You Make Me Brave // Gally x OC

Chapter Fifteen:: Trouble

At lunch, the Greenie finished eating and just- sat outside. Staring at the giant maze doors gaping wide open. He studied them, pondered them, he's way too curious.

"Alby already said that if he pulls the same stunt I did, that he'd be in the slammer. He's aware of it too. So I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."

Everyone at the table seemed to nod. Minho still hasn't said anything. He's been quiet all of lunch. Keeping his head down and just focusing on his food.

I nudged him with my foot under the table. He looked up to meet my eyes. But looked straight down, finished his last bite, then took his plate to Frypan in the kitchen and left.

"What's his issue?" I questioned Newt.

"Jealous," Chuck chimed in. "You're spending a lot of time with the greenie."

"I have to. That's how it works the first few days," I said. "I have to. He's a living hazard sign. He's way too curious for his own good."

"This morning shook him up quite a lot," Newt finally spoke. "While we were waiting outside the hammock hut for you and Alby to be done, he and I spoke."

"News to me," Chuck shrugged. "I got a cupcake."

I met eyes with Chuck and we both laughed, but Newt continued.

"Said he hated seeing you so scared. He hates that you have these scary visions. And that whenever we get out of this shuckhole, he's gonna murder the creators himself and 'make sure it's painful'."

"Oh," I mumbled. "I don't... see how that would make him upset with me though, right?"

Newt sighed, setting his fork down on an empty plate. "There's more that he said that's not my place to tell. I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready."

Suddenly Minho burst back into the door and glanced at me. "Hey, Ellie, you... might wanna come out here. Dumb shank isn't listening to anyone."

Newt and I exchanged confused glances and hurried outside after Minho. I spotted the greenie walking straight towards the maze doors. Without slowing down.

"Hey! Greenie?! What are you doing?!" I started jogging on his direction. "Come on, dude, it's not worth it! That maze is really kinda boring!"

Just as I got close enough to him, Gally seemed to come out of nowhere and shoved him to the ground. "We gott stop meeting like this, greenie."

"Gally!! Back. Off!" I yelled at the boy, absolutely fuming at the unnecessary roughness. "I mean it!! Bugger off!!"

"He was gonna walk straight into the maze!!" Gally yelled back. The greenie had stood up, fists clenched, smoke practically billowing out of his nose.

I backed up against him, preventing him from getting to Gally so he wouldn't get in trouble for fighting. The last thing we need right now is a Glader fight.

"You don't know what he was gonna do! And he's my greenie!! So back the hell off!!"

"What is your problem with me, huh?!" The greenie yelled at Gally. "What did I do to you?! I don't even know you!!"

It was getting increasingly harder to hold the new boy back. As his anger increased his strength seemed to do the same.

Thankfully, Alby and Minho jogged up to the scene. "Hey, hey!! Both of you!' Slim it!!"

Minho could tell I was growing fearful of my position between the two angry and fighting boys, so he grabbed my hand and yanked me into his arms before I got hurt.

Alby separated the two and with Newt, led the greenie off towards the slammer so he could cool off. Gally just walked off in the other direction, nearly steaming as he stormed away.

"It's not your fault," Minho told me, a heavy and frustrated sigh leaving his lips. "The shank doesn't have a brain. He got himself into that mess."

"I don't think I'm cut out for this," I told him, also sighing but in defeat. I placed my forehead against his chest. "I'm not right in the head, how am I supposed to take care of a greenie?"

"Hey, don't say that," He leaned back to look at me and lifted my chin gently. "I'm serious. There's nothing wrong with you. Those slinthead creators are messing with you."

I suddenly remembered what Newt said at lunch. How protective Minho's getting over me. And his obvious feelings for me.

God, I need to make a decision.

"Come on. Let's go to the pond or something."

"Yknow, I think I actually have to help clean up after lunch. Maybe after though?"

"Sure! I'll come find ya."

Suddenly, nerves started getting the best of me and I felt nauseous. I raced off to the kitchen to vent to Frypan and hopefully ease my mind.

—

"Fry, you very well may be getting your wish!"

"More kitchen appliances?!" He perked up, grinning at me when I burst through the mess hall's door. I grabbed a ratty sponge and began feverishly scrubbing dishes.

"Nope! Guess again."

"Hmmm," He tapped his chin. "A decent bed?!"

"I'm gonna tell Minho that I have feelings for him too," I blurted. I was nearly hyperventilating. "Today! After we clean this kitchen! Spotless! We are going to procrastinate finishing this kitchen as long as we possibly can."

"Elsie? You in here?"

I yelped when the door to the mess hall opened. The plate I was holding fell and shattered in a million pieces.

Frypan did not react how I thought he would. Instead of getting frustrated, he laughed.

"My god, Elsie. You're a mess."

Newt came into the kitchen and glanced down at the shattered plate, up to my soapy dripping hands, then to my probably beet red face.

"Uh, well... I guess that answers my question then," He snickered. "I wanted to come see if you were alright after what happened with the greenie."

"Oh, um," I squinted my eyes shut and wiped my hands off on my cargo pants. "Yeah. I guess so. Kind of. Can we talk?! I'll be back, Fry, I promise! Save work for me!"

I grabbed Newt's wrist and dragged him to the back of the mess hall in the grass. I peeked out to the rest of the Glade from behind the building.

"Um... Elsie, are you okay? You're acting like a bloody lunatic."

"Newt, I'm most definitely not okay," I told my brother. "Definitely not okay. I feel like I'm gonna throw up honestly."

"Oh, uh..."

"Newt, I'm gonna tell him," I turned back around to face him, placing my hands on his shoulders. "I'm gonna tell him. Today. God. I need to get it over with. Have you seen Minho?"

"Whoah! Whoah! Hold on, slow down!" Newt pulled me back to him behind the mess hall. "You're... gonna tell him you have feelings too?"

"Ugh," I rubbed my stomach as it twisted itself into knots due to nerves. "Yes. Yes I am. And I need to do it now before I chicken out."

"Uh, okay!" Newt called after me as I left. "I'll be... waiting in the garden. Bloody hell, how are we related?"