1 | The Fighter | The Maze Runner

twelve

The brainwave monitor spiked. Teresa frowned. The results informed that the boy was angry, but what over? Anger was constant in this experiment, but not like this. This boy was seething mad, and Teresa noticed it was only when he was around the groups' appointed leader.

Her and Thomas have been doing everything in their power to make sure nobody found out that Rachel was in the wrong Maze, but with constant spikes like this, others were going to look into it.

The duo had recruited one more oppertive into the circle. Kalli, one of WICKEDs employees that mainly looked over the subjects and was a tech genius. She made Thomas and Teresas' job a lot easier.

"Kalli," Teresa called out. The blonde looked up from her book, a chunk of chocolate in her mouth. "What?" she asked, words muffled.

"Come look at this." She waved her over. Kalli kicked her swivel chair away from her desk in the direction of her friend. Coming to a stop, Kalli looked up at the huge screen. "What am I looking at?"

Teresa pointed to Alexs' picture. On her iPad, she zoomed in so the picture on the big screen was larger. "His brainwaves. They keep spiking in different emotions." She handed the iPad to Kalli.

"Well," Kalli declared, scrolling through the boys' past results. "He's pissed at Subject 9. Why? I'm not sure, but he can't even think of him without getting mad. Power-hungry, maybe?"

"That's what I'm afraid of," confessed Teresa.

Kalli pursed her lips and huffed, still scrolling, trying to find other possible patterns. "Jealousy? Control freak? Probably jealousy. Nick is hot. Alex, eh, not at all. But Newt is still hotter."

Teresa rolled her eyes. "You know that WICKED isn't all too keen on relationships."

Kalli laughed. "Says the girl whos' in love with Tommy boy."

Teresas' eyes widened. She slapped Kallis' arm. "Shut up. I do not."

Kalli scoffed. "Yeah, sure. And I don't cuddle with chocolate."

Teresa shook her head in partial annoyance at the girl's words.

"Besides," Kalli started, all humor gone in her voice. "He's in there and I'm out here. It doesn't matter how I feel, there's nothing I can do. Ane he's a 'runner'. He could get attacked by a 'Griever'... Where do they come with this stuff?"

"Don't change the subject, Kal. It's okay to be in love," Teresa told her.

"Not if he's destined to die. He's not immune, Teresa. One day, even if he gets out, he's gonna die. There's' no cure. Yet, at least. I just... I just don't wanna feel that heartbreak."

Teresa felt bad for the girl. She knew what love was. She's seen it, felt it, even at a young age. And Kalli was right. She did love Thomas, but he didn't, no, couldn't know that. She couldn't jeopardize their friendship. Besides, they had more important things to think about.

But Teresa couldn't stop thinking about it. And little did she know, neither could Thomas. In their eyes, it was an unrequited love (quite cliche in Teresas' opinion). Yes, Teresa had caught Thomas staring once or twice, but never thought much about it, and she was sure she had been caught a few times as well. If she had, Thomas made no indication that he knew.

Honestly, Teresa had been in love with the boy for years. She met him when she was only six and he was four, giving her over ten years to develop feelings for him. Ane she most certainly did.

"Teresa?" Kalli snapped her fingers in front of the black haired girls' face. "You good, chica?"

The older girl snapped out of her trance and turned her head to the girl. "What?" she asked.

Kalli smirked. "Thinking about a certain boy?"

Teresa swallowed a forming lump in her throat.

Kalli noticed her hesitation and smirked wider. "Brown, messy hair? Cute moles and dimples? Smart? Adorable smile? Really, really hot when he works out?" she teased.

Then a picture of shirtless Thomas popped into Teresas' mind. She felt a slight blush creep up her neck.

"Are you blushing?" Kalli practically squealed. Teresa averted her gaze. Kalli laughed. "Well, why are you still here if you like him? Go get 'em, tiger." She nudged her friend with her elbow.

Teresa shook her head. "It's not that simple," she told her.

"Bull," accused Kalli. "Girl likes boy. Boy likes girl. Sex! Now go have fun!"

Teresa glared at her. "He doesn't like me." Kalli rolled her eyes. "He doesn't," Teresa insisted. Kalli opened her mouth to speak but Teresa cut her off and pointed an accusing finger at her friend. "If you say one comparison about us and your love for chocolate, I'll smack you."

Kalli grinned and raised her eyebrows. "So there is an 'us'?"

Teresa huffed. "A friends 'us'. Nothing more."

For now, Kalli thought, smiling to herself.

"And I'm going to talk to my friend right now," she said before turning around and walking out of the room.

Before the door closed, Kalli called out, "Use protection!"

SO THE PROLOGUE OF THE FEVER CODE THOUGH

and I finished chapter five of my Daryl Dixon fanfic and it sucks. oops.

BUT THE FEVER CODE THOUGH MY GOD JAMES WHAT EVEN

- M I S S Y