Before Thomas {A Maze Runner Fanfiction}

S1-Ep10: Don't Call Me Liz

Chris watched smugly as Elizabeth's face went from a rosy pink, to a scarlet red. The table erupted into laughter. Newt was mortified. Man, these guys shouted too much.

"WHAT THE KLUNK YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"NEWT YOU SHUCKING PERVERT!"

"YOU LET HIM CALL YOU LIZ?!"

"THAT WAS FUNNY!"

Chris wasn't sure why they were all so surprised about it. Anybody could see that she spent the most time with Newt. They always sat together during meals, and were always walking around together like a couple. He didn't know why everyone else was so oblivious to it. He waited patiently for Elizabeth to say something about it. Would she deny it? Better yet, would she confess?

"No. Nobody calls me Liz. I don't like it." Elizabeth glared at him.

Fine. Go ahead and deny it, Chris thought. It was annoying as hell, but if she wanted to pretend nothing was up...he could deal with that. For now.

Ignoring Elizabeth, he turned to Clint, "Thirteen?" he guessed.

Clint frowned, "Fifteen."

Chris jotted down the number. There was only one name left. Elizabeth. He'd been saving her for last.

"Anybody want to try to guess how old Elizabeth is?" he asked. Minho raised his hand, still laughing from Chris's earlier comment.

"Isn't it some sort of unspoken rule that you're never allowed to talk about a woman's age?" he asked.

Hank grunted, "Whatever Minho. She's gotta be twenty-five at least." Elizabeth looked so shocked Chris had to bit his lip to keep from laughing. He pretended to nod with seriousness.

"Nah, it's more like sixteen. She's not that old, you bloody idiot!" Dalton said.

"You're just saying that to make her your age, sweat-head."

"So?" Chris smiled at Elizabeth and licked his lips. Her eyes darted to his lips but the moment was fleeting as she looked away just as quickly.

"Nineteen," she finally said, under her breath. Chris wrote down the number and looked at the completed list:

1. cris(me) - 17

2. albee - 22
3. nik - 18
4. meanho - 19
5. dollton - 16
6. p.f. - 17
7. zart - 18
8. galie - 18
9. nut - 22?
10. dave - 18

11. hank - 17
12. ben - 19
13. dug - 15
14. wil - 14
15. clint - 15
16. liz - 19

She was older than him, then. He looked at her, still sitting there blushing prettily. She said something to Newt and he laughed, and the awkwardness in the air cleared, as if nothing had ever happened. Chris frowned. He didn't like Newt. He didn't think anybody liked Newt, yet here he was acting like Elizabeth's best mate. Always so chummy with her, wasn't he?

Annoying.

---

I'm sorry. I wish it hadn't been you. Only one person was supposed to die, but then you had to go and threaten to blab to Nick. Dave was once again kneeling in front of a gravestone, fists clenched and eyes closed. Only this time it wasn't Billy's grave he was visiting. It was Ric's.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to be like this, but you've left me no choice. Rising, he gripped the spear in his hand tightly and stood up.