"When we get a new Greenie, we usually have a small banquet of sorts that night to let them meet all the guys in the Galde. It's a good way to keep the community close and friendly, but since you were... indisposed last night, Alby says we should do it this night," Zart explains while checking the leaves of plants. "See this one is about ready, you can tell because the leaf is starting to droop downwards, you see?"

"Yeah, I see," I stand up from where I'm squatting in the middle of the garden.

Zart is starting to get used to talking with me, I think he has realized it's not much different then talking to a boy. We've been out in the sun all day and my back hurts from leaning over the plants. Zart stands beside me, a content smile on his face, I can see why he is the Keeper of the Track-hoes, he genuinely enjoys his work.

"What all happens at these banquet things?"

"Nothing special," Zart shrugs. "Frypan sometimes makes a this really good sauce that mixes so well with the goat meat." I turn my gaze towards the giant wall surrounding us, it's like a beacon of terror and hope all at once, looming over us as if to taunt us with the thought of home. Zart sees me look to the wall and I feel him tense up. "Remember what I said?"

"Yes, Zart, I remember. I'm not going to run out again, I already said that." Zart nodded and bent back down to the garden," Hey Zart?" He grunted in response. "When do you think I'll get my name back?"

"I'm not sure," he said, his voice straining as he pulled a weed. "It's different for everyone."

"What if I never get it?"

He chuckled," Everyone feels that way. I think it took Hank around 4 days, that's the longest I think. I'm not sure, maybe it was Adam? Who knows, point is, you will get your name back. Its a guarantee."

"Will that boy that I hit yesterday be there?"

"Ben? Yeah he should be, why?"

"I don't know. I feel like I should apologize to him... you know, for running into him."

"Yeah that would be good. People are starting to wonder if we will have Gathering for you, since you did break the rules. You could break that record: two Gatherings in two days."

"Wait, so people want me to get in trouble," I squat beside him again.

"No, not that they want you in trouble, they want order. They want to know we are all still held accountable."

I swallowed a lump in my throat, "What are the punishments here?"

DEATH!?

"We aren't going to kill you, so just forget about that right now. We don't kill one another. It'll be something mild, this being your first day and all, like, a night without food, sleep in the slammer. Nothing major."

I tried not to think about the Gathering, maybe they would let me off with a warning or something?

The day passed quickly, Zart let me leave before the banquet. I went back to the med tent and saw Jeff and Clint, they both turned to me and I smiled uneasily.

"Hey...," I tried to sound casual but if was far off.

"Hi," Clint waves. "What brings you back here?," he sounds happy.

Back here? Is this not where I sleep? Uhmm... I don't know. I don't know where else to go?

"Uhmm... I-I-...," I try to find the words but Jeff takes over.

"This is kind of her new home, Clint."

Clint realizes what Jeff means," Oh yeah! Duh! Sorry, we're not used to having like permanent guest here... let alone... uh...," Clint coughs and leaves his sentence unfinished.

"Oh, no, I get it," I agree. "I'll get out of your hair and maybe I'll see you tonight. Okay, bye," I turn and leave quickly before they respond.

I watch people move around the Galde, not really seeing me as they focus on their tasks. I slip into the background and find a quiet spot to sit against the giant gray wall. The night is coming and I see some of the Gladers start to crowd around the entrance of the maze. Did someone else try to leave? I sit up more and squint to see what was happening. They all start cheering happily, shouting into the maze. What is going on?! I stand but make no effort to approach the group. Then I see two boys run from the maze into the Glade, the crowd greeting them excitedly. Those must be the Runners... Are one of them the one I hit yesterday? The group disperses and I can't tell which ones were Runners. A loud shutter rings in the Glade and the giant cement walls slowly shut, leaving the Glade and the maze separated. Night officially falls, as many Gladers start lighting torches and I see most of them all joining in the center together.

