39 Michelle Day 12

There is dust caking my face when I wake up. My skin sticks against the rough floor as I peel my face up and off the ground. My shoulders ache and bones groan under the pressure of supporting my shoulders.

"You've got a lot of freckles on your shoulders."

I shrug up my red plaid flannel over my pale shoulders, covering my tank top completely. I recognise Gally's voice without glancing back. When I glance out the window, I notice it is barely the crack of dawn. What is he doing up so early?

My eyes find him over my shoulder, and I glare as my hands find the buttons running down my shirt. I stare him down as I button myself up, my hair falling into my eyes.

"And you reek, when was the last time you took a shower?"

I stand up, my thick boots manage to grip on to the dusty ground. When I glance up, I notice the drywall on the ceiling is already flaking off and down on to the ground.

"Yesterday," I tell Gally, not sparing my eyes from the ceiling. "We're going to have to redo the ceiling today, before we can begin any work on the floor."

Gally crosses his arms, moving closer to me. "Weren't you and David working on that last night?"

I glance at him. He is standing so close to me our shoulders brush. Stepping off to the side, I draw my attention back to the white flakes falling from the roof. "Yeah, we did."

I haven't forgotten the last interaction between David and Gally. When they stood next to each other in some weird primal "I'm bigger than you" contest where they both think they have won, and in reality both are losers. I know that rivalry isn't over from the way Gally stiffens at the thought of David and I being alone together.

"You know he only wants to get your shucking clothes off."

I blow a hair out of my face. "I came to help him, to help you not have to redo the walls tomorrow."

"Sure," he backs away from me, moving towards a wall. "That's why he skipped out on dinner, and that's why he is always staring at you."

"And so what, maybe I'm staring at him back," I snap.

I'm not. David and I are just friends. Just like Gally and I are just friends. If Gally has feelings for me, he needs to push them aside. We're supposed to be teaming up to take down Leo and Alby, and that whole regime. I don't have time to be concerning myself with Gally's petty emotions.

"Keep your voice down." It's not a suggestion, and it makes me actually stare at Gally. His cheeks are tinged peak, and his arms are on his hips as he stares me down. He tries to command the situation by seeming bigger and stronger than I am. I'm not stupid; I know Gally is shorter for a guy. Shorter than David, in fact. It doesn't even matter that I am shorter than both of them either, because when I place my hands on my own hips I watch him blink.

It's a flinch.

"Why?" My lips curl around the word, and my brow furrows.

He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and stepping closer to me. "Alby is looking for any excuse to banish you, and he hasn't had any ramifications about believing false allegations before."

I remember. It was dark on the day that they tried to banish me. So dark that my blood look the same as the colour of the dirt they dragged me through. The pain my ripped knuckles felt as they tried to rip the collar off around my neck, and the watching shadows as they stared me down won't be forgotten.

Right, this is how I know I can't trust Leo. She talked big to try to help me, but she stood still and did nothing. If it weren't for Gally, I would be dead.

"Right," I can't admit that I feel sorry, but Gally can read it off my face. Somehow, he understands me. We are not made of the same material, but carved by the same hands. The tools of betrayal, or hard-work and loneliness have chipped away at our souls, until he and I look the same.

We were not born the same, but we have come to be no different from each other.

It's weird, to realise in some backwards way we care about each other. Even if it is simply as an ends to a means. We have a weird way of showing that we matter to one another. It's hard for me to even think it, but Gally is one of my only allies. Screw the coalition; I choose to fight for what I have been made into.

"What's your problem with David anyway?" I mean it as more of a joke, but I don't think I am the kind of person who knows how to joke.

Gally shrugs. "Nothing, David is a good guy."

"He lied to your face," I tell him, "remember? He said he stole the screwdriver, when I did."

"Exactly," Gally affirms, "he's a good guy, but just because he saved your life doesn't mean either us have to like him, and it certainly doesn't mean it is a good idea for you to be, shucking, I don't know..."

"Sleeping with him," I finish.

I don't have to say I agree with him for him to know I think he is right. Besides, I am not even interested in David, like I previously said. Although I am glad to know Gally isn't just jealous. Dear God, the thought of even sleeping with Gally makes me want to vomit.

He nods, but doesn't smile, instead he stares up at the ceiling. "We're going to have to spend all day fixing the ceiling, aren't we?"

