Author stuff: More filler!
This pillow is nothing but filler!
...I wish I was back in bed...
Trigger warning for this chapter. Talk of killing animals to be eaten is throughout this chapter.
Chapter 8
In Which The Greenie Observes Quite A Bit
It turned out that Flossy could kill a chicken. That… that frightened him. And a lot of the other Gladers, when they found out. The vast majority thought she could do it, it seemed. She really wasn't into it, but she was more than capable of doing so. She didn't eat any of the chicken at dinner, however – sticking to the rice and mixed vegetables. She managed to impress Winston, something he hadn't really vied for but wanted to.
None of them would be Slicers, it was decided – though Winston was willing to take Flossy on if she wanted the job. She, of course, didn't.
Their second day of trials they were placed under the eye of Billy, Keeper of the Baggers. It was one of the most boring things he'd ever had to do – which was saying a lot because he couldn't remember doing anything else. Billy had him posted at the West gate with Jackson, who fell asleep while on guard duty. Leaving him with no one to talk to or fill his time. No one was stupid enough to run off into the Maze, other than the Runners.
Flossy spent the day with Billy. Apparently, the two of them had a practically philosophical conversation, because they carried on at lunch and dinner. Archie didn't pay much attention to what it was about, but the pair seemed really into it. And it seemed to annoy a few others, namely Alby.
Graham spent the day at the South gate with Reed. Graham didn't speak much on what happened, but by his rather blank expression, Archie surmised it had been just as boring as his.
At breakfast on their third morning of job trials, Graham and Flossy sat next to one another. Archie could easily point out the similarities between the pair, and he knew his hypothesis about them being related was more than likely correct. They hadn't brought it up and neither had he, so he let them be for the time being.
It did make him wonder if he looked like them as well. It wasn't completely tossed out but, as Graham had said, the likelihood that the Creators would put people who were related into the Glade together was slim to nil. He didn't want to rule it out of the realm of possibilities, however.
He didn't get much more time to ponder those thoughts, as they had work to do. They were with the Sloppers on their third day, which he soon found out, was almost as bad as being a Bagger. The Gladers were messy. Dishes were stacked haphazardly, clothes were muddied beyond belief, tables were stained with – how old was that gravy? Was it even gravy?
He could barely handle it.
Graham helped him and a few others with the dishes. Flossy and several others took on the clothes – which he didn't pity her for. That afternoon, they all cleaned the restrooms and showers. It was worse than any other cleaning they'd had to do. Honestly, he didn't know how any of them were handling it.
On the fourth day, they were with the Bricknicks. They spent a good portion of the day repairing a wall to the Kitchens that had started to rot through. It was tedious.
The fifth day, they were with the Builders. Gally kept everyone busy at all times. Graham was off gathering wood in the Deadheads and would later help with another project, Flossy was helping Gally with some trellises for the Gardens, and he was stuck making a few new tables for the dining area.
He could do the work but he wasn't really cut out for it, he could already tell. Still, he did it without complaining. It helped that a lot of the Builders were pretty great to work with. They made the time pass by quickly and easily. By the time lunch came around, he felt like he'd only been working for a little over two hours.
Unlike the previous days, they didn't take their lunch break with the rest of the Gladers. Gally's orders. They needed the tables done by the end of the next day, then they had to begin on benches for those said tables. As well as an extension on the dining pavilion.
"Is he always like that?" Archie said, watching as Gally ate and worked at the same time. He was explaining something to Flossy, gesturing to the trellis they were working on while she kneeled on a work table, mimicking what he was doing on another section.
"Gally?" said a dark haired boy – Adam. "Yeah, he can be."
"Shuck-face is hogging the Girlie, though," Stan – a red head with an obnoxious amount of freckles and pickle green eyes – said. He didn't like the way Stan's eyes roved over her.
"Flossy," he said. "Her name's Flossy."
"Flossy, Florry, Floaty, Flo, whatever. She's 'the Girlie', as she's the only shucking girl in the Glade. Even Nick calls her that."
Archie frowned at that. She had a name, one they all knew by now. If they respected her, even a little bit, they should use it when talking about her and to her.
"The reason Gally's hogging her," Dan – a blond – said, "is because he knows slintheads like you wouldn't get any work done with her around. And everyone will start using her name when a new Greenie comes up in a month."
"Or they'll keep calling her Girlie," Adam said, "if no other girl comes up."
"Or they'll give her their own personal nickname," Dave said, "like Gally has."
"What does he call her again?" Adam said.
"Princess. You've heard him call her that, right, Greenie?"
"A couple of times, yeah," Archie said, shrugging. Actually, every time he'd heard Gally use it, the Keeper had been insulting or teasing her in some way. But that seemed to be Gally's thing – the tough guy who insults everyone not worthy of being around him. Maybe he should be glad Gally hadn't thought of an insult for him. Yet.
