I sit on the rough cot in my shack, eyeing the soil on the outside. That's one of the pluses of my job. I get to work on it right next to the comfort of my home.
"Maya!" I suddenly heard someone call, startling me.
I turn around, and it's Harriet.
"The new guy just woke up, and I need you to show him around," she says.
"What?! Why me?" I ask.
"Because, Sonya and I have to hold a special meeting with the other Holders regarding the arrival of the boy. And you're the only other girl I know that won't swoon over this new guy," Harriet says, crossing her arms.
I would further protest, but I know getting into a heated argument with Harriet is not something you want to do. I know from past experience.
"Okay," I sigh.
Harriet smiles weakly and nods. "He is in the Holding Hut." She then walks away.
I stand up and proceed to the hut.
I open up the door, and start off the tour like I've seen Harriet and Sonya do before.
"So Newbie, I welcome you to the Gl-" I start, but pause as I glance up at the boy sitting on the bed. His astounding features catch me off guard. Dark brown eyes, dirty blonde hair, squared jaw. He looks... nice. No wonder the other girls have been so googly-eyed about him.
The boy looks at me, an eyebrow raised in confusion. I clear my throat. "Welcome to your new home," I manage to say, my voice cracking at the last word. I have such a way with words.
"Where am I?" the boy asks, a British accent lacing his words. His eyebrows furrow in confusion.
"You're in the Glade," I say, pushing myself not to allow my cheeks flush red.
"I can't remember anything," the boy says, staring down at his hands.
"I'm Maya," I say. "And it's normal. We were all sent here not remembering anything.
"We? There are others?"
"Yes," I reply.
The boys' face turns red with anger. "Who could do such a bloody thing?" he says incredulously.
"We aren't 100 percent sure, but we think it's an organization named WICKED," I reply.
"WICKED?" the boy says, scrunching up his nose.
"I'll explain more of it to you later," I say.
The boy sighs, obviously wanting more answers, but changes the subject. "Well, Maya, could you show me around this Glade?"
"Yeah," I say, then get to my feet.
The boy stands up. "By the way," he says, "I'm Newt. That seems to be the only thing I can remember."
"Nice to meet you, Newt," I say, and hold out a hand. He glances at me and pauses, then finally shakes it. The handshake sends a warm tingling sensation up my arm. Why am I feeling like this? I can't actually be falling for him. Can I?
We step outside of the shack and I start guiding him around the Glade. I stop in front of the lunch house. "This is the... Mess Hall," I say, sarcastically waving my hands back and forth in the air.
Newt raises an eyebrow, but I see a slight smile forming. I then guide him towards the Fields, where I'm supposed to raise my crops, but instead do so near my shack.
I show him the rest of the buildings in the Glade, then show him the thing he's probably been wondering about the most the entire time I gave him the tour.
"These are the walls of the Maze," I announce.
Its grey, stone walls tower high above us, green vines snaking their way along the top. Newt cranes his neck upwards for a better view. His mouth opens in awe. Then he tilts his head downwards, curiosity filling his eyes.
"And I'm assuming that's the Maze?" he asks, pointing towards the gaping labyrinth that stood just on the opposite of the gates.
"Yep," I reply.
Newt says nothing more; just stares, his arms crossed and his left hand resting on his chin, deep in thought. He then turns to me, his dazzling brown eyes locking with mine. Wait, what?
"Have you ever been in the Maze?" Newt questions.
"What? Oh, no. Only Runners get to go in the Maze."
"Runners?" Newt asks, an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah," I say, "They map the Maze and try to look for a way out of here."
Newt stirs, then takes a step forward. "Interesting," he mumbles.
Suddenly, I hear a voice calling my name. It's Sonya.
"You give the Newbie the tour yet?" she asks, panting.
"Yeah," I reply, "Just finished."
"Great," she says, then turns to Newt. She holds out a hand. "I'm Sonya. I'm the leader. Well, one of the leaders. And you are?"
Newt reluctantly shakes her hand, his eyes scanning her face. "Name's Newt," he says blankly.
"Hello, Newt," Sonya says, then smiles.
I then see Harriet approach from behind, her dark hair bouncing up and down. "Hey there, nice to meet you. I'm Harriet and I'm first in command. So basically, that means that if I'm not here in the Glade for some reason, then Sonya fills in for me."
Harriet holds out her hand, and Newt shakes it. "I'm Newt."
"Welcome to the Glade, Newt," Harriet smiles.
"Thank you," Newt says.
Sonya exchanges glances between Newt and I. "Well, looks like you Sticks already know each other pretty well, so I'll let Maya help you with your sleeping arrangements."
Newt looks at me, an eyebrow raised. I know he is probably wondering what a 'stick' is.
Sonya notices his confusion, and laughs. "Oh, sorry. 'Sticks' is just a word we use here when we tease each other."
"Oh," Newt says.
Sonya laughs again, then walks away, Harriet following suit.
I glance at Newt and laugh. "Don't worry, I'll teach you our slang soon."
He half smiles.
I find an abandoned shack for him, one like mine, and apologize for the quality. He laughs and says it's alright. After that, we walk around the Glade, talking here and there, until I notice it's time for the gates to close.
A harsh metal sound comes from the gate, and the rough sound of stone on stone echoes throughout the Glade. Newt stares in awe. The walls start moving towards each other, closing off the Maze, and protecting us from the Grievers. The doors close with a loud shut.
"Oh, I forgot to mention," I suddenly say, probably the most important thing of all, "There are these things called Grievers and they live in the Maze. They're super dangerous, and that's why only Runners can go out there. They know what they're doing."
Newt nods. "Makes sense."
After a while, it gets dark, and we now sit under the stars. I hear a stomach grumble, as it aches for food, and I notice that it's Newt's. He stands up, clenching his stomach.
"Where did you say the Mess Hall was again?" he says.
I point to my right. "That big brown building with the curved roof. Hard to miss."
He nods, and quietly thanks me. I watch him walk off in the distance. I couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that I was starting to develop feelings for this boy.
I show Newt to his shack when he gets back from eating. "Thank you, for everything," he says, sincerely.
"No problem," I smile.
I then head off towards my own shack and lay down. My mind wanders and I eventually fall asleep.
I wake up to the sound of someone calling my name. "Maya, wake up. We need to talk to you."
I slowly open one of my eyes. I see Harriet staring down at me.
I prop myself up on one elbow, and squint, the morning light shining right in my eye. "What is it?" I ask.
"We need to talk to you about Newt."