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THE YOUNG GODS
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

" YOU WERE THERE ROSIE! "
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     ROSIE SAT ON THE FLOOR outside of the Gathering room waiting for the decision the boys were going to make. She couldn't remember very well what had happened last night but what she could remember was the smell of the drink and the feeling of his hands on her.

"You okay?" Rosie turned to see one of the youngest boys in the Glade approach her. She had probably been the most welcoming to him since a lot of the boys tend to pick on him.

Rosie nodded, "I'm okay. How about you Chuck? We haven't talked for a good minute."

The chubby boy sat down next to her, "I'm doing okay. The guys haven't been picking on me as much since Thomas arrived. So I guess that's good."

The girl hated when the boys would joke with the young boy and take it to an extreme level hurting his feelings. "You know you can tell me who it is and I'll get them to lay off, right?"

"I don't want them to get in trouble though," Chuck replied looking down at his hands with a small piece of wood.

Rosie got the hint that he didn't want to talk about it so she changed the topic, "whatcha got there, kiddo?"

A smile lifted on his lips raising the piece of wood to show Rosie, "I haven't started yet but it's gonna be me."

"Ooo," Rosie replied, "that's cool. You learned yourself?"

Chuck shook his head remembering the time the builder took time to show him how to make one, "Gally's been teaching me."

A genuine smile was placed on Rosie's lips loving when she would hear about Gally teaching things to the younger gladers. "You mind making one for me?"

"Of me?" Chuck asked

The girl nodded, "yeah. I'd love to have something you made. If you do I'll make sure you get one more piece of chicken for the days we cook some."

"Deal!" Chuck excitedly agreed shaking the girl's hand before asking her a question, "what happened yesterday? No one wants to tell me anything."

Rosie looked down trying to figure out what to tell the young boy. "David tried to take advantage of me while I was drunk."

Chuck's lips parted feeling guilty in asking her for a response. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry." Rosie pretended to be okay not wanting to scare the boy. "I'm good. Just waiting on what the boys decide to do."

      As if on cue, voices started getting louder inside the room. They had started arguing about the punishment they were going to give David.

      "That slinthead needs to go and you know that Alby!" Rosie clearly heard Winston arguing ready to defend her at all costs. "You don't know if he's gonna do it again!"

"He was drunk Winston!" Billy replied, "he wasn't thinking! That doesn't make it right to put him in the maze!"

"That doesn't give him the right to try and get into her pants either, Billy!" Frypan replied. The pair placed their ears against the wall trying to hear the conversation better.

"If she didn't want him she should of told him to stop!"

"Bullshit! You don't think she did!?"

"It's Rosie we're talking about, you really think she'd be okay if we'd let him off so easily?" Zart asked

"I say that slinthead needs to go or I'll handle him myself." Gally spoke up also on Rosie's side furious that someone even tried to get with her when she was vulnerable. "I'll kill him!"

"That's one of our rules when it comes to her! Y'all shanks said it when she arrived! They're banned if they try klunk like that." Minho also added not having a great relationship with the girl but still came to her defense. "Newt?"

Rosie felt her heart stop for a few seconds hearing nothing but silence for a few minutes until he broke it, "I think Rosie should be the one to decide."

"No!" Billy exclaimed defending his friend at all costs even if he was against the majority. "Her shuckface gonna decide to banish him! You guys are gon' regret lettin' 'er decide!"

"She's a big girl." Alby put his opinion, "whatever she decides goes. Understand?"

"No!"

"End of discussion Billy!"

Chuck and Rosie immediately stood up hearing footsteps getting closer to the door. "C'mon!" Rosie whispered pulling the boy with her around the corner so they wouldn't notice they were eavesdropping. The door opens as the pair watched the leaders and keepers start walking out of the room.

Rosie raised her eyebrow in confusion as she watched everyone walk out besides the blonde boy who walked out the opposite way currently heading to where they were hiding.

"There ya are darlin'." Newt spoke leaning on the side of the wall glancing down to the crouched pair looking up at him. The girl swiftly stood up throwing her arms around the boy's neck almost causing him to lose his balance. "Woah, there. You okay?"

"Thank you." Rosie replied snuggling her face into his neck as the boy wrapped his arms around her. Newt felt his heart pick up speed remembering her confession last night.

"Do you remember anything from last night besides what happened?" Newt asked hoping she'd remember her actions so he wouldn't have to hide his feelings anymore.

Rosie shook her head not knowing it hurt the boy in front of her, "no why? Did I make a scene?"

Newt chuckled, "don't worry."

     ROSIE STOOD NEXT TO ANDER watching him prepare the lunch for the boys outside. He wasn't letting her touch any of the food since her fever this morning. "I told you I feel fine!" Rosie explained as her best friend wouldn't budge. It was a few hours after her incident and she did feel way better than how she felt in the morning. But she was still very curious on who Eirene was. She couldn't remember anything from the dream but the boys had told her she was yelling her name.

