Scout scrunched up her face as she rested her head on her hands. She balanced on top of long, slender branch, high up in one of the trees overlooking the Glade. A beetle blade flicked past her line of vision and she found herself gripping on extra tight with her legs in order to not to fall off.

The line of boys had now dispersed, and they had all returned to their designated jobs. The runners would be back any minute now and Scout was starting to get wary. She knew she had to eventually come down, but was not ready to deal with the repercussions. She hadn't seen Newt since she had run away from him. Once she had positioned herself on the tree he had already gone inside the homestead and had not came out since. She wondered how cross he was at her. Sure she had misbehaved and ran away many of times, but never had she dared to take a stance against one of the older boys, let alone spit in their face. She began tapping her foot on the branch rhythmically and after a while began humming a tune she had made up. After a minute or two she head a rustle, then a crunch of leaves below her. Scout sat up straight, and grabbed for the small knife she had stolen from Ben.

"Who's there?" she dared bravely, bracing herself against the branch. She heard a grunt below her, then a frustrated shout.

"How the hell did you get up there?" She heard Chuck's voice call from below. Scout sighed, Chuck was a good buddy and an even better sidekick, but when it came to adventuring he was better left at home.

"There's a knot in the tree just above where the branches split off slint head," Scout admonished. She heard his grunts slowly get louder until the top of his head appeared beside her. He grinned up at her.

"Boy are you in trouble," he reported making the final adjustments to sit right next to her. Scout suddenly became fascinated with the scabs on her fingers.

"How mad is he?" she inquired, fidgeting a little. She saw Chuck raise his eyebrows, then scoff.

"Are you kidding?" asked said incredulously. Scout said nothing, they both looked out at the sun setting over the Glade for a few moments. When Chuck broke the silence it was barely a whisper.

"Gally said something about kicking you out," he swung his legs around a little in the air, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. Scout looked at him right in the face, her eyes as big as dinner plates. She felt as though she had just been struck in the stomach.

"Like banishment?! You don't think their gonna do that Chuck do you? They can't do that right?!" Scout asked, starting to panic. Chuck remained a little too quiet. She wanted him to laugh, tell her of course not, they would never banish her, tell her what a dumb shuck idea that was, but he said nothing.

Finally he took a long, slow breath, refusing to look her in the eyes.

"I dunno, I mean you have been causing a lot of trouble lately, and you wont listen to directions, it's making it harder for everyone to do their job." Scout just sat still, eyes starting outward.

So they wanted to banish her? That was fine, she had seen it done plenty of times. She'd show them, if they didn't want her that was just fine with her.

Scout felt a cold shiver run up and down her spine. No one had ever survived a night in the maze.

Scout looked at Chuck. Her mouth was set in a tight line, and she lowered her eyebrows in seriousness.

"Then it's settled," She placed her hands in her lap and Chuck looked at her expectantly, "I'll just never come down." Chuck gave her a sideways expression.

"You're crazy," he announced, looking at her like she'd just grown a third eye.

"Think about it Chuck, if I come down they banish me, but as long as I stay up here, I'm safe," she reasoned, "I'll just need you to bring me rations everyday."

Chuck scoffed, "Fat chance. Nobody likes me anyway, if I start helping a runaway how do you think they'll all fell about me then?" Scout crossed her arms across her chest.

"Fine I'll do it on my own," she retorted, "I'll just eat bugs and leaves all day and you'll all be sorry." She shouted as Chuck started to climb back down to the ground.

"I'm gonna tell Newt you're up here. He's been looking for ya." Chuck responded calmly. Scout whipped her head around to look at her friend.

"Traitor!" she called after him.

It had been some number of minutes since Chuck had left and Scout was starting to really panic. She didn't know what happened to the boys in the maze, but no one ever survived a night. If they banished her out there it would be like Newt had said, she wouldn't last five minutes.

Scout, who usually swore off the action completely, began to cry in earnest for the second time that day. She knew she had been bad, really really bad, but she hadn't meant to. She was really honestly truly trying to do the best that she could.

She wasn't able to get her crying under control until she heard footsteps. She sucked in one big gulp of air and tried her best to be quit. Someone stopped right underneath the tree. She heard Newt clear his throat and the rustling of leaves below suggested that there were several other boys with him as well. They must be coming to tell her their going to be banishing her. Scout's mind raced.

"That's enough hiding it's time to come down." Scout heard Newt announce. He sounded tired and in desperate need of a break, but Scout wouldn't give up that easily.

"No!" she called back down to him. Refusing to budge.

"God damnit," Scout heard him whisper under his breath, exasperated. She heard the other boys say a few things back, but she couldn't make out the exact words.

Scout was expecting more of a fight but was surprised when the footsteps began to retreat.

"Fine," she heard him say, "Stay up hear all night if you want to!" Soon their footsteps became inaudible and Scout was left up in the dark tree alone once more.