Minho's POV

Newt walked over to Alby, leaving Indi and me with the guys sittings in their hammocks. They all looked up at her expectantly, as if she was supposed to put on a show or something else even more messed up.

One of the guys, Bradley, scooted off his hammock, sitting lightly on the floor in front of him. He motioned to the others to follow his lead, and when they were all sitting in a circle by him, he beckoned to Indi.

"Come here, Greenie. We're playing a game."

Indi studied him, only hesitating for a second. Slowly but gracefully, she knelt on the ground, in between Michael and Ray. I narrowed my eyes.

What the hell kinda game were they going to play? We didn't have games in the glade. What was going to happen?

Bradley, opposite the circle from Indi, took out an empty bottle, out of Gally's famous beer mix most likely.

He set it down, in the middle of the circle.

"It's simple. Whoever the two ends of the bottles point two have to kiss. No boys can kiss though. I mean, if they want to, but... whatever. That's the game."

I stepped forward, feeling my anger rise. I glared at him, but he pretended he didn't see me.

Damnit! I was responsible for her. They weren't allowed to fuck with her! She wouldn't be presented as someone they could get with "easily," I'd make sure of it.

"Indi, no. We're not doing this." I spoke harshly.

"It's fine, Min. They think this will be fun, let them believe that." She responded easily, her face expressionless.

To my shock, she leaned forward, her hands on her folded knees. Bradley swung the bottle, and sent it spinning around on the ground.

It spun quickly at first, then slowly came to a stop, one side pointing to Oliver, and the other - I stepped to the side to see the angled bottle tip- at Indiana. I sighed. What was she doing, playing this?

Shuck. Newt'll kill me.

Indiana beckoned seductively to Oliver, and he scrambled across the floor towards her, grinning like a madman, licking his lips. I wanted to throw up in my mouth, it was gross.

She caressed his cheek delicately, and his eyes just about rolled into his head.

She leaned into him, studying his eyes, lips, nose. Slowly, she edged closer, and softly muttered into his ear, "are you sure about this? You want me?"

He nodded estatically, and gazed into her eyes, with his filled with lust, as she knelt up, back straight.

She grabbed his hands, and I, who was a couple of feet away, saw her eyes.

Filled with rage and disgust.

So she wasn't enjoying this?

She twirled her hands up to his elbows, leaning in again. With slow passion, and almost professional experience, she kissed Oliver, the boy grinning into her false affection.

As the kiss went on though, the other boys getting red in the face with jealousy and a denied experience, Indiana pushing deeper into Oliver's chest, I noticed something.

He couldn't breathe.

Indiana grabbed his shirt in one hand, his shoulder in the other.

His smile started to disappear, and his eyes burst open.

He gently pushed her, but she kept at it, not releasing him, not allowing him air.

He became pale, and Indi's eyes opened slowly, and I could see a ironic laughter growing in them. I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. He was going to suffocate.

That's when there was a commotion to my left. I turned, and saw Alby and Newt storming over, a couple of feet away. Newt was furious, but I could see hurt and pain in his darkened eyes. His rage was evident.

"What the hell, Oliver?!" He yelled at the boy.

I stared at Oliver, who was still being kissed by Indiana. His face was pale, almost blue. Indiana finally released him, and pulled away, fixing her top. Oliver fell backwards, gasping, spluttering, trying to fill his lungs with much needed air.

Indiana wipes her mouth, standing and surveying her damage. The guys all looked at her, with eyes either filled with shock, terror, or amazement, or perhaps all three.

She smiled, too serene and sweet for almost killing a boy, even if he did deserve it.

Newt stared at her, obviously entranced by even a cute little flash of teeth. I rolled my eyes subtly.

"I asked him if he really wanted me. He nodded, agreeing. You will not take advantage of me being the only girl. You will not. Because if you try, I will take advantage of you, and you'll end up like your friend Oliver here. I am not something to be played with. I am not a toy, a sex one no less.

"If you think I am here to pleasure you, you are wrong, and very stupid. I deserve respect, which apparently isn't guarenteed. I should not have to prove anything to you. I am a person, and I'm stuck in this hellhole, same as you.

I suggest you don't try anything, or I will make this place a lot less peaceful than it was before."

And with that, Indiana whipped around, leaving us to stare after her, with her hair bouncing over her shoulders as she walked towards the Homestead.

Oliver, after finally recovering himself, breathed out, "fuck, I'm so hard right now."

All the guys clambered around him, and to my disgust, began saying stuff like "dude, same, just from watching that," and "how was it?"

I felt my face contort with repulsion as this continued. Thankfully, Newt charged forward, his face red and his eyes blazing. The boys scattered, leaving Oliver uncovered. He grabbed Oliver by the collar, and brought his face mere inches from his own.

"Stay away from her, slinthead. If I hear you-" he turned and looked up at the other Gladers, "-or anyone else tries anything, I swear I will throw you in the maze myself. She is to be protected."

With that, he threw the boy down, and stood, dignified.

Alby stared at him, obviously concerned for his second's enfatuation with Indi.

I spoke up, after clearing my throat to get his attention. "I'm going to stay with her. We haven't told her the rules yet, and she probably wants company, she's only been here for an hour." As I said this, I was shocked. An hour? That was all? But everything had changed so much, so quickly.

I turned and walked out from under the lean-to, glad to be back under the sun. I searched the Glade, looking for my charge. Where was she?

I walked towards the Homestead, as I had seen her dissapear in that direction.

Entering the shabby building, I looked into each of the rooms, waiting to see a dirty blonde with striking facial features and curious eyes.

I walked up the slightly tilted stairs, cutting into a hallway. Trying not to make the wood creak obnoxiously, as it was prone to do, I stopped.

I heard sniffling, almost like a cry, a sob.

My heart frozen, I bolted into the room that served as a source of the noise, and stopped his inside the doorframe.

Instead of seeing Indi crying, as I was expecting, I saw her comforting a boy, who I recognized as Clint, the medjack. Both of their backs were turned toward me, but I saw their proximity, and I heard her comforting words. Her hand was on top of his, and she faced him as he sat forward. He leaned against her, crying.

I felt bad then. We ignored sobs, disregarded them as we fought to keep our spirits from breaking, our lives from ending. I didn't comfort the boys. No one did.

In that moment, I knew.

She was a light, a light that could ignite a passion, burn an enemy, kill a shadow. She was a light that could hide the darkness of the Glade.

She was our hope.

Maybe this wasn't all a lost cause. Maybe I didn't have to mask my feelings, my terrors, my true emotions.

Maybe now, when I went into the maze, a small part of me wouldn't want to get killed by a Greiver, crushed by a wall, or locked into the creeping vines.

Maybe this life had a point.

She would help us. She would be our light.