As the three newest arrivals gradually began to grow familiar with their new surroundings, it wasn't long before Alby decided to put them to work. Now that there were six of them instead of three, some important changes would be needed in regards to their shelter arrangements, along with how they were going to keep finding enough food to survive. The new recruits were going to have to pull their own weight if they all wanted to live, and that process started almost as soon as their first group meeting ended.

Alby decided it would be best if he, Newt, and May all took one of the new guys and introduced them individually to the chores needed to be done to provide for themselves in the Glade; Alby took Brown-Eyes towards the woods to show him how to hunt, Newt volunteered to show Pretty-Boy what working in a garden looked like, which left May more than happy to aid Freckles with diving into the brutal world of building stuff out of the limited resources they were given.

They wouldn't do anything too strenuous, mainly little things like weaving baskets and making tools; she'd delve into more complicated things such as bed-frames, walls and ceilings later if he thought that's where his skills were mostly attuned to. But for the moment, May took advantage of this opportunity to get to know Freckles without anyone else being present.

"Wait, how did you do that again?"

It was the first sentence she'd heard him say since they'd started their lesson of weaving baskets, and the girl couldn't have been happier as the duo sat on their stumps next to the dead campfire. From the way his face had first turned red and how shaky his hands had been, it was more than apparent that being around her made him nervous to an extent that didn't apply to Newt or Alby. Whether it was because he was new or May was a girl, she couldn't tell. All she knew for a fact was that talking was good; it was something she could work with.

"Like this," The girl grinned and demonstrated the pattern in which she'd interwoven her twigs and grass into a circular base for the basket itself, only much slower the second time around. May couldn't help but notice how intensely he watched her hands work, his brows furrowed in concentration and he glanced every once in awhile to his own work as he attempted to mimic her motions. "See, you slide this piece through this hole, then pull- but not too hard, you don't want the twig to break."

He'd nod once or twice as she explained everything bit by bit, keeping his gaze only on his work and her own. It was difficult to determine if he was purposely trying to avoid eye-contact with her or if that was just in his nature, but May didn't take it personally. 

"Like...this?" He copied her actions almost perfectly as his fingers slid the edge of the twig in place, then carefully pulled the strip of green as she'd instructed. Her eyes widened as her smile grew and she playfully nudged his side.

"Exactly!" She exclaimed with a proud smirk and she witnessed the first smile from Freckles she'd seen since the three new guys arrived. "You're a natural at this. Couldn't have done it better myself." As he sat there beside her, blushing even more profusely than he had a minute prior, May took a moment to fully assess the boy next to herself.

Despite his shy behavior, Freckles was a large piece of meat that towered over her by nearly half a foot. She figured if he'd stood back-to-back with Alby, the younger boy would've given the man a run for his money. He didn't appear to be much older than her either, possibly passing her by one, maybe two years at the most. He must've hit a growth-spurt earlier than a normal teenage boy, considering how short the other three guys were in comparison to this mountain weaving baskets.

"You catch on fast," She commented as they finished their first baskets much faster than even she thought possible. As they did a final once-over to make sure the strips of flora were tightly woven in their places, Freckles nodded in acknowledgment and scratched the back of his neck, his eyes still locked on the finished green project in his hands.

"I have a good teacher."

She elbowed him in the side playfully once again and this time he actually looked up at her face. This was the first chance May had to get a good view of his facial features and she wasted no time getting used to the profile of the gentle giant. He had a somewhat stubby nose and his lips were kind of thin, but the smile he shared lit his features up like stars in the night sky. His eyes, graced with a subtle green shade, squinted when he grinned and May could only imagine what he looked like when he laughed.

"How are you doing?" May asked after a moment of silence, her voice dropping the jokey tone and becoming sincere as she placed her basket on the ground at her feet. "I know this-" She gestured to the Glade around them. "-can be a little...much."

"I, uh," He cleared his throat and glanced around as if to make sure they weren't being watched. Alby and his charge were too deep in the woods to be seen; Newt and Luscious were busy with the garden, their bodies hardly visible through the rows of tall, green cornstalks. Once more, May heard an audible cough as the gentle giant struggled to maintain his composure and his eyes tried to stare a hole into the dirt by his shoes. "I'm alright. Just a little shaken up."

"And that's perfectly fine," May stated and gently put her hand on his tense shoulder. Her fingers looked dainty against his tough muscle, and yet she seemed to be the more stable of the two individuals. "Everyone's a mess when they first arrive and we all cope with it in different ways." Empathy flooded her words like rain after a drought and Freckles took a deep breath. His body seemed to deflate upon physical contact, as if his muscles were tightened springs and her hand suddenly released the tension. The poor boy was so scared, frightened like an animal in a trap with nowhere to go.

It was then that May decided a simple hand-touch wasn't enough. Before he could object, the teenage girl had gotten to her feet, tugged him up onto his own, and tightly wrapped her arms around his middle. Just as he'd been when her hand felt his shoulder, the boy was a rigid mountain of nervous flesh. For a minute it felt like she was hugging a tree, he was so motionless. But after a few seconds, Freckles decided it was alright for him to hug her back. Since the top of May's head barely reached his collar-bone, Freckles pulled the small girl into his chest and set his chin on the top of her hair.

"You're so damn tall," May couldn't help but giggle.

The duo both let out cheerful laughs and May knew, deep down, that Freckles would always have a special place in her heart.