WICKED told them the Trial was over -no more tests, no more lies, but Frankie had been deceived enough to know that the statement alone could never be true.
Truthfully, she wanted to die. She wanted to leave this cruel world of being experimented an...
"Right," Reggie huffed, "Yeah, I'm going to do it. I'm going to fix his nose once and for all."
"No, you're not," Marie said firmly, though she was frowning.
She was the Nick of Group B, a blonde girl with striking green eyes and constant innocent smile. Despite being a naturally calm and collected person, she could be forceful when it came to the good of her friends.
"It's worth it!" Reggie exclaimed, "This is not just another lie. This is a freaking huge lie."
"Are you doing it? The operation?"
"We should do it," Teresa suddenly appeared, "It feels like the right thing to me. We need our memories back so we can be smart about things. Decide what to do next."
Thomas was the one who cut through her speech, "Teresa, I know you're not stupid. But I also know you're in love with WICKED. I'm not sure what you're up to, but I'm not buying it."
"Me neither," Minho said, "They can manipulate us, play with our brains. How would we even know if they're giving us back our own memories or shoving new ones inside us?"
Teresa sighed, "You guys are missing the whole point! If they can control us, if they can do whatever they want with us, make us do anything, then why would they even bother with this whole charade of giving us a choice? Plus, he said they'd also be taking out the part that lets them control us."
"Well, I never bloody trusted you anyway," Newt said, "I'm with Thomas."
"Good that," Minho agreed wholeheartedly.
"What about Aris?"
"He sounded even more sure than us. They're all for it."
"Well, that settles it for me. If Aris and Teresa are for it, I'm against it," Minho declared, not bothering to mask his hatred towards the two replacements at all.
"Ah, man," Frypan sighed, "I'd just be happy back in my kitchen in the Homestead, I swear I would."
Newt raised his eyebrows, "You forget about the Grievers?"
Frypan paused for a second, then said, "They never messed with me in the kitchen, now, did they?"
"Sonya?"
The aforementioned shrugged, "If they can't touch my brain again after this, fine by me."
"You all probably never feel it yourself before, but it was crazy. Like your head got stabbed by a thousand knives, and all you can do is watch helplessly, because you can't even move a finger," Reggie said, determined. His eyes moved towards Frankie, "What about you, France?"
"Frankie?"
Surprisingly, that was Teresa.
Frankie looked at Minho, then Newt, then Thomas. She grimaced, "I'm sorry."
"See! She gets it!" Teresa barked. She turned and looked at Thomas, expecting him to side with her. But he just stared at her with a blank expression.
Teresa's face fell.
"Suit yourself."
"Frank? You're seriously going to let them put those bugging things on your face?" Newt asked.
Rat Man returned before she could respond. But, by looking away, Minho knew that she was already a lost cause.
He usually loved how strong-willed she was, but not on this particular moment.
"You shucking slinthead," he muttered bitterly, not listening to Rat Man's further briefing.
"Right back at you," Frankie hummed.
"I'm gonna have to forbid you from doing it."
"You're not my Keeper anymore."
"Frankie, it's WICKED we're talking about! WICKED doing stuff to your shucking brai—"
"They're taking that stuff out of my brain, Minho," Frankie looked squarely on his eyes, "I won't tell you to do it if you don't want to. We don't have to agree on everything."
"Well, I'm not doing it."
"And I am."
Minho was silent. He walked ahead in anger, following Rat Man out of the room and down another long, windowless hallway before stopping at another door.
A guide dressed in green read through his list, and Frypan and Newt were included.
"I'm not doing it," Newt announced, "You said we could choose and that's my bloody decision."
"That's fine," Rat Man replied, "You'll change your mind soon enough. Stay with me until we've finished distributing everyone else."
"What about you, Frypan?" Thomas asked.
"I..." The cook suddenly looked sheepish, "I think I'm going to let them do it."
"Are you crazy?" Minho asked incredulously, almost pleading. His voice sounded hoarse, like he was tired of trying to convince people.
Frypan shook his head, "I want to remember. Make your own choice, let me make mine."
He disappeared into the room hurriedly, probably to avoid any more arguments.
When they reached the final door, there were only a handful left, including Frankie, Reggie, Minho, Teresa, Thomas, Harriet, Marie, and three other girls from Group B.
"No, thanks," Minho said, his eyes lingered on Frankie with one last shred of hope, "But I appreciate the invitation. You guys have a good time in there."
"I'm not doing it, either," Thomas announced.
Teresa, taking Harriet's hand, went into the room without another word. The other girls followed.
"Frankie," Minho called, and they met eyes.
For a few seconds, they just drank in each other's sight without saying a word. This was the first time they parted ways with both their minds sound and eyes wide open.
Frankie placed her hands on the sides of Minho's face and kissed his lush lips, lingering for just a few seconds. When she pulled away, she gazed deep into his ocean eyes and no longer found anger. She found worry, anxiety, and love.
It was out of love.
So Frankie gave him a simple smile and said, "I'll see you later, shuckface."
Minho couldn't stop himself from saying, "What if they keep us apart again?"
"I'll find you."
She turned around and limped slowly but surely towards the room. Then her figure disappeared completely behind the door.
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