      "You're sick, Rosie." Ander replied, "so stay back unless you want everyone else to get sick."

      The girl rolled her eyes sitting down on the bench watching from afar the British boy working in the garden as he picked at some plants. "I can't believe I lied to him." Rosie muttered explaining to Ander that she had remembered everything from last night. She just didn't want to ruin her friendship with Newt.

"That's on you, I still don't understand why you lied." Ander implored cutting a few vegetables. "What do you think you're gonna do with the whole David thing?"

Rosie glanced back to her best friend shrugging her shoulders, "don't know yet. Kinda wanna get rid of him but then at the same time I don't think he deserves that. The guys were also fighting for me a lot earlier so I also don't want to disappoint them."

"Don't think about what they want, Rosie." Ander insisted looking around for Frypan who was on his way to the kitchen where the pair stood.

Frypan arrived handing Ander chicken to start preparing. "How's your fever?"

"I feel great!" Rosie answered, "Ander's not letting me help him cook the food though."

Frypan acknowledged her but stayed on Ander's side, "and he's right. We don't want any slight chance that you get some of the guys sick."

The girl groaned in frustration as she hated being unoccupied. It made her overwhelmed with the memories she'd get and memories that would go away. Most being erased and left with little droplets of them leaving her with no context.

A loud yell caused the group in the kitchen turning to look for where it came from. Startling Rosie, she had glanced to the few boys she prioritized first being Newt, Winston, Gally, Vince, and Chuck while Ander and Frypan stood next to her.

     "Hey! Help!" Rosie stood up realizing what was going on starting to look from what part of the forest was the yelling coming from. "Help! Help!"

     Frypan pointed quickly leaving his station and rushing towards the running boys. Rosie and Ander right behind him. "I'll kill you!" Ben yelled at Thomas grabbing onto his throat struggling to hold him at bay.

      Rosie arrived wincing as she saw Newt upfront swing the shovel at Ben knocking him off of Thomas. Thomas stands up with the help of Chuck. "Hold him down!" Newt ordered the boys closest to Ben rushed to hold the boy down. "What are you doin'?" Newt asked holding one of his arms.

     "Calm down, Ben." Gally ordered grabbing his other arm down as Ben struggled to get out of their grip.

      "Yo, what the hell happened?" Frypan yelled at Thomas the boy getting worried.

     "He just attacked me!" Thomas yelled

     "Are you okay?" Chuck asked the boy who nodded. Rosie's eyes wondered down to Ben's shirt realizing what was happening before any of the boys thought of it.

      "Calm down, Ben." Frypan spoke in a more soothing tone watching his friend starting to relax.

     Rosie glanced to the leader, "Alby." She spoke gaining his attention for a second as she nodded to him. Both understanding what she was talking about.

      "No, no, no," Ben spoke starting to get riled up again, "no!"

      "Alright lift his shirt." Alby demanded pointing at the specific circle in blood stained on Ben's shirt. "Lift his shirt!"

     Rosie crouched down grabbing a hold of the boy's shirt and lifting it revealing a sting wound. The stinger still embedded, the surrounding area black and puckered. "No, no, no, please! Please!" Ben cried out.

      "He's been stung." Gally stated looking over at Newt slightly nervous turning to Alby and glancing at Rosie, "in the middle of the day?"

     Ben struggled crying, "please, please. Just help."

     Alby stood up pointing towards the cell, "put him in the pit. C'mon everybody help put him in the pit!"

      "No! No! No!" Ben cried out as he started to get lifted, "Rosie!" Ben yelled calling for her. "He did this! He killed her! He killed Eirene!Rosie tell them! You were there Rosie!" Ben yelled causing Rosie's eyes go wide and take a few steps back. "I can get better! No! Please! Rosie!"

     The boys not waiting for a response from the girl lifted him up walking him over to the pit. Alby turned and walked away not able to hold the group in place. Rosie stood at the same spot as his words echoed in her mind. "He did this!" A far away yell was heard from Ben. Rosie turned to look at Thomas who didn't understand what was happening.

      But before Thomas could approach her, Rosie walked away trying to comprehend who was the girl he was talking about and what he meant when he said Rosie was there. It didn't make any sense. Ben was nowhere near her in the morning. Rosie headed towards the few boys who were in the midst of tying Ben up to put him in the pit.

     "Rosie stay away!" Gally yelled as he noticed her getting close. Rosie stopped walking following Gally's orders as she stayed on the same spot watching the boys push him in.

      "I know it was you!" Ben yelled at the only girl in the Glade. The boys turning trying to figure out what he was talking about. It didn't make any sense. "Rosie! Tell them! Thomas did this!"

