You Make My Heart Run In Circles (Thomas x Minho, Newt x Gally)

Chapter 3: The Tour

THOMAS'S POV

The Gladers started getting up a little while after the sun rose. Alby was the first one up and came for me almost immediately.

"This is the box, where you arrived. We get a new Greenie every month and supplies every week. Besides for that, we don't know jack about this shucking thing, you hear me?" I nod in reply. Alby walks me away from the box and over to a group of boys who are farming.

"This is the Garden where we grow crops. We pump water into it because it never rains here," Alby tells me.

"Never?" I ask, baffled at the thought.

"Never," he confirms.

"Zart's the Keeper of the Gardeners. Every job has one keeper and multiple workers. The keepers are in charge of their workers and they help me and the other keepers make decisions," Alby explains and he then walks me over to a large building. The same building that Newt ran into just yesterday.

"This is the homestead. Not a lot of us sleep in it, so usually the Med Jacks just use it as a hospital," Alby explains.

"Yesterday, I heard a scream from there. What's going on in there? What happened to that boy?" I ask, unable to hold that burning question in.

"Don't ask questions you'll regret asking," he stares into my eyes as he says that.

"Why would I regret asking?" I challenge.

"Cause you'd klunk your pants if I told you what was going on," Alby says and he walks off but waves me along and I run after him to catch up.

"These are the walls. Behind them is a maze. At night, the walls close and the Grievers that Newt showed you come out. As long as the walls keep closing at night, people like you are safe," Alby explains.

"What do you mean by 'people like me'?"
I ask, partially offended.

"People who aren't Runners," Alby says.

"I want to be a Runner," I tell him.

"We already have enough. You don't understand the risks the Runners have to take out there. The Grievers can sometimes come out during day, but that's rare. Other times, they'll come out just before the walls close and they'll sting you," he says.

"Sting? Is that what happened to that boy in the homestead?" I asked, shocked.

"Ben," he tells me, and walks off again, waving me along. I take it, Ben, must be the name of the boy in the homestead.

Alby walks me over to a small forest.

"These are what we call the Deadheads. Graveyard is in the corner," Alby says, pointing to the corner of the forest.

"Graveyard? People have died here?" I can feel the color draining from my face.

"Think about what it was like before we knew what we know now," Alby says and I can see him silently mourning lost Gladers.

In my mind, I can almost hear the cries of boys who had suffered a sting, like Ben. Or the moans of hunger from dehydrated children, slowly starving to death. I shiver and try to think happy thoughts.

Alby walks me out of the forest and back into the main section of the Glade. He takes me to a few more places and by now, it's a few hours past noon. We spot Minho leaning against the walls, looking as bored as ever and we walk over to him.

"Ready to go yet?" Minho asks Alby.

"Yeah, I think I've covered the basics for him," Alby says glancing over at me and Minho does the same. I can't help but feel giddy when he looks at me.

"Greenie, go find Newt, he'll tell you what to do next," Alby says as Minho hands him a backpack that I can only assume is filled with gear and they run off, into the maze and I go off to find Newt.

Brief Time Jump

"Hey, Newt, Alby gave me the tour and told me to find you then he and Minho ran into the maze," I inform Newt.

"I don't have a job in mind for you, Tommy, but I have something to show you," Newt says, and he walks towards the homestead, waving me along.

When we get inside, he takes me upstairs and we stand in the doorway of a room with a boy tied down to a bed. He's sweating and is sickly pale. He fights against the restraints.

"I need to warn them! Let me WARN THEM!!" the boy cries. His voice breaks and he looks like he's in immense pain.

This has to be Ben.

"You see Tommy, that's what happens when you get stung by a Griever. You go through the changing," Newt whispers, still looking at Ben. Then, he turns to look at me.

"Believe me, Tommy, you do NOT want to go that," he whispers.

"I know we just met, but have some faith in me! If Minho and other Runners can avoid being stung, then I can too!" I whisper-yell.

NEWT'S POV

Tommy is the first bit of hope Minho's had in a long time. I can see it in his eyes, a new twinkle in them. I know that if anything happened to Tommy, it would destroy his hope now and any chance for hope in the future. I need them to be together because none of us are particularly happy but they could be. With Tommy, Minho would have more motivation, a new reason to run and then we may have a shot of getting out of here.

Honestly though, I must say that love has distracted Minho, made him a wee bit more gullible. Did he really think I would let Chuck try Gally's special drink? Not a lot of people here want to deal with Chuck, let alone a sick or hungover Chuck.

FLASHBACK (NO ONE'S POV)

Newt walked Chuck away from the bonfire and away from Minho and Thomas.

"So, what'd you have to show me?" Chuck asked Newt.

"Can you keep a secret? It's very important," Newt asked, ignoring Chuck's question.

"Yeah. Besides, not a lot of people here talk to me. What's the secret?" Chuck responded.

"Well, I think Thomas and Minho have crushes on each other, and my goal is to get them to admit it and get together. I need you to help me though," Newt answered.

"Wow... I didn't see that coming. I swear on my life, I won't tell anyone else. What do you need me to help with?" Chuck said, eager to be helpful and make his new friend, Thomas, happy.

"I need you to keep an eye on Tommy for me. Tell me if you hear him say his name while sleeping, or catch him staring at him, or-"

"Say no more," Chuck interrupted, "You can count on Chuck!"

BACK TO PRESENT TIME (THOMAS'S POV)

Newt sighs.

"Come on, Tommy, I don't want to watch this anymore. Let's go," Newt says and we walk out of the homestead and walk and talk through the Glade.

"I heard Minho found a dead Griever. Doesn't that mean there's still hope? If you have more Runners, then you have a better chance at getting out of here!" I plead him.

Newt sighs, but he doesn't get to say anything before we see the Gladers gathered around the walls screaming things like, "Come on, you can do it!" I also catch, "They won't make it, holy shit, they're not gonna make it!" Newt and I run over and cut through the crowd to get a better view. That's when I see something I wasn't ready to see.

The walls are closing in and Minho is struggling to get out. He's carrying an unconscious Alby. There's a small gap left, big enough for one person. They won't make it. But I can.

Without thinking, I squeeze through the gap despite the screams of, "What's he doing?" and, "Don't do it, come back!" I can make out Newt and Chuck's voices, but they're cut off by the walls closing. I got in just in time.

"Congratulations, Greenie. You just killed yourself."

A/N
Thank you for reading this chapter! I am really excited to start writing the next chapter with Minho and Thomas in the Maze! However, I still have another 2 weeks left of school, so I won't be able to do a whole lot of writing. Once school ends, and I'm on summer break, then I'll be posting like crazy!