"Right, we need to get back to work," Stan said. "These tables won't build themselves."
"If only," Dan said, sighing wistfully.
"Everything hurts," Flossy said, lying her whole body against the table. Her hair spread out around her head like a faint white-gold fan, the rays of the sun spread out to capture everything around and light them on fire.
"That means you did good work," Newt said, placing her plate next to her arms.
"You really helped with the trellises," Gally said. "I wouldn't have been able to get much done without your help. We'll be able to put them up for tomorrow, and then you can help Zart transfer them over when you try at being a Track-hoe."
"Great," she said, stretching out the vowels.
She lifted her head and looked at the food. Steamed vegetables glazed in honey, roasted chicken with rosemary, thyme, and lemon, browned in butter, and mashed potatoes with the skin and goat cheese mixed in, dressed in a gravy made of the chicken drippings and a simple rue. It was really quite delicious. Archie thought for certain he would go back up for seconds – maybe thirds.
"Frypan's really trying to win you over with the chicken," Newt said, seeing her face twist up at eating the fowl-based meal.
"I don't think he can," she said. "I mean, it looks and smells really good, but..."
"Knowing where it came from and how it was made is really only half the battle. Trust me on that. Most Greenies can't eat chicken or pork or mutton the first month or so after working in the Blood House. You just sort of get used to it over time."
"I don't think I ever will. I might become vegetarian while I'm here." She took the chicken from off her plate and set it on Gally's – he didn't seem to mind. He never did.
"Fry's not going to be happy about that," Gally said, picking up the chicken and eating it anyway. He gave her most of his vegetables and some of his potatoes in return.
"Yeah, well, he'll just have to deal with it. I just hope he makes something else tomorrow. I'm getting really tired of chicken."
"You and me both," Newt said, though he took a healthy bite of his cut.
"How are our Greenies doing?" Nick said, walking over to them. He rested his hands on Archie and Graham's back.
"Pretty good so far," Archie said. "Though, Flossy's getting tired of chicken. Think you can talk to Frypan into making something different tomorrow?"
"I'll see what I can do. Maybe pork or something."
"Ugh," Flossy said, her face scrunching up. "I've seen them gut and clean the pigs. I don't think I'll be able to eat that either. Yeah, I think I just might become vegetarian."
"You'd be the first. You also might give Fry an excuse to make more vegetarian friendly meals. I know he's been dying to try out a couple of recipes…"
"Has he? Oh, good, I just might do something wonderful for the Glade."
"Now hold on, Princess," Gally said, "I like my meat. Don't go messing with my diet just because you can't handle the way the Slicers get our food ready. I can't wait to see how you think of Zart's gardening. He's worse than Winston, if you ask me."
"Nobody asked you. And your diet is terrible. All you eat is meat and bread. Have some vegetables. They're not poisonous."
Gally frowned and looked at the carrot that was speared through her fork, offered up to him as some sort of limp sacrifice. He pushed it back towards her, a look of abject horror twisting his face.
"I'd rather not," he said. "Pretty sure Zart's trying to poison me or something. You never know."
"He wouldn't poison our Girlie, though," Newt said. "He wants to see her work in the Gardens, thinks she'll show a lot of promise there."
Gally looked as though he were about to object, but Nick cut him off.
"It's good to see you integrating into the Glade, Flossy," Nick said. "Archie, how are you doing?"
Archie shrugged.
"Haven't really found anywhere yet," he said, stirring his potatoes with his fork.
"We'd be happy to take you on as a Builder," Gally said. "I looked over your work today. You did pretty good. There's only a few things you'll have to work on, but no one starts out that great."
"I'll… I'll keep that in mind."
"And Graham, how are you?" Nick said, looking to the Greenbean. Archie really hadn't had a chance to talk with Graham in a while. He wondered how his friend – were they even friends? – was doing.
"I'm alright," Graham said, shrugging. He didn't expand his answer. He took a bite of his potatoes and looked away. Honestly, the way things were going, Archie had a feeling that Graham would either become a Slopper or a Bagger.
"Good that," Nick said, frowning. He patted their backs and nodded. "Alright then, I'm off to get my own dinner. Remember if any of you need anything, come to me, Newt, or Alby."
Archie made note of the way Nick's eyes landed on Flossy and stayed on her until she nodded. He hadn't noticed any of the Gladers say anything to her face, but he had heard what they said behind her back. And none of it was exactly… flattering.
It was no wonder that her smiles looked strained and her body posture was tense half the time. She was terrified of them. How long before they proved her fears correct?
Author stuff cont'd.: It's slow here. Please send help.
Also, can you tell I enjoy food? I really enjoy food. I've made that particular meal before and I don't think we had any leftovers, except for my dad's dinner the next day. I would make it tonight, but, uh, I don't have any chicken. Or goat cheese.
