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“She’s too young to be here.” Gally shakes his head, frowning at the figure walking with Alby across the glade.
“Apparently not.” Newt mutters darkly.
The fact that you were a girl had shocked the boys into silence when you first appeared in the box. But it was nothing compared to the despair they felt when they saw how old you looked.
“I mean, look at her. The kid’s shucking terrified Newt. Why’d they put her in here?”
“Y'think I know?” Newt snaps, fed up of hearing about it already. Things were the way they were and that was all there was to it. They’d figure it out eventually.
Minho catches up to them from leaving the map room. His grin falters when he sees the scowl on Newt’s face. “What’s new? Greenie turn out alright?”
“It’s a girl.” Newt supplies flatly.
“No way! - She cute?” He adds as an afterthought.
Gally flashes his eyes at him. “She’s just a kid Minho.”
“Whaddya mean shank? We’re all kids if you think about it.”
“No Minho, she’s the youngest one they’ve sent up. Looks about 12.”
Minho stares at them, his brow furrowed. “Well shuck.”
“Shucks about right.”
Alby had taken you around the glade, showing you what the different buildings were called. You’d already forgotten most of them though.
You had pressed yourself so hard into the wall of the box that you felt the bruises forming already. Your tears had ran out by the time the contraption had screeched to a halt, leaving you shuddering as the daylight blinded you completely.
You still weren’t sure about this Alby person but he spoke slowly and carefully, something about that settled you inside.
As you walked, you could tell that the others were staring at you. Too scared to look back, you focused on the back of Alby’s head.
Alby sighed, not knowing exactly what else he should show you. You hadn’t said a single word yet, he wasn’t even sure you could speak. The last thing he wanted to do was scare you.
“So that’s about it Greenie. We’ll be having a party tonight to officially welcome you in. It’s a tradition here.” He adds, feeling at a loss for something to say.
When Minho starts making his way over, he can’t decide if it’s a good idea or not. Instead, he does nothing, hoping that the runner had enough sense not to upset you.
You see him coming over too. Unsure of how to react, you look over to Alby for some sort of hint. He grins at the boy who returns the gesture before looking you over.
Minho takes stock of your small frame, realising that Newt and Gally were right. You look terrified, eyes wide, still trembling slightly. Gally was right. You were the youngest of them all.
“Hey brother. She-bean, this is Minho.”
You let your eyes roam over this new boy. Minho. He stands, unaffected by your gaze, hooking his fingers into the brace across his chest.
“Hey greenie. How ya doin’?”
Alby lets the silence drag on for a few moments before breaking it. “She’s not said a single thing. Not yet anyway.”
“That’s okay. S’all scary right? I was the same when I first got here - it gets better.”
Alby raises an eyebrow at the other boy’s words, snapping his jaw shut before he called him out on his lie. The fact that Minho had been so calm and put together when he first arrived that it had put the others to shame wasn’t something he would forget easily. Still, if it helped you then he wasn’t about to ruin it.
You swallow hard, taking his words to heart. He seemed sincere enough. Trying to get control over your trembling, you nod quickly, letting him know that you understood.
Minho’s concerned face breaks out into a smile. If you weren’t so scared, you’d consider returning but instead you shift your gaze from Minho to Alby, looking for some hint about what to do next.
“Good that.” Alby mutters, more to himself than anything. “Right Greenie. That’s about it for the tour - gonna get you some food now.
“See you around she-bean.” Minho waves as Alby steers you towards the kitchen.
They had called it a celebration in your honor. If you were honest, it was all too overwhelming for you to even consider celebrating. There was a lot of shouting and banging, so many strange faces and the shadows made by the fire all put you on edge.
A large group of boys had taken to wrestling each other in a marked out circle. You had watched them at first, but soon lost interest, opting to wander around the fire instead. The flickering light lit up your way as you walked past a log full of gladers. Maybe they had been told not to bother you, or maybe they weren’t interested anymore. Either way, no one bothered you.
"Hey watch out!"
Minho reaches his arms out to grab you just in time before Gally and Ben brawl over towards you, not looking where they were going. In one swift movement, he pulls you close, knocking you off balance as you fall into him.
“Shuck, I’m sorry - You shanks watch where you’re going!"
You find yourself sitting in Minho’s lap, his arm wrapped around you protectively still.
“Are you alright?” Leaning back into his chest you nod, trying to get your breathing to go back to normal.
“Thanks Minho."
Your words surprise you, hearing your own voice for the first time. You feel him still underneath you before he sighs gently. "So you can talk.”
