-------- ≪ °✾° ≫ --------
[ Chapter 4 ]
❛Sweet like Suga❜
-------- ≪ °✾° ≫ --------
THE MORNING LIGHT POKED AT THE GIRLS CLOSED EYELIDS, bringing her out of her state of peaceful sleep.
Dawn had finally fell upon the Glade as the warm light from the sun covered the enclosed area. Birds chirping loudly and the distant sound of muffled voices outside of the homestead filled the void of silence.
As the warmth graced her face, her eyes fluttered open to be greeted by the morning sun shining through the small window in the room. Waking up, she momentarily forgot about last night and so as her eyes looked around the room and fell onto a black-haired boy sleeping in a bed next to her, she momentarily panicked.
It was only when the wooden door to the room was thrown open hastily, and her eyes fell upon the familiar brunette did everything fall into place and she calmed down.
"Rise and shine greenie!" He sang cheerfully. "It's your first official working day in the glade and I have been assigned to escort ya to the gardens - ya first trial!" Hope cheered.
At the loud noise, Amara seen Jay move around in his cot next to her, before sitting up and glaring at Hope through squinted; tired eyes - his black hair sat all messy on the top of his head. He let out a clear groan, displeased with being awoken earlier than when he needed to get up.
Yes, Jay and Amara were now roommates. After Gally and the rest of the builders had her bed made, it was decided she would room with him as 1) he didn't care to share surprisingly and 2) he was hardly in the room anyway since he'd be out in the maze most of the time.
Amara also groaned loudly in response, grabbing her pillow and shoving it down on top of her face, hoping the over-energetic boy would leave and let her go back to sleep peacefully.
"Ah, ah, ah greenie..." he tsked as he walked over to the side of her cot and yanked the pillow from off her head, only making her groan once more. Hope completely pretending Jay wasn't there. "We got a long day ahead of us, but first breakfast."
Hope watched down on her with amused eyes, amused by the fact she hated mornings just like any of them, but she would soon learn to adapt when she's been there a week or two, just like he and all the others had to.
"Do I have to?" She whined, looking up at Hope with tired puppy dog eyes, hoping he had an ounce of sympathy within his soul.
"Yes! I thought you'd be excited to work and test what you're good at..." Hope trailed off when he seen Amara glaring up at him. "I was hoping this was all just a really long; horrible nightmare, but clearly life owes me no favours." She deadpanned.
"She'll only be excited if she's a runner, only job that's not borin' as shuck." Jay groaned, throwing himself back down to lie on his cot.
"Nope, this ain't no shucking nightmare, don't matter how much we all wish it was." Hope says as he grabbed the girls hand and strongly pulled her up, knocking her off balance as she stumbled up and out of her cot.
"What was that for?!" Amara exclaimed, taken aback by his forceful actions. "We don't have time for this greenie." He scolded. "Gally won't be happy to know ya were late for your first job, it's clear he don't particularly likes ya... or trusts ya."
Amara let out a sigh, running a hand through her tangled bed hair. "Well thank you for not making me tryout to be a slicer... I'd hate you forever if they made me slaughter a baby lamb or something..." she mumbled tiredly, rubbing the sleep from out of her eyes
"I'd rather not have ya traumatised on your first shucking day, well second day." He chuckled.
"Come on, Zart won't wanna be waitin' around all day for ya to get up, but ya need food first so we gotta hurry up." He ordered before placing his palms on her shoulders and leading her out the room and towards the kitchen. It seemed he enjoyed pushing her around everywhere.
Amara didn't know what it was, how she could trust Hope so much even though they only met for the first time just over a day ago, however everything about him seemed so familiar to her... like an old friend.
"Have fun playin' around in the dirt all day, greenie!" Jay called after her with the amusement clear in his voice. It was obvious to everyone that the boy was excited to take her running, but he'd have to wait for her to grow more accustomed to her new home and all the boys living amongst her.
