maze through the scorch ~ newt²

CHAPTER FOUR | i don't believe in luck

Rae woke up in a cold sweat with her heart pounding when she heard banging on the metal door. It seemed that that was their type of alarm to wake up when the other girls slowly started awakening and rising from their cots. One by one, they all went to the sinks where they fixed their messy hair and then turned on the faucet to wash their faces. It looked like it was routine for them when Rae knew they had only been here for a couple of days.

Rae never understood how people could fit in so easily. She wondered about her time back in the Glade. If she had not arrived first, would she have fit in easily with the boys? The answer was a mystery, but Rae knew that she definitely didn't fit in with these girls.

Eventually, the redhead rose from her cot and went to an empty sink, and stared at herself in the mirror. Her forehead had a slight gleam from the condensation of the sweat that occurred from her nightmares. Although she slept in a real bed for the first time in 3 years, she looked the same as how she thought she looked in the Glade when she had to wake up at the crack of dawn to send the runners on their way.

For the first time in a long time, Rae was unsettled by one of her nightmares. Back in the Glade, she had dreams of what she thought the outside world looked like: also filled with monsters and darkness. She was only partially right about monsters. But the funny thing was that when she was free, she was dreaming about life back in the Glade. Rae didn't miss it one bit, but she couldn't help thinking about it at night, and that shocked her.

The other girls continued to talk to one another as they fixed themselves up, but Rae was already done. So, she walked out the door and made her way to the cafeteria once again where she assumed they would serve breakfast. To her surprise, they did have breakfast, but on the other hand, Phineas was the only other person there. Rae contemplated on whether she should go back and wait for the girls, but then she decided against it. Grabbing a bowl of fruit, Rae went to sit beside the boy who gave her a quirky smile once he realized he had company.

"So, first ones, huh?" Rae asked, being the first one to talk, which was fairly new to her.

"I couldn't sleep. Guess I just wanted to get out of that room."

"Me, too."

"You can call me Finn, by the way."

"Alright... Finn." Rae wasn't used to people being so nice to her on the first go around. She had been told she can come off a little standoffish and intimidating, but it seemed that Finn didn't mind, and Rae appreciated that. "You told me you didn't have any friends. What about the people in your maze?"

"I was the only one to escape. Don't ask me how, I just did... somehow. You can call it luck."

"I don't believe in luck. Good or bad."

"It just sucks, ya know?"

Rae just nodded as she stuffed a piece of melon into her mouth. In Newt's garden back in the Glade, the only fruits they grew were strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, so the melon was a new taste for her. She liked it, but still preferred strawberries.

Over the course of 10 minutes, the other kids started filing into the cafeteria, taking a seat where they sat yesterday with their friends. Rae eyed the doors, waiting for Newt and the rest of her friends. Finally, they entered through the doors and took a seat next to Rae.

"Mornin'," Newt said, giving Rae a kiss on the forehead. "How'd you sleep?"

"Alright. You?"

"The best in three years," he replied with a little smile. Rae wished she could say the same, but it was easy for Newt to trust easily after longing for this for years.