"Are you sure we should do this?" Gally and I stood in the middle of the fight circle, digging our feet into the sand.

"You don't really use your leg during wrestling, do you?" I put my hands on my hips.

He sighed. "Yes, I know, but... but Jeff said intense activity could also hurt."

"That's what she said."

"I'm serious, Val. He said that too much activity at once can cause pain and more issues."

I scowled at him. "You promised."

After throwing his head back and sighing even more, he said, "Fine, then. What do you want to learn?"

"How to defend myself. From creeps, mostly." I explained fast.

"So you want to learn how to fight, not wrestle?" He titled his head. "Okay."

I nodded. "Okay."

"Punch me."

"Excuse me?"

"In the face."

My mouth dropped open. "I'm not doing that."

He lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to learn how to fight. We don't have punching bags and I'm not gonna let you use a tree again. So punch me."

"I can't just punch you."

"Why the hell not? Just do it."

With a few more protests, I swung my fist through the air, ready to hit, but then he grabbed my hand before I could even reach.

I gasped.
"I don't call that a punch." He said. "You're not standing strong. Move your feet, because the enemy could easily push you over like this."

I obeyed.

"And you don't have to swing your fist all the way to the back of your ear, yeah?"

I nodded and tried again. Just to fail. He easily defended himself by pushing my wrist away.

"I'm sick of this already." I grumbled. "Something else?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Don't give up just yet. Try again."

I tried again. I failed again.

"Try to surprise me with it. So I'm not fast enough to defend." He put his hands beside him and watched me carefully.

Sighing, I failed another time.

"Okay." He hummed while rubbing his chin. "Let's try something else, then. Get me on the ground."

"Man. You're a giant. How am I supposed to do that?" I groaned. He stood strong again, feet at shoulder length, face like stone but eyes happy.

"Just try it."

I gave him a push on the shoulders. He didn't faze in the slightest.

"You're not some kind of weak thing. You beat those Builders, too. Shouldn't be hard to put me on the ground." Gally said. "Try again, Ginger."

I pushed with more force now, but never enough to get him on the ground.

"Have your feet inserted roots into the ground? I can't do this." I took a step away again. He raised his eyebrows higher, expecting me to do something.

"Surprise me with it, as I said. And push with more force. No offense." He smiled warmly. "You got it."

I bit my lip, fully concentrated as I grabbed his shoulders and pushed. But he didn't move and I couldn't push him.

"Ah, come on!" I turned around. My back faced him while he just laughed.

"Val. I know you'll be able to do it, yeah? For the third time, do something I don't expect. Try to-."

I spun around, raised my foot and kicked him in the crotch with it. Immediately he bent down, yelping and groaning. I took that in my advantage, lifted my knee and hit him in the face with it. Then I pushed him onto the ground, jumped on top of him, and pinned his hands beside his head.

I grinned deeply. "I indeed can do it."

He grunted. "Stop hitting me... there."

"You said something you wouldn't expect. And I did that. That's good, right?" A corner of my mouth curved up.

Slowly, he started to smile too. "It was good, yeah. Unexpected. You know what else is unexpected?"

"What do y-."

He slipped his wrists out of my hands as he rolled us over, so he got me on the ground. With a stupid smirk, he looked down at me.

"That's too bad, isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes. "Slim it."

He was breathing heavily again. "How's your leg?"

"It's doing better than never before." I breathed, staring at his lips, mostly. So soft. "Hey, you mind if I kiss you?"

"I definitely mind."

"Awesome."

I leaned forward and kissed him.

On the forehead.

To tease.

Smiling, I breathed out. "Can we stand up?"

He nodded and helped me up, taking my hand and basically swinging me through the air. I laughed and cupped his face, this time kissing him on the lips. Deep, and long, not caring about anyone around us.

He smiled through it again, sliding a hand in my hair and taking my waist so I wouldn't have to stand on my toes.

Then I attached my knee to his stomach, hard.

"Unexpected actions." I grinned.

He bent down to his stomach for a second. "You're a nasty pranker."

Before I could even reply, someone hit the familiar bell. It was the sound that let us know it was dinner time, and it made my whole face light up.

"Dibs on the desserts." I giggled and ran off fast, not caring about my limp, which did kind of hurt, after all. I got some chicken, potatoes, and a small brownie.

Laughing, I sat down across from Newt and Zart. Gally soon joined my side, smiling at me.

"You two..." Newt pointed at us. He seemed very pissed. "I don't want to see your bloody kisses all the time."

"Then don't look." I shrugged.

"Get a shuckin' room, what about that?" He mocked.

"We have a room." Gally nodded.

"Two, in fact."

"But why would we go kiss in there?" He finished. Both of us grinned again.

"Yo, lovebirds, British Lizard, and—."

"Shut up."

"—Fart." Ben sat down. "Zartie and Newtie, where's my cupcake?"

With some groans, the boys handed Ben the food. "You're jacked."

"I'm smart." He took a bite and turned to us. "Ya know. We had some bets goin' on. I won, obviously."

My mouth nearly fell open. "Oh, really?"

"Of course. You're the first couple in the Glade. Though I am suspecting Clint and Jeff have some things going on." Ben frowned. The guy was a living comedian. "Anyway. What's up?"

"The sky."

"Seriously, Val?"

"Moviously." I corrected. "Ben, have you seen Josephine?"

Newt suddenly choked on his food, and Zart coughed loudly.

That was not good.

Both those boys and Gally shared some glances, mouthing stuff I didn't understand. "Guys...?"

"Well, she kind of- uh." Newt scratched the back of his head.

"Are her babies born?" Ben gasped.

"Uhm..." Gally refused any eye contact. "She-."

"She's on your plate." Zart blurted out.

No.

I was chewing on... Josephine?

My baby! And ew, the thought of eating her was disgusting.

"I... I've gotta-." I leaned over the bench and spit out all the food, nearly throwing up.

The color had drained away from Ben's face by now. "My Josy..."

"I- how could you?" I looked at Gally as if it was his fault.

I blamed my period for the tears in my eyes.

Newt made another weird sound. A snort.

"Stop laughing at me, you stupid lizard!" I almost started to sob, which I blamed my period for, too. "It's not funny."

"It is kind of funny that Josephine is walking right behind you and you believed all of this." The blonde covered a laugh with his hand.

I gasped, staring at Josephine. She was happily walking around the Glade, picking at the grass. "I'm going to kill you."

"You won't-."

"I will."

Newt ran away as fast as he could, and I followed him. Two weird-running and half-limping people screaming at each other, funny.

I slipped off my shoe and threw it right onto Newt's head. "You piece of klunk!"

"OW!"