The alarm blared, bouncing off the stone walls, making it even louder. She had her hands clamped over her ears. Her eyes wide she turned to her brother.

"What's that noise? I recognize it!" She was yelling over the loud alarm.

Newt smiled, "That, my dear baby sister would be the bloody Newbie Alarm! Meaning, you're no longer the Greenie! Congrats!"

She jumped up and down punching the air, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She bolted out the door, down the stairs and towards the box.

The other boys didn't seem as affected, but she headed to the box. Chuck came bounding over, bouncing up and down, at least he was as excited as she was! "Hey Chuckles! How's your morning?'

"Someone is having quite the day! First you snuggle with Mr McDreamy all night, then ..some kind of weird mental brain glitch, and now you're not the Greenie anymore. I think most guys will still call you She-Bean."

"Did you just tell me I had a mental glitch?" Alex glared at him.

Frypan and Matt sidled up with them, "So there ma lil lady-Bean, you going to explain what the shuck happened at the picnic table?"

"No, first I want details of Minho and you last night!" Matt gave her an expected look, raising his eyebrows and pumping her shoulder.

Alex just shook her head laughing, "you guys are impossible!"

"It's not like we have a lot going on. We have about 30 minutes before the box shows up. So sit down and explain." Frypan ordered.

Chuck and Matt pulled her down onto the grass. They crossed their legs, elbows on knees, resting their chin on their hands, staring intently at her, waiting. She shook her head and sighed exasperitly, but gave them the short version of what happened at breakfast. The boys had wide eyes and mouths open. Chuck slapped his forehead.

"How did we not see this?" Fry nodded his agreement.

"It's so shuckn' obvious! It's like a female version of Newt." Matt said in wonder.

"HEY! That's not nice! I'm way better looking than that shank!" Alex protested.

"Well ya, that's a given! Your hair is also way more red" Chuck agreed, his curls bouncing as he nodded. Fry had his hand tapping his chin, looking thoughtful for a moment. He looked at Alex with a sly glint in his eye, he glanced at Chuck and Matt. Both grinned evily at Alex.

"Whaat? Fry...guys...I don't like that look!" Alex was a bit worried, "You Glade Gossips what are you scheming?"

Fry grinned at her, "well now that we know Newt is officially off the market- well... with you anyways...Minho has a clear shot!" Matt and Chuck high fived.

"Eeeewwww! Frypan! There was never any 'on the market' with him! Ever!" She pretended to throw up. She eyed him suspiciously, "And why do you want Me and Minho together so bloody bad? Man, you three need a hobby! He's also been a bloody shucken idiot the last few weeks, if you haven't noticed."

Chuck snorted, "A dreamy shucken idiot. And we do have a hobby, setting you up with McDreamy!"

"You keep calling him that, maybe you should take your shot with him, little mister!" Alex sassed back, poking Chuck in the chest. Changing the subject she asked, "So, what do we think the new greenie will be like? Think it's another girl?"

The boys shook their heads, "nah, it'll be some poor shank again" Matt said sympathetically, patting her shoulder.

"I think you were a weird fluke. No offense." Chuck added.

"Well offense is taken. And taken a lot! A fluke! You just called me a shuckin mistake! And just now, you told me I look like a guy AND I had a glitchy brain! You little slint-head!" Chuck fell over laughing, as Alex continued to poke him and tickle all over.

The friends spent the remainder of the 30 minutes arguing about what the new greenie would be like. Five minutes before the doors opened, a crowd had formed. Bets were being placed on a Shank or Shanket, if they would cry or not, run or cower. Alex felt a little sick, her sympathy for the kid was high. Only a few weeks ago that was her down there cold, wet, sick and freaking out. There was a red light from somewhere below the doors, the alarm blared again. They could hear a kid yelling for help. Definitely a Shank. Alex's heart sank, she was really hoping for a female friend. But she had Chuck, Matt and Fry, they acted like girls with their need for gossip and interest in her love life- or lack of. And Minho was dramatic enough for a girl with his mood swings...maybe she didn't need a girl, when she was surrounded by these moody shanks.

"Gally open the doors!" Alby hollered.

Gally, with the help of Newt, opened the metal cage doors. There at the bottom was a tall boy with dark brown hair, it was wet and plastered to his forehead. He had a hand lifted trying to block the blinding sunlight after being in the dark for so long. Gally jumped in making the cage swing. Alex could hear Gally's deep voice, "Day one Greenie!" followed by a yelp and thud. Gally had chucked the new boy onto the grass, at the feet of the gladers.

Man. I'm glad Newt was the one to greet me. Pretty sure if it was Gally and he did that, I'd die. Dude is definitely a shuckin slint head. Bloody bully!

