Run With Me ➵ Newt [2]

THIRTEEN | wicked attacks

Felix came out of the stall, his wavy hair dripping wet, and Teresa went after her. 

I glanced up and found Aris staring at me. As soon as our gazes met, he quickly looked away, looking embarrassed.

"Hey," I said. "What's wrong?"

"No, no, it's nothing - sorry..." he stammered, looking anywhere but my face now.

I frowned. "Are you sure? You can talk to me about it if you want."

"No, it's just, uh..." He hesitated. "You remind me a lot of Felix. You and him are like... like... how do you say it? Connected, I guess. Like how Teresa and I are connected too, but separately in our mazes.

"Also... Felix's tattoo says 'The Singer' while yours is 'The Musician'. Doesn't that seem a little creepy to you?"

"Huh. That is pretty creepy," I pondered. "You really think me and Felix are connected somehow?"

Aris nodded. "I think you and Felix were chosen by WICKED for a reason. That would explain why you two are so similar. And... what's even more creepy is that Newt reminds of someone else back in our maze."

"Who is it?"

Aris cleared his throat and looked away, furrowing his eyebrows. "She was... She used to be Felix's, uh, friend. They were really close together."

Judging from the way Aris said 'friend', I suspected the girl was a lot closer to Felix than Aris made them out to be.

"What happened to her?"

"She..." Aris frowned. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"The last I saw her she was back in WICKED. That was before Felix and I escaped that hellhole with you guys."

"Do you..." I hesitated. "Do you think she's still alive then?"

Aris looked down, his eyes darkening. "I don't know," he whispered. "I think she may have been called out back in WICKED and... harvested. Like Rachel."

I stared at him pitifully. I was fortunate enough to have most of my friends escape WICKED with me, but Aris had probably left all his other friends back in the building. He must feel immensely guilty for leaving them behind without trying to rescue them.

Without really thinking about it, I went over to his side and put my hand on his. He looked up, startled, and glanced at me questioningly.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up, okay?" I told him. "It's okay to be selfish and think about your own safety sometimes. I'm sure Felix's friend is fine. And even if she isn't, just... don't beat yourself up for it. None of this is your fault."

"But I-I helped a bunch of kids I don't know escape WICKED without even going back for my friends. Th-They could be dead now for all I know."

"Don't say that," I said firmly. "You know it's not true. We'll go back one of these days and rescue them. Alright? And you can be sure I'll be there to help you. I left a lot of people I know back there too, but I'm not going to mope about it and feel sorry for myself. I'm going to find a way to avenge them. WICKED will pay for what they've done to us."

Aris blinked at me. He didn't seemed to know how to respond to my words. He opened his mouth to say something when the door to one of the shower cubicles opened and Newt stepped out. His hair was damp from the shower and he had changed into a new set of clothes.

"Who's turn is it now-?" He stopped short when he spotted me and Aris next to each other.

"You can go first, Rosalind-" Aris said, but I cut him off.