It had been almost a week since my run in with Nick at homestead. For the first couple of days, I had done my part to help Jeff. Now I was unfortunately back to work in the fields. Back breaking labor of digging and pulling weeds. I was wrist deep in dirt digging holes for plants when I heard someone come up behind me with a cheerful hello. I looked behind me to see Chuck happily standing there.

"Hey, Chuck. What are you doing here?" I asked happy to take a much-needed break.

"Today's a slow day, the guys told me to scram." He said looking down at the dirt.

"I wish I had your luck. I would love nothing more than for Newt to tell me to get out of here." He laughed and smiled taking his eyes off the ground.

"I guess your right. Anyways can I just hang out here?" br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Course." I said looking around unable to see the keeper anywhere to say otherwise. He took a seat down in the grass beside me. I went back to digging while talking with Chuck, the small conversation I was mostly working.

"Hey! (Y/N)!" Someone shouted and I looked up to see Zart across the dirt patch.

"That's enough holes. Take a break." I nodded and thanked the older boy and stood up from the dirt. I looked around and saw the other boys loitering around. No ones was really doing work my guess, it was because Newt was gone again. I sat back down across from Chuck and lay down in the grass. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I watched something crawl up the vine of peas near by. It paused and scanned the area with a red light. It was a silver bug

"What is that thing?" I asked Chuck as I watched the thing scamper away.

"Beetle Blade. They're harmless so long as you don't touch them." He smiled, "A few poor shanks tried to catch one once didn't go well." He continued to smile as he recalled the memory. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I leave for all of five bloody minutes and you lot think the work days over!" Someone said sternly. Everyone jumped back to their work, including me. I began fiddling with the holes to look like I was doing something. Chuck remained seated like he didn't care, which he probably didn't. Out of all the people Newt made his way to where I pretended to do work. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I think you've done enough work here. Why don't you deadhead some plants." He said br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Sure thing." I said rising to my feet and dusting off my pants. I picked up a pair of trimmers and walked to the nearest plant, Chuck remained where he sat in the grass. I heard him talking with Newt who never seemed to do any work himself, just order everyone else around. He was my friend, but a terrible keeper.

After we were dismissed from that day's work Chuck and I headed to a tree atop a hill. He told me he came here sometimes. Sitting down and resting my sore back against the tree I let exhaustion wash over me.

"Working in the field is so tiring," I complained shutting my eyes.

"I could see that, but that's not all I saw." He said like he was implying something. I opened one eye and looked at him.

"What else did you see." He smiled like a little boy from kindergarten.

"Not sure I should say." He said like he was trying to sound mysterious when it was clear he wanted to tell me.

"Obviously, you want to, you wouldn't have brought it up otherwise," I said now looking at him with both eyes.

"It might be nothing, but I kept seeing Newt watch you while you work."

"That is nothing. He's the keeper and he's trying to make sure I don't screw up." I said board with his apparent observation.

"No, I've seen that look and this isn't that. Like he likes watching you like he likes you." I laughed out loud with a lot emphasis.

"Please, you're joking. He likes me about as much as Gally likes anyone." I scoffed

"I thought you were friends?"

"We are I think. He's the keeper and piles on the work every day. After a long work day, I don't find I want to talk to him all that much."

"I get it. I never want to talk to my keeper. He's a jerk. Always makes me do the worst jobs."

"So you do things ever change here?" I asked watching things go on the same way they did every day. Like they always had.

"Not since the day you arrived. But any more things are just the same, always the same." He said as he randomly tossed pebbles.

"Doesn't that get, repetitive?" I asked

"Yeah. But what else is there to do here?"

"I don't know, try and find a way out. Study every part of this place, of the maze. Find a way to get us out of here." I said leaning back against the tree. Things got quiet I'm sure he didn't know what else to do.

"Do you think I have parents?" He asked and I looked at him with saddened eyes. "I mean I know I have them. But do you think they're alive? or that their worry about me?"

"Of course, I do. You're a great kid. How could they not miss you?" I said giving him a gentle shove. He his frown remained

"Do you think they gave me away? To whoever put us here?"

"The story could be different for us all. Let's just hope that one day we'll acutely know."

"I want to know if there's a better life than this one." He said.

"Me too."

"Is it sad that you're my only friend?" He asked I couldn't help but laugh no matter how sad or serious our conversations got, he brought back around to make it happy.

"You have other friends, don't you? You know everyone in the glade."

"I know them doesn't mean they are my friends."

"But you talk with Newt often enough, and the other boys. Minho and Zart."

