Author stuff: Sorry that I'm posting later in the day than I usually do, it's just been a busy week and then some. But we're back, guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Part 2, here we go!

Trigger warning for this chapter. There's some minor injuries and blood in this chapter.


PART II - THE NEW ONES

Chapter 21

In Which There Is A Troublesome Greenie

Without putting much thought into it, Flossy followed Clint and Jeff down into the Box. Their calm urges for the Greenie to put down the shovel weren't working. She had a feeling that this girl was going to be a lot for them to handle.

"Hey," she said, the even, sweet tone of her voice surprising herself. The Greenie looked at her, deep brown eyes were wide and wild. "It's okay. These guys are Clint and Jeff. They just want to make sure you're okay. That's a lot of blood on you."

"It's not mine," the Greenie said, a twang to her voice causing her words to smear together. "I woke up like this."

"Okay then, how about we take you to the showers then, and get a fresh change of clothes for you, hm?"

The Greenie's eyes roved over her, eyeing her form and what she was wearing. It was unnerving, but not in the way that she'd grown accustomed to in the Glade.

"Don't think your clothes will fit me, Tiny."

Flossy tried not to flinch at that jab. Yeah, she was short and, sure, this Greenie was tall – just a few inches shorter than Gally, from what she could gauge. But was it necessary? No. No, it wasn't.

"We could borrow some from one of the boys."

"Newt's clothes look like they might fit her," Clint said. He set his hand on the blade of the shovel. He was forced to retreat by a sudden jab that almost cut his palm. "Alright, alright. Take it easy now. Flossy's right, you should get cleaned up. Don't think you want to stay like that for a long time."

"Flossy?" the Greenie said, mockingly.

"Me," she said. "That's my name."

The Greenie gave her another once over and scoffed.

"You look like a Flossy."

She was about to object, when a hand reached around her and yanked the shovel away from the Greenie. They both looked at the person behind her. She wasn't the least surprised to see Gally there. The Greenie, however, tried to grab at the shovel.

"Give it back," she said, trying to get at it. She forced Flossy away from Gally, pushing her into Jeff – who caught her, but they bumped into the supplies. Gally tossed the shovel out of the Box. Someone must have snapped it up, as it didn't fall back down on them.

Gally didn't say anything, he hauled the Greenie up by the middle and tossed her over his shoulder. The Greenie kicked and screamed and tried to claw her way out of his grasp but to no avail. How he managed to get them both out without having to drop her was an amazing feat. Flossy wasn't quite sure how he even did it.

They disappeared from sight, but Flossy could still hear the girl's cries as he carried her to… well, she supposed that he was bringing her to the Slammer. Nothing else made much sense.

"You okay?" Clint said, giving her a once over.

"I'm fine," she said. "She didn't hurt me. How's your hand? Did the shovel nick your fingers?"

"No, I'm good. Jeff?"

"Fine and dandy," Jeff said, brushing off his rumpled clothes. He looked at Flossy. "Need any help out?"

"Yes, please."

After they got her out, the Builders and Bricknicks got to work, Nick leading the group with Dave. Clint looked off in the direction of the Slammer. Gally was just rounding the corner, making his way back. He prowled forward, his back hunched and pace quick. Even from a distance, she could see the twisted grimace on his face.

"Looks like the Greenie'll have to wait on that shower," Jeff said.

"The flies are going to be bothering her," Flossy said, scratching at her arm sympathetically. Fly bites weren't comfortable. She had a couple of scars on her arms and legs from where she'd itched and scabbed them.

"Well, maybe next time she'll think twice before threatening the Med-jacks and the Girl of the Glade."

"But I'm not the only girl anymore. We have her now, too." She nodded in the direction of the Slammer – where the Greenie's cries still came from.

"If anything," Jeff said, "she'll wear herself out, and we won't have to deal with her."

Gally reached their side, looking her over. She could feel the heat of his hand as it hovered over the small of her back before he placed it there. She could feel it trembling.

"You alright?" he said.

