GRIEF OF HIS HEART - A Novella

three

The food they serve here is awful.

Fry's steak was good. This steak looks weird. Almost unbaked. And then he sees the potatoes the man behind the bar gives him, and swallows.

Sometimes, she called him Potato Head. In no way it was a nice nickname, but it was hers, for him, and he accepted it.

Now potatoes sound kind of stupid and he honestly feels like throwing them in the trash.

But he doesn't. Instead, he looks around. There's a few big tables in the room. Men and women sit everywhere. Most are older than him, except for maybe a few teenagers.

He decides not to join anyone. Just sits down at a table in the corner. It's what he prefers.

Is that what she felt like before her attempt? She always sat with the Builders, but must've felt very alone.

He shakes his head. If only he had taken action sooner.

On the other side, it brought them closer. Maybe they never happened if she never jumped.

Though he always found something about her intriguing. Maybe it was the hair- her smile when she was with Newt, the way she only revealed her real identity when she got comfortable, but it was something.

"Yo, Munie." A few men join his table. Dirt has spread all over their faces. Their clothes are ripped, and he can see their veins better than anyone else's, since they're a bit dark.

He gives them a glare.

It feels like when he first woke up from the Changing. No one who he wanted to talk to. His mood switches were awful. Everything was awful.

Now it is, too.

"Not so grumpy," one laughs. "Nice to meet you, kid. I'm Jasper."

He doesn't shake the hand Jasper holds out. "I'm not interested," he says, averting his head.

"Hi, Not Interested."

His glare turns sharper.

"Alright. Not in for the jokes."

"Who broke your heart, Munie?"

I did. When I shot my girl, but he doesn't say that.

Because he still can't bring himself to believe Rick.

"You ready to get in our army? New trainings start tomorrow!" Jasper, the brunette and the only one of the group with no weird veins, nods at Gally. "You're one from WCKD, aren't ya?"

"So neat and used to the chic crap."

"I'm not neat-"

"Don't worry. You'll fit in just fine. You don't seem weak. A few trainings and you're perfect."