Disclaimer:
I do not own The Maze Runner. If I did, I would put myself in it and date Newt.
EDIT: tbh now i would date minho
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"Thomas!" I yelled, sprinting over to the boy, who looked as if he was about to collapse. "Thomas!"
I finally made it to him and grabbed his shoulders, breathing slightly heavily from my sprint across the Glade. But Thomas paid me no attention as he stared at the building in complete and utter horror, as if whatever he had seen in there had traumatized him. His brown eyes were wide with fear and his chin wobbled, his jaw dropped open in a gape. His hands shook as he placed them on top of mine like he needed to be grounded.
"I—" Thomas stuttered, his voice shaking as he tripped over the words. He took a deep breath and tried again. "I— oh my God."
"Thomas," I repeated, moving my face in his line of vision so I knew he was paying attention. His eyes locked on mine. It made me feel uneasy at the sheer terror in them. "Thomas, what did you see?"
"Ben," he replied, spitting the name out and swallowing like just saying the word brought bile to his throat. "I saw Ben. Dylan, it was horrible. He didn't even look human. It was like — like he was some kind of alien."
"You need to calm down," I advised, just like he had to me. His hands were sweaty and trembling on top of mine. When he tried to glance down, I moved so he was forced to look me in the eyes. "I'm here, Thomas. You don't ever have to see Ben again if you don't want to."
He nodded at my words. I took my hands off his shoulders. Chuck came trotting over, his curls bouncing as he walked quickly to us.
"Before you do anything, Greenie, you need some food from Frypan. Dylan already had some, so she can tell you how good it is." Chuck paused. I had apparently missed my cue. "Dylan, tell him how good it is."
"Thomas, the food is really good," I convinced him, but I was telling the truth. It really was good, and it had made whatever was left of the headache I had fade away.
Thomas shook his head, wiping his forehead with his wrist. "I don't think I can ever eat again."
I knew that seeing Ben, whatever he had looked like, made Thomas uneasy, but he had to get something in his system. I wasn't sure how long ago we had eaten before arriving in the Box. I guessed it had been a while, judging how fast I devoured the sandwich and bacon. Not having a substance in his system would likely only do more harm than good in the long run.
"I know you don't feel like eating," I said softly, "but you'll feel so much better. The bacon is amazing. Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss out."
Chuck nodded in approval at my words. "Get him to Frypan and make sure he eats and drinks something. I'll meet you at the same tree as before. Ten minutes."
As soon as Chuck finished his sentence, Thomas was walking toward the tree. I jogged after him, wondering what he was doing.
"I can't eat," Thomas told me like he knew what I was about to ask. "Trust me, Dylan. I think I'll just throw it back up. I'm much better off with an empty stomach."
I sighed in defeat. If Thomas wanted to go hungry for the night, so be it. I knew he'd be regretting it at three in the morning when he woke up from his stomach growling so much.
We leaned against the tree, waiting for Chuck. He was taking forever. Surely ten minutes had passed already, and there was no sign of the chubby little kid. Then, I spotted him over at the kitchen, ordering some food for Thomas. I nudged him.
"Looks like you're going to have to eat anyway," I said, and pointed to where Frypan was handing Chuck more food, looking reluctant upon doing so. The expression on his face told me he was unsure whether or not Chuck would eat the sandwich on his own instead of giving it to Thomas.
"Ugh," Thomas groaned, tossing his head back dramatically. "I don't want to eat." He sounded like a five-year-old.
"You'll be thinking differently in three minutes," I promised him. Then, I saw the potato-nosed kid and frowned. "How did you see Ben anyway? Frypan said no one is supposed to go upstairs."
Thomas sighed. "See that kid?" He pointed to potato-nose. "He provoked me."
I stood up and watched the boy. "I'll...be right back."
"Hold on," Thomas instructed, grabbing my arm. "Where are you going?"
"To give that kid a piece of my mind," I responded, angrily clenching my fist. I looked down at him. "Are you going to be okay?"
Thomas nodded and hesitantly let go of me. "Just...just don't get yourself in trouble or get hurt or anything. I want at least one of us to do something right today."
I gave him a weak smile and stalked toward the nameless guy, anger taking over me. He was laughing with a group of friends, the sound embarrassingly similar to a dolphin. It only made me angrier when I heard the words "-Greenie-" and "-should've seen his shuck face, it was so funny-"
"Excuse me," I interrupted the rest of his sentence, stopping a few feet away from him and his gang of friends. They stopped short. The potato-nosed boy turned toward me with one eyebrow raised like he couldn't believe I was speaking to him.
"Oh, great." His friends snickered as he rolled his eyes. "Alright, boys. Get lost."
They did as he said. My eyes followed them as they clambered off somewhere else. I didn't care where they went as long as I could speak to this kid alone. I knew I was upset enough to want to yell at him, but I had to at least try to be civil first. It was the smart thing to do.