"I'm fine," she said. She took the wrist of the arm not on her back as it hovered in front of her, examining the connecting limb. "Your arms, however…"

His arms were rather scraped up, welts and blood were in perfect lines across his skin. She drew her fingers across one, watching as the hairs on his arms raised up with goose pimples.

"Come on, Gal," Jeff said. "Let's get you bandaged up."

Jeff led Gally away to the Med-hut. Clint went to help Nick organize the medical supplies that came up. Zart wanted to spend the rest of the day cleaning off his new shovel and playing with it, so she was given the afternoon off.

For some time, she sat on top of the mechanism that held the doors aloft so they could get in and out – the Creators had sent up some stuff for the medicinal garden, which she might have squealed at. She ended up distracting them more than she helped – Nick didn't seem to mind too much, as he hadn't told her off. Eventually, though, she got bored and went to lie on a nearby hill, sunning herself.

Chris and Ben came over, arms crossed and frowning. They blocked the sun.

"What?" she said. They said nothing, so she pressed again. "What?"

"How did you know?" Ben said.

"Know what?"

"That the Greenie was going to be a girl," Chris said.

"I don't know. I was just…" She gestured with her hands, hoping to convey some sort of meaning with them. She didn't think it worked by the way the boys looked at her. "It was just… I don't know, a joke? I didn't actually mean anything by it."

"She did bet tonight's dinner," Chris said slowly.

Ben's eyes widened.

"You are not taking away my dinner," he said, pointing accusingly at her.

"I don't want your dinner."

"She wouldn't be able to eat both hers and yours," Archie said, sitting down next to her and pulling her up by her shoulders. "She barely finishes her own."

"Yeah, we know," Chris said. "She always saves a little extra for Gally."

"What are you implying?" she said, not liking the tone of his voice.

"Nothing much. Just, oh, you only go to Gally for certain things. Never anyone else. Seems a little odd if you ask me."

"Now hang on, I go to Newt as well." She could feel her ears start to burn. She really just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide away. "And Archie and Graham, sometimes. Or Nick or Zart."

"He has a point," Ben said. "You normally go to Gally, first and foremost."

"He just… His room is across from mine, so…"

"Ah," Chris said, humming.

"Okay, stop teasing her," Archie said, wiggling his eyebrows. "We all know anyway."

"Know what?" she said, glancing between the three of them. "What do you know?"

"Flossy and Gally sitting in a tree," Ben said, leaning down so his face was even with hers.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Chris said.

"Shush!" she said, flapping her arms and making them laugh. Okay, this was probably the most embarrassing thing she'd ever experienced. She looked about to see if anyone else had noticed. Only a few of the boys were looking at them, and it was mostly just because Ben and Chris were laughing. "Just… Please don't tell anyone."

"What about Gally?" Ben said. "I'm certain he'll want to know."

"Especially Gally. Please. I don't want him to know."

"There's a 'yet' hanging on there, right?" Chris said. "You don't want him to know yet."

"Yes. No. I don't know. Just… please, just slim it."

"What are we slimming?" Nick said as he walked past them, a crate in his arms.

"Flossy's crush on Gally," Ben said.

Flossy smacked his arm.

"Ow!"

"Why are we beating people up?" a Builder behind Nick said. "Specifically Ben."

"He mentioned Flossy's crush on Gally," Nick said, setting the crate down. The Builder nodded slowly.

She whirled on him and gaped.

"Does everyone know?" she said.

"Everyone except Gally," the Builder said. "Shuck, wouldn't be surprised if the Greenie knew with the way Gally swooped in there."

She groaned and hid her face with her hands. She could feel every part of her body heat up as she tried to hide the growing blush.

"I hate you all," she said. Even to her own ears, her words sounded horrendously muffled and untrue.

"Awe, come on," Archie said, pulling her into a hug. "No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

Someone snorted. She thought it was Nick.

