Different | The Maze Runner / Newt ¹ ✓

{4.0}

"All right." I rotated my wrist around, motioning for him to continue. "Keep going."

He sucked in a deep breath. "I need to get Stung."

The words hit me so hard that I had to take a step back from him and process it. "What?"

He nodded, eyes almost pleading for me to give in to the idea. "It's the only way for us to remember everything we need to know. I'll find out who I am. Dylan" - he reached out and clasped his hands onto both of my shoulders, looking me dead in the eyes - "we could get out of here."

I shook my head as I mentally weighed out the pros and cons. "Thomas, the Changing isn't some walk in the park. You know how Ben-"

"I won't turn out like Ben," he asserted with confidence. "I won't. You didn't, right?"

I nodded, still feeling unsure about the whole ordeal. The Changing was a serious matter- it was not to be taken lightly. Since mine was whacked, I wasn't exactly sure what information Thomas would gain from the memories, and how much he'd remember when he woke up. I wouldn't be much help in the matter. But Newt had said people remembered their pasts, why we were there, and who did it. Could it really save us all?

"Another thing," Thomas continued, "I'd remember things about us. Our childhood. Isn't that what you wanted?"

My eyes slowly drifted from the ground to his face. How did he know? Was it a twin instinct? Had I been that obvious?

I sighed. "Only do it if you truly think it's appropriate and right. Think long and hard about it. Don't be stupid."

Thomas laughed a little, pulling me into a hug. "I won't. Promise."

I embraced him back tightly, my head reaching the middle of his chest. I could faintly hear his heart beating with a steady rhythm. His chin rested on the top of my head and sent a wave of love surging through me. Those rare moments of bare affection made my heart swell as I realized how much I cared for my other half.

And I couldn't be happier that we were in this together.

-/-

I was the only person Thomas talked to for the rest of the day, and it was in secret.

I anxiously glanced at my watch — which Minho hadn't cared to take away, along with all my other Runner supplies — about every few seconds, tapping my foot as nerves bounced through me restlessly. Soon enough it reached the six o'clock mark. I stood and walked downstairs, twiddling my thumbs as I moved. I barely remembered eating Frypan's spicy tomato soup.

To all of our reliefs, the hole in the front of the building was finally patched up. It was a horrible job. Slabs of wood were haphazardly nailed together to form a mildly stable barrier. The gaping monstrosity was so large that we started to run low on wood. Luckily, we had all those trees to help us with that department.

Alby was back in action. He was just stable enough to walk around - though rather slowly and robotic - with his head nearly mummified in bandages. He and Newt gave orders to rotate where we slept each night.

I, of course, wanted to keep all my loved ones close to me. Thomas, Theo, Chuck, Newt, Minho, Garret, and Teresa all deserved a spot with me in my opinion, but Newt wouldn't allow it. He put Thomas downstairs with Teresa. Theo was still in the Med-jacks' room on bed rest. Chuck was in another room with Garret. Minho was probably already sleeping.

I laid in bed with my eyes staring off into what would've been the ceiling if I was able to see. Light from the hallway penetrated the darkness as Newt opened the door and slipped inside. His footsteps neared the bed and I heard the crinkling of sheets as he sat down, probably to remove his shoes. More ruffling. Silence.