Amara laughed sarcastically at Jays words, however he did manage to make a small smile appear on the curves of her lips. Hope guided her down the flight of creaky stairs, releasing his hold on her as he held the door open for them as the two stepped out into the fresh morning air of the glade.
Looking around, the sun beamed down on the grassy land. The Wooden structures she now knew, stood out amongst the trees in the glade, as well as the farm with the animals and crops growing - where she'd be working today.
However, her eyes always found themselves drifting to the catastrophically large; stone walls that stood tall around them... closed shut for now. She didn't want to have a confrontation with the Grievers, no, but she did want to discover what may lie beyond those walls.
"Ya excited to be a track-hoe greenie?" Hopes voice cut off Amaras thoughts. The words spilled out of Hopes mouth just confused her, what on earth is a 'track-hoe'?
"A track what now?" She queried to herself mostly, falling into step beside Hope as they make there way over to Jins kitchen.
Amara spotted Chuck sat on his own at a bench outside of the kitchen, just underneath a large; lonesome oak tree, the same bench herself and Jay where situated just yesterday morning. The boy immediately seen her and a large smile broke out on his chubby face as fast as his arm raised so to wave at the girl.
Chuckling to herself at his cuteness, Amara smiles and waves back at the boy before herself and Hope disappeared into the kitchen. The moment they arrived, once again, all the boys seized their eating and looked up at the two, eyes focused on Amara only.
"When will they stop doing that, it's rather disturbing." She leaned closer to Hope, lowering her voice as she spoke her uneasiness making him chuckle softly, but shrug his shoulders nonetheless.
"They've never seen a girl before, from what they remember anyway, they'll shake out of it soon don't ya worry." The dirty blonde ruffles his hand through Amaras hair making her groan and push his hands away, before the two trekked over to Jin, multiple eyes latched onto their figures.
The moment Jin caught sight of Hope and Amara, a large smile broke out on his face, throwing his towel over his shoulder as he rests his weight on his hands as they press against the countertop.
"Mornin' Hope. Greenie." He greeted before grabbing a spoon, just as the said two helped themselves to plates. "What's on the menu today Jin?" Hope asked curiously, his growling stomach more excited at the thought of food than himself.
"Nothin' fancy today I'm afraid Hope. Just bacon and eggs." The older boy answered, sneakily filling both plates up rather generously.
"Excited for ya new job greenie? Maybe the track-hoe life'll suit ya." Jin voices. Once again, Amara frowned at the word, not exactly taking it lightly, but before she could voice her opinion - Jin had opened his mouth.
Word had traveled fast amongst the gladers as they learnt Amaras first trial would be gardening, not a slicer like many others had to endure, however they weren't cruel enough to force those uncomfortable around blood to do it for a living - they wanted to keep the peace.
"My good friend Suga works down in the gardens, he's been excited to see ya, although he don't show it - I know he's dying with excitement on the inside." He winks before continuing on with his kitchen duties, leaving the two gladers to there own bidding.
"Seriously Hope, you need to tell me what the hell of a name track-hoe is, and what does it involve?" Amara questions as the two exit the kitchen. But it seemed Hope would wait till he's sat down and eating his breakfast, before he told her anything.
Once outside, Amara noticed Hope went to walk over to an empty bench, however when she remembered Chuck sat all alone, she pulled Hope over towards the young boy.
"Hey there Am- Greenie." Chuck corrected himself under Hopes gaze. The young boy had only been in the glade around two weeks now... he still wasn't used to all the glade slang they use around here.
The two older beings sat themselves across from Chuck, who now wore a beaming smile at the new company. He wasn't used to people sitting with him during meal times.
"Hey Chuck." The girl smiles at him. Hope only nods, acknowledging the boy as he wore a tight-lipped smile, too bothered by his growling stomach to care about anything else.
After placing a forkful of eggs into her mouth, Amara settled on asking Chuck for answers, since it seems she wouldn't be getting any from Hope anytime soon.
"Say Chuck." She began once she swallowed down the eggs in her mouth. "Wanna share with me what a so-called 'track-hoe' is?" She asked.
