes, she filled up her cup.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening, Emma found herself where she did every night, sitting comfortably between Brandon and Newt. Tonight, Dmitri was joining them. He typically sat with the Builders, but his recent friendship with Emma inspired him to switch things up. The others didn't seem to mind. Dmitri fit into the conversation well.
They talked about their day, complaining about the heat that never seemed to let up. They all worked outside. "I'm rather impressed Frypan found a use for the cabbages." He had stuffed them in the sandwiches he made for dinner. "I thought he would toss them in a stew and call it a night."
"I was expecting the same," Newt agreed. "I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised." Emma agreed. She thought Frypan would make stew, as he commonly did. It was easy and fed the entire Glade. "I-"
"Hey," a voice cut them off. The group turned to look at the source of the interruption. It was Jordan. "Can I join you?"
Newt paused, looking around for a reason as to why Jordan was suddenly talking to them. The Slicer never spoke more than ten words to him. "Uh, yeah, sure. Take a seat."
"Great." Jordan moved with purpose. Quickly, he squeezed himself between Newt and Emma. Emma tried to move away, but there wasn't any more room for Brandon. She was stuck with Jordan's body pressed against hers uncomfortably.
Emma cleared her throat awkwardly. She tried not to read too much into the situation. The bench was small. Four people on one side was a lot, but the bench could fit five, maybe even six. She shook off her thoughts, knowing she was making a big deal out of nothing. Jordan's earlier comment about her job and the hand on her back had shaken her. It shouldn't have. Now, she was reading too much into things.
Zart watched them, as did the others. "So," Jack jumped into a new conversation. "Emma, did you end up finishing those baskets?"
"Oh, yeah," she said. "The other day."
"Yeah," Dmitri added. "A big help. Gally was very appreciative."
Emma looked up, failing to hide her excitement. "Really?"
Newt smirked, taking a bite of his sandwich. He had been wrong. He thought Gally wouldn't care that Emma went out of her way to help him. "Yeah, he filled up all three baskets right after you left. Hasn't complained once since. Which I've appreciated."
She smiled, biting her bottom lip. It wasn't much. It wasn't a victory either, but it was enough. "I'm glad I could help."
"Just doing your part, right?" Catching her eye, Newt winked.
"Yes, Newt," she responded with a playful glare.
"It was your Glader duty, right?" Zart joined Newt's teasing. Everyone knew Gally didn't care for her. Only a few people knew that Emma was determined to fix that. They didn't have to be friends. They just had to be civil.
Jordan observed the group, realizing there was an underlying joke he didn't understand. "What are you guys talking about?" He added a laugh to show his confusion.
"Nothing," Newt responded.
The red-head shifted in his seat, somewhat annoyed. "Oh, come on." He nudged Emma, wanting to know more.
"It's nothing," she stated factually. "I just made some baskets. They're being Slinthead's about it." Jordan looked like he wanted to say more but never had the chance. "Well," she slammed her hands on the table. "I'm going to shower while everyone's eating." It was the best time to shower. The others bid her farewell as she grabbed her plate and walked away.