~Y/N's POV~
After that, conversations got more intense, and I just sighed to myself. We had been the first people to ever make it through the night in the maze, that much I was certain of.
Gally and a few other Gladers had decided to call a meeting later in the day to determine what Thomas and I's punishment would be for breaking the rules. Even though Thomas and I would argue otherwise, we were instructed to quiet up and leave our discussions for the meeting, which simply irritated me more.
Since we hadn't been given the clear to check on Alby yet, Newt, Thomas, Minho, and I returned to my room in the Homestead for a quick meeting of our own.
"Alby and Minho's sassy-ass self would have probably been gravely hurt or killed if Thomas and I hadn't intervened. Come on, it was just common sense that someone would make an effort to help!" I argued while furiously pacing around my room in an effort to vent my feelings.
"Love, calm down. We'll get this all sorted out in no time." I was still quite tense from having my adrenaline pumping all night long, despite Newt's best efforts to make me feel better and relax.
"Oh, so we're on a 'love' basis now, huh?" Minho tried to change the subject while jokingly teasing me in an effort to help calm me down, his face was painted with a wide grin.
"Minho, be quiet." The other two were either sitting on the floor or standing leaning against the door, I muttered as I rolled my eyes, sighed, and finally took a seat on the side of my bed next to Thomas.
Minho did the same as me and rolled his eyes, but he chose to keep quiet rather than utter a snide comment since he knew he would get smacked in the head if he did. Newt was also giving him a peculiar look, which I also noticed, but since I wasn't sure what it meant or why he was looking so serious, I simply ignored it.
"I hope Alby is ok," Looking at his feet, Thomas glumly said. Although it was out of his control, I could tell from his body language that he must have felt horrible for not being able to assist him more. Additionally, everyone was already tense. As the second in command, Newt made the decision to vote against the majority of the Gladers' proposal to throw us in the pit when we returned while they debated what to do with us. However, since Newt obviously didn't want that, whatever he says stands; otherwise, everyone who disagreed with him would only make the problems we already had worse.
I placed my hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezed it, "He's in good hands, after all, so don't worry; I'm sure he's alright. Really, it won't take him long to get up and start moving again." In an effort to reassure him, I said.
Although I could tell my comments had little effect on Thomas, I knew he was still appreciative of my effort as he turned to face me and smiled sweetly.
"How can you be so sure?" I heard a quiet British accent question suddenly across from us.
When I turned around, I noticed Newt's expression, which slightly broke my heart because it was obvious that what had happened to Alby was destroying him. "You know him far better than we do, Newt. He'll pull through, won't he? As you mentioned the other day, he was the first person to enter this horrible hell-hole by himself. He is capable of taking care of himself, is able to survive, and will do so."
He nodded while he sighed. After that, there was full silence, but it was a comfortable silence in which you felt secure. One where, in the presence of the people I cared about, I felt at home and wouldn't mind staying there indefinitely. The others departed one at a time to see how the other Gladers were doing, leaving only Newt and I in the room.
The position where Thomas had been sitting before he left after Minho departed was effectively taken over by Newt. He strolled over to where I was sitting and sat down next to me without saying anything or giving him any cue to do so instead of leaving the room like the others. I grinned a little to myself before heaving a long sigh and letting myself fall back on my bed.
I observed Newt hesitate to do the same before I silently grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him to lie down next to me.
I made the decision to speak out before he could, "Hey, Newt?"
He responded by humming, which let me know he was paying close attention.
"Can I ask you something important?" I said.
He signaled for me to go on by turning his head to look at me. I paused a little as I felt his gentle gaze study the side of my face as if attempting to read my thoughts before I could even pose the question.
'How even do I ask this? What if he finds this to be a sensitive subject?' I pondered to myself as I started to zone out. I almost forgot that he was waiting for me to say something.
"Y/N?" He spoke softly.
"Yeah?" I questioned as I turned to face him and made eye contact. His stunning brown eyes were looking back at me with such concern, and I noticed immediately.
He laughed a bit, "You were saying?"
"Oh, right. Although I understand that it can be a touchy topic, I wanted to ask you about your limp. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be asked either, but I suppose I'm simply curious." I babbled while desperately attempting to avoid being disrespectful by using the appropriate phrases, but I failed miserably.
He had a peculiar limp, and I had noticed a short while before that he couldn't really run as fast. It seemed painful, which alarmed me, so I questioned if it was just usual.
His silence freaked me out, but I knew better than to show it, so I simply interrupted, saying, "Nevermind, it was a stupid question to ask, I know." I hurriedly stood up and got ready to leave, but I was taken aback when I felt him pull me back down next to him by grasping my shirt like I had done to him previously.
"Look, I want to tell you, I just don't know how to," He stated, "I can assure you that one day I'll tell you. But you have to also promise me that you won't go out into the maze without me again."
I remained still for a moment as I processed what he had said before teasing him, "You were really worried about me, huh?" with a smirk.
He gave me a friendly shove and rolled his eyes, saying, "Alright, you've completely ruined the moment."
"Alright, I swear never to wander off into the maze again." I laughed.
But when it finally hit me, my smile soon disappeared, and I worried that Newt would notice.
