pre-the maze runner
chapter five

❛❛ we both know you don't want to be here ❜❜

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Poe was mostly quiet as the hour passed into the second job of his Trials. Newt barely said a word to him after he introduced him to the rest of the Track-hoes and then ordered Poe to remove the weeds and pull out the fully grown veggies. So far he wasn't liking this job and he kind of enjoyed Slicers more. He wasn't proud of himself killing an animal though, he only enjoyed being a Slicer is because he liked Teo and Winston, and of course, the dog, Bark.

Winston said that Nick told him that Bark was just a little puppy when the first Gladers arrived and the puppy was already in the barn when they found him.

Poe glanced across the Gardens, over the crops and spotted Newt by the fences. Poe crouched back down, and the boy, Zart, was beside him. Newt left Poe to Zart to show him gardening. "How long has Newt been the Keeper of Trackers?"

"Track-hoes" Zart corrected, he carefully pulled out a veggie out of the ground. "I don't know, couple of months? He was a Runner before this until he broke his leg" Zart looked to be a little younger than Poe, the boy was blond, his hair had little curls and they were all frizzy. He also has freckles on his cheeks.

Perhaps that explains of the boy's limp. "Runner?" Poe raised his brows, "How'd he get it?"

"I don't know, man" Zart half laughed, he was digging the soil with his hands, he had gloves on. "He's one of the originals, the first Gladers, I assume that's why. Here, rinse these—" he handed the basket of fresh veggies that were filled with ground soil.

"Ever tried to be a Runner?" Poe asked him, "Ever thought of it?"

Zart chuckled, "Oh, no. No way, man. Going out there is like you're risking your life" he moved backward to examine another batch of growing-veggies. "I'm better off here... How about you? Do you want to be a Runner?"

Poe shrugged, "Yeah, sure. I don't know why, I just— want to. I guess I wanna help us all to get out of here"

"Dude, that's what Minho has been doing the past three years, what makes you think you'd do it differently?"

Zart was right, Poe admitted. If Minho hasn't find the way out, he has been for the past two years and there's no luck, Poe wouldn't even make any differences or find something new.

"How you're doing there, Greenie?" A familiar voice with an accent said behind Poe. He shifted his head and glanced over his shoulder and see Newt standing over him. Newt had his arms crossed on his chest, his face looking very stern but calm.

"Spectacular" Poe smiled halfheartedly.

Newt stared at him momentarily before his eyes moved and was looking over at Zart. "He's doing okay" The boy replied, "He's not really trying but he's doing alright"

Poe glanced back down, continue rinsing the soil off the veggies. "Go for a break" Said Newt. Zart got on his feet, Poe followed until Newt's hand was on his shoulder, giving a squeeze and pressed it down, "Not you, you still got a lot to do"

Poe sighed disappointedly. He crossed his legs and proceeded what he was doing meanwhile Newt took Zart's place. Poe didn't want Newt to take over, he didn't want Zart to go and he had an urge of wanting to leave and walk away. He wouldn't even care of how much trouble he'd get. Yet he couldn't walk away for an unknown reason.

They didn't say a word for the next few moments, Poe was rinsing off the vegetables, then put them in another basket. He wanted to say something, and maybe start a conversation. He could try.

"I was told that you've been here since from the start" Poe uttered, and for some reason, his heart quickened. He gulped as Newt said nothing for a moment. He thought he wasn't going to talk.

"Yeah, been here from the start" Newt replied, "along with Nick, Alby, Minho, Gally... George"

Poe glanced down and somehow feeling shame when Newt mentioned George. He was thinking about yesterday, he was still embarrassed and guilty at the same time. Should he apologize again? He didn't want to, maybe it's best he shouldn't mention it and talk about something else.

"Zart said you were a Runner" Poe mentioned, he picked up the last light brown vegetable then began rinsing it. "Before you became a Tracker"

"Track-hoe" Newt corrected, Poe wasn't sure if the boy was annoyed by looking at his frown look. He didn't answer for a brief moment. "Yeah, I was a Runner"

"Until you broke your leg?" Poe finished rinsing the last vegetable. He clamped his hands together, leaned forward until he rested his elbows on his crossed legs and glanced at the boy.