     ANDER HELD THE GIRL in his arms as the hugged one another. They knew what the boys were going to do with Ben and the worst part is they'd have to help. "Doesn't make any sense." Rosie stated pulling away from her best friend.

"What do you mean?" Ander asked the girl who shook her head.

"Ben wasn't anywhere near when I talked about Eirene." The girl replied handing him a jar. "So, how does he know about it?"

Ander took a second before realizing she was right. Alby had told the few boys who were in the room to not speak about it. The ones being Ander, Newt, Minho, Thomas, and Aidan. "Doesn't add up." Ander responded. "You gotta go tell Alby—"

"And worry him more?" Rosie asked knowing what she was going to do was probably the wrong thing but she didn't think it would be anything major, "the guy's already stressed out and imagine him with what I'm stressing about? I don't think so."

Ander face palmed his face rolling his eyes hating it when Rosie acted in stupidity, "are you dumb? This is something that might help them!"

Rosie sighed hoping she wasn't going to stress Alby more than he already was. The pair headed to the Gathering. Rosie opened the door noticing the few boys turning to look at her when they were in the midst of a conversation. "Great! We were just about to send someone to bring you over." Alby spoke to the girl who entered without Ander.

"I just wanted to know if anyone told Ben." Rosie spoke confusing the boys.

"About?" Minho asked with his arms crossed looking at the girl up and down. He had a feeling about her and didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

The girl reached the group, "about Eirene, did someone tell him?" The boys looked around each other realizing that none of them had told anyone about it. Alby sighed wiping his face, stress showing. "Look, I'm sorry if I piled more shit on you. I didn't mean to—"

Alby shook his head, "no, Rosie. You're fine. It just doesn't make any shucking sense what's going on. First you screaming that name and Ben coincidentally screaming out the same one?"

Gally looked down at his watch realizing what time it was, "it's time, Alby."

"You don't think we can get anything else out of him?" Rosie asked trying to save her friend's life.

Minho shook his head speaking to the girl, "he's been stung and unless you want to become one like him than he's leaving."

      A few of the boys were already gathered around the entrance of the Maze as the leaders and keepers walked out of Homestead. "Minho." Alby stated tilting his head telling him to bring him.

     Rosie reached Ander as they headed to the entrance, Ander handing her one of the wooden poles. The pair reached the rest of the group of boys aligning themselves giving space for Minho who had hauled Ben barefoot out of the pit.

     "Just listen to me!" Ben growled as Minho held him from the rope. "Just please listen to me! Minho!" The boy huffed as they paced through the group waiting on them. "Alby!"

      Minho had brought Ben to the center of the entrance as the boys including Rosie brought down their wooden sticks making sure there was no way of him escaping. The Asian boy kneeled Ben to his knees grabbing a knife out of his backpack. Minho cut the rope letting Ben free from the tie. Ben starting to freak out once he sees the door ahead trying to squirm free.

     Rosie felt her eyes watery as she watched her friend crouching on the ground crying. Pleading for them to help him. "No, no, no, please!" Ben cried out as he watched Minho walk in front of him with the bag that used to be Ben's. "Please don't! Please don't do it!" Whatever is growing inside him had progressed since they last saw him. He was to weak to fight back.

     Minho turned to look at Alby who sadly nodded his head turning his head away once the sound of the walls started shifting. Minho took one last glance to his Runner partner before throwing the bag into the Maze. The increase of air started blowing scaring the tall blonde boy. "Poles!" The few boys in the center reached for their large poles pointing them at the poor boy in the middle. "Move in!"

     Ben stood up looking around trying to find a way out before being banished into the Maze. "No, no, no," he whimpered as the group was getting closer and the circle was getting smaller. The Keepers doing their best to push him in. "Rosie!" The boy cried out, "tell them! He did it! Please! No, no!" Ben yelled as the wall started closing. "I can get better! Please listen to me! Please no!" Ben ran towards Newt, the boy drove him back further in.

     "Push him in!" Alby yelled as they had gotten to the end of the entrance leaving Ben in the middle of the walls closing in on him.

      "Rosie!" Ben yelled out pleading for the girl's help as she was his last resort. "Help me! Tell them he did it!"

     Ander pulled the girl away as he let the other boys push him more inside. "I'm sorrry, Ben." The girl spoke wiping her tears away as Ben had no other choice but to enter the Maze or be crushed.

      "No, no, no!" The walls closed shut leaving the rest of the boys with their heads down hating when they had to banish a Glader into the Maze.

     "He belongs to the Maze now." Alby announced to the new boy who watched everything happen. The rest stayed quiet as they watched the leader walk away. Rosie and Ander walking away with the rest of the boys leaving Thomas to stare at the wall.