Part II
My Name

The next morning I woke with someone knocking on my door again. Rubbing my eyes with my fingers, I sat up and straightened my clothes before saying, "Come in!"

When the door opened, I was surprised to see someone I hadn't really met before. And I say really, because the young man only spoke to me when I first came out of the metal box.

"Good mornin'" he said pleasantly. "In case none of these goons have told you, I'm Newt."

Standing up, I offered him a smile. "I've heard you mentioned, and you told me this place was the Glade yesterday."

"Right I did," Newt replied, his good-natured attitude refreshing. "Anyhow, I've come to help you clean this place out. Not fitting for a girl to be with all the supplies-don't tell me. You didn't have a blanket last night?"

Rubbing my arm, I shook my head, though I hadn't noticed. As soon as Thomas and I parted outside of the Homestead, I came into the room and crashed on the mattress, immediately asleep.

"I guess I didn't, but I didn't notice," I said quickly. "Thanks Newt for coming to help."

"Not a problem lady," he said, filling his arms with different supplies before stepping out.

Not wanting to leave him with all the work, I gathered a few things and followed him out, where I saw Newt had dumped everything in a wheel barrel. I took the opportunity to gaze around the Glade, to see how everything seemed lively and green beneath the morning sun. Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath of air, realizing I was experiencing my first moment of joy in the Glade.

This must be what Alby was talking about... finding the good...

"Hey you two."

My eyes snapped open. Approaching Newt and I was Thomas, his brow furrowed with curiosity.

"Good morning!" I said to him. "Newt was helping me clean out the room-er, my room."

"Could use as many hands as available mate," Newt said, turning to go back inside the Homestead.

Thomas nodded at him before switching his eyes to me. He stood only inches in front of me, and I had to admit, I was swooned, suddenly, by his tall and masculine physique.

"Get your name back yet?" he asked genuinely.

I shook my head, the corner of my mouth turning down. "No... no name yet."

He sighed. I grinned.

"Disappointed?"

"I just know what if feels like to be without some shred of identity. I hate to think you're still stuck in that."

"Oh," I said, tucking a strand of my brown hair behind my head.

Thomas cleared his throat. "Anyway, I guess I'll get to helping Newt. You need a blanket, don't you?"

Staring at him, I nodded.

After the three of us had finished taking all manner of things out of my new room, I couldn't help but notice something, something I wondered if they noticed anymore, or simply had gotten used too.

"I'm off to check on the gardening," Newt told Thomas and I as we stood outside of the Homestead hut. I smiled at him, and feeling the impulse to touch him, I set a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks for everything, Newt."

The corner of his mouth turned up and he winked at me before striding away, extending an arm toward Thomas to bid him goodbye. But as soon as Newt left us alone, I noticed the unpleasant thing again-the smell that I was emitting.

"Thomas," I said suddenly, my pulse quickening.

Immediately Thomas looked at me. "Yeah?"

"I, ah, well-where do we get clean around here?"

Thomas raised his eyebrows, and I watched as the edge of his ears became slightly pink. "You mean, where do we bathe?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh," he said, looking down and putting his hands in his pockets. "I'll ah, show you. Follow me."

Because of the awkward tension that now settled between us, I followed a few steps behind him, hating and loving the fact that I was on my way to a bath. I hadn't meant to make Thomas feel uneasy, but I was starting smell, and secretly hoped he might follow my lead, though after I had finished, of course.

On the other side of the Glade near the meeting hall, a tall rectangle like box had been erected, and to this Thomas led me. He knocked before opening the door, and stepping beside him I peaked inside. One half of the rectangle room was flat, and the other had a large hole dug in it, outlined by a blue tarp that held a considerable amount of water. What was more, I noticed this bathing area had no sort of ceiling, though it stood higher that most boys here.

"Good thing you mentioned this now. Never bathe toward the end of the day if you don't want to clean yourself with the dirty water of ten or so guys," Thomas said.

I grimaced. "Is the water, at least, warm?"

Thomas frowned and shook his head. "I'm afraid it's going to be cold."

I sighed, but hey, it was better than nothing.

"How do I make sure no one walks in?"

"Normally we hang our clothes over the top of the door, but for you... I can stand guard."

Smiling, I felt a great impulse to hug him, but refrained. I stepped inside, and watched as Thomas closed the door. Out of caution, I waited nearly thirty seconds before I began to remove my long sleeved shirt and shorts, slowly at first but then hastily.

If anything happens... they might not be able to see much if I'm beneath the water.

When I stood in nothing but my own skin, I stepped toward the dug out bath, letting my toe touch the water. With a frown I realized Thomas had not been exaggerating. I took a deep breath before I forced myself to sink into the water, goose bumps immediately popping up all along my skin. To the right of me I noticed a small bowl, and picking it up, there was some sort of white liquid inside, but it smelled good. Without a second thought I began to rub it throughout my hair and along my body, desperate to be within the realm of decent hygiene.

