The Assassin Trapped In A Maze ~Newtmas~

Chapter 23

~Chuck's POV~

I had never been this excited in my life. I was going back to my parents. It was like a dream come true and I was living for it. I wondered what they would look like for months, asking myself if they had missed me the same way I had,  wondering if I had older or younger siblings and if I was finally going to be able to be held in their arms.

I looked down at my hand, my dummy I had carved for them in the Glade twirling between my fingers as I nervously waited for the car to stop in front of my house. I had to admit that I was starting to feel slightly guilty to not be able to remember them or what my house used to look like. I quickly shook those thoughts away, knowing that it wasn't my fault if I didn't remember anything of my life before the maze. Thomas had lectured me once or twice because of this, I had told him I was feeling a bit guilty and he spent nearly an hour telling me how nothing was my fault.

My excited smile faded a bit at the thought of my friend. Actually, Thomas was my best friend and he will always be no matter what. He had kept his promise after all, he brought me outside of the maze and made it possible for me to see my parents again. I will always be thankful for that. This shank truly was amazing and I couldn't asked for a better friend.

I remember how he used to ask me what I was going to do once we would be out of the maze, I had told him that there was nearly no chances for us to escape but he had shook his head and said that he was going to do everything he could to get us out. And he did. How incredible was that? Three years, that was the time the runners had spent searching for any clues to get out. Four days, that was the time Thomas took to get us out.

He had gave me a phone just before I left, saying that he wasn't supposed to give me this but he didn't care and told me his number was already saved in it. I was quite releaved when he gave me this, not knowing when I would see him again or any of the gladers for that matter. I was going to miss them so much but I was way too excited right at this moment to think about that too much.

The driver suddenly pulled over in front of a large building and stopped the car. I took a hold of my bag and nervously got out of the car at the same time as the driver who walked with me to the building. We stepped inside and I looked at my surroundings as we walked inside, watching people pass by me before seeing kids chasing each other and laughing. The agent that had drove me here walked to the front desk and talked with the receptionist for a while before she turned to me and ignored the agent who turned around as well before leaving without glancing one last time at me.

"You must be Caleb" The woman exclaimed as she walked to me with a smile, I frowned and she looked as if she had remembered something. "Oh sorry, you prefer to be called Chuck, right? I'm Ella, it's very nice to meet you" She said, never failing to put on a bright smile on her face. "Here, let me take you to your room and then you can meet the other kids" She informed while I was in total confusion.

"What do you mean by meeting the other kids?" I asked and she turned her head towards me as we walked in the corridor. "Where are my parents?" As soon as those words left my mouth she stopped walking and stared at me for a second.

"You don't know, do you?" She asked and I stared back waiting for her to explain. "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry" She said and I felt my heart sink. Why was she apologising? What happened to my parents? Where are they? "You're an orphan, Chuck. You always have been from what I've seen in your file. I'm sorry I thought you knew."

This was just a big shucking joke, wasn't it? Not a funny one but still a joke, right? That couldn't be real, I was so excited to meet them, I was so happy. What was I supposed to do now? The univers just didn't want me to be happy it seemed. Apparently, I was meant to have a shitty life.

"It's going to be fine, Chuck" Ella said as she hugged me. "Don't cry" She whispered, wipping the tear off my face. I hadn't even noticed I was crying.

How sad was that?

"Can I see my room?" I asked, just wanting to be left alone.

She didn't anything and just nodded before leading me to what would be my room for god knew how long. We arrived to a small room, a single bed standing against the wall on the right, a bedside table, a desk and a small dresser. I sat on the bed and Ella quietly closed the door, giving me the privacy she knew I needed. And with that I completely crumbled under the sadness and sobbed for hours and hours before falling asleep from exhaustion with one last thought.

I should have never left Thomas' side.

***

It had been a few weeks, maybe a month since I stepped foot into the orphanage and nothing was going the way it should. Most of the clothes they gave me were a bit too small for me, the other kids were always making fun of me for either my appearance or the way I talked because of the Glade slang and the saddest part was that nobody wanted to adopt me.

Every time a couple would meet me, they would either say straight to my face that I didn't match their expectations or they would smile at me, trying to be kind while they were with me before saying klunk behind my back once the meeting with me was over. And every single time, I ended up going back to my room, not to pack my stuff to go with loving parents but to cry alone until I would eventually fall asleep.

Thankfully, I still had the phone Thomas had given me and so every few days we would call each other and talk for hours. We would talk about everything and I tried to make him feel a bit better since Newt had left as well to go back to his family and I knew Thomas was sad.

That was why I didn't say anything about my situation. When he would ask about it I would just change the conversation and ask about something else, always avoiding the subject. I knew he had noticed, Thomas was the smartest person I know but he never pointed it out or asked about it nor did he ever forced me to talk. He always respected my bounderies and I silently thanked him for that every time.

I just wished somethimes to go back in time and beg everyone to not send me away into this orphanage. I wanted to go back and tell myself that it would be so much better to not know about anything, that it wasn't worth it and that my family was and always had been the gladers. Oh how I wished I could do that.

But I couldn't.