You feel the familiar wave of fear pass over you again, but it doesn’t last for long. Minho catches your eye and you soon realise that he’s grinning at you. Maybe this isn’t so bad.
“Do you remember your name?”
You look away from him, frowning at the floor. You play with your fingers as you try to pull up any kind of memory from before.
“Hey, it’s okay if you don’t. It’ll come to you - always does.”
“(Y/N).”
“Pardon?”
“My name. It’s (Y/N).”
A fond smile spreads across Minho’s face. “Welcome to the Glade (Y/N).”
Realising that you’re still sat on his lap you shift slightly to look for another place to sit. After the wrestling match had broken up, the other boys had filled up the spaces on the other logs.
“You’re okay here - if you want that is. Bunch of slintheads don’t know how to make room.” It’s almost as though he’d read your mind - not that you understood all of his words but you got the point. You nod slowly again, getting more comfortable in Minho’s lap. He brings his arm tighter around you to stop you from falling to the ground.
“Alby show you around earlier?” He murmurs in your ear.
“Yeah.” You mumble, testing your voice again.
He gestures over to the bonfire which is now at an impressive height. “Well - over there, those boys by the fire, they’re the track-hoes. They grow the food - vegetables mostly.
“By those crates, that group are all builders and brick-nicks. They- they build things but I guess that’s obvious. Uh, Winston - the dude with his back to us by that log, he’s a slicer - that’s to do with animals don’t worry.” He rushes slightly, knowing the word ‘slicer’ didn’t sound all too friendly. ”He’s talking to the med-jacks. They fix you up if you get hurt somehow.”
You frown, wondering how exactly you could get hurt here. Minho notices your face drop, mentally scolding himself before trying to change the subject.
“You met Frypan before right? He’s a cook - over there. The sloppers, are by the wrestling ring. They clean up and wash clothes - stuff like that.” He sighs to himself, wondering if you’re understanding any of this. “Then there’s me and these ugly shanks here. We’re runners. We - uhh - we run.”
You giggle at his words, oblivious to the fact that he’d had to stop himself yet again so not to scare you. He didn’t think that you should know just how bad a situation you were in - at least not from him. He wasn’t about to ruin the progress he was making with you.
“And that’s about it really. I’d imagine you’ll get to know everyone eventually but if I told you all their names you’d only forget by the morning. It’s a lot to take in huh?”
“A lot.” You repeat solemnly, returning your gaze to the fire. The boys by the fire were thinning out, some calling goodnight to the others. You had no idea how you were supposed to sleep, wanting nothing more than to go home - not that you knew where home was.
“Don’t worry about it (Y/N). Everything’s going to be alright.”
Something about his words soothe you, settling in your stomach and you feel much more at ease. Maybe this place wasn’t so scary after all. The heat from the fire soon makes you feel drowsy so you lean further back into Minho’s shoulder for support.
Minho didn’t want to push you into talking more than you wanted to, but then again, you hadn’t done anything in the last half hour or so. Not even turn to look at him or anyone else for that matter.
“I think she’s asleep Shank.” Newt mutters standing off to the side, hands resting on his hips casually.
“What? We were talking a minute ago.”
“She said something?” Newt was taken aback, last he’d heard she couldn’t speak at all.
“Yeah, not much. Her name’s (Y/N).”
“(Y/N).” He repeats thoughtfully.
“She’s really asleep?”
“Looks like it. She must like you.”
“Suppose so.”
“Alby had the room set up in between ours. Wants us to keep an eye on her - well, you really but you’re not here during the day. She’d probably feel better having her own room anyway.”
“Bet Gally was happy about that.” That room had belonged to Gally. Minho rolled his eyes at the thought.
“The shuck whined like a baby - still, it’s all sorted if you wanna wake her up.”
Minho nodded slowly, shifting your weight across his lap more evenly. You stir slightly, turning your face into his chest before drifting back off. He get’s a good look at your face this time, noticing how relaxed you look. Much more peaceful than the terrified look you’d given him earlier.
“Shuck it.” He mutters under his breath.
Threading his other arm under your legs, he stands up carefully. It takes him a moment to steady himself, but your small frame isn’t too much to handle. Holding you against him he takes off towards homestead.
He finds the room set up just like Newt had said. He decided that you must have exhausted yourself with all the worrying and panic from earlier because you didn’t stir at all, even when he placed you down onto the bed.
He doesn’t stay for long, feeling his own exhaustion kick in after a long day running the maze, but he does pause for a moment before turning in.
“Goodnight (Y/N).”
His last thought before he fell asleep that night was bout how you didn’t deserve to be here. He’d find a way out for you one day.