Disclaimer: I give James Dashner full credit for the Maze Runner Trilogy. The only character I own is Kelley. 

After Chuck was confident enough to face the Gladers again, we went outside. A few of the boys that passed us shot Chuck some nasty glances. Can't these boys just grow up and give the kid some slack? 

Newt saw us from the Gardens and walked over. He looked down at Chuck's clothes, then furrowed his eyebrows.

"Is....is that my jacket?"

I smiled, "Not anymore."

He frowned at me and then turned to Chuck. 

"Alright, Greenie. Time for your bloody tour."

"Why do you talk like that?" Chuck asked.

The question startled him a little. He raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Like your accent, you talk weird."

Newt looked at me slightly confused. Then he shook his head and put a hand on Chuck's shoulder, starting to lead him away towards the Box.

"Cause...it's just the way I talk, now no more questions, Greenie. Good that?"

"What does that mean?"

Newt heaved a sigh. Chuck was definitely going to give him a run for his money. I laughed and started heading towards the Gardens to get back to work. I needed to finish picking peas for dinner tonight. Frypan had requested them because he was making "something special". The term made me somewhat concerned. 

When I was almost to the Gardens, something hit me hard in the back and knocked me over. I fell to the ground and heard wood planks clatter around me.

"Watch where you're going." A gruff voice said.

I turned around and it was Gally. I should have known.

"I'm sorry, but I believe it was your fault, you slinthead." I scrunched my nose in slight disgust.

He rolled his eyes at me. 

I was struggling to get up without using my bad leg. Gally started picking up his wood planks and wouldn't even look at me. I knew I couldn't get up on my own. It pained me to ask him, but no one else was close enough to be an alternative.

"Could you help me up?" 

He stopped and stared at me with disdain. I could tell he was going to walk away, to leave me to fend for myself.

Then he put down the wood and held out a hand to me. My eyes went wide and I felt my jaw drop just a little. Was this some kind of joke? Would he help me only to trip me again?

"You just gonna gawk at me, shank? Or do you wanna get off the shucking ground?" He had a strange look in his eyes.

I hesitantly grabbed his hand and he pulled me up too quickly. I stumbled a little and he caught me before I could fall over again. He was stronger than I gave him credit for. He picked up my crutches and shoved them towards me. It was the only thing he had done so far that wasn't out of character. I took them and put them back underneath my arms.

"Thanks," I said.

He grunted, which may or may not have been a "You're welcome." Then he picked up his wood and walked away. 

I watched him for a while, making sure that it wasn't another trick after all. I felt weird. There was this awkward tension that I couldn't place, but I had an odd urge to go take a thorough shower. I shuddered and continued towards the Gardens.

Gally's actions confused me. Ever since the first day, he had hated me. He had never once shown kindness to me and for the past two weeks, we avoided each other altogether. Maybe I had him all wrong. Maybe he just needed time to get used to me. Maybe I should ease up on him a bit. I knew there was no way someone could purposefully be that cruel all the time.

My back tingled and the hair on my arms stood a little. I felt like someone was watching me. I stopped and looked around. I couldn't see anyone who would have been staring at me. It was probably just my imagination.

Then I made eye contact with Gally.

He quickly turned away and dropped the wood planks next to his builder buddies. I felt a shiver run down my back. What was up with him today?

I got to the Gardens and Zart helped me get down on my knees so I could continue picking peas. There weren't many left and I finished within the next 30 minutes. I moved onto the patch of squash nearby and picked a few ripe ones to add to my basket. When it was full, Zart had another Track-hoe take it to the kitchen for Frypan.

I sat on the ground for a break and looked out over the Glade. I could see Newt and Chuck talking near the Box. Newt was pointing around at places in the Glade and from Chuck's body language, I could tell he was trying his hardest not to ask every question he had. I chuckled a little to myself. The kid was adorable.

