Chapter 2

The Tour and Minho

After Newt had given her a bag that had some clothes in it and other "feminine" supplies, Tessa headed to the showers. As she got closer to the interesting looking structure, it was clear that it had been made by hand and little tools. Several wooden boards were crooked and a couple nails stuck out. Nevertheless, Tessa was impressed that the few boys that were there had managed to built such a structure and the other buildings.

After making sure that none of the boys were in the bathroom, she ducked in the shower stall and closed the curtain. She peeled off her sweaty clothes that were covered in grime and dirt and turned the shower on. Hot water poured over her, and she relished the feeling. After scrubbing away the dirt with a bar of soap and washing her hair with a lemon smelling shampoo, Tessa finally felt clean. She covered herself with a towel and had just finished washing her dirty clothes when she heard the bang of the door opening and then closing.

She peeked out from the shower curtain and shrieked when she saw the Asian boy. "Get out, you asshole!" she yelped and shucked the shampoo bottle at him, hitting him in the head.

"Hey!" he protested. "At least I didn't try to join you in the shower."

"Haha, you're hilarious," Tessa growled. "Now get out before I kill you!"

"Okay, okay," the boy laughed and left the bathroom. After counting to ten, Tessa reached for the bag and picked out her clothes. Whoever had sent her to the Glade hadn't send much. She only had several articles of clothing. Deciding on a grey tank top and black shorts, Tessa quickly shimmied into them before the Asian boy could barge in on her again.

After her wet hair had been tucked away in a bun and her clothes stuffed back in the bag, Tessa left the bathroom and almost shrieked when she saw the Asian boy standing outside it with a smirk and his arms crossed.

"What the hell do you want?" she growled and glared at him.

"Nice to meet you too, hon," he winked at her. Tessa ignored his perfect white teeth and olive colored skin and huge biceps and glared at him again. "The name's Minho."

Too tired to do anything else, Tessa sighed and said, "Hi, Minho. What the hell do you want?"

"I see our new Greenie has an attitude," Minho grinned. "What's your name, princess?" Before she could stop herself, Tessa stepped forward and slapped Minho across the face. He looked more shocked than pained.

"Call me princess again and your face won't be the only thing that hurts," Tessa spat and stepped away from him. Before she could do anything or say anything else, Minho started to laugh.

"What's your name?" he grinned.

Sighing, Tessa gave away the only piece of information that she had, "Tessa."

Minho grinned and said, "Nice to meet you, Tessa."

"Nice to meet you too, Minho."

"We have parties each month to celebrate the arrival of the Greenie. You're no exception," Newt grinned at her as they ate the lunch that Frypan, who was much kinder than Minho was. "We usually have it the night that the Greenie comes but, you ran off."

"What did you expect me to do? I thought that I had been kidnapped," Tessa shrugged. After spending time with several Gladers, she had come to find that most of them were kind and several were even humorous.

"Of course," Newt smirked and bit into his apple.

Eyeing his hair, Tessa blurted out without thinking, "You need a haircut, Newt. And perhaps a change in clothes."

"You're being rude. Many people find my hair to be stunning," Newt replied, feigning offense.

"Like who?"

"Alby and I happen to be in a very intimate relationship, if you must know," Newt replied, thickening his British accent.

"I'm so happy for you too. How many months, Newt darling?" she giggled.

Newt smiled and replied, "It was love at first sight."

"I'm sure it was," she heard someone say and turned to see Minho sit down next to her. "You and Tessa were meant for each other," Minho winked at her.

"Thank you, Minho, but I was talking about me and Alby," Newt grinned at Minho. Tessa could tell just by looking at them that they were good friends. The question was, what were they doing in a place such as the Glade?

"That's great," Minho snorted. "I guess that leaves Tessa for me." Tessa silenced him with a smack to his head.

"Ouch. That hurt," Minho feigned pain and made a pouty face. She silenced him with another smack to his head and then resumed eating.

"So, what am I doing today?" Tessa asked Newt as she followed him around the Glade.

"We're going to go find Nick so he can give you the tour," Newt replied and pushed open the make-shift door to the Homestead. When Tessa had first looked at the Homestead, she was shocked that such a rickety, weird-shaped building could even stand. Newt had told her that ever since more and more people came, they had added attachments to the Homestead, thus explaining it's strange shape.

"Finally. I've had enough of you and Minho," Tessa said and then laughed.

"You should be sorry," Newt frowned at her and started to laugh to. Tessa found herself enjoying being in Newt's company but there was one thing that was more important to her than anything-finding a way out of the Glade. Her family must have been looking for her, and if not her family, friends. Someone had to be looking for Tessa. And though Tessa didn't remember anything about her parents or the house that she had lived in, she still remembered books and movies that she had read and seen. Thinking about family and if anyone was looking for her reminded Tessa of one particular quote. "If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?"

Tessa followed Newt into one of the rooms in the Homestead and saw a blonde haired, well muscled, tall boy observing a piece of paper and twirling a pencil in his hands. "Nick?" Newt called out.

The boy looked up and smiled, "Hello. So this is the Greenie?"

"Yep," Newt said and grinned.

"Nice to meet you," Nick gave her a kind smile. Tessa smiled back, but she still felt uneasy. The walls that surrounded the Glade made it seem like a prison, and the daunting Maze, though Tessa would never admit it, terrified her.

"What's your name?" Nick walked towards her. Damn. He was tall even next to Tessa's five foot ten and Newt's six foot two.

"Tessa," she replied.

"Welcome to the Glade, Tessa. Ready for your tour?"

"Yes."

Newt left to find Minho for some Runner business, and Nick showed her around the Glade. How Nick wasn't sweating to death, Tessa had no idea. Fanning herself with her hand as they walked, she was impressed by the well-built and well-made structures in the Glade.

"This is the Homestead," Nick indicated with his hand at the large wooden building that that Newt had shown her earlier.

"Tomorrow you will start your trials. Each day you will be sent to a job, or more, to see which one you are best at. Here, in the Glade, everyone does their part," Nick said. There was a hint of pride in his voice when he talked about the Glade but, she ignored it. "Come on. The gardens are over there, and you can meet Zart."

After Tessa was shown the Gardens, Blood House, Med-Hut, Homestead, and Kitchen before the pair stopped for a snack. It seemed like Nick and maybe Alby were the only ones that Frypan would allow to grab a snack. Nick thanked Frypan and then lead Tessa to the Deadheads. The name didn't make much sense to her until they arrived. It was a graveyard.

"But if I'm the twelfth one, how are there people that have died? There's at least ten people in the Glade, Nick," Tessa's brow furrowed, and she frowned. Nick sighed and knelt by one of the grave's, as if he was going to place flowers on it.

"Sit down, Tessa. This might take a while," Nick said, and Tessa sat down.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, guys! Let me know what you all think.

Quote: "The town was paper, but the memories were not."-Paper Towns (John Green)