"Until I broke my leg" Newt nodded. He dug out a freshly grown brown vegetable then tossed it at Poe. He clumsily caught it. "Been a while and my leg hasn't been the same since then"

"Yeah? What happened anyway?" Poe asked, he rinsed the vegetable with a big bowl of water which was now all dirty and brown from rinsing.

"I fell" The boy answered simply and sounded not honest.

Poe raised his brows as he stared at him. Somehow, Poe knew the boy was lying or not entirely honest. Usually when a person is lying about something, they intend to keep it to themselves. Newt didn't even look and merely kept doing what he's doing. "Must've been a nasty fall" Poe murmured.

Newt finally turn his glanced at Poe, looked at him a bit differently this time instead of frowning at him. "How about you take those load to the kitchen? Give em' to the Cooks" he was pointing at the basket of clean and fresh vegetables.

Poe sighed softly, "I've been cleaning, rinsing and cutting off weed the past hour, can't I just do some actual gardening?"

Newt sat on his legs and looked at the blue eyed boy, "I think we both know you don't want to be here and we're both bloody certain that you're not right for this job. Now get your ass up and get the load delivered to Frypan, can you do that, Greenbean?"

Poe pursed his lips, raised his brows then nodded weakly. Newt was right, was it really that obvious? It's like the boy can read his mind. "Fine" he got on his feet. His legs were stiffened and ached from sitting down for a long time and he slowly stretched. He picked up the basket of vegetables, carried them and went to the kitchens.

He wasn't sure if he liked the guy or not, everyone says Newt is kind but he certainly wasn't towards Poe.

When Poe arrived the kitchens, he found Anton sitting outside of the kitchen, lying down on the ground, hands over his head and seemingly relaxed. Also enjoying the sun. Poe stepped closer and shaded the sun from Anton's face.

The young boy opened his eyes, sees Poe standing over him, Anton beamed "Hey, what's up?" He sat up.

Poe set the basket down on the ground l, "Newt ordered me to deliver these to you, Cooks"

"Ah, more potatoes" Anton muttered, he got on his feet. "Come on, you can put them inside" He was going to the kitchen hut.

"Can't you carry them in yourself?" Poe put his hands on his hips.

Anton laughed abruptly, "My arms are tiny and skinny, do I look like I can carry them?"

Poe merely smiled, laughed softly then picked up the load again then carried them to the kitchen hut.

"So, how's your Trials going so far? I know it's only first day"

"Marvellous" Poe replied sarcastically. He went into the hut, there was a wave of heat that hit him when he stepped into the hut, the smell of burning coals, smell of multiple food, and even the lunch's leftovers. "How can you stand working in here?"

"I got used to it, somehow I become immune to the heat, even when I go outside, I get all shivery cold, really" Anton gestured the large brown bag made of wool in the far corner that was almost empty with only a dozen of potatoes in it. Poe set the basket down and they both picked each potato and put them into the bag. "You're trying out Track-hoes, aren't you?"

"Yeah, it's a bit bland, to be honest" Poe commented. "Noot isn't taking me very serious and making me do all the simplest things"

"Well, your lack of determination is showing, it's obvious" Anton laughed.

"It's not like I'm fit to be a Track-hoe, so—" Poe weakly shrugged, "Noot knows that. I don't think that guy likes me at all. You say he's the nicest shank in the Glade but looks like we both have different views of kindness"

"Oh give him a chance," Anton picked up the basket then poured the last few couple of potatoes into the bag. "Usually he doesn't like those who are being total dicks or stupid, like Nico, one of the Builders, he's a total dickhead... so I assume you're either being a total dick, or being stupid... or maybe because he knows you're a weirdo. Like I said before, no one likes weirdos around here"

Poe frowned at the young boy. "And yet, you're still talking to a weirdo"

"You're a good weirdo, so" Anton shrugged them smiled. He gently hit the basket against Poe's chest, "Anyway, you gotta head back, Newt might think you're slackin', he hates slackers"

Poe scoffed then left the hut and went back to the Gardens.

When Poe was back at the Gardens, Newt ordered him to throw some fertilizers on every soil in the Gardens. At the end, he ended up with his arms ached, burned and stiffened from carrying the heavy bag. Then Newt had reminded him he could've used the wheel barrel. Poe thought Newt might've done that on purpose just to torture him.

"I assumed you forgot to mentioned that earlier?" Poe said through his teeth.