"Newt speaks to me like a child so do all the others. You don't, you listen to me. Like what I have to say might actually mean something."

"Watch one day you'll be one of the smartest and the bravest of us all. You'll show them." He laughed

"Unless cleaning becomes very important in the next little while I think it'll stay the same." Our conversation was dry after that. Chuck randomly told stories of his hard work day. We stayed at the tree for the remainder of the day. When we headed out for dinner we looked at the large group of boys heading into the kitchen. We made our way across the uneven ground until we reached the kitchen. There a large crowed of boys were all talking and quite loudly. I could barely hear Chuck anymore, but I managed to catch the part about him getting the food. I made my way through the thick cluster of people until I reached a table not far from the back that was mostly clear of rough housing. Taking a seat I watched Chuck attempt to make his way over without spilling water on the ground. Out of guilt for laughing, I got up and helped the boy to the table. There was little conversation to be heard among us and we mostly listened to the others. Loud shouts fallowed by waves of laughter. There wasn't really all that many kids 40 would have been my guess but in the small room, it seemed like a lot more. Later I accidentally spilled water down the front of my shirt making it cling to my skin. Chuck had a good laughed at that. I sprung up from the bench and flimsily threw one leg over the bench and as I pulled my other leg free I tripped. Throwing myself off balance I landed hard on the ground. I was also unaware that my shirt had caught on something and tore. I stood up suddenly trying to come back from my fall. Chuck burst into laughter dropping his head onto the table. I looked down and saw the tear that exposed my entire stomach and just below my bra. Frantically I clawed at it to hold the shirt shut. Chuck could barely breathe he was laughing so hard. This drew some attention from a couple boys who were probably unaware of what had happened. Chuck looked behind me holding back his snicker, I spun around to see Minho and Newt standing there confused. When they both got a look at me Minho raised his eyebrows held back a laugh and looked away, Newt looked at me with wide eyes cleared his throat and looked to the roof.

"What happened?" He asked in a tight voice.

"I fell, my shirt caught on something and tore." He then pulled off the sweater like shirt he wore and handed it to me. Now standing there in his usual white shirt.

"Here." Grateful I took the shirt and pulled it on over my head. It almost didn't fit me, he was a very skinny and tall. Thank you," I said folding my arms over my chest still embarrassed.

"Well uh, (Y/N) this is Minho, Minho (Y/N)." The boy reached out a hand to me and I shook it smiling past the awkward tension.

"I don't believe you've met yet?" He continued

"No, we haven't, I just saw you briefly back in homestead the day... Nick and Ben were stung."

"Yeah, my first day here." It grew quiet again Newt cleared his throat then spoke.

"We were just coming to get something to eat, mind if we join you?" He asked politely

"Of course." I sputtered into life, offering the table as I took my seat across from Chuck. The boy still smiled his face bright red from his fit of laughter. Newt took up the seat beside me and Minho took the one besides Chuck. Our conversations were mostly bleak that night the crowd of people soon thinned out. Chuck seemed to be bored out of his mind, he got up soon and left, saying he see me in the morning. Now hearing some story's of Minho's time in the maze and my question came back.

"You've been running the maze for years now, and you've never once seen anyway we could possibly get out?"

He sighed looking down at the table.

"No. I've searched every inch of that maze and there's nothing. I use to think the shunkin' thing never ended. Now I wish there was more to search."

"Why do you ask?" Newt said from beside me.

"I'm not sure, I want to know if there's still hope for us." They both exchanged looks then looked down at the table.

"Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. One day we'll know" Newt said . It grew oddly quiet all eyes down at the table. Minho then stood up and announced his leavening. Now alone with Newt I couldn't come up with any more questions. I stood up and carefully stepped over the bench.

"I should probably go have a much-needed shower," I said tucking my hands in the pocket of the sweat I had been lent. Remembering fast who's it was.

"Right your sweater," I said and began to pull it off but he spoke and stopped me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get it from you some other time. Besides, you do kinda need it." He said with a playful smirk one I had seen often. I softened and tuck my hands back in the pockets.

"Thank you. Aren't you heading back to homestead or something?" I asked seeing as he hadn't gotten up yet.

"No, I think I'll stay here awhile. See you tomorrow, Greenie."

"Alright, goodnight then," I said and turned and began walking out of building back to homestead to get a shirt that acutely belonged to me and that was in one piece.

AN: I really hope you guys are enjoying this story. It's pretty old and I'm just posting it on here cause what the hell? So comment, review. I love to hear feedback.