"If you hate us so much," Nick said, his eyes glittering mischievously behind his glasses, "why don't you go make nice with the Greenie for a new friend? Bring her some lunch. I'm sure Fry has something done by now. And Gally would be happy to escort you for your own protection."

"I'm doing what now?"

She squeaked at the sound of Gally's voice. She hadn't even heard him approach. She withdrew her face from her hands and looked at him.

His arms and part of his chest – which he had yet to re-cover with his shirt – were bandaged up. She felt her neck grow hot again and forced herself to look at anything else but him.

Ben and Chris gave her knowing looks – stupid smirks on their faces that told her they knew exactly why she was blushing. If she ever got the chance, she was going to throttle them.

"You're going to escort the Girlie to the kitchens and then the Slammer," Nick said, patting her on the shoulder. "See if you can make nice with the Greenie."

"Sure," Gally said, his voice sounding tight in his throat. He slipped back into his shirt. She caught a glimmer of a wince. She hoped that Jeff remembered to give him something for the pain, and that it just hadn't kicked in yet.

He gestured for her to take the lead, sticking with her pace as he walked alongside her. He walked a bit more rigidly than he had before. Maybe she should go bug Clint or Jeff for something first…

But Gally didn't move in that direction, so she didn't either.

Because it was Greenie Day, Frypan had made a lunch that wasn't sandwiches – a rare treat that she reveled in the last two months. It was a goat meat chili, topped with some cheese. He held back on the cheese for the Greenie, however.

"So," Frypan said, handing her a thermos and a spoon, "how does it feel to no longer be the only girl, Girlie?"

She shrugged.

"Don't know yet," she said. "The only time we talked, she was threatening me with Zart's new shovel. I don't think he's very happy about that."

"I don't think anyone liked that." Frypan's eyes flicked behind her, to where Gally was standing. She turned her head back to see him.

His stance was wide and tense, his jaw was squared and jutted out, and his lips were tightly pressed together. She knew Gally hadn't been happy with the way the Greenie had been with her, but his body language? Had he really been that disturbed by it? Maybe he wasn't in as much pain as she thought.

"Let's just bring her something to eat and see how she's feeling," Flossy said. "This place is kind of really intimidating, and you boys don't make it any better. You're all… tall and stuff."

Frypan snorted, ruffling her hair. She cried out and batted at his hands.

"Let's just get this over with," Gally said, leading the way out. He started off with a quick pace, but slowed down when he saw that she couldn't keep up.

"Are you okay?" she said as they walked to the Slammer, the thermos and spoon in her hands.

"I'm fine."

"We could swing by the Med-hut first if you're in pain."

His steps faltered, and he looked at her.

"What?" she said. His eyes focused solely on her face. Was there something there? Could she brush it off nonchalantly? No, she couldn't. She wasn't that smooth. "What is it?"

"You think I…" he said, his voice trailing off. He swallowed hard, shifting his eyes away from her for just a moment. His voice came out soft when he spoke to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. She felt her breath catch in her throat with how warm they were. "I'm fine, Princess. Don't worry too much about me. Greenie just had me worried earlier with that shovel is all."

"So you don't need anything for –"

"Clint offered me some pain killers, but I turned them down. Save them for real emergencies."

"If you're sure."

"Flossy, I'll be alright. Slim it on the worrying. It's… it's kind of embarrassing."

Embarrassing? For him? What did he have to be embarrassed about? The only Girl – well, the formerly-only-Girl of the Glade – worrying over him. And that was embarrassing? Call her vain and egotistical, but having any girl worry over you was something most boys would vie for.

"Fine," she said tersely, shaking his hands off her shoulders. "You don't have to come with me any farther. I don't think the Greenie will like the sight of you. She will probably stand me, but the slinthead who brought her to the Slammer? Shuck no."

"Nick said –"

"Nick will understand. Why don't you go… build a wall or something."

"Now hang on," he said, grabbing her arm as she started to move away.

"Let go." She tried tugging her arm away, but he gripped tighter.

"What if she, I don't know, tried to hurt you again? And you don't have anyone there to protect you?"

