Fluctuating Beats

Chapter 13: Not just friends, family

You didn't know how long it'd been but you were being violently shaken awake. You snapped your eyes open in a panic thinking the hideout was getting attacked or sometimes.

"Y/n?" It was one of the guys who'd picked you up with Gally you could vaguely recognise his eyes, but it was hazy.

You sat up instantly suspicious and feeling wide awake. "What? Who are you?" You asked eyeing him.

"Gally just radioed in, he wants me to bring you to the drop off zone. Something about seeing Gladers, whatever the hell they are."

A light clicked on in your head and you understood exactly what he meant. No way he'd managed to find them. Goosebumps rippled down your arms and legs.

"Let's go!"

You got up and jogged after him out of Lawrence's room, he glanced after you but didn't speak as he fiddled with his medicine in a cabinet. The guard led you back the way you'd come when you first arrived but the attmosphere was very different.

It was as if the rest of the scavengers could sense something was happening. They were watching you march purposefully through the place as if something important was going on. Something important was happening and they knew it, news seemed to spread here like bees in a hive spread information. Buzzing away to each other.

You jumped slightly as you heard the heavy breaks of a van and loud shouts. "Oh no," you breathed breaking into a run thinking the worst.

You sprinted up through the crowd pushing people hard out of your way as you went. Your heart was pounding from excitement, if Gally's message meant what you think it did. . .

You slowed as you saw a crowd of people stood with their guns raised. You elbowed someone out of the way and felt your heart melting with relief. Thomas looked as if he'd just punched Gally and was holding his arm back for another swing, Newt was knelt down next to them with Frypan, Brenda and Jorge behind them.

Newt was persuading Thomas not to hit Gally again and you were really tempted to encourage him hit Gally again, but Gally's men had their guns raised so you decided to wait and see what happened. Thomas needed to get over this moment for himself, it took you a moment to get over what happened the day you escaped the Maze.

"He killed Chuck," Thomas breathed as you watched. Everyone was so ingraved in what was happening you weren't surprised none of them noticed you.

"I know. I was there, remember?" Newt reminded him in a tone full of forced calm, "But I also remember that he was stung and half out of his mind."

You took a breath crossing your arms, "Don't worry, Thomas. I punched him too." You spoke loudly making them all snap their heads to you in shock.

It was like watching time move in slow motion as Thomas and Newt's heads snapped to you, looks of shock settling on their faces. It was like they were trying to work out if they'd seen a ghost or not. As if they couldn't believe you were really stood there so casually as if you'd seen them for lunch yesterday.

Fry, Brenda and Jorge looked just as stunned as the other two. All their mouths were open as they stared you up and down trying to come to terms with the change of events.

"Y/n," Thomas breathed abandonding Gally and rushing over to you.

He pulled you into a tight hug which you held back just as tightly. Knowing you were hugging family rather than just a friend from the Maze made this hug mean so much more than before. He was your cousin, this was your first hug with a cousin and if you'd had other hugs like this you couldn't remember them. Your heart pounded so fast you worried he'd feel it but he seemed too distracted with the joy of seeing you.