The boy shook his head and got to his feet. His eyes wide with terror, he wiped his head back and forth, spinning in circles. She could hear bets being settled and the Gladers yelling things at the poor kid.

"He looks like klunk in a t shirt"

"He's nothing but a slopper!"

"Aww look at him, he's gonna clunk his pants!"

"I could use help in the kitchen!"

Alex elbowed Fry hard in the ribs. "What? Isn't my help enough? Rude!" Alex shot at Frypan who just shrugged with a little sheepish smile.

"Day One Greenie!"

"Hope you enjoyed your one way ticket!"

"Welcome to hell, ya shank!"

The boy stopped spinning, his eyes landed on the big open doors, Alex could see the boy's muscles tensing up.

"He's going to run," she said. No one was listening, they were too busy laughing and pointing. She was right, he took off.

Someone yelled, Zart, maybe, "WE GOT A RUNNER!"

She waited for someone to do something. Apparently it was on her, because everyone was just watching and laughing. She pushed through the boys, whistled for Bark and took off in a sprint after the boy. Her dog came dashing out of the Deadheads. Alex whistled again and Bark ran at an angle to cut the boy off. Alex was gaining on him. She was definitely fast.

Pffft, and Minho doesn't want to train me! I'm probably just as fast as that stupid shuckface! Probably faster!

Her dog was now in front of the scared boy. The Greenie stumbled slightly seeing the dog, he had slowed down just enough for Alex to tackle him. She wrapped him up around the waist, he landed face first in the grass. The boy struggled trying to throw her off. Alex got on top of him, he was still on his stomach, making pinning him down a lot easier. She maneuvered her body so she was sitting on his back. His arm was wrapped behind his back, Alex held his arm, not hard, but enough to hold him still. She pushed her elbow onto the side of his head effectively making moving impossible.

"Let me go! What's your problem? Let me go! You can't hold me here." he screamed at her. He sounded close to tears.

"I can't let you go either. It's not safe around here. Just...just trust me. Please. I don't want you to get hurt." She held him pinned until he stopped fighting.

"Ok, Greenbean, I'm going to slowly let go, don't fight, don't run, it's not safe. Okay? I promise you will get answers. We will explain. Just no more running." Alex was talking calmly to the scared and skittish boy.

"What's going on? Why don't I know my name? Why can't I remember anything?!" The kid was panicking again, Alex slowly applied more pressure. The kid stopped.

"Breath, just breath. It's gonna be okay. I promise. I was you a few weeks ago. I get it!" The boy tried to nod. "Okay." Alex slowly let go and stood up. The boy turned over into his back, his eyes went wide.

"You're...you're a girl!" he struggled out.

Alex looked down at herself, her eyes wide.

"Wait, what?" She smacked her forehead. "That's not what I was yesterday! Oh no! It happened again!" She grinned at the confused boy. She held out her hand, pulling the boy up. "I'm messing with you. Ya, I'm a girl. The only girl. Name's Alex."

Once he was up, Alex got a good look at him. He was tall, muscular, athletic, with deep brown eyes and hair. He was quite good looking. There was something about him, a tickle at the back of her mind, like something was trying to break through that mental wall. She rubbed her forehead, turning as Alby and Newt finally showed up.

"Don't worry guys, just doin' your bloody job here." She sassed. She looked back at the new kid, "this is Alby, the fearless leader. Our Admiral Alby. Don't talk to him before he has had his coffee. This here is Newt, Newtie Patootie, or as I like to call him Mama Newt."

Newt groaned and rolled his eyes, he pushed her head away gently. Alby let his lip twitch in a small smile for a second.

Alex continued, swatting Newt's hand away with a cheeky grin. "He's second in command. Welcome to the Glade, Green bean!" She threw an arm out wide.

Newt chuckled, "Nice tackle there sis! Didn't know you were that fast!" He turned to the new kid "That was some dash you just made. For a second, I thought you had the chops to be a runner...till you face-planted!" He chuckled again, clapping the boy on the shoulder. Alex chuckled too at the confused look on his face.

Alex nodded to the boys. Leaving the greenie with Newt and Alby she turned to the Homestead to actually start her work day. She glanced back at the new kid.

Yup. There is definitely something...familiar about him. But from where? And Why?

The rest of her day was pretty quiet after the eventful morning, finding her brother, and all the drama with the newbie. Life in the Glade was crazy sometimes. Jeff came and relieved her of her shift, she was done for the day. She decided to go find the Greenie, see how he was doing.

