Chapter 21

Hey guys! I'm so sorry that I haven't posted anything in such a long time. I didn't abandon this story I promise I was just going through a lot in my life and it put a serious damper on my creative mind. But now I'm back and doing so much better, I'm happy ^.^ I just wanted to thank all of you and I hope you like this chapter. Oh, I almost forgot but I changed her name from Peyton to Jo after Joan of Arc. But anyways...onward to reading!

After we had arrived in the Sick Room I quickly stepped into the back room and grabbed my Herb Journal that Clint said I should keep before I met Minho back in the center of the Sick Room,

"Ready?" I asked the Runner and he gave me a silent head nod as he stuck his hands in his pockets. What the hell was wrong with him? It was bothering me how out of character he was acting.

"Okay.." My responce was full questioning but I followed him out anyways to the kitchen where smoke was billowing out of the chimney indicating that Fry was working his culinary magic. At the idea of eating my stomach rumbled loudly and I heard Minho let out a chuckle.

"Hungry?" He grins that bright, toothy grin that I hadn't seen in a while. His smile pulls an equally as bright smile out of me.

"How could you tell?" I joked and nudged him with my elbow, pushing him a little to the side. We participated in friendly banter until they walked in to the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table placed by the counter I leaned up on my elbows and looked over at the Keeper of the Cooks.

"Would you like some help Fry?" I asked, it's been a while since I helped around in the kitchen and I was itching to cook. The dark skinned boy looked at me and without saying a word handed me the spoon he was using the stir what looked like marinara sauce.

"Thanks." I walked around the counter and stood in front of the stove. Minho looked at me and he raised an eyebrow.

"Wha are you looking at you shuckface? Don't act like you've never seen me cook before Min. If me helping gets dinner made faster than I'm okay with that." Sticking the spoon in the sauce a little I lifted the utensil to my mouth to have a taste to see what it needed.

"Hm. Fry, do you have any bay leave?" I looked back at the cook as he rummaged through the pantry. He paused his search for a moment to give me a look of contempation before he pointed to a cabinet above the sink.

"Try lookin' in there."

"Good that." I said.

Standing on my tip toes, I rummaged through the cabinet until I found a jar full of bay leaves, "Yes! Found it." I turned back around and after unscrewing the lid, grabbed two leaves and dropped them in the sauce then stirred them in. The entire time I was working I could feel Minho's gaze on me and it was making me self conscience.

Fixing him with a stern stare I placed my free hand on my hip, "Are you just going to stare at me the whole time?" I snapped in irritation. His only responce was to shrug and give me a smug smirk. Oh this boy was pushing his luck with me and I'm pretty sure he knew it too.

"If you're going to stay in here at least make yourself useful and cut up some bread for dinner." I said and turned around to grab a bread knife and a fresh loaf that Frypan just finished before I handed them both to him. He took a second to look at the food before he silently did as I asked.

"Huh. He actually listened to me" I said to myself in mild amazement. It wasn't everyday that he listened to anyone other than Alby, and that still debateable.

For the next ten minutes the three of us worked together in silence until dinner was complete and we were setting out the plates and utensils for the other gladers to grab so they could fill their bellies. Once Frypan set out the food he let Minho and I get our food first since we helped. When we finally sat down to eat the other gladers gathered around. As Minho made conversation with is fellow Runners I focused my attention on the curly headed kid that followed me around any chance he got.

"Hey Chuck. Did you tell Alby that you wanted to be a Slopper yet?" I asked, we both knew that being a Slopper wasn't ideal, in fact, it was the job no one wanted besides being a Bagger. After I asked my question Chuck nodded as he had a mouthfull of pasta. He tried to talk around the food and all I could do was chuckle and cringe at the same time as food particles went flying.

"Yo, Greenie! Chew your shucking food first!" Minho shouted from my right side and he reached behind me and smacked the boy lightly across the back of his head which lead me to give the Runner a harsh frown.