Chuck seemed beyond happy at the fact someone had asked him for information, it was almost foreign to him.
"Well, ya have the gardeners and then the track-hoes." Chuck began excitedly. Hope shared a look with Amara, knowing all too well the boy was about to blab on.
"The gardeners do ya typical garden jobs, like planting and picking fruit and vegetables, weeding and takin' good care of the plants. Track-hoes, are more difficult jobs like trenching. It ain't easy, your back will be sore for ya remaining time here from all the bending over you'll be doing." Chuck chuckled, however Amara wasn't amused.
She didn't want to be bending over all day! Especially when there's boys surrounding her and watching her like a hawk. Oh why? Why did her brain make her forget her past, but allow her to remember the minds and needs surrounding teenage boys...
"I can't wait." Sarcasm dripped from her words as she hastily bit into a slice of her bacon, courtesy of Jin. Hope side-glances the girl and smiles amusingly, knowing just how excited she was to work.
A comfortable silence fell upon the three after that. Amara sat and poked at her scrambled eggs, not having much of an appetite surprisingly after a few mouthfuls of the food before her, whilst the two boys sat with her happily munched away.
The sound of a door slamming shut grabbed her attention. She looked up from her plate and her eyes fell upon Jay's as he retreated from the kitchen, an apple in hand. His gaze was already on the girl as he mindlessly threw the apple into the air, catching it effortlessly as he repeats the action.
Once he seen her staring, the boy sent her a sly wink before raising the red apple to his plump lips, taking a bite from the juicy fruit, his eyes not leaving hers once until he disappeared into what she remembered to be the map room.
She knew the wall would open very soon and that's what the boys were doing in there - prepping themselves to leave once the four doors open and make the Glade shake from its force.
A sudden breeze blows against Amaras flushed face, sweeping the fallen hair from out of her face as she clears her throat, regaining her composure - however her fast beating heart failed to calm.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･༻❁༺⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
"Here she is Zart. She's all yours." Hope pushed Amara closer to the supposed 'Zart'. Unlike the boys she was familiar with, Zart was another of many who was not of Asian descent. However, he did have black-hair and was quite tall. He was a rather big and broody boy with a long face and droopy eyes that made him appear as bored as possible.
"Have fun greenie." Hope waves her goodbye before walking off, speaking no more as he abandoned her there with Zart.
Amara turned back to face Zart, a small; awkward smile breaks out on her lips as she had no idea what to do or say to the keeper she had just met. Surprisingly though, Zart sent her a reassuring smile before gesturing for her to follow him further into the gardens were many were already at work.
The boy led her over to an area where a large array of bushes had grown, the vibrant colours of ripe fruits stood out amongst the shades of green, creating a very beautiful view.
"Here is where we grow our fruits." Zart opens his arms, gesturing to where Amara was already looking. "Thought I'd start you off nice an' easy: pickin' berries." He smiled excitedly.
Amara looked at him from the side of her vision, a small; fake smile appearing on her face as she returned her line of vision. How was he so enthusiastic about picking fruit from off a tree?
He reached down for something beside him, before thrusting it into Amaras grasp, knocking her off balance for a moment. Looking down, she seen he had handed her a metal bucket, no doubt for putting her pickings in.
"This'll keep ya busy for a while." He smiled. "Don't forget to pick the most colourful; sweet-looking ones!" He advised her, much to enthusiastically.
Amara nodded her head slowly, taking a step forward to make a start, before a hold on her arm stopped her. Turning back around, she raised a single eyebrow at Zart's creepy smile.
"Don't be afraid to get down and dirty greenie." He winked at her. Uncomfortable wasn't even the word to describe how she felt just then, however she could of sworn she felt bile beginning to climb it's way up her throat.
All she could do was release an awkward chuckle, before scurrying off and away from Zart, choosing to begin with the bushes that were the furthest away from him and anyone else.
Getting down on her knees, she released a long; deflated sigh, before using her hands to search for the ripest of fruits.