I pulled at the grass underneath me. It was so green. The Glade had a beauty to it that I couldn't understand. I knew this place was meant to be some sort of prison. I mean, why else would we have to work so hard to find a way out? But if we were meant to be confined here, why would the people who had created this place let us have such vibrant greenery? A beautiful view of the blue sky? A shelter to keep us safe with electricity? Plenty of clothes and food? Why would there be any kind of hint at finding joy in a place that was supposed to kill us all?

My brain started to hurt as I tried to dig deep for answers. I knew this was going to be a fruitless scavenge for knowledge, but I didn't stop.

"Kelley!" 

I looked up from the ground. I hadn't realized how intently I had been staring at it. Chuck came running up to me.

"You guys are having a party for me tonight?"

I laughed a little. I had forgotten about the tradition. It had seemed so long ago when we had the party the day I had arrived.

"Yes, we do that for all the Greenies who come."

His eyes lit up, "That's cool."

Newt was smiling and shaking his head in the background. I could tell he had taken a liking to Chuck as well.

Chuck looked around and then back at me, "Are you the only girl?"

I nodded. His face dropped a little. I smiled.

"Disappointed?"

He blushed, "No. I just don't understand."

"Me either, buddy. Don't think about it too much."

"Why not?"

"Cause you won't find an answer."

His face dropped even more, "Oh."

I held out my hand to Newt, and he helped me up. I put my crutches under my arms and rubbed Chuck's arm.

"It'll be alright, Chuck. Come on, it's almost lunchtime."

That seemed to brighten his mood a bit. On our way over, he walked between Newt and me. It brought back memories of a family. A young mother and father with their child waddling between them, holding their hands. I smiled at the thought. These boys were my family. I may not be able to be with my biological family, but at least I had Newt and Chuck. They were as real as any family could be.

Lunch was very interesting. As a matter of fact, the entire day was. Chuck asked question after question about the Glade. Newt grew impatient after a while and told him that he couldn't ask any more questions until tomorrow. This didn't deter Chuck. He found subtler ways to figure things out. It surprised me how smart he was. 

Chuck tagged along in the Gardens with Newt and me since he had nothing else to do. He was...how do I put this nicely? Chuck very much wanted to offer all of his help, but farming was not his strong suit. Zart got frustrated with Chuck rather quickly. The poor kid had mistaken a few young tomato plants for weeds and was pulling them out of the ground. This discouraged him quite a bit, but I reassured him that it was going to be okay.

"What if I don't find a job?" He asked.

"You will, everyone's good at something."

He didn't seem to believe me too much and I wasn't sure what I could do about it, so I cheered him up with embarrassing stories of Newt. Newt wasn't all too happy about my choice of entertainment, but Chuck's laugh was contagious. I couldn't think of anyone who wasn't smiling at that moment.

Dinner came and passed. The Runners had returned and I introduced Chuck to Minho. Minho wasn't too impressed with the kid, but he wasn't rough on him and that's more than I could have asked for.

Finally, night had fallen and some of the boys were preparing a fire. Chuck watched cautiously.

"What's the fire for?"

"We're going to string you up by your toes and roast you over it," Newt said nonchalantly.

Chuck nervously laughed. I could tell he was having a hard time deciding if Newt was being serious or not. Newt patted his shoulder.

"Loosen up shank, just a joke."

Chuck relaxed his shoulders a bit but still looked a little bothered by the idea.

The sun was almost set and the fire was nearly seven feet tall. Some of the boys started playing music already while the others continued to work. I gestured to the area with my head.

"Come on, Chuck. Let's get over there so you can get to know everyone."

His eyes went wide with fear, but he nodded and followed me anyway. Chuck was rather brave. If I were him, I would have never wanted to get anywhere close to the other Gladers.

I sat down on a log and Newt stood behind me. Jeff was the first one to willingly go up to Chuck and introduce himself. Chuck was elated to have someone talk to him. I watched like a proud mother as he mingled and as the Gladers started excepting him as one of their own. The dancing soon began and Chuck was fascinated by the creativity of the dances they had come up with. He made me laugh as he stumbled around the fire trying to imitate the others.