She found him and Chuck sitting under a tree at the edge of the Deadheads. The new boy was pelting Chuck with questions. Alex walked up and sat down.

"Hey Greenie! Hey Chuckles! How are you shuck faces doing?"

The poor kid looked like he was going to explode with questions and Chuck looked relieved when Alex showed up.

"Man, Alex, this kid won't stop! And Alby said I was on Greenie duty!" Chuck said a little overwhelmed, jabbing a thumb at the kid.

Alex smiled gently, "it's ok Chuck. Why don't you go get him a sandwich from Fry, and I'll hang here, good that?" Chuck nodded and got up and jogged off to the kitchen. She turned to the new kid. He was looking at her like she was going to bite, or tackle him again.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. I promise. Four weeks ago I was in your position. I know you can't remember anything, and it's shuckin scary. You have zero clue what's going on and people won't answer your questions and it's frustrating."

Alex talked gently to the kid, letting him know he wasn't alone, and seemed to help relax him. Or maybe someone talking to him who wasn't Alby. He was usually cranky with the new kids. Chuck was a good kid, but not very helpful. The greenie took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Where are we? Why am I here and why are you the only girl?"

Alex smiled.

"We call this place the Glade. Everything inside the walls, where we eat, sleep and work. No idea WHY we're here. No shuckin clue, no one does. And yes, I'm the one and only girl. No idea why I'm the only girl. Frypan, Chuck and Matt think I was a fluke, or a mistake." She explained patiently.

The boy looked away and muttered, "Thanx for actually answering my questions, that other guy just told me to stop asking questions 'an wait for the tour, don't break nothin' and don't leave.'" The boy blinked rapidly, trying not to cry. Alex put a hand on his shoulder.

Her head snapped up, and then back down, and she shivered, her hand squeezed his shoulder.

Alex saw the new kid sitting in front of her, but he was clean and wearing white, the Deadheads had changed to computer screens and monitors. He was looking at Alex with concern, tears in his eyes. Alex felt an overwhelming feeling of anguish.

"Alex! He's going to be okay! Minho and Alby found him! He's alive! He's going to live!"

"Alex?...Uh Alex..?"

"Huh? What?" She blinked. The new kid was looking at her like she had just grown a third head.

"You looked like...I don't know, you zoned out and shivered...Do I gotta be worried?" He asked, nervously, scooting away from her a little.

"Nah, I'm fine." Alex lied, her head was sore, and she was unnerved by what just happened.

Was that a memory? Of what? What the shuck? Who's gonna live? Why'd I feel so upset? And obviously I knew this kid before here...THE SHUCK IS GOING ON?

"Didn't sleep very well last night, just tired." She forced a smile for the kids sake. "Anyways...it's gonna be okay here, it's not all bad. I came out of the box, and boys were calling dibs on me. I had a full anxiety attack and passed out. Chuck apparently klunked his pants. You're doing good. It's okay to be scared. If you ain't scared, you ain't human- Alby told me that on my second day."

"Klunk?" he asked confused, relieved they changed the subject.

"Means poop" Chuck said as he sat back down, handing the boy a plate of food and water. The boy ate just as fast as Alex did on her first day. He put the plate down and was resting his head on the tree behind him when a flash of silver and red caught his eye. He stood up and rushed around the back to see it. Alex and Chuck stood up too.

"It's a Beetle Blade, a little robot creature that watches us." Chuck informed him. The boy stopped trying to see the creature and looked at them.

"Watches? Who watches? Watch what?" Chuck looked guilty that he told him something. Alex sighed, this boy was too curious, Alby was going to have his hands full. She decided to be honest though, she hated how everyone was so vague and mysterious when she first got here.

"Yes watches, Greenie. We are almost certain those creatures are actually little cameras. The people who put us here, we call 'em Creators, that's how they see and know what's going on in here. We don't know anything more than that. A best guess. And you can ask them yourself if you ever meet the nasty buggers!"

The boy nodded his head slowly, his eyes went wide. She turned around and saw what he was looking at. Minho and Ben had just come jogging into the Glade from the East doors. He started pelting them with more questions, but Alex wasn't listening anymore. She had a bubble of rage forming in her chest. Alex left the Greenie to pelt Chuck with questions, and she stormed over to the 2 runners.

Her blood was boiling, she was so angry with the spiky haired Keeper of the Runners. Newt had finally told her what he was saying at breakfast this morning, after he had left her room. She had to endure sniggers and comments from some of the other Gladers as she walked past them all day. Alex was ready to go off.

*******************************************************

**TOMMY IS HERE!! Yeah! 

**What do you think Alex is going to do to poor Minho? Well...to be fare he should've kept his big mouth to himself...ops.