Galli

The raw stone walls of the Glade frightened Mia, but Gally troubled her the most. From the very first day, he had taken a dislike to her, being rude and cruel, constantly accusing her of laziness and suspecting that she was "different" and could bring misfortune. The other boys, including Newt and Chuck, treated her with understanding, but Gally wouldn't leave her alone.

During dinner, he yelled at her again, accusing her of the disappearance of tools in the kitchen. His unfair words stung her pride, and, ignoring the boys' attempts to shut him down, Mia turned around and walked into the woods.

Deep in the thicket, she stopped before an old oak tree. Anger and resentment demanded an outlet.

"I hate him!" she screamed and punched the bark with all her might. The pain only fueled her, and she began hitting the tree, imagining Gally's face. Suddenly, acorns rained down on her, one of which hit her forehead.

"If you hit like that, you'll lose before the fight even starts, Newbie."

Mia turned around—it was Gally. He stood there with a smirk, but there was no anger in his eyes.

"Nobody asked you, Gally," she snapped, wiping away sweat. "Go teach your paranoia to someone else."

Proudly lifting her chin, she tried to walk past him. But Gally spoke:

"Want me to teach you how to fight, Newbie?"