"Yeah, I guess I did" Newt scratched his head, "Sorry about that" he didn't sound he meant it at all.

When the Trials were done for the day and work was done for the day, Poe had never felt so relieved that he got over Track-hoes, the day felt long and tiring. He was also happy that he can rest and relax. The Gladers were settling as evening arrived and the Runners came back from the Maze an hour before the Door closes.

When the Door closed for the night, that's when supper began. The Gladers all stood in two lines at the kitchen where Frypan and Anton were serving dinner. The dinner seemed the same as yesterday's. After he got himself a plate, he went to the picnic tables where he joined the Slicers table.

"Had a good day, mate?" Teo beamed as Poe sat down beside him.

Poe let out a soft groan, "Gardening sucked"

"Yeah, I didn't do well with that too" Teo reached grabbed a jug with red juice in it then poured it into his cup. "Seems simple but I had no shuckin' idea what I was doing"

"I think the Keeper is torturing me"

Winston gave him a weird look, "Newt? Come on, that guy can't even harm a fly"

"Yeah, sure" Poe murmured then began eating his supper.

Supper went on, Poe spent it talking while eating with Winston and Teo. They talked about their job, and sometimes about the Maze and the Grievers. Winston mentioned about a Runner who first got locked out of the Glade and got lost in the Maze. The next day, Minho only found traces of bloody smeared all over the corridor by the Door. Teo said old and dry blood can still be seen on the walls by the entrance.

Poe's attention was caught when he heard Anton yelling and grunting behind him. Poe turned and see Anton on the ground, his stomach against the ground and laughs erupted from the Builders table and from the Baggers table. Anton's food and drink was spilled. Poe spotted a boy who they call Nico pulling his foot under the table. He immediately assumed it was Nico who tripped the young boy on purpose. A lot of the Gladers in the picnic area laughed and chuckled. Even some guys from the Track-hoes and Slicers.

Poe got up and helped Anton up, "You alright?"

The young boy nodded. Lowering his head, hiding his face and looked completely embarrassed. He had red juice splattered on his white shirt.

"Come on" Poe guided the young boy out of the area. Before leaving the area and walked by the Builders table and told the boy, Nico, "Why don't you pick on someone for your size?"

Nico was still smirking when Poe and Anton walked away. Poe already hated Nico, he's only been here for a day now and he already hated that boy.

Poe and Anton were outside of the kitchen hut, sitting on the ground as the sun had settled, orange, red and dark shades of blue were in the sky and the stars became visible. Poe felt really bad for Anton, the poor boy was still embarrassed. He was angry at the guy who bullied the kid.

"I thought they would leave me alone by now since I'm not a Greenie no more" Anton muttered, "but no, they still like to pick on a smallest one in the Glade"

Poe was sitting beside the boy, "I can take care of them, if you like" he told him.

Anton softly chuckled, "No, you can't. You can't harm another Glader, you'll get punished. You don't want to get into trouble"

"I don't mind a little trouble" Poe shrugged.

Frypan came over with a new plate and freshly cooked dinner and it was still hot from the cooking. "Here you go, man" When the Keeper of the Cooks heard what happened and insisted to cook another plate for the boy instead of giving him the cold leftovers.

"Thanks, Siggy" Anton grabbed the plate then turned to Poe, "Yeah, I still don't want you to get into trouble, it's not worth it, especially Nico, he ain't worth it"

Poe felt like that older boy still needed to learn his lesson. Anton is Poe's friend now, he only met the young boy just yesterday and he already felt like he cares for the kid. Odd to think that it felt he already knew and cared for the kid before he even came here. Maybe it is possible he already knew the kid before all of this happened. Poe had been feeling the familiarity for everyone in the Glade. Like he knew all of them, like he knew Anton, like he knew Teo, Nick, Alby, Minho, Winston, Newt, Nico... all of them. Like he met them all before, but it's a torture that he can't recall.

"I'll be right back," Poe stood up, "I gotta take a piss"

Poe left the kitchen and went back to the picnic area. He wasn't really going to the outhouses, he felt like he wanted to do something. When he arrived the picnic area, he walked toward the Builders table, where Nico was sitting, no one paid attention to Poe at the moment, and he approached the older boy then grabbed him from behind.

***

Oh snap!

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