"Don't hit him you shuckface, he didn't do anything wrong. And you also have no room to talk you dumb shank, you're just as bloody bad. Now apologize." I lectured my best friend as he listened but rolled his eyes anyway just to showcase his sassy attitude.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say Red." He took a swig of his water before looking at his food like it was the most interesting thing in the Glade. I cleared my throat as I waited for him to apologize to the young boy.

"Don't you have something to say Minho?" I asked and crossed my arms. He was seriously riding on my last nerve. Being silent all the time now, staring at me with this weird look on his face, and now he's being an even bigger slinthead than usual. I held him in place with my stare until he stood up abruptly and grabbed his unfinished plate.

"I'm not apologizing for that. That shank was being bloody gross. If anything you firey little shuckface, you should be thanking me for telling the Greenie to have some manners around a girl." He leaves in an angry rush as he dumps his food in the bucket to go to the pigs before he stalks off towards the Homestead, his shoulders tense and his hands clasped into fists at his side.

What the hell has gotten into him? After he left I sat there wondering to myself why in the hell he was acting this way. Jeff caught my attention when he turned back around to face forward after he too watched the Runner walk off, "Man Jo, you really pissed him off this time. I haven't seen him so mad at something so small in a long time." He takes a bite of his bread, "I wonder what's eating him."

I let out a sigh, no longer hungry as I pushed myself up and threw away my food and placed the plate in the dirty dish bin. My mind was swirling with questions regarding Minho's strange behavior; and here I thought I was acting strange, at least I know why I'm making a fool out of myself. Im not so sure about him. I was really debating going and checking on him to see what's wrong but I figured he didn't really want to see me.

Since I no longer had an appitite I decided that taking a walk would clear my head and help me forget about my best friends strange behavior. By now the sun had set and it was dark as the rest of the Gladers started a bonfire. The glow of the huge fire lit up a good portion of the Glade as I walked along the wall, dragging my fingertips across the cold, smooth surface. I was lost in the peace and quiet this part of the Glade was bringing me that I was startled to find that under my fingers the wall had gone rough, almost like it was carved into. Getting closer to the wall I let my eyes adjust a little more before I could make out the words carved into the wall.

"Alby, Nick, Ben, Newt, Minho, Gally, Adam." I read the names in my head as I traced the messy handcarved names. It took me a moment of questioning I finally realize that all the names that had been crossed off were all Gladers who have died. When I traced over Adam's name my mind was filled with the vivid memory of him grabbing me and declaring that I would be the death of them all. Adam knew something about me that I didn't know and that made me extremely uneasy. As my eyes scanned the wall further, I read all of the names of the current and past Gladers, reaching down to my side I pulled my knife out of it's sheath. I changed the grip on the knife and pressed the tip of the blade to a blank space on the wall then began to carve me name into the stone. Luckily I had a short name so I didn't have to struggle too much.

"You're a little late." I jumped at the voice that came from behind me. Turning around I was met with a familiar blonde British boy.

"What do you mean I'm a little late?" I asked as I put my knife back at my side and looked away from Newt to study my handiwork.

"Normally Alby brings the newest Greenie here on the night that they arrive. But with you, everything is different. He left you to discover this place on your own, it's because you're smart and he knew you would have figured it out." He stated as he took the space directly to my left, torch in hand so the names were a lot more legible.

"There's been so many that have died. Why is this happening to us? Why would these 'Creators' take away our memories and put us in a place that kills us?! We're bloody kids for shucks sake!" I felt like all of my feelings of confusion and dread were slipping out from my control and I was slowly losing my mind, I just want to find out who I am and why I was put here. Where the hell was my family? We're they even looking for me?

Well, I'm glad I finally got through this chapter. I have been writing this chapter since maybe 4 in the afternoon and it's now 10:20 at night. What can I say, I get easily distracted :P I really hope you guys liked it and I would really appreciate it if you would rate and review. I'm looking forward to your opinons and thoughts. Thank you so much!