Chapter 8: Requests

The Glade was a bit edgy for a few days after Edward's death. The Runners pushed themselves even harder, searching deeper into the Maze, studying their Maps more closely. The other Gladers got into more fights. One day there was three in a row, and the Slammer was full of grumbling boys. Roz and the other Baggers were sombre a lot of the time, mourning the loss of one of their own. One night at dinner, Frypan confessed to Newt that'd he'd been trying to make up batches of biscuits, but he didn't seem to have the right sort of flour, so they weren't going to well. Newt managed to convince Frypan to give him a tray, and he ventured off to find Roz as the sky started to darken.

He found her sitting in their usual sleeping spot, curled up against a tree. He sat down and said her name softly, and he snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh, Newt hey, what's up?" she said.

"I have something which might cheer you up," he gestured to the tray.

"Newt, I don't need cheer- are those biscuits?" Newt grinned, as she reached for one, a smile growing brightly on her face.

"Frypan said they might not be the best, he doesn't have the right ingredients, but…" he trailed off as she took a bit. She raised an eyebrow and swallowed, then giggled. "Yeah they're a bit bitter and doughy, but I can't remember the last time I had biscuits… literally."

Newt gave a small smile, and took a biscuit for himself. Roz was right, it stuck to his teeth and made his tongue curl slightly, but they were wonderful. They sat there for about an hour without anyone bothering them, chatting. Newt updated her on the Maze, how it changed and how he and the Runners thought they might find a pattern soon. Roz told him stories of all the fights she'd broken up recently, and showed him the bruises on her shoulder, arm and stomach from where she'd been hit.

Eventually, when there were only three biscuits left, Minho kicked over to them, running a hand over his face. "I've been looking at those maps so long I can still them when I blink- are those biscuits?"

Roz laughed, and gestured for him to take them. He took all three, and shoved them all in his mouth, biting down.

"You're a pig," Roz said, snorting as a few crumbs fell out his mouth. Minho just grinned, and focused on chewing.


Roz was woken up the next morning by a dull pain in her stomach. She groaned, curling up on her side and squeezing her eyes shut. She stayed like that for about an hour, breathing evenly, rubbing her stomach. "Shuck," she whispered to herself, "shuck, shuck, shuck shuck shuck." Finally, the other Gladers began waking up and the Doors opened. The Box with supplies also arrived. Roz ate little at breakfast, and brushed off Newt and Minho's concern, before waving into the Maze with a tight-lipped smile. Then she trotted off to the Med-jack hut.

"Jeff?" she called, wincing as a particularly strong pain pulled through her stomach.

"Yah? Hey, Roz, what's wrong?" Jeff popped up from where he was rearranging his new supplies behind the table.

"Have you got any painkillers?" she asked. Jeff hummed to himself, rummaging around in a box, before pulling out a bottle of pills.

"Yup, there you go. How come?" he threw her the box, and she opened it, taking out a couple of pills and swallowing it.

"Stomach ache," she said vaguely, "mind if I keep these? I don't think it's going to go away any time soon."

Jeff nodded and shrugged, "Come back if you need anything." Roz nodded and pocketed the painkillers, making her way back over to the box.

"Hey, Max?" she called. He looked up from where he was looking over the supplies left in the Box. "There haven't been any… packets of… like…" she knitted her eyebrows together, "cotton pads or sticks or… something like that in the Box, have there?"

Max shook his head, looking incredibly confused, "haven't seen any, why?"

Roz huffed and crossed her arms, "Shuck," she muttered, before walking away. She ignored Max calling out her name, and she made her way to the kitchen. Gally and a few of his Builders were in there getting an early lunch. "I take it it's very unlikely you have any kind of ice cream?" Roz said. Frypan looked up from where he was cleaning his oven, and snorted.

"Yeah, none of that klunk. Why?" he asked. She sighed and hopped up onto the counter. Frypan yelped and whacked her with a towel, but she ignored it.

"Got a craving," she answered. Frypan thought for a second, and then rummaged around in a fridge.

"Well, I did make a batch of these earlier?" he pulled out a brown cupcake. It looked a bit misshapen, with a dip in the top, but Roz held out a hand and took it.

"How come you never told us about these?" Gally asked. Frypan shrugged.

"Still don't have the right ingredients but… I've been thinking," he leaned against the counter, "I might try and request something."

"Whaddya mean?" Roz asked, through a mouthful of dry cake.

"In the Box. We get supplies, right? So there must be someone loading them up. Maybe… I mean it's unlikely, but I can try right?"

Roz stopped chewing for a moment, and the Builders glanced at each other. "You think they're gonna let us have whatever we want?" Gally asked, incredulously. Frypan shrugged,

"Maybe, maybe not, but it's worth a shot," he replied.

"I might join you in that actually," One of the Builders said, "do you reckon they'd take clothing requests? I kind of want to wear normal jeans…" he looked down at his legs, where he was currently wearing beige shorts.

"I dunno. But worth a shot, right?" Frypan said.

"I think I'm gonna join that as well," Roz said, going back to chewing on her cake. Soon, the other Builders in the kitchen also joined, even Gally, having ideas of things they could ask for.

So, Roz snagged some paper and pens from the map room, and Roz wrote down a list in large, shaky letters. She couldn't remember learning to read or write, but apparently she could. When she finished, her list read

THIS IS FROM THE ONLY GIRL IN THE MAZE YOU'VE PUT US IN

I NEED EITHER TAMPONS OF TAMPAX? PLEASE? AND SOME MORE PAINKILLERS.

THANK YOU

Roz, Frypan, and the Builders made their way to the Box, where Max had just hauled the last of the supplies out. When he saw Roz, he bent down and picked up a box.

"Hey, is this what you were talking about?" he asked, holding it out to her. Roz furrowed her brows and stuck her list in her pocket, before taking the box and opening it. Inside was a stack of sanitary towels.

"Yes!" she yelled, fist pumping the air, "the Creators care vaguely about our comfort!"

"What do you need them for?" Max asked.

"My period's soon; I woke up with cramps this morning," Roz answered, closing the box. The boys around her all made the same face.

"Ew," Max muttered. Roz rolled her eyes and whacked his arm.

"Oh, grow up," she said, "right I'm gonna go down some more painkillers then give Zart a hand in the gardens."

"Uh, aren't you going to put your list in the Box?" Frypan asked.

"Ah, no well, I don't need to," she held up her box, "but good luck guys, I hope you get whatever you asked for," she smiled, and then walked away.

She placed the box of sanitary towels on the shelf in the showers she had claimed as her own, along with the soap she refused to let anyone else use, and then set off to help the Track-hoes dig up vegetables.


Well. A very important chapter dealing with very important things XD Seriously though hope you liked this chapter. Thanks to TMRisLIFE and fiercetiger333 for reviewing the last chapter. I'd really love it if you guys could let me know what you think :D x