10 Dawn

"Wake up."

I groan, and my first instinct is to simply say "no."

The boy above me laughs, and takes me by the arms. I find myself being lifted off the ground, even though I am barely awake at all. I don't dare crack my eyes open though. Thoroughly, I am exhausted.

"Alright," Minho plops down next to me, lying in the grass. He doesn't seem to mind that the grass is wet.

Something tickles my nose, and I swat it away, but it comes back. I open my eyes, to see Minho feathering me with a blade of grass. I snatch it from his hand.

"You could be a Runner," he notices. "If you weren't so keen on sleeping in."

I ignore him, turning my back away from him. A smile secretly plays on my face. I can't help it. He has this weird charm too him. Even when he isn't as funny as he thinks he is, my cheeks can't help but turn red.

"Come on Dawn." Minho gets up off the ground. "It's already dawn."

I would be rolling my eyes if they weren't closer tightly. I let a giggle escape out my lips, but I am not happy about it.

My body spins into the air, and suddenly I am wide-awake. Not only are my eyes wide open, but my heart is pounding in my chest rapidly, as I feel myself being flung through the air. He has me hanging over his shoulders.

"Put me down!" I try to sound firm, but my voice come out as a laugh as I see myself swinging over Minho's back. "Who do you think you are?"

His head shakes against my waist, and I kick my arms trying to escape his grip. "Sorry what? I can't hear you over this annoying shrieking in my ear."

I roll my eyes. He is absolutely ridiculous. "Would you quit it Maze Boy?"

"You know, people ask me that every day, and every day I find myself continuing on," he tells me, sighing. "Besides, I don't particularity mind having you this close to me."

"You're a pig," I roll my eyes, but a smile lurks on my face. I really hope he is only this flirty with me.

"I will drop you if you actually want me to," I can feel his smirk, as if it comes off in waves. "You just have to tell me."

I can't. Biting my tongue, I remain silent. Part of me hopes he doesn't notice, though the rest of me hopes he does.

Loosening, I feel myself shrug down off of him. He puts a finger to his lips, winks, and darts past me. I spin on my feet, following the Runner deeper into the Glade, rounding around the corner of the Homestead until we are in plain view of the Box.

He doesn't give me a second to catch up to him, as he speeds off ahead. It's a struggle to come close to where Minho stands, and I barely make it next to him by the time we reach the crowd, surrounding the place I first came.

Alby is the middle, standing on a chair and staring out at the rest of us.

"Alright, so things are different shanks." He opens the conversation, looking at Minho and I heaving. We must be the last to arrive.

"I know it's been hard since Nick died, but things have changed, and we need to adapt." He continues, glancing over the Gladers until he finds me.

I've never seen it this quiet. The sound of the silence rings in my ears, and I wait for one of the boys to call out or laugh, but no one does. They all listen, which is what keeps me listening firmly.

"So, we are adding a new rule, givin' certain developments." He says. "These new girls, no one touches 'em. Not until we figure out why the Creators sent them up in that shuckin' Box. Anyone looks at 'em funny, and they'll be spendin' the night with the Grievers. No exceptions. Got it?"

What?

When I look around, I notice Minho has disappeared into the ground. Right from beneath me, he is gone. A few boys shift away around me, and I can't help but feel myself stiffen.

"This is a load of klunk." I shout out. "I'm not a porcelain doll."

Alby stares me down. "No exceptions."

It's not a challenge, it is an order. It feels ridiculous though. There is no way I am going to sit around and be told what to do by a boy who doesn't even know me. I am not fragile, and certainly not delicate either. If he is worried about someone breaking me, or something else, he's got it all wrong.

I march off away from the crowd, back towards the Homestead. There's no reasoning to this. It is ridiculous at best, and dangerous at worst.

By the time I reach the door, I rip it open, slamming it behind me. My feet run up the stairs, and make their way up to a bedroom. That door gets slammed too, as I collapse on to the unmade bed of whoever slept in here before me.

I've never been upstairs in this place before. Didn't even realise people slept in here. Who knows, maybe this is Alby's bed and he'll have to banish himself for getting this close to me.

"You ran out of there pretty quick," Newt remarks.

I get up, spinning around to see him. He hangs off the doorframe, but doesn't step in the room.

"What, too bloody afraid to come in?" I ask, throwing a pillow at him.

He ducks out of the way. "No."

"Afraid since I am a girl, and I am in a bed you are about to get banished?" I demand, sitting up as the blankets lift up around me.

"I am not going to get banished." He answers, and this time he moves into the room. "You have to understand-"

"That you are trying to compress us?" I stand up, and the bed creaks as I get off of it. "'Cause suddenly girls show up, and none of you can keep it in your pants? Just 'cause I am a girl, doesn't mean I am about to-"

"Alby is only trying to do what is best." Newt looks at me.

I don't see how that is relevant at all. Not even slightly, honestly. Because the thing is, it doesn't matter if he is doing what he think is right. What matters is him not wanting me to touch anyone else. As if I am somehow poisonous. I am not Michelle.