When I had nearly finished I suddenly stopped scrubbing, for I heard footsteps approaching the bath house. Frozen, I listened as I heard Thomas speak quietly to someone who sounded familiar, though it took me a minute or so to realize who it was.

I started to scrub again, eager to finish and get back into my clothes before I felt strange, as though someone were watching me. Looking over, I saw a pair of eyes suddenly disappear from the top of the bath house wall.

It was Gally.

As soon as I stepped out of the bath house, Thomas moved away from the door. My heart was pounding and I felt somewhat sick, all these things showing clearly on my face, which Thomas did not miss.

"What's wrong?" he asked, extending his arms toward me for a moment before dropping them.

Had he wanted to touch me?

Shaking my head, I said, "I think someone was spying on me. In fact, I know it."

In the short time of knowing him, I had never seen Thomas look so serious as he did then.

"Who?" he asked firmly.

I blinked, suddenly not wanting to accuse someone I hardly knew, but knowing I had to do it, anyway.

"Thomas... I think it was Gally."

A muscle in his jaw tightened visibly. "Oh yeah?" he said, suddenly sounding dangerous. My heart skipped a beat. But before I could say anything, Thomas turned around and began marching south of the bath house, where I could see Gally distantly, chatting with a few other gladers.

I wonder what he's telling them... I though angrily.

Hurriedly I followed behind Thomas, who I wondered about how he handled his anger. Fight? Yell? Threaten? Truthfully, I didn't care what he did, but if it led to him getting hurt... I hoped I could intervene.

"Gally!" Thomas shouted, when he had come within several feet of him.

When Gally's gaze suddenly shifted to Thomas, he smirked and crossed his arms, showing no fear of him at all.

"Got a problem Shank?" he replied loudly.

"I don't know, do you?" Thomas said at normal volume, now that he stood only a foot from him. "Did you peek in on the new girl, after I told you she was in the bath house?"

Several boys that stood around them made an "Ooo-ing" sound. I stopped less than five feet away from them full of fear, both of what may happen, and what Gally may have seen.

"I wouldn't go around accusing people of what you didn't see," Gally retorted, his anger mounting.

Instantly my hand flew to cover my mouth as Thomas charged into Gally, his arms around his waist while his shoulder collided with Gally's gut. At once the two were rolling around on the ground, grunts and the sound of punches filling the air. The boys around them tried to break it up, and I too suddenly stepped forward, shouting.

"Thomas! Don't fight him! Give it up!"

I then realized I never should have said a thing, because the fight intensified before the other boys managed to pull them apart.

"Don't fight me shank!" Gally shouted, his nose and mouth bloody. "You're lucky it ended there."

"Leave the girl alone," Thomas demanded, his own nose bleeding, along with a few cuts along his jaw.

He shrugged off the boys who were holding onto him, and I stepped forward, my eyes wide.

"A-are you okay?" I sputtered, feeling guilty, and like an idiot.

"I'm fine," Thomas said, though he still held a dangerous look in his eye. "Come on, it's time to tell Alby."

That night I lay upon the empty mattress in my room, facing the wall. Earlier, Thomas had sought out Alby, and after explaining the situation, Alby guaranteed Gally would be put on trial the next day. I began to wish I hadn't already caused some drama in the Glade, for I had hoped to simply fade and become one of the guys. But then I realized I hadn't really caused the drama-Gally had-and he should go on trial.

The boys will always stare at me anyway... what difference does this make?

My eyelids fluttered as I grew increasingly tired, thankful to be accompanied by a blanket this time. Before slipping into dreams, my last thoughts were about Thomas, and I smiled a little at how he had so eagerly and bravely defended me that day.

My fingers interwined with that of a young man's. Looking up, I knew the face they belonged too. Thomas.

Some sort of dark room surrounded us, and there was music and many flashing lights, along with numerous people our own age.

"It'll be alright, I promise," his quiet, confident voice said.

I raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Of course. They're the only hope we have left in this world."

I sighed, and stared at the crowd which we stood along side of. "What about them? Will they just be left in this waste?"

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. But not you, Adley."

I gazed down at our entwined fingers. I had just met this young man, but he seemed to know a better way in this world, a way he wanted to share with loners like me. I shouldn't turn him down-I had no good reason to. Looking up, his warm smile made my defenses fall, and I thought if there was anyone I could trust, it should be him.

"Alright. Promise you'll come back for them, or at least some of them."

He nodded. "I promise. Now let's go."

Author's Note: Hopefully this was another good chapter! I'm loving writing this story, and I'm loving giving Thomas some romance! It's light now, but trust me, more is to come :) Also, since I'm a perfectionist, PLEASE PM me if you find major spelling errors or anything else that distracts from reading, so I can improve the experience. Thanks!