"Why don't you start off by telling me why you tricked Thomas into seeing Ben?" I suggested with an edge in my voice. "You knew he'd be yelled at for it."
"The name's Gally, thanks for asking," he began, "and it ain't no business of yours what I do. That was the point- to get him in trouble. A little harmless fun."
"Harmless," I repeated blankly, then jerked my head toward the tree where Thomas currently sat. The boy was still paler than the clouds above. "Tell that to the scared shitless expression on his face."
Gally took a step forward. Though he towered over me, stocky build easily swallowing my petite frame, I didn't flinch. "Don't act like you're so innocent, yourself."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I spat back.
"You will soon enough."
And the threat was clear in his tone, even as his face remained mostly expressionless. Somehow that was more frightening than a sneer.
My fighting instincts kicked in, though I didn't know where they came from. Gally wasn't going to apologize for his actions. He had merely excused them as if he didn't care whether Thomas slept tonight or not.
"Look," I said, trying to keep my voice as level as I could, "I know you're all talk and no bite. You're just bullying Thomas. So please" - he tilted his head to the side at the word - "just let him be."
Gally chuckled lowly and shook his head. "It's people like you- Greenies, who come in here and act like they own the place immediately after. You know what, Shortcake? Your true colors'll come out soon." He gave me a light push backward, barely enough to cause me to back up a few steps. "And you'll see which of us has the bite."
"Gally, I see you're warming up to the Greenie" a familiar voice called. Gally's eyes blazed for a second before he turned to Newt.
"S'okay," he said. "Nothing to worry about."
"Of course not," Newt agreed, though there was something on his face that both of us could see. He had come to intervene lest a fight break out between us. "Just wanted to let you know that one of your Builders is asking for directions. Might wanna leave Dylan alone and go see what he wants, yeah?"
Though Gally knew it was a blatant lie, he still stalked off anyway. He moved like an animal of some sort, not walking so much as prowling. What I said before hadn't been true - I knew he would bite - but I needed to dig under his skin.
"Don't mind Gally," Newt told me as he watched him leave. "He's got a temper, but he's a good leader. He's Keeper of the Builders for a reason."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I just responded with, "Yeah."
A twinge of awkwardness filled the air. I realized that it was my first one-on-one conversation with Newt, and neither of us knew what to say now that Gally was gone. I didn't know what to do in order to get to know Newt better. I'd gained Chuck and Thomas' friendship through banter, but somehow it didn't seem right to joke with him just yet.
Just then, a terribly loud grating sound pierced the air, making me cover my ears to try and block it out. I looked around, trying to see who was causing the noise, only to discover that it was coming from the walls themselves. My mouth dropped open as they started to move toward each other slowly until they finally met in the middle, slamming shut. I stared at the walls in shock for a moment as I removed my hands from my ears.
"Yep, that happens every morning and night," Newt informed, his hands on his hips and his expression amused at my reaction. I supposed it would be funny if I had been there as long as he had. "You'll get used to it, Greenie."
"How do you know my name?" I asked, not looking at the blond. It had just occurred to me that I'd never told him what it was.
He sounded a little surprised at my question. "What?"
"My name," I repeated. "You know it, but I didn't tell you."
"Oh, uh." I could tell I had caught him off guard. "Thomas told me."
He was lying. I saw the way that his eyes squinted just the tiniest bit. Everyone had their own trait they subconsciously did when they lied, and luckily Newt's was easy to detect.
"Listen, before I forget, you're sleeping in the Homestead," Newt told me. I could tell he wanted to get off the subject of my name, and I wondered why.
I was confused at the unfamiliar word. My eyebrows creased. "The what?"
"The Homestead," Newt repeated, then remembered I was new and had no idea what he was talking about. "That building over there." He pointed to the dilapidated shack Thomas had run in and out of. "Usually only the Keepers, Alby, and I sleep there, but we decided it would be a bad idea to leave ya out here with everyone else."
"Why?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer. I just wanted to see how he would put it.
"Well," Newt scratched the back of his neck, "let's just say that some Gladers wouldn't mind putting their hands on ya. It's just to make sure you're kept safe. It's even worse that none of us remember the last time we've seen a girl."
"Makes sense." I nodded in agreement. Come on, come on. Make the awkwardness go away! "I mean, I hope I've lived up to their expectations so far."
"We'll see about that," he joked back, sending a wave of relief through me. It worked. "Come on, Greenie." He began walking away so I was forced to follow him. "I'll show ya to your room."
I could tell Newt didn't want to talk about how he knew my name, without me or Thomas telling him. It couldn't have been Chuck, because as far as I was concerned, he had been around me and Thomas all day. I was determined to figure it out, no matter how hard it would be or how long it would take.
gif is our favorite cast as they dance
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hey guys it's 2017 kristyn here with an update from the future!
i rewrote the second half of the chapter to make it less cringey, and if i make mistakes in fixing it up in later chapters, please let me know
thank you!!
-kristyn