"I think I might be able to hand her something to eat through the bars just fine, Gally. Besides, you've been teaching me self defense. Now, let go."

"I have my orders and they're –"

"Gally, I'll be alright. You can let go." She tried tugging her arm again, and like the first time he tightened his grip. She gave him a pitiful look, adding a wince, and ensured that her voice quivered when she spoke for good measure. She hated manipulating him but… "Gally, you're hurting me."

He blinked, looking down at his hand in shock before letting it fall to his side. She didn't think she'd bruise, but she'd definitely be a little sore for a little while. And he would most definitely feel guilty about it for a long while.

"Sorry," he said quietly, bowing his head. "I still think I should go with you. I'll… I'll watch from a distance. Just to make sure."

"Fine," she said. She turned on her toe and headed towards the Slammer.

He followed but only half way. He kept to his word. She didn't doubt that he would. Especially not after he was afraid that he'd hurt her.

"Knock knock," she said, tapping on the bars of the cell with the toe of her worn out shoes – she really hoped the Creators provided her with some new ones soon.

"What do you want?" the Greenie said. Her face melted from the shadows, an emerging horror and grotesque sight. The blood had already started to dry and was cracking and flaking off at parts, making it seem as if she was falling away. She couldn't see too many features of the girl's face, but her wide-set brown eyes, round face, and delicate jaw were what stuck out the most. Not to mention her hair – matted down in some parts, sticking up in others.

The Greenie was fiddling with something around her neck – a chain to a necklace. She briefly wondered what was tucked beneath the collar of her shirt.

"I brought you lunch." She crouched down and held out the spoon and thermos. "Frypan made it – he's the Keeper of the Cooks, their leader. Everyone jokes about his cooking being pretty bad, but I think he does really well all things considered."

"Your boyfriend doesn't trust me, does he?" The Greenie nodded in Gally's direction. Flossy followed her gaze and turned back to her.

"He's not my boyfriend," Flossy said, she resisted the urge to rub the spot he'd grabbed her.

"The way he's acting? Please."

"He's just a friend who was looking out for me. Besides, we don't really have time for romance in this place. We're too busy trying to survive. And get out of here." She wanted to roll her own eyes at her words. They sounded so stupid in her own ears.

"Get out? And go where?"

"Don't know. Whatever's beyond the Walls, I guess. Newt has a lot of hope – you'll meet him later. He's really nice."

The Greenie hummed, taking a bite of the goat chili. It smelled pretty good from where she was crouching. She hoped Frypan would be kind enough so save her – and Gally, she supposed – at least one bowl.

"Newt your actual boyfriend or something?"

"Newt? Oh no. The slinthead's all caught up in something with Alby – you'll meet him later, too."

"So, why 'Flossy'?"

"What's wrong with my name?" she said, frowning. "It's short for… something."

"Something is right. Did they give it to you?" The Greenie gestured to the field of working boys.

"No. It came to me a little after we first got here."

"Who, you and Gal-pal?"

"No, Archie, Graham, and me. The three of us all came up at once. It's weird. There's only supposed to be one of us each month."

"Archie and Graham? Who're they?"

"My friends. Graham has the same hair color as me, and Archie and me have the same nose. He's a Builder, like Gally. Tall but not as, yeah. You'd like him, I think."

"Builder?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Flossy said, shrugging. She looked back over her shoulder to Gally. She couldn't see his face, but he looked rather impatient. Or anxious. The Greenie seemed to sense it and quickly polished off the chili.

"Thanks," she said, handing back the thermos and spoon. "Any chance of you breaking me out of here for that shower?"

"I'd have to ask Nick, but I don't think he'd disagree."

"So, I guess this is a see you later?"

"Definitely."


Author stuff cont'd.: So, meet our new girl!

She's based on a friend of mine from high school who was this total punk. (Dyed pink hair in either a mohawk or buns or braids.) We were pretty close back in the day. She went into nursing but decided to leave the field not long after we graduated. I hope she's doing well.