It must be time... I take out my water jug, the one Zart gave me earlier that day and dump some on my hand, rubbing the cold water on my face. I take left over moisture and run it through my hair. I never really thought about my hair before, it is fairly long, when I pull it all to the front, it goes to about an inch about my bellybutton. It's light brown and wavy, not really straight but not really curls in it either. Wait, what do I even look like? I take another handful of water and try to focus on my reflection, but with daylight fading quickly and the water slipping through my hands, I don't make anything out clearly. All I saw was my blue eyes. I have blue eyes. It was small thing to learn about oneself, but to me, it was amazing. Maybe I can learn more things about myself, soon my name and next, who knows!

A whistle catches my attention, I turn and see a man standing about a hundred yards away. "Greenie!," the voice belongs to Zart. "Let's go."

I put my water jug away and jog to meet him," Hey sorry, just got-..."

He shakes his head," Ahh, it's okay. you don't have to tell me."

What does he think I was doing?!

Zart turns back to the huddle mass,"Come on, let's go."

As we approach, my nerves start acting up. What if they all resent me? Because I ran into that Runner boy? What if I do something stupid? What do I do? What do I say? Who do I even talk to?! Zart guides me into the middle of it all, past boys laughing and drinking until we found Alby. He turns to us and looks me up and down, "Glad to see you are doing better," he smiles.

"Thank you."

"How was working as a Track-hoe today?"

"It was...," my eyes dart to Zart," entertaining."

Alby nodded," Glad you enjoyed it. We need more Track-hoes. Tomorrow we'll pair you up with Winston, he's the keeper of the Slicers."

"Slicers? The ones who kill the animals?"

"That's the one." They think I could kill animals? Really? Maybe they don't think I'm weak... "Winston!," Alby calls out and a short boy with dark hair darts towards us. "This is the new Greenie."

Winston looks up to me, he is maybe half a head shorter than myself," Pleasure."

"Hi," I wave awkwardly.

"I want her to be with you tomorrow."

"No problem," he turns to me," We'll start off easy, no cuts the first day," he smiled.

I returned the smile, unsure if he was joking or not. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'll see you tomorrow."

Winston nods and goes back to his friends, I turn back to Alby. "Go and meet some new people. Everyone is very welcoming, although they might tease you for being the Newbie."

I nod and look to Zart," Which one is the boy I hit?"

"Ben? He is... somewhere...," Zart looks for his face in the crowd. "Don't worry, you'll find him." Ben, his name is Ben.

"Wait, I'll find him! Alone?! You're not going to come with me?," fear stained my voice.

"Like Alby said, everyone here is nice enough. You'll be fine, Greenie," Zart then hears someone call out to him and walks away.

I look out at all the kids conversing and I see Jeff and Clint. They are a safe bet, I walk over to them quickly as others start to notice my arrival.

"Hey Jeff. Hey Clint," I greet them with a smile.

"Oh, hey Greenie," Clint nods at me.

"Greenie! What's up?," Jeff smiles.

"Uhm... nothing, I just don't really know anyone yet."

"Don't sweat it, it takes time," Jeff says.

"Yeah, you'll be learning names forever. It took me so long," Clint laughed.

"Man, you still don't know everyone here," Jeff joked.

"I know all the Slicers," Clint laughed. Slicers? I'll be with them all tomorrow.

"Very true," Jeff agreed, and they clinked their classes and drank.

"What is that stuff?," I asked.

"Man, I don't even know," Jeff laughed. "Try some," he held his glass out to me. I took it and before overthinking, I took a drink. It burned but it wasn't so bad. "Wow, look, girl is a champ!"

I laughed with them before someone came up beside me," Hey guys, what's up?"

"Hey Gully, how are you?"

"I'm doing alright," the boy then turned to me," thought I should come introduce myself to the new Greenie."

"Oh right, right, right," Clint stood up straight," Greenie, this is Gally. Gally this is Greenie," he spoke like he was trying to be proper, before falling into laughs with Jeff.

