Stone Walls
Today was the day Thomas did what no other Glader had ever done before.
Survived a night in the maze.
He couldn’t have done it without Minho, obviously, but a large amount of the praise had been handed to him…and punishment. That wasn’t the most fun part, exactly.
Conclusion: a big day. Nothing could go wrong. It all had to go according to plan.
Newt woke Thomas by shaking his shoulders, and Thomas sprang up, reflexes still shockingly sharp.
Strangely, Newt didn’t flinch.
Upon realizing who it was, Thomas relaxed. Just Newt. He was safe.
“Minho and Alby are going into the maze today.” Newt said, leading Thomas to Frypan - leading him to breakfast. “They’re trying to retrace Ben’s footsteps. See where this…day Griever might have caught him. Just to make sure…to see how safe we are, here, in the Glade.”
“OK.” Thomas replied. He wasn’t quite sure what to say.
Newt stared at him for a moment. Thomas stared back, Newt’s hand still resting on his shoulder, touch feather-light and graceful.
Newt fetched Thomas’ breakfast for him, and they sat a table together. Unlike last time, where Newt had favored sitting beside Alby, talking worriedly, for breakfast.
“Eat up.” Newt said, handing him the bowl of stew. “Keep your strength. You’ll need it around here.”
Thomas looked into Newt’s eyes (something he’d been neglected of for months) and found he wasn’t quite hungry…at all. He swallowed uncomfortably, and grudgingly began to spoon the stew into his mouth.
Newt was distracted, though, eyes cautiously and anxiously flicking over to Minho and Alby - specifically Alby.
“Ben’s getting Banished tonight.” Newt said. Newt was one of the people who had argued for Ben to have a little more time, maybe to see if he would lapse out of the Sting induced haze of craziness.
Thomas would have to solve that problem before he ran into the maze. But it might solve itself - Alby would be stuck out in the maze, and Newt would have the title of leader. He was second in command, he’d get to take the shots, make the rules, make the calls about Ben’s fate. It was all in Newt’s hands.
“What do you think about that?” Thomas asked, keeping a neutral stand on the issue. Obviously, he knew what Newt thought, but he just wanted to hear a little more on the matter. Perhaps find out what he was like. After all, this was a different Newt.
Newt hesitated. “I don’t want to really disagree with Alby…but I think he should have longer. Just to see. We’ve never tried this before. Maybe he can be saved. Maybe he can’t. But if it fails…no harm done, yeah? He can’t hurt anybody all the way from the Slammer.” Newt turned his head and gestured to Gally, who was sitting grimly with some other Builders. “Gives Gally a little hope. Ya know. That he might make it.” He turned back to Thomas. “What about you?”
“I think so too. I just don’t understand why they’ve been cast out so many times - if they were kept here longer, some sort of cure could have been created.”
Newt shrugged. “Fear, I guess. Fear of the unknown. Understandable, but…illogical. Only sometimes though. Sometimes it is far better to fear the unknown than face the monsters within.”
Thomas thought about that for a second, then laughed. “When did you turn into a philosopher? Sounds so much more posh in your fancy accent.”
Newt pushed him gently. “Oh, shut up, you dick.”
Seeing Newt laugh lit up Thomas’ day. He was so cute. Newt laughing was a sight he hadn’t seen in a long time, and he would savor it while it lasted.
***
They were standing outside the Doors - Thomas, Newt, Alby, Minho and a few other boys - and Newt was worriedly briefing Alby on common maze things, like door patterns and timings.
“Be careful, Alby.” Newt said. “Remember, preserve your strength but run quickly, and don’t take too many breaks, they slow you down. And watch out for Grievers. If one plays dead, then it might still be alive and preparing to pounce, attack and kill or Sting you. Try not to…” Newt continued to anxiously ramble on.
Something wrenched in Thomas’ stomach, a green monster stirring. Jealousy was not usually a prevalent emotion Thomas felt, but with Newt, everything ‘average’ changed. Newt was so much better, so much more beautiful than just ‘average.’
And so Thomas’ emotions increased tenfold.
Newt checked over Minho’s and Alby’s supplies for the hundredth time before the Doors started rumbling loudly, noises echoing. Thomas moved closer to Newt, hands brushing each other as the Doors opened.
Minho stared at their nearly joined hands almost knowingly before patting Alby’s back. “Come on. Let’s go. Let’s leave Newt,” he eyed Thomas, “to it.”
***
“Remember.” Newt said. “Never go into the maze at night. It’s usually fatal.”
“Usually?” Thomas questioned. “Who’s survived it?”
“Um.” Newt jaw slacked. “Well…nobody. But there’s a first time for everything, right? It might happen someday. But for now…” Newt stopped, and placed his hands on Thomas’ shoulders. “Not you.”
“Mhm?” Thomas said, looking at Newt.
Something he’d never appreciated while Newt was alive was how goddamn pretty he was. Like, which model was he related to? Because he managed to look effortlessly stunning whatever he did. Seriously.
Just got super lucky with his genes, Thomas guessed.
“Don’t run into the maze, that’s it.” Newt said, removing his hands from Thomas’ shoulder.