Just a couple more hours, she thought.
⋆.ೃ࿔*:･༻❁༺⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
It felt like hours had passed since she had begun. A layer of sweat and dirt coated her sun-kissed skin, leaving her feeling both gross and tired from all the work she had done.
She could only hope they had showers here, or even a lake of some sort to wash away the grimy feeling and smell; but to also clean her clothes - as this was the only set she had, nothing else had arrived with her in the box like it had with all the others, making not just herself, but them all confused.
To make matters even more dull, Amara had also decided the gardening life wasn't for her. No, it wasn't that bad, however it was hard work and also really hands on - something it seemed she was not the best at, although she was far from the worst.
It was like she was destined to be something else.
"Ah, if it isn't the famous greenbean." Amara stopped picking berries as she jumped out of her skin from the sudden new voice, interrupting both her thoughts and work. Holding a hand over her raging heart, an action she felt she did too many times when scared to now be considered a habit, as she stared wide-eyed at the pale boy now next to her.
The boy wore a small; innocent smile, as if he hadn't just scared the living daylights out of her. He was another Asian, with cat-like eyes and black messy hair lay flat atop his head, unlike Jays which was parted in the middle, creating curtains to show most of his glistening forehead.
"Woah, you scared me!" The girl exclaimed in fright as she slowly calmed her breathing and heart rate down, coming down from the adrenaline of the scare.
"My apologies." He assured. "It seemed you were too caught up in ya picking of the berries to notice my presence." He chuckled softly, barely audible, as he picked up the girls bucket, eyeing how much fruit she had picked so far.
He tilted his head to the side, his left eyebrow lifting as he raises his head to meet Amaras narrowed eyes. "Not bad..." he mumbles, "for a greenie." Her face fell blank at the boys discouraging statement, but before she could answer, the haunting sound of the concrete walls moving to open four doors leading to the maze, interrupted her.
The ground shook uncontrollably, due to the incredible force of the walls that physically, shouldn't even be able to open at all due to the sheer size and weight.
Amara looked out into the distance, spotting the familiar toned figure of Jay stood stretching at the door that slowly opened. He wore his usual denim button up shirt with rolled sleeves, accentuating his muscles, tucked into his black pants, his backpacked strapped securely round his chest.
Looking all around her, she spotted three other runners, each standing outside of the other entrances - waiting to run in. Whilst Amara lost herself to curiosity of the runners, Suga rolled his eyes annoyed as he popped a cleanish strawberry into his mouth, waiting for her to snap out of her daze.
Amaras eyes wandered back over to Jay, as if they were accustomed to looking for the boy within a large crowd, watching as he sprinted into the maze - disappearing from view, ignoring the sudden deflation of her chest as his departure.
Clearly seeing the girls disappointment, he frowned as his eyes flickered between Amaras side profile and where Jay once was; confusion and wonder swirling round his mind.
"The names Suga." He introduced himself, breaking not only the silence, but the girls daze. Amara was quick to snap out of it and realise this was the guy Jin spoke about earlier, his 'good friend'. From what she remembered, Jin had said he was excited to meet her, however, the pale boy didn't seem too excited so far.
"Stop worryin' greenie, I can see it in your eyes." He laughed. "I'm just messing with ya." He reveals, making Amara subconsciously release all the built-up tension in her body and a small smile to appear on her lips.
"Jin told me this Mornin' at breakfast, told me you'd be workin' here today - thought it'd be easier if you made a friend to help the time pass a lot shucking quicker." He voices honestly.
A surge of thankfulness erupted in her chest at his kind proposition. He wasn't wrong, working with a friend is always much more fun.
△▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△▽△▽
Whoops! I apologise guys, I have been MIA for quite some time now... But I am back! However, I probably won't be updating daily, more like once or twice a week :/ But please remain patient! This book is quite time-consuming to write :)
I hope you all had a good day anyway and are coping well through this lockdown! I hope I made your day just a little better by updating :)