I smiled sadly, "I wish I could dance with them."

I felt Newt rest his hand on my shoulder, "I know you do."

I looked back at him.

"How much trouble do you think I'd get in for trying to dance with my leg?"

"A lot. You haven't healed enough."

"It's been weeks, Newt. The wound healed a long time ago. I'm sure my bone has repaired itself well enough at this point. It wasn't even technically broken, to begin with."

He sighed, "I don't doubt that you'll be able to walk on it, but now isn't a good time to try it out. You want to dance, which is a lot more active and could possibly hurt you even more. Just wait until next time."

"But I'm tired of waiting."

He stared at me, and I stared back. He looked away.

"You make this so bloody hard, Kelley."

I smiled. I knew I had won.

"Thanks, Newt."

I looked down at my leg and realized that I would need my other shoe if I were to start prancing around the fire.

"Could you get my other shoe from my room first?"

"Sure thing, your highness."

I smacked his arm and he laughed. I watched him for a while as he walked to the Homestead. Then I turned my attention back to the boys dancing around the fire. I know the dances. I had memorized them while sitting down, but I knew actually doing it was going to be completely different.

I heard a twig snap behind me.

I turned around, but nothing was there. It must have been my imagination. Or a beetle blade scuttling around. I watched the boys again, excited to finally join them. Newt would be back soon. 

There was a snap again, but I didn't bother to turn around this time. Another one. It drew a little bit of suspicion and I should have listened to it. I should have turned around and stopped what was about to happen.

A hand shot around my mouth and another one around my waist. They were tight and forceful. I was pulled into the trees behind me. Where no one could see me. I struggled to get free. I kicked, I wriggled. I tried to scream, but it was muffled to an inaudible mumble. This person was strong and they knew what they were doing. 

It was almost pitch black. I couldn't see their face, but I could see their outline. I could tell he was much taller than me. I could tell that it was most certainly not Newt.

I tried screaming again.

"Slim it, you shuck-face," They said.

I felt the color drain out of my face. I knew who it was. Gally. My brain felt like it was on overload. What did he want with me?

His hand fell from my mouth, but before I realized I could yell for help, his lips were on mine. The kiss was just as forceful as he had been while dragging me out here. I didn't like it. It took me a good three seconds to actually realize what was happening. There was no way I was okay with this. I tried to get my arms free, but he pinned them to my sides. He pushed me against the tree harder and now it was getting difficult to breathe. His kisses were rough and hurried. It was disgusting. Every inch of him was surrounding every inch of me. I wanted to run, get away as far as possible. I tried to turn away, but he grabbed my face to keep it in place. This was his mistake.

I used all the strength I could muster to push him off with my free hand. It wasn't enough to get him to let go of me, but our faces detached long enough for me to scream at the top of my lungs.

"SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP M-"

His hand covered my mouth. He whispered harshly.

"You shucking idiot."

I heard the music stop and the boys started looking around. I could hear Alby yelling at the Gladers.

"Where the shuck is Kelley you slintheads? Nobody saw her leave?"

"Maybe she went off with Newt," Someone said.

There was a thump followed by the boy saying "Ow." 

"Find her," Alby said.

There was a pause, "NOW!"

The boys started wandering around and quite a few of them were headed in our direction. Gally held me tightly against the tree. He was whispering to himself.

"Shuck, shuck, shuck, shuck, shuck," He obviously hadn't thought this through.

I heard Newt shouting for me. He was panicked. I could hear it in his voice. I desperately wanted to respond to him.

I tried to kick Gally off of me, but it was pointless. My ribs ached from being squished for so long and anyway I moved dug the bark of the tree into my back. I was sure to have a few splinters after this. 

Someone was walking nearby. I could hear their breathing.

"Kelley! Where are you?" It was Minho.

