Chapter 23
"Hey, Y/N."
You remember Newt telling you to be careful around Claude, that he didn't trust him. Trying to think up an excuse to leave, you say,
"Hey, Claude. How's it going?"
"Good enough, did you hear about the whole Ben situation?"
"Yeah," you stand up, "the Keepers are having a Gathering right now."
"Really," he raises an eyebrow and looks at you in a strange way, "how do you know?"
"Well, for one," you say as you start to slowly edge away but Claude follows you, "the Keepers aren't here. And two, I'm dating Newt."
His face seems to freeze with a confused look etched into it. He stutters,
"Y-you what?"
You start taking actual steps, walking deeper into the Gardens so there would be more people in case Claude tries anything. He takes up stride next to you without skipping a beat.
"Yeah. You didn't know?"
He gets angry all of a sudden, "No! Why didn't you tell me?"
You get defensive and angry as well. Standing up straighter, you crease your brow and say,
"Because it's none of your shuck business!"
"Fine!" Claude shouts and storms off.
You're again left standing there with no idea what brought on Claude's temper or why keeps storming away.
"What was all about?" you turn to see who spoke and find Zart kneeling between the plants, pulling up weeds. You shrug, "I have no idea. He's insane," and join him, helping clear the Gardens until Newt comes to see you after the Gathering finishes.
-I
You tell Newt about your "conversation" with Claude and he gets angry.
"Who does he think he is? Talking to you like that."
"Newt, Newt. Calm down," you put your hands on his shoulders, "it's okay. He ran away when I said I was dating you."
Relief washes over Newt's face at your words and he sighs, "At least now he knows who he's dealing with and he'll hopefully leave you alone."
"I hope so too. So, how's the Ben situation?" you change the subject as the two of you start walking in no particular direction.
"Well, as I'm sure everyone expected, he's going to be banished tonight."
-I
A few hours later, the sky now growing dark, you, Newt, and Alby had gathered all the Gladers around the East Door. It didn't take much convincing, most of them even seemed glad or excited for what was about to happen. The Runners finally joins them after having to go to the Map Room and chart their progress. You are standing near the front of the crowd next to Newt and the other Keepers. You see Thomas standing a few feet away with Chuck. Minho comes to stand near you, Newt and Alby.
"Bring him out!" Alby shouts. Looking towards the Homestead where the Slammer is, you see three boys on the larger side coming around from the back, dragging Ben between the them. Ben looks very much worse for wear with his clothes tattered, dried blood practically everywhere, and the bandage around his head still there but now soaked through with blood.
Alby whispers to Newt, "Newt. Bring out the Pole."
Newt nods and runs towards the Gardens, stepping into a tool shed and coming out carrying a handful of aluminium poles. He starts connecting them as he walks back. The three guys who were dragging Ben deposited the pale, sickly boy in front of Alby. Ben pointed his head to the ground, not looking at anyone.
"You brought this on yourself, Ben," Alby says.
Newt is back and is, by now, dragging a twenty-foot-long pole with what looks like a leather collar at the end. You look at it in confusion, How are they going to use that? you wonder. Alby unbuttons it and loops it around Ben's neck, fastening it again. Ben looks up then with tears in his eyes,
"Please, Alby," he says, "I swear I was just sick in the head from the Changing. I never would've killed him—just lost my mind for a second. Please, Alby, please."
Alby ignores him and tests the collar to make sure it's secure. He then walks along the pole until he reaches the end. He grips it tightly and says,
"Ben of the Builders, you've been sentenced to Banishment for the attempted murder of Thomas the Newbie…"
Everyone turns to look at Thomas as Alby continues. Thomas looks uncomfortable under everyone's stares and he seems to get a bit angry as he shifts his position, as if he were trying to hide.
"Keepers, take your place on the Banishment Pole," Alby finishes as Newt and a handful of other boys step out from the crowd and join Alby, each of them grabbing onto the pole.
"Please, pllllleeeeeeeeease!" Ben starts to plead and you turn away, unable to watch.
"Somebody, help me! You can't do this to me!"
"Shut up!" Alby shouts.
But Ben keeps going, "Someone stop them! Help me! Please!"
You so badly want to run over to Newt and rip the pole from his hands, from everyone else's. You want to help Ben, release him. But something stops you and you only look on in discomfort, looking away occasionally when it gets to be too much. You look to Thomas again and see him step behind someone bigger than when Ben starts to desperately make eye contact with someone and beg for help. You turn away again, knowing that if you looked into Ben's eyes, you would break and try to help him. You didn't realise that people were talking until Ben lets out a strangled cry,
"Plllllleeeee—," which then gets cut off by the East Door grumbling, starting to close.
"Keepers, now!" Alby calls. Ben gets jerked forward by the Keepers pushing him forward with the pole. "Noooooooo!" He cries, squirming and twisting around, trying to get free.
You can't take it anymore and, turning around, take off running in the direction of the Homestead.
A/N: Thanks to all of you guys. I hope my writing is up to standards. I have exciting news for y'all, especially Hi who left a review saying they were looking forward to this.
I have posted the first chapter of Griever Girl from Newt's POV. Please read it, enjoy it, and leave a review if you like it. Tell me what you think.
Happy reading!