𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘄 🆁🅴🅳 - ᴀ ᴍᴀᴢᴇ ʀᴜɴɴᴇʀ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄ

Chapter Five

Minho had no words. She'd left him literally speechless. The Greenie had no problem taking Gally down. Shuck, she'd nearly killed him! Minho himself had considered cutting in to stop her from going too far, but she'd finally let him go.

The little victory speech she'd given after was a nice touch. Minho didn't know whether to be utterly terrified or impressed. Perhaps a bit of both. He did wonder, however, who she'd been referring to.

Thea huffed, still catching her breath. "Who's next?"

The Gladers looked to their feet. Even Minho scratched the back of his neck to avoid eye contact with her. What one earth was she before the Glade? Some sort of assassin? Would the Creators put her in here if she was? Minho wouldn't put it past them. They did throw a bunch of kids into a giant Maze filled with deadly monsters. Highly plausible.

"No one? What happened to all the men?" Thea taunted, getting high off of the victory and not backing down.

"I think," Minho said before she had the chance to force someone to fight, "it's time for a drink."

No one objected and slowly the little outcrop that had become a wrestling ring disappeared into nothing but a patch of well trodden ground. Minho lifted a glass from the table where Frypan had distributed dozens of cups of Gally's secret recipe and found a seat. For some reason, he was drawn to the spot on a bench right beside the Greenie. It was the only open one, he told himself, but if he'd given a bit more attention to the other Gladers, he would know that wasn't entirely true.

Thea sat sideways on the bench, her legs propped up across the length of it with her hands planted behind her for support as she gazed up at the sky. Minho sat on the very end of the bench beside her back since her legs blocked off any other spots.

"Not thirsty?" Minho asked, eyeing her empty hands.

She sat up and cast him a haughty sideways glance. "What's it to you?"

He shrugged nonchalantly and took a swig from his own cup.

Thea rolled her eyes. "Don't drink," she stated. "Especially not around all of you. I don't need to lose control of myself, as a beautiful, smart woman, with a bunch of hormonal teenage boys all around. I want to be conscious of everything I'm doing. That way I'll remember the satisfaction of kicking them in the nuts."

She tipped her head back to make eye contact with him and smiled sweetly before repositioning herself to sit normally beside him. Thea untied a ribbon from her hair and pulled it away. Her black curls fell away from the bun and cupped her face like a lion's mane, stopping just past her collar bone. She shook her head and swept the hair over her shoulders. Minho caught a whiff of coconut as the coils fell into place.

"Valid." He muttered, clearing his throat. He rubbed his thumb along the condensation from his own glass and set it on the ground next to him rather than drinking more of the amber liquid. "That was quite a show you put on back there."

She inclined her head and let her focus drift to the crackling gold flames. "Not too bad yourself."

"Was that a compliment? Who are you and what have you done with the Sheshank?" Minho said in mock surprise.

"You didn't let me finish," Thea said. "I was going to say, not too bad, but nowhere near as good as yours truly."

Minho shook his head, but smirked. "What are you?"

Thea slowly swiveled her neck, eyebrows raised, and blinked at him repeatedly. "Excuse me?"

Minho clenched his jaw as if trying to force the growing blush to stop heating his cheeks. "That's not what I meant." He struggled in his attempt to explain, but was interrupted, much to his relief.

"Hey Min!" One of the boys shouted. "Who's your friend?"

Thea snorted. Not a dainty sniff as one would expect from a lady, but a loud, gaudy snicker. "He's not my friend!" She yelled back.

"This shank?" Thea jabbed a finger in Minho's direction. "What kind of tasteless floozy do you think I am?"

"If anyone is tasteless," he jeered back, "it's you. Have you seen me?"

Minho stood and stalked off to the Runners who were playing some sort of mafia game. He approached just as Hank was murdered and dramatically crumpled to the ground with a wet choking noise. Minho grunted, the sound resembling a feral animal's snarl, and plopped down beside Ben who was the narrator for the game. His friend was bent over with his hands clasped together in excitement, but he sat up to look at Minho while the others accused each other of the murder.

"What's up?"

"Nothing." Minho felt as though smoke protruded from his nostrils with every sharp exhale.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Liar. Are you gonna tell me or just act like a hornet on its ladies day?"

He scoffed. "What does that even mean? Besides, it doesn't matter. The Greenie is just obnoxious and self entitled and-" He threw his hands into the air in frustration and placed them on the back of his head in one fluid motion.

Ben nodded slowly, saying, "So... we're upset cuz the girl isn't falling for your charms? She sounds like you."

"What? No!" Minho huffed. Ben was supposed to be on his side. Not the Sheshank's! "Are you even listening to me? That's not what I said at all!"

Ben put his own hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok! I'm sorry! I was just saying what I was hearing."

Minho mouthed Ben's words in mocking. "Saying what you were hearing? Really? How was any of what I just said-" He blew out a breath. "Y'know what? I don't even care. You need to get your ears checked. That's not my fault. Out of my hands."

The blond ignored his teasing and went back to the game, leaving Minho to drown in his own thoughts while the flames flickered an orangey-red glow in his dark eyes.