"What's wrong, love?" As soon as I got up, Newt sat up with me.
"If Ben was banished for violating the rules, will Thomas and I also be banished?"
Quickly grabbing my hand and reassuringly squeezing it, Newt said, "No, I promise you that nothing will happen to either of you. I won't let it happen, okay?"
The rest of the time we were just silent, I nodded and sighed. I was dreading the approaching meeting time every single second because I knew it would only make my fears worse.
After a little while, Newt had to leave. Now that he was in charge of the Glade, he had to make sure everything was running smoothly.
I was left alone with my thoughts, anticipating what would happen next.
Soon enough, the softness of my covers made me feel drowsy, and I dozed off in the hopes that it would somehow relax me.
...
In the pitch-blackness, I heard a female voice calling to me, but I knew it wasn't mine.
The sound gradually became louder and I could now clearly distinguish between the two voices. A guy and a girl, and similar to the other night when I dreamed of Thomas, I was positive that the guy's voice was, if I recall properly, his.
...
"It's either her or me, Thomas, you have to make a decision."
...
Wait, what?
This dream was much hazier than the others, and it appears that I am not even present. I thought that perhaps I was watching the conversation unravel, but all I can see is darkness and the noises coming from within.
"Of course, I'm going to pick her. I need her by my side, she's my sist—"
...
"—er, I guess she's dead."
Despite how faint it sounded, Minho's voice was instantly recognizable. Thomas, Newt, and Minho were all standing there and staring at me as I slowly opened my eyes and sat up.
"Jeez, have you guys ever heard of knocking?" I looked at the three boys in front of me.
"We must have knocked around 50 times, but sleeping beauty apparently needed to get her hours in." Minho said, obviously attempting to get under my skin, and it obviously worked because I immediately threw a pillow at him.
"I know I'm great and all, but why did the three of you even need to come get me in the first place?" I tried to dismiss it for the time being in the hopes that it would all make sense in the future, but I couldn't help but express my irritation at Minho's snarky remark as well as my frustration at not being able to finish the remainder of my dream.
"The meeting is about to start." I tensed up when I heard what Newt said.
Thomas said, "Hey, don't worry, we'll be okay," as he motioned for me to stand up.
"Who says I'm worried?" I chuckled a little while also getting up to accompany them out of my room at the Homestead while trying to mask my uneasiness.
"It's likely that I'm only bringing it up to reassure myself, too." Thomas stated, not making a big deal out of the fact that my facial expression clearly expressed what I was thinking.
I felt a hand gently entwine with mine, and I gave it a reassuring squeeze before releasing it. I then looked to my side and noticed that it was Newt. His anxious eyes said it all, but his cheerful smile was even more convincing. Since it was so contagious, I simply smiled back at him and made a gesture of silent gratitude.
I noticed that Thomas and I were the center of attention when we entered the Homestead's gathering room before sitting down to pay attention to what was being spoken. Before we were seated next to Minho and Newt, we noticed a few more boys who were entering the room.
"Things are changing. There's no denying that. First, Ben gets stung in broad daylight, and then Alby," Gally spoke the next line while maintaining eye contact with us, "And now both our Greenies here have taken it upon themselves to go into the maze."
Already frustrated, I rolled my eyes.
Gally continued, "This is a clear violation of our rules here."
He was then interrupted by Frypan, "But, they both saved Alby's life."
I took a quick glance over at Thomas and noticed the small smile on his face. I could tell that this must have helped him feel slightly more confident that we had done enough to support Alby and I hoped that this would help him stop beating himself up.
"Did they? For 3 years, we have coexisted with these things. And now, they've killed one of them. Who knows what that could mean for us?"
Newt quickly intervened, "What do you suggest we do?"
"They have to be punished."
Following Gally's statement, the entire group of boys burst into conversation, with some in agreement and others disagreeing. I looked at Newt, and when he gave me a little nod, I assumed he was asking if I was alright. I simply nodded in return.
Newt made the decision to remain calm and seek a second view, "Minho, you were there with them. What do you think?"
The Gladers grew silent, and Minho was attentively being listened to by everybody.
"I think, in all the time we've been here, no one has ever killed a Griever before," Minho first turned to gaze at Thomas before turning to me, "When I turned tail and ran, these dumb shanks stayed behind to help Alby. Look, I don't know if they're brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it, I say we make them a runner."
Now that much of the conversation was just disagreement, the room was even noisier. Chuck was the only one cheering for us both until he realized he was the only one, at which time he instantly became silent out of disappointment.
"If you want to throw the newbies a parade, that's fine, go ahead. But if there's one thing I know about the maze, it's that you do not—"
The sound of shifting gears and a siren suddenly appeared. That sound was one I recognized, it was...
"The Box, it's coming back up!"
We all quickly jumped up and raced outside to the Box to investigate what the hell was going on. I had a feeling that whatever it was, it wouldn't necessarily be a positive thing, and I wasn't eager to find out why.
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Writing this chapter was a complete joy for me. I really don't know what to say about how much I appreciate you all for reading this book and making it over 140+ reads. Watch out for a brand-new update coming out either later this week or early next week!
~D <3