I was so proud of my work, of all the things I had reached in one month. All the chairs were painted, there were flowers planted and there were vases with flowers on all the tables, almost all the tables were painted and I had painted homestead, on the inside. The newbie alarm went off.
I stayed with my flowers while all the other gladers went to the box.
"It's a baby!" I heard someone shout. A baby? The supplies and the 'baby' were retrieved out of the box. When everyone had their stuff, they just left and I could see the greenie. It wasn't a baby. He was just a twelve year old boy. A little bit young, but not a baby. Alby came to me with the greenie.
"I'm busy, can you give the greenbean a tour?" he asked. I looked at the boy. He had brown curls and was a bit sturdy. Cute. I laughed at him and nodded.
"Of course, come with me" I stood up and gave the newbie a pat on the shoulder. Alby walked away.
"Were are we? What is this place? What is a greenbean?" he asked. I knew what I was like when I was here for the first? Six months ago. Then I asked a lot of questions and got mad because nobody answered them. I wasn't going to let that happen to him.
"This is the glade. It is in the maze, we, the gladers, live here. A greenbean is someone who's new. Each month there's a new newbie. You're the sixth newbie since I'm here: Bob, Ken, Clark, Kent, Robbe were the other five."
"I'm Chuck, I think. That's the only thing that I can remember. Is that normal?" he asked nervously.
"No one knew anything when we arrived. So yeah it's normal. I'm Marie." I gave him a handshake, like I had done with Jack on my first day.
I gave him a tour and answered all of his questions. Not a smart idea. Now he knew too much. I could see him break. Luckily, I hadn't told him the worst yet; that we couldn't escape. After the tour, I left him alone. He went to a corner and began to cry.
"What did you do to him?" Newt asked curious. He was behind me and put his arms around my waist and his chin in my neck.
"I didn't do anything" I said offended. "He's just having a difficult time. I didn't even tell him that we could never leave this place"
"He don't need to know that. You already made him cry. Fine, now we have to take care of a baby" he sighed.
"No, he isn't a baby. Jack is a baby. Chuck is my little brother. Yes, that's it. We already have enough with Jack. Would our little Jackie like uncle Chuck?" I asked laughing.
"I think that little Jackie doesn't like to be called little" Jack just appeared out of nowhere, he just suddenly was there.
"It's dinner time. Do I have to get uncle Chuck?" he asked. Me and Newt nodded, we already went to our table.
"Hey brother, did you see our newest newbie? Another brother!" I said happily. Minho looked at Chuck and shrugged. He didn't really care.
"Chuckie, this is Alby, Frypan, Minho, Jack and Newt" I pointed at them. The poor boy looked like he could burst in tears any moment.
"They're really sweet. Well, except Minho"
"I can be sweet" Minho said fake hurt. I gave Chuck a plate full of food.
"He's going to explode" Newt joked. I rolled my eyes.
"You can't explode from my food" Fry said offended.
"You can from Jack's pills" Alby said.
"Not my fault that you always have an headache." Jack fired back. Yes, it was fun. We all laughed, except Chuck.
"Chuckie? Are you hungry?" I asked him. It was a weird question because he hadn't eaten anything. He shook his head. I gave him a look full of pity and took his plate.
"Go" I said. Chuck looked at all of us, like he wanted everyone to approve. The boys all ignored him. Chuck stood up and walked away to the deadheads. I ate my food and stood up to leave. But first I took Chuck's plate and went to the kitchen. After I had eaten it, I went to look for Chuck. While I was looking, I bumped into Newt.
"Are you bringing him food?" He asked. I nodded.
"Poor boy" I said.
"Why do you pity him? You never pitied Bob or Ken or Clark or Kent or Robbe, aah, such a pity that the box didn't take him back" I ignored his last comment about Robbe.
"He's so young. How can the creators do that to him? He had a whole life to live" my empathy was real. Poor Chuck is going to be here so long. When we're all dead, he will be here all alone.
"We also had a whole life in front of us" Newt said. Yes, that's true, but it was worse for Chuck. I didn't answer because we had reached Chuck.