I struggled. Harder than I had before. I just needed to make noise, to draw attention my general location. I knew Minho would be smart enough to come over. 

And I was right. Minho walked over and pulled out a flashlight. It took him half a second to register the situation and then he shoved Gally to the ground and held onto me so I wouldn't fall over.

"WHAT THE SHUCK WERE YOU DOING TO HER?" Minho yelled.

I could hear everyone start running over. Minho shined the light in Gally's face so that he couldn't look directly up.

"ANSWER ME SHANK."

"It's not what it looks like," Gally said.

"THE SHUCK IT DOES."

Alby, Newt, and a few other Gladers showed up.

"What's going on?" Alby asked.

"Gally had her pinned up against a tree. I say we beat his shucking butt into the maze." 

I hadn't looked at Minho's face until that moment. He was so angry, so full of hate. I could tell he wholeheartedly meant what he said.

Alby snapped his head toward Gally, "Explain yourself, shank."

"I wasn't...I-I didn't-"

"Stop stuttering and explain yourself!" Alby yelled.

"He kissed me," I said.

Newt looked at me, "Come again?"

"He dragged me out into the woods to snog me. Pinned me against a tree. I could barely breathe."

Newt didn't even hesitate. He crouched over Gally and started punching him in the face. 

By then all the Gladers were gathered around the scene. Everyone was shouting. Newt kept punching, but Gally finally gained enough focus to retaliate. They were wrestling all over the ground. It took Alby, Zart, Clint, and Winston to get them off of each other.

"Stop it! The both of you!" Alby roared over the noise of the Gladers.

Everyone went silent. Newt shoved Clint and Winston off of him and pointed a finger at Gally. I had never seen Newt filled with so much bloodlust. It scared me and I thought I was going to cry. I didn't care that it was because he was mad at Gally. He looked like a monster.

"HE NEEDS TO BE BLOODY PUNISHED FOR ARSING AROUND LIKE THIS." 

Alby placed a hand on his friend's chest to calm him down, "He will, now slim it."

"Slim it?! He shucking broke the bloody rule!"

Gally chuckled menacingly, "And I'd gladly do it again."

Newt lunged at him, but Alby caught him.

"That's it! Both of you are spending time in the slammer!"

Newt blinked, "Both of us? You're kidding!"

"You broke a rule too, slinthead. We're not supposed to be harming other Gladers," Alby sneered at Gally, "Even if they did shucking deserve it."

"Alby you can't be serious-"

"Of course I'm serious, Newt! Now get your butts into the slammer before I change my mind and find a worse punishment."

"Together?" Gally asked.

"Yeah, together. Now make nice or I'll make sure to put a griever in there with you."

Newt looked hurt from Alby's words. He looked at me and I could tell he wanted to make sure I was okay, but that wouldn't be a smart move. It would only make Alby angrier.

"Go," I told him, "I'll be alright."

He nodded and started walking off. Winston and Zart we put in charge of accompanying Gally on his trip to the slammer. The mood became somber. No one dared to speak. Once they were a ways away, Alby turned to me. His face suddenly softened.

"You good?"

"Yeah, just a bit shaken up."

Alby didn't look convinced and that's when I felt a tear run down my face. I had been crying. I quickly wiped away the tears.

"I'm fine. Just take me to my room."

Minho helped me get my crutches and escorted me to my room. I sat down on my bed and placed my head in my hands. Minho stood there awkwardly.

"Thanks, Minho. You can go now."

He nodded and walked out. I was grateful that he hadn't tried to comfort me. I wasn't in the mood for it. I didn't want to touch anyone or anything. I felt gross. I felt used. Is this how the rest of the boys in the Glade had seen me? Just some object of pleasure? Surely Gally couldn't be the only one. Some part of me was thankful that it had been Chuck to come up through the Box rather than another girl. I didn't want anyone else to have to go through this.

I shook my head and laid down. Sleep eventually called to me and I obeyed.