1 | The Fighter | The Maze Runner

four

Over the next few weeks, Rachel and Nick had become close with the newcomer. The day after his arrival, Greenie remembered his name. Alby. But this realization didn't stop Rachel from calling him Greenie. Alby had definitely eased up a bit around the two others. But he wanted answers. He got some, but not all.

Today was Rachel's second day back in the Maze. It was slow; nothing had changed. She ran back to the Glade early. Neither boys questioned it.

Rachel ran right up to Nick and jumped on his back. He dropped his shovel as he stumbled to keep his footing.

"What the shuck, Rach? You scared me!" Nick yelled.

"Deal with it," Rachel replied. "We should do something."

"Like what?" Nick said, dropping Rachel.

"Like relaxing. We've been working for months."

And so they did. The three Gladers sat by a tree at night and talked. Rachel mainly. She encouraged Alby to talk, which he didn't. He just said a few things here and there.

Rachel wished Alby would loosen up a little. He was so uptight, he just needed to relax.

"Oh please!" Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "You wouldn't stand a chance against these guns." She flexed her bicep.

"There's nothing there! Your nothing but bone and skin," Nick argued.

"Who cares? I'm still stronger than you," Rachel insisted.

"Man," Alby said annoyed, "Just give up. You're not gonna win this, Nick"

"Yes!" Rachel cheered and did a little victory dance in her spot. Nick and Ably started laughing as her. Her laughter died down soon enough. The three stayed in silence for a while.

"Do you ever wish you could be remembered?" Alby asked, his voice small.

Nick furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

Alby sighed. "I mean, some people are remembered for doing something great. Something incredible. And I want to be remembered, but I'm stuck in here."

Rachel nudged his side. "You will be remembered, Alby. I'll remember you. Nick will. And whoever else we meet along the way will to."

"But-"

"But nothing," Rachel cut him off. "We are doing something great. We're surviving something most people could never. We're creating rules and building shelter. Growing crops and raising animals. We'll be remembered as those kids who were smart and strong enough to make it through. More people are going to come. And they're going to remember you."

"I-I want to live. I want to make it out of this place," he said.

Rachel understood what he was going through. She went through it to. Nick went through it. Whoever else who would get stuck there would go through it. Rachel just wished she could do or say something, anything, to make Alby feel better.

She took Alby's hand in her's. Then Nick's in her other. She looked at them both and said, "We will make it out of here. Together. We are the Original Gladers. We stick together, trust each other, and look out for each other. We will live through this. No matter what."

Nick and Alby were both happy after hearing Rachel's speech. They had nobody, but now they had each other. Forever.

~

Rachel ran in an almost sprint back to the maze. She promised Nick and Alby she'd be back early to help finish the last wall of their building. It was long past time she promised to be back. She could just see Nick's face: yelling at her because she was late.