"Oh, still Greenie, huh?," Gally smiled, showing his teeth. The boy was tall and lanky, with dirty blonde hair ans a rather large nose. "Don't worry, it'll come back to you soon enough," he drank from his cup. He glanced down at my hands," Do you have a cup?" I shook my head and he shamed Clint and Jeff for not getting me some. "I'll show you where it is," he took me to a bench with a cauldron full of strong smelling fluid. "Hey, Fry!"

"Yes," a tall, stocky man responded.

"Got any more cups? Greenie here needs one," Gally points to me.

"The Greenie?," Fry's eyes rest on me. "So it's all true then, huh?" he said while grabbing a glass for me.

I shrugged and accepted it as he gave it to me," Here I am, a girl. Scary, right?," I dipped my cup in the cauldron and took it out, sipping the top before too much spilled.

Fry's eyes never left me," Yeah scary might be the word. But not because of you, because of what you mean."

"What do you mean 'what I mean'?"

"Well," Fry stroked his beard and sat at the table," They ain't never sent no girl before, why now? I don't know? Why would they, if they didn't have no plan, right?" I agreed, his logic made sense. "We've all been doing just fine and now they throw you at us, so we got to figure it all out again, it's scary to think what they have planned for us."

Plan? A plan with me? Why me? What will I do here?

"Okay Fry, no need to scare her like that," I look up and see Jackson towering over me.

"Jackson?"

"The one and only," he smiled, then scowled. "I have a bone to pick with you, running off like that."

I avoided his eyes," Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't-..."

"Shush shush. You knew not to do it, so why did you?"

I was taken aback, why the hell did he just shush me to ask another question?!

"I didn't want to die," I said honestly.

Jackson let out a loud laugh, "I told you we don't kill people," he said still chuckling.

"Maybe I didn't find you all too convincing," I muttered.

"I mean, you got to understand her view, you are a Bagger and all," Gully giggled and sipped his drink.

"That doesn't mean anything," Jackson face turned stone cold. "Wouldn't want to bring to Alby's attention all you little 'miscommunications', now would we, Gally?"

Gally's eyes turned fierce," There isn't anything to tell."

"That's what I thought," Jackson gave a cocky smirk. "Walk with me, Greenie."

"I'll see you later, thank you for the cup," I left Gally and Fry by the cauldron and followed Jackson. "What was all that?!"

I saw Jackson shrug," Gal Pal and I have some barriers."

Barriers? What they hell does that mean?

"What is a Bagger?," I asked Jackson again, trying to avoid all the looks I was getting.

"A Bagger? We're kind of like he guard patrol, keep things in order."

"I thought that was Alby's job?"

"Alby, he's the cheif, yes, but we just help him keep the peace. He's doing pretty good as leader, don't you think?"

Jackson walked ahead of me, before I could respond, due to the path was blocked by huddles of guys. I followed him through, but someone backed out of their group and bumped me, spilling my drink down the front of my shirt.

"Oh, damn! I'm real-...," he stopped half way through his apology while I was frozen: my mouth open, eyes wide from the chill of cold liquid dripping down my shirt. No one seemed to really notice, they were all caught up in their own conversations.

After shock fell away, I started apologizing," I'm sorry. I didn't see you back out. It's not your fault, it's mine. Did any get on you?" I looked up and saw the surprise still plastered on his face, what's wrong, I thought. Oh right, I'm a girl. How could I fucking forget.

"It's you," he said like he was seeing a ghost.

"Me?" After a second, the boy seemed familiar, where do I know him? He blinked and I saw his soft green eyes, it's the boy! The boy who pulled me from the box! "Wait, I know you! you're that- that- that- boy from yesterday! You were there when I came up from the box!"

He shook his head slightly, as if in disbelief, his soft blond hair stuck to him," Uhm... yeah. That was me."

"Greenie!," Jackson came up next to me," What happened to you?," he pointed to my shirt.

Oh," I swatted the problem away," it was nothing."

Jackson then turned to the boy," Hey, Ben. You alright?"

BEN!?