A Way Back - The Maze Runner (♡Newt)

Chapter 75

A/n: I think that was officially the first week I didn't update this book since I started doing so. And this chapter isn't really that long either...

For the people who care, I'm sorry. Sometimes things just get in the way and I don't have the time, motivation and/or inspiration to write the next part. 

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this small chapter, the next one will contain more and some important stuff, so be patient XD

~ Purple Dragon (21/6/19)

~.~.~

Cally's pov

Teresa and I sat there, leaning against the wall behind the Homestead and each other, for what felt like hours. Waiting for the Gathering to be over. The waiting was already getting on my nerves the first few minutes, no need to say that it had not become any better the more time went on, quite the opposite, actually.
     We sat in silence until I noticed Teresa shifted, sitting up straight. "What is it?" I asked. Teresa looked over at me, seeming to think about her answer.
     "Tom, he's asking me to meet him by the Box." Reminding me of the fact that Teresa and Thomas could communicate through their thoughts. 
     "So, the Gathering is over?" I asked hopefully.
     Only Teresa shrugged, "I'll ask him." After some moments of silence, she looked back at me again. "No, They're talking about what Thomas told them. They're going to decide on their next move without him."
     The hope of hearing what Thomas knew flushed away again. With a big sigh, I let myself sink down against the wall again. "Guess I'll just wait then." I mumbled while Teresa got up from the ground. I thought she would walk away, but she didn't. Instead, she stood there, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
     "You coming or what?" She asked while holding out her hand to help me up.
     "I thought you and your soulmate would want some privacy." I teased her while still accepting her hand to help me up, earning an annoyed sigh from the girl.
     "You do realize you're challenging me right now?" She asked while we started walking to the Box.
     I tried to suppress my smirk, which turned out to be harder than I thought. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Once we reached the Box, Thomas was already there. He looked up, and his eyes landed on us. An uncomfortable expression came on his face, which he tried to hide when our eyes met. He then made eye contact with Teresa, and I got the feeling he was talking to her telepathically.
     "Because she's my friend, Tom. And she has every right to know what's going on, just like me." Teresa said out loud. Thomas looked from Teresa to me, a surprised expression on his face. He must have asked the girl something else because she, again, answered out loud.
     "Cally already knows about the telepathic thing."
     "You told her?" Thomas asked his friend in disbelief. Teresa shook her head, but before she could answer, I did.
     "Nope, you did. Kinda. You told Newt you heard Teresa say her name inside your head. He told me. He didn't believe it, I did. I confronted Teresa, and she confirmed. But don't worry Thomas, I haven't told a single Shank."
     Thomas blinked a few times, letting my words sink in before letting a deep sigh escape. "Well, I did. I told the Keepers we can communicate telepathically to convince them."
     "And?" Teresa asked, sounding worried while she sat down beside him. Bodies touching while she took his hand in hers and squeezed it. I saw Thomas squeeze back before he started talking.
     "I don't know. I told them everything, even a plan to get out of here. But I don't know if I was able to convince them. Newt told me he was gonna try to get the others to believe all of it and escape. But we'll have to wait."
     A deep, annoyed sigh came from me as I let myself fall on the grass. Bark found this really weird and started examining me to see if I was okay.
     "Again with the waiting." I mumbled while petting Bark. This seemed to reassure the dog that I was okay and she sat down beside me.
     "Anyway, what's the plan?" I asked while pushing myself in a sitting position in front of the two.
     "Well," Thomas started. "The way out is through the Grieve hole. Behind it is a room with a computer where we're supposed to enter the codes."
     "You mean the words we got from deciphering the sections of the Maze?" I asked for confirmation.
     Thomas nodded his head. "Exactly. This should deactivate the Grievers so we all can escape. The plan is that I would go into the Grieve hole alone, at night so there are fewer Grievers inside, and enter the code."
     This made me look at the boy with my eyebrows crossed. "Why you? Why alone? Isn't it better to go with more than one person? Just in case there are Grievers or some other inhuman obstacle? You could die if you go alone."
     Thomas sighed and squeezed Teresa's hand for support. "It's dangerous, like you said, I could die. So better me than anyone else, I deserve it."
     "You don't deserve to die, Tom. Why would you say that?" Teresa asked, sounding alarmed.
     I was taken aback by his statement, wanting to know what he meant as well. Did it have anything to do with whatever they had done to us?
     It took some time before Thomas answered. I could see he was having trouble saying this, probably again since the Gathering. "Maybe I don't. But I deserve it more than the others."
     "I already know I'm gonna disagree, but still, why?" I asked carefully, not knowing if I was going to like his answer. 
     "Because I did this to you. Me and Teresa, we did this. We helped the Creators to make this place. Completely against our will, but that doesn't change the fact that we did." 
     "That's a bunch of bullshit," I said, surprising Thomas. "So you got forced to work with the Creators? Sucks. But that doesn't mean you deserve to die." 
     Teresa nodded her head, showing her support to my words. "Exactly. With that logic I deserve to die too. Do you think I deserve to die?"
     For a moment, I could see the tension in Teresa, afraid that he actually thought she did. But that disappeared when Thomas shook his head, "Of course not."
     "There ya go," I said, shooting a smile at the boy. "Neither of you deserve to die, so you shouldn't go into the Grieve hole alone."
     Thomas looked me in the eye for a split second before sighing, "Seriously, Cally, if you knew the things we did to you guys... " Thomas words were filled with shame, and it was clear he was afraid of my reaction. Teresa had also noticed Thomas's struggle and squeezed his hand to show support. Taking in the boy's words, I leaned back on my hands. "Especially to you, Ezra and the other fifteen..." He mumbled. 
     That did peek my interest and curiosity even more. "What do you mean?" I asked with a frown. Does this have to do with the things they wanted me to know? Whoever 'they' are. I thought, again hoping I would get answers, but unfortunately, I didn't. 
     "I can't tell you, not yet." Thomas said, avoiding eye contact with me. 
     "What?" I exclaimed, "Why not? You could tell me that other stuff, why can't you tell me the part that involves me and my brother?" My frustration was getting the better of me. I wanted answers, he had them and now he says he can't tell me? 
     Thomas leaned back a little, letting out another long sigh, "I will tell you, just... not yet. I told the Keepers, I think they're also talking about it. I'm not sure. Anyway, Newt and Minho didn't want me to tell you or Ezra about it until at least one of them is present." 
     Before Thomas was even done talking, I growled angrily as I let myself fall back on the ground. "I'm done waiting! Why do they always get to decide over my life!" 
     "They're the leaders," Thomas said, a little taken back by my reaction, but he wasn't really surprised. 
     "No, Newt is the leader- kinda. Minho is the Keeper of the Runners." I corrected him. "Alby would be the other leader. But we all know that Shank is too emotionally unstable at the moment to lead a bunch of teenagers." 
    A somewhat annoyed sigh left Thomas, it seemed like he was getting irritated by everything that was going on. "Still, they care about you. They just want to be there when I tell you- for support. Don't be so hard on them." 
     This time it was my turn to sigh, "Yeah, maybe you're right." I said, accepting my fate while pushing myself back in my sitting position. "I'll wait, but the moment the Gathering is over, I want to know. I really need to know what is going on. I feel like I'm going crazy not knowing anything."