If you've ever been my friend, love me.

Chapter 7

Thomas spent the whole night worrying.
Worrying about everything. This whole place just seemed so messed up. Chuck had taken him around some of the other places in the glade that afternoon - after Thomas talk with Newt.
He walked throught the gardens and wondered through the forest with the younger boy, who babbled on about the rules and jobs and the routines the boys had.
But Thomas mid kept wandering back to newt.
Newt was the only glader he had grown to like and trust. Newt was the only one he had really spoke to, the only who had made him feel a flicker of hope in this place.
A Banishing. Chuck had told him that one took place if a glader broke one of the rules.
"But...he didn't brake the rules! He was helping Alby and Minho I don't understand how-!"
"Yeah but... It's different for newt. After well... What happened" chuck mumbled as they stepped over the tree roots and leaves the littered the ground. Apparently Newts story was almost common knowledge. Most of the gladers had seen Newt leave the maze and the story had soon spread to the rest.
Thomas' gut wrenched at the unfairness of it all. The unjust actions of the other gladers. Minho and Alby had agreed only to protect newt from going into the maze again. And he had gone in again - but only to help them. He saved them.
But he was still being punished.
***

Newt had just been released from the Homestead, Thomas was sitting in the grass with chuck when he saw the thin boy slump out of the building. Thomas had found himself standing up far to quickly, automatically running towards Newt.
The two boys mumbled hellos and Newt wore a small smile that didn't stretch to his eyes. They were walking towards the Hammocks, Newt wasn't hungry and Thomas didn't want to leave. He wanted to ask newt something.
"Newt?"
"Yeah tommy?" They were still walking, Newt was slow - almost as if he didn't want to reach the Hammocks because he didn't want to go to sleep. Because he didn't want to wake up the next day.
"If you - I mean... When you... Get in the maze.... Are you sure there's no way you could... When you get in the maze do you...." He couldn't get it out. He couldn't.
Newt, do you think you'll make it?
That's what he wanted to ask. He wanted to know if his one friend in this place would be back in two nights time.
"Tommy - I barely made it out the first time. I mean, there is a chance that I might..." Newt looked over at him, pain swelling in his eyes but there was something else. Hope. Need.
"But I'm not sure" he finished "I'm just... not sure"
Thomas was sick of being not sure.
"I just" Thomas decided right then - that newt was the only person could trust in the glade. And he would let him be banished. "I don't know what I would... I mean... Is there anything I can... Do?"
"No tommy. Just... Your new, yeah? Just chill out. You have your entire life in the glade ahead a ya, so don't you dare get bloody worried about me, alright?"
"Okay" Thomas muttered but as they got closer to the hammocks, Thomas was dreading tomorrow. This new place, this new life had been short but it was already filled with dread.
He didn't want newt to leave.
***
When Thomas woke up he immediately looked over at the pile of blankets in the trees.
There was no one around, no one at all. Thomas stumbled out of his own Hammock and pushed his way through the trees.
There was a terrible moment where he thought newt must have already been banished - until he realised that the doors don't close until the end of the day.
One more day.
He ran a hand through his hair and let it rest on the back of his neck.
Sighing, he set off to find Newt.

Thomas wandered out of the trees, looking for any sign of a person in the glade.
He couldn't see anyone, no one at all except the last person he wanted to see.
The rude boy, from Thomas first day in the glade.
Gally.
He was leaning against the door of the Homestead, a smirk set on his face.
Swallowing the tiny inch of fear he felt, Thomas approached the boy, desperately trying to raise his head and put his shoulders back, trying to look completely fearless. Although that wasn't the truth.
"Morning shank. Whole glades inside" he gestured behind him to the homestead "slept in so shucking late you missed the start of the Gathering. But don't worry" he grinned a creepy grin, almost menacing and sarcastic "I volunteered to bring your shucking lazy butt inside"
Thomas felt his fists clench in anger and frustration, he immediately regretted the action as Gallys' face hardened and his smirk disappeared.
"You angry, shank? Huh? You gonna stick up for your self?" He stepped towards Thomas, towering over him on the uneven ground.
"No - I mean... I uh... I wasn't-"
"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Thomas let out an breath of air he didn't realise he was holding in. Newt was behind Gally, his face creased in annoyance, his glare digging into the back of Gallys' head.
Gally turned and scowled.
"Your shucking friend here was gonna get himself in trouble. I was only helping him out"
Newt stepped towards Gally, the tall boy half a head taller then the fellow glader.
"Listen up. i wouldn't believe you were helping him if you two had your bloody arms around each other. He's a shucking greenie, alright? Leave him alone" newt stared at Gally, his anger and annoyance evident.
"I wouldn't talk to me like that, newt. Wouldn't wanna get your self in trouble"
"I'm already being banished today you peace of klunk. So shut your loud mouth and get back to work. The Gathering is over"

***

As Thomas eyes adjusted a shot of shock bury through his brain.
The Banishing.
The sky had grown darker while Thomas was sleeping, he couldn't even remember falling asleep.
He scrambled up from the grass and his eye locked with the scene taking place outside one of the doors.
Several gladers, standing around the doors in a semi circle, long wooden beams clutched in their hands.
The rest of the gladers crowed around them to the left. from that angle Thomas could just see his only friend in this hell, newt, standing in front of the doors. He was standing with a surprising amount of confidence, his damaged leg almost unable to see. He was wearing a fresh shirt, unnaturally clean in this place. But his face was still grubby, sweat already forming on his forehead, even Thomas could see it from that far away.
There was an enormous rumble from the earth and the boys with the beams stepped forward.
Thomas tried to call out but there was something lodged in his throat.
Fear.
He sprinted forward, running towards the doors, towards the boys. He did know what he would do when he got there but he just needed to see newt. He needed newt to see him.
He had missed his chance to say goodbye.
Thomas screamed at himself inside his brain 'I feel asleep the one time I need to be awake in this place!'
He was there in seconds, his heart pumping, his voice finally working.
"Newt!" He called out, pushing through some boys who were watching with grave faces.
The boys with the poles continued to walk forward, pushing newt away, into the maze. Into his death.
"Newt!" He called again, finally arriving at the wall of boys in a semi circle.
Newt looked up, his eyes catching with Thomas'.
No fear. only... Pain swelled in his eyes.
Pain.
And as the earth rumbled again the doors began to close.