The Heart Of The Glade

Deal

I had taken off my hoodie because the bonfire, which the boys had built, was so big the nighttime cold didn't bother me anymore. Now I wear a tank top and kaki pants just like most of the Gladers, yet I am bare foot. Alby advised against my naked feet for fear that I might step on something and cut them, but I can't help it; the feel of the soft dirt between my toes feels so freeing and I need that feeling right now.

I'm not the only one getting the "free" feeling tonight either. Some of the Gladers are hitting sticks against a few hollow logs so as to make a drumming beat. While others are dancing along to the rhythm around the fire, and by "dancing" I mean jumping up and down whilst flailing their arms all over the place, I snicker at them. They look ridiculous.

I snort as one boy tries to accomplish a flip and fails by landing on his back.

'Better luck next time,' I think.

As I walk around the fire, I spot Alby and Newt talking to each other. Newt notices me staring and gestures for me to come over. I take a deep breath and make my way over to them. Being tough still isn't easy for me but I know I have to keep up the act so I don't get looked down upon. I stand beside Newt and look up at him. I feel so small.

"Alby and I were just talking about you, Greenie," Newt says, smiling down at me.

Alby folds his arms and adds, "Since you're going to be "one of us" now, would you like to sleep in the hammocks with the rest of us or your own place because you're a girl?"

I can tell Alby is uncomfortable asking me this, which means that he is still trying to protect me since I'm a girl, and I appreciate his concern. However, I'm not going to let one thing be different about how I do things compared to them, except, of course, when showering or using the restroom.

"The hammocks, please. The only privacy I ask for is the shower and bathroom, of course," I answer Alby.

Alby and Newt sigh in unison with relief. Obviously they thought I was wanting EVERYTHING to be equal.

Alby nods and the three of us smile at each other.

"Are you enjoying the bonfire, Greenie?" Newt asks me. He's been trying to make sure I am as comfortable as possible since I came up in that scary box.

Before I can answer, I hear Gally calling for me from behind. I turn and see him and a group of muscular boys, much like himself, staring at me with mischievous smiles on their faces.

'What now, Gally?' I think and role my eyes.

"What?" Newt asks him, sounding a bit protective.

"She needs to try my secret recipe. It's her first night after all," Gally replies and the group of boys snicker around him. I'm starting to get nervous.

"Oh I almost forget," Newt says. I turn around and see him grinning from ear to ear like the rest of them. Now I'm nervous.

"Come on. It's tradition," Newt says to me as we walk over to Gally and his gang.

Gally teases, "Unless you're to girly to try it."

He holds out a glass jar filled with brown liquid for me. I grab it and take a whiff. The smell is retched and it burns my nostrils. When I grimace the boys erupt with laughter.

Newt begins to instruct me, "Ok, so the goal is to drink a whole gulp of this stuff without barfing it up. No first-timers have ever been able to handle more than that."

"What is this drink?" I ask as I wipe my eyes from the burning sensation.

"I'll tell you what, Greenie," Gally speaks, "If you can drink that whole thing, I'll tell you the recipe, BUT if you can't, than we get to call you Kitty because you only know how to cat-fight like a girl. Deal?"

"Ooh's" and "aah's" sound among the group. Now other boys have gathered around to watch Gally and I have go at it. I have to take the deal or this whole effort of trying to be a boy will be wasted. Whether boys are missing their memories and stuck in a glade or not, they will still be stupid boys.

I shake Gally's hand and say, "Deal."

My hand begins to shake, rippling the liquid a bit in the jar. Gally smiles proudly at me and puffs out his chest as if he's already won.

It's now or never, I think and begin chugging the viol drink.

The liquid burns my throat like gasoline and my eyes become watery. My stomach gargles at the sudden amount of poison flowing down my throat. I want to vomit and I can feel tears running down my face but I'm already half way done. I can't stop now!

Out of breath, I pull the jar away from my mouth, taking in a huge breath of air before I finish the job. As I return to chug the remaining drink, the boys begin cheering me on by chanting "Greenie" over and over again.

"Come on, Greenie," I hear Newt say quietly behind me.

I gag. The feeling of vomit rises in my throat. Gally, who's been silent this whole time, laughs with victory. His laugh reminds me of what's at stake here- my dignity.

As my stomach tries to rid itself of the burning liquid, I take one last swallow of Gally's secret recipe, emptying the jar.

The crowd goes wild! And although I'm deathly sick to my stomach right now, a grin creeps upon my face. Gally is frozen in shock. Newt is holding up my arm to show off the empty jar. The boys are smiling and cheering. I see Alby and Minho in the distance, grinning with pride.

'I did it,' I think. 'I proved myself to the Gladers!'