The evening was quiet. The Gladers each worked on their specific duty, tending to the animals, cleaning the kitchen, preparing the meals. The sun was setting and the Runners were expected back soon.
When Scout first arrived in the Glade they allowed her to try her share of all the different jobs out with the keepers. Something always stuck but nothing did for Scout. She flatly refused to clean up for all of the boys, she wasn't tall enough to pick the food, not patient enough for gardening, or strong enough to build, and the slaughterhouse had made her cry so hard that she was allowed to quit after just 20 minutes. After that she was nothing. She had no job, no real duties. She was the youngest Glader and the only girl; no one knew what to do with her. She spent her days tagging a long with one of the older boys or wandering the Glade, always underfoot. She knew every single inch of the whole area and still she was not satisfied. She wanted to explore beyond. She wanted to be a Runner. Not only would being a runner allow her to figure out what lay beyond the maze, but it also presented her with the opportunity to make a difference. She wanted to feel like she was helping, contributing as much as she took away.
The first time she really got close to the Maze was a month after she arrived. She had gone near it before, and warned of the dangers, but never as close as she dared that day. After the Runners had left, she walked towards the doors slowly, making sure no one would notice. When she reached the doors she simply stared inside, too awestruck to move. Two high walls lead the way inside until they split off in all different directions. The tops of the walls became jagged, and adjusted to all different heights. She saw the ivy twist and turn along the stone and wondered if it would hold enough for her to hoist herself up. After a few moments she began to walk closer, pressing her hand against the smooth stone, and trailing her hand until it reached inside. Tentatively, she began to move her body to follow. Her foot just skimmed the ground when she felt a hand grab onto her roughly and pull her backwards. Using enough strength to knock her to the ground. She only got a quick glance at Gally's scowling face before he dragged her over his shoulder, yelling at her about what a dumb shuck she was. He brought her over to a stump near the forest and spanked her until she went limp in his lap, and began to cry uncontrollably. She ran to tell Alby and Newt, but they had no sympathy, and Chuck only laughed.
Scout leaned her back against the post behind her and rhythmically tapped her head onto it. She stared sideways at Alby as he worked.
"Am I done yet?" She asked, doing her best to not let boredom leak into her tone. He glanced up, sweat streaked his face and in his attempted to wipe it away, the dirt from his hands were transferred over. Alby leaned against the rake that he was using and huffed a little, catching his breath. He looked at her shaking his head upward and than glancing down at the ground again.
Scout jumped up quickly, racing around the buildings, wondering if Chuck had saved any of the old cabbage for her. If Chuck were done cleaning for today he would probably be up in the look out tower, that's where they always knew to look for each other. Reaching the ladder, she began to climb it as fast as she could. Almost breaking a rung as she went up.
She heard someone shout at her below and peered through the empty space between the rungs to figure out who it could be.
She saw Gally standing below with his hands on his hips and a permanent scowl on his face.
"Watch what you're doing you little shuck," he yelled up at her, "I built that. You break it and I'll through you of the shucking cliff!" Scout huffed; she hated his constant nagging and stupid attitude.
"Maybe if you learned to build better shuck face" Scout muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" She heard his shrill reply.
"I said alright already!" She called down, scrambling to make her way up the latter and find her friend.
Chuck was sitting on the very edge of the tower. His feet dangled off the edge and a pile of limp, brown cabbage was piled to his side. She noticed he appeared to be playing with what looked like a homemade slingshot. It wasn't much, two sticks tied together with some grass, and a kitchen spoon in between.
"Frypan know you took that spoon?" Scout asked, sitting down next to her friend.
"Ahh" Chuck grinned at her, twirling the contraption around in his hands, "he wont miss it." Chuck looked at her and gave her a rye smile, "I heard what you said to Gally". He shoved her a little with his shoulder.
"I hate that stupid shuck." She said forcefully. Chuck laughed out lowed.
"You're just mad cause he spanked you" Chuck loved to bring up that story any chance he got. Scout whipped her face around towards him.
"You just better shut you're mouth before I throw you off his tower." Chuck was now in a fit of giggles, rolling around beside her.
"You…haha…you do and Alby'll spank you" he huffed out between laughs. Scout stood up from her spot. She gave Chuck a strong kick to his stomach but it wasn't enough to cease his laughter. She began to make her way down the ladder now, furious at Chuck and his stupid jokes.
"You're just a shuck face!" She called up to him, "You're all just a bunch of stupid shucks".
Making her way to the ground, she went to find a perfect tree to climb to try and see the maze.