I nod in agreement.

He sighs, shrugging his shoulders. "I will halt all construction up top then, until tomorrow. You me and David will fix the ceiling by lunch."

"You're giving the Builders the day off?" I turn to face him, wearing the puzzle I am trying to solve on my face. Gally is all about hard-work. What's with the sudden change?

"We need to give the drywall a chance to dry before we go stamping around up there," he tells me. "And if Alby has a problem with it, he can stick it wear the sun don't shine."

If I have the afternoon off, I will have the perfect chance to cozy up to Leo and figured out what exactly her plan is with Dawn, Newt and Minho, and if there is an easy way for me to take it down.

"Right, well I am going to get David," Gally notes, moving to walk out the room.

"He'll probably be helping with breakfast in the kitchen," I call over my shoulder, moving towards a bucket in the corner.

Inside is drywall that has had the pleasure of drying overnight. I manage to lug up the heavy bucket, staring down at the tools cemented inside the bucket. Great, which shuck-head left the mud uncovered? I drop it down to the ground, and it lands with a heavy thud. Now I am going to have to go find the Bricknicks, and explain the situation again. Who knows, maybe the construction of this room will be entirely halted for the week until we can get more supplies.

There are two days until the next shipment, and about one day after that before the Bricknicks get their klunk together, and manage to get the mud ready for us to use. Because if there is one thing I have noticed in my short time here: Bricknicks are dumb shucking Builders, and Builders are slintheads to begin with.

Honestly, you'd think they were the Greenies and not me.

I look out the window, staring out into the early morning light. The wood on the window sill is moist to the touch, but I don't mind the water sinking into my stained and dirty flannel. Thankfully we didn't put in glass pane to help with airflow, so I can completely stare out into the damp morning.

The Walls rumble and move to the side, and I watch as Runners slip out through the cracks in the door just forming. I recognise Minho, slipping away and glancing back at the Map-room. Probably looking for Leo. Is she sleeping with just Alby, or is it everybody else in this shuck Glade as well?

I scan around, looking for her, but she sits far away from where Minho casted a glance. On the porch, with an apple in her hand. She takes a carefully bite at it, staring down at the red fruit.

Besides Leo, I don't see any other Med-jacks around, and I should recognise them from the Builders constantly getting injured. I watch as the Keeper of the Gardens, What's-his-Nuts, begins to move over to his precious tomato plants. For some reason I see him pouring over them every day. I'm not sure why I watch him; I don't even like tomatoes.

And in the garden, is Pipsqueak. Curly or Ella or whatever. She is up awfully early, or maybe she didn't sleep at all last night. Now, I need to keep my eye on her. She is prone to seizures and whatever, and knows way too much for my liking. Or, really, for anyone's liking. I hear people whispering about her more than I hear them whispering about Leo. Not as much as Dawn though, since no Builder knows how to keep it in their own pants.

Maybe I should spy on her too. I'll see what Gally thinks when he comes back. After we finish the ceiling.

"Looking for me?" I turn around, to see Gally walking in the room, with David slowly falling behind. Is Gally trying to make a joke?

"Please," I roll my eyes. "Who would want to look at you?"

David cocks his eyebrow at me, and I can see the smirk on his cheek. When my eyes meet his, he stares at me for a few seconds before he looks down. Fiddling with something in his hands, something I can't see, and don't really care to see.

"You're funny," Gally's lips are pressed tightly together, and his eyes stare dead at me.

I shrug my shoulders, and I hear David snort.

Gally frowns, so to avoid the upcoming brawl between him and David, I kick forward the bucket of drywall. The plastic creaks as it struggles around the weight of the dried substance inside.

"Some shank left the bucket uncovered." I let my eyes glance down to it.

Gally crosses his arms, and David crosses the room to pick it up. He takes it in his hands, winking at me as he does. Who does he think he is?

"I'll go see if the Bricknicks have any more," he picks up the bucket as if it weighs nothing as he leaves the room.

Gally looks at me for a second, and as soon as I hear the front door to the Homestead slam, I return Gally's glare.

"Ella," I begin. "What are we going to do about her?"

~~~~~

This chapter makes me laugh. Like a lot. Like, really a lot actually. If only they could see the future (like me).

Shit is about to go down for Michelle.