"The shuck has that got to do with this?" I ask. "That doesn't bloody matter. I am not a contagious disease."

"You aren't, no." Newt continues, moving closer to me. "It isn't to protect the boys from you, or even that ginger. It's to protect you from them."

"I am not a bloody flower!" My voice tears down the walls as I stare Newt down.

He doesn't back off. "Of course you aren't, but do you realise how complicated this situation is now? We live on the constant verge of death, and one blink and we are on the wrong side. With you four in the picture, we have to consider a whole new picture."

"Just because we are girls-"

"Just, here me out." He raises his hands in defense, and I realise I am still heaving. My breath hasn't seized to break out of me in violent waves, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

"Fine."

He sighs, limping over on to the bed. He sits down, and stares at me.

I move next to him, fiddling with my hair as I wait for him to talk. Today, I decide upon putting two high buns in my hair, above both of my ears. Everyday I've managed a new style. Seems pointless, but it seems to be the only thing I can control about my own body with Alby rampaging.

"With you here, there is a lot that can happen." He tells me. "What happens when boys like Ben attack you like he did Michelle, because they are out of it? What happens if you get with someone and then it doesn't work out? Or when you find out a boy has been two timing you? Boys could get into fights over you, because like you said, "the slintheads can't keep it in their pants". Or heaven forbid one of you gets pregnant. Then where are we? I am not raising a baby Glader. There's too many things that could go wrong if a boy gets involved with you, and most of them have nothin' to do with you."

He has a point, even if it's wrong. The Gladers are constantly preparing for the worst, and it is so bad that they are missing the adventure before us. Bad things only happen if you expect them. Otherwise, it is just a journey with ups and downs.

"We are fine." I tell him, and he stands up, moving away from me.

"I'll have to trust you on that." He tosses a glance over to me as he walks backwards out of the room. "Besides, I am not one to tattle if anyone does end up breaking the rules."

I raise my eyebrows, and a smile slides out my mouth as well as a burst of air. "Are you insinuating what I think you are?"

"Depends on what you're thinking." Moving down the stairs, I follow him out and into the Glade.

"Newt," I manages the words straight, but he can't take me seriously since I am stuck between shock and laughter, "I'm not about to break the rules."

"About too? You already broke the most important one." He throws over his shoulder. "And I imagine you'll break the rest before we leave."

I can't believe him, but I manage to laugh anyway. When he winks, I just shake my head, before looking up to the sky.

Rules don't really matter to me, but they seem to matter to everyone else here. Especially the leader, who doesn't seem like someone who would defend me if I was about to kicked out of their place. I need to stay in line, even if I don't care to. Even if I want to break the rules so badly. Unfortunately, I've got to do things the hard way.

But when I see Newt's smirk, I think maybe I don't have to.

"Dawn, what are you doing?"

I spin on my heels, to see Frypan waving at me from further down the field.

When I turn, Newt is walking off, and I take it our conversation is over.

"Come on, we've got food to cook." He calls out to me.

Right, that's what I'm supposed to be doing.

I take one last glance at the Walls that surround me, before heading off towards Frypan.

When I catch up to him, he is already walking into a tiny wooden house, next to a bunch of animal pens. He leaves the door open for me to follow in behind him.

Inside, it's not what I expect. Frypan's kitchen contains the opposite of what I expect. There are fancy appliances, like a microwave and a fridge, which I thought would not exist up here. However, it is empty except for Frypan and me.

"Is it just us?" I ask.

He nods. "Yeah, actually it is right now. Some days I have boys help out, but others I don't. Today there is a huge project with the Builders, which means I've lost them for the morning."

That makes sense, I imagine at least. "So, what is it I can do?"

"Wait," he leans down against a chair in the center, and begins stroking his beard. "Breakfast is easier than any other meal. The Track-hoes bring over the greens, and the slicers brought over the meat last night, which is already heating up in the oven. Lunch will be chaos though, so get ready for that."

Chaos doesn't seem all that bad. Nothing I can't handle anyway. This Glade has nothing on me, nor do any of the boys here.

"You know, are you sure you don't know-"

The smoke alarm on the ceiling goes off, and I look up staring at it. The red light flashes, and the high-pitched buzz snaps in my ear. I reach up to place a hand over my ears as I groan.

"Would you turn that bloody thing off?" I ask, cracking my eyes open.

Frypan is already up, opening the oven door. Smoke pillows out, and I cough as I wipe my way through the cloud, trying to see inside. He is standing in the way, and he grabs an oven mitt off the top of the counter, reaching a hand inside, and throwing something out on the ground.

It is the entire head of a pig.

I cough, as I continue to wave through the fog. "You guys eat the head?"

"No," he shuts the door, but the alarm continues to go off. "This must be somebody's idea of a prank. Good for them, now those shanks aren't eating until lunch."

The smoke continues to strangle my lungs. That's some sick idea of a prank.

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh that's fun. Don't think I will forget about this anytime soon. I mean, I forget nothing.

What do you think of the fourth rule?

Be happy until Wednesday.