"Hey there newbie, here's some food" Newt greeted. He sat next to Chuck and I said next to Newt. It was silent for a bit. Chuck ate in silence, with streaming tears. Newt played with my braid and I looked around, we had a beautiful sight of the glade. Then my eyes spotted something.
"Ah klunk! My flowers! I have to finish this!" I looked from my flowers to Newt to Chuck. Before I gave Chuck a tour I was planting seeds but I wasn't finished. Newt nodded, as a sign I could leave. I laughed at Chuck, looked at Newt and whispered in his ear.
"You better take care of him or I throw you of the cliff" I looked at him really serious, he nodded with a laugh. I gave him a kiss on his cheek and walked away.
Once every few minutes I looked at Newt and Chuck; They both looked serious. Newt kept telling stuff and Chuck kept crying. My seeds were planted and I went to the boys.
"Runners, baggers, builders, slicers, track-hoes, med-jacks, bricknicks and whatever-she-does-people" Newt nodded at me. I assumed that he was talking about the different jobs.
"And what was" Chuck swallowed "Nick?" Oh great, Newt told him about Nick.
"Nick was a runner" I answered. "I'm done. Are we going to sit under my tree?" I asked. Newt stood up and Chuck followed. "This is my tree." I explained. "the perfect spot to cry. There's only place for one person, so nobody can sit with you and when somebody wants to climb it, you can throw apples at them. Got it?" Jepjep, I trusted him with my tree. Chuck nodded. He already stopped crying a while ago but his eyes were still red and puffy.
"Tonight, there's another bonfire" Newt said when we were all under the tree.
"Do I have to wear my dress and get my stick?" Newt laughed.
"Okay"
"Dress? Stick?" Chuck asked confused.
"Yes" I answered. "The creators once send a dress. Newt wrote that on a little paper. When we need something, we write it on a small paper and send it away with the box." I said, when I saw Chuck confused face. He nodded and I continued. "The stick is my self defence. I used it to scare away boys, and... sometimes I use it to hit someone" Chuck looked scared but I just laughed.
At that moment he doors closed. I already told Chuck about the doors and the grievers. About getting stung and Gally, or should I say captain Gally? He looked confused from the doors to us. Newt and I just grinned at each other. The ignorance of the little boy was touching.
"So there really is no way out?" he asked finally. I looked at Newt, who had a sad face.
"Nick tried it. He tried it every day in the maze. It didn't matter for him if he died or not. Just like with you, Newt. I wonder if Minho considers it" I didn't even noticed what I had said until I saw Newt and Chuck's faces. Chuck looked upset at Newt.
"Did you try t-"
"Hey Chuckie, if Minho ever teases you, tell him that he fell in a pile of klunk because of his own sister" I tried to change the subject and to my big surprise, I succeeded.
"Sister? You remember your family?" he asked confused.
'No, we just say that we're family because we look so much alike" Newt knew that I tried to change the subject so he joined our conversation.
"You're one big family, right?"
"Yesyes, Frypan is the grandfather, Alby the dad, Minho and you are the brother, Newt is the boyfriend, Jack is the baby and the rest are cousins." I said and Chuck nodded understanding it.
"How long have you been together" he asked, I nodded but Newt answered.
"A few months. We...uhm...weren't always together but I love her" I understood what he meant; That one time when he thought I was cheating on him with Jack and we broke up for a month. But he loved me. I noticed that it was the first time that Newt said that he loved me when someone else was also there. Chuck looked expecting at me. Why? Then I looked at Newt, he looked hurt. Ooooh, now I get it.
"I love you too" I answered. He expected an answer. Chuck laughed. For the first time. It looked like he again had hope.
"But did you ever did you-know-what someone else?" he asked unsure. It was an awkward question but I answered.
"I once kissed Jack. That was horrible! Like I was kissing my grandmother!" I laughed. When you speak of the devil...
"Hello!" Jack asked. "What are you talking about?" he asked curious.
"Your lack of handsomeness" I answered sassy. Jack rolled his eyes and sat down next to us.
"I'm not ugly, admit it" he said cockily.
"I admit that you're cocky"
"Calm down! I just came here to tell you that we're putting on the bonfire"