Sanction -Minho-

Chapter 14

Grace had spent the entire day staring at the Maze doors hoping Minho would return. She hated how worried she was. He should be on bed rest. His ankle needed to heal, not be worn down by spending the day running in the Maze. But Minho was never good at following directions. Grace knew that. She also knew that he would not tell her if his ankle hurt later. The only reason she knew originally was because of Ben. He dragged Minho to the Med-Jack hut after their day in the Maze.

She was grateful Ben did that. At least Minho's ankle got some rest. "She-Bean." Frypan waved a hand in front of her face. "Still with me?"

"Hm," she was yanked from her thoughts. "Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

He chuckled, "I said thanks for the company."

Grace smiled at him. She was sitting on the counter while he peeled potatoes for dinner. "I'm not sure I'm much company these days."

"Got a lot on your mind?" She nodded. "Come on, talk to Fry about it."

"Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?" All he did was shrug. "I'm afraid there isn't much to tell. I'm just worried about Minho." That got his attention. "He ignored bedrest orders and went into the Maze on an injured foot."

He set the peeler down. "Is that why you're worried about him? No other reason?"

Grace wasn't sure what other reason there was. "What other reason would I have?" Frypan didn't respond. All he did was shake his head. "Fry?"

"All I'm saying is that you weren't this worried last week when I cut my hand open and went back to cutting vegetables a few hours later."

Grace understands what he's insinuating. She playfully glares at him, not at all amused by what he has to say. "It's different. Being a Runner is dangerous. A hurt ankle could prevent him from getting back here or running from a Griever." Grace was worried about him hurting himself further, nothing more. Frypan was alluding to there being something else, but there wasn't. Frypan smiled to himself. "What are you smiling about? It's the truth."

"Okay," he laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, She-Bean."

Grace rolled her eyes and jumped off the counter. "You're impossible, Fry." That only made him laugh louder. "I'm going to bother someone else now."

"You do that."

She walked out of the building and back into the sun. There wasn't a cloud in the sky today.

Grace thought about his words for a moment. Her friendship with Minho never felt like anything more. They were friends, good friends. Grace was also good friends with Newt, Jeff, Clint, Zart, and Gally. Yet, her friendship with Minho was different. She felt differently about him. It wasn't a feeling she could describe with words.

Grace brushed off Frypan's comment. She wasn't worried about Minho more than others. It was just his job. He was a Runner. That was dangerous. Anything could happen out there. There were no reasons other than that. At least, that's what she continued to tell herself.

Her eyes catch sight of Chuck, who is sitting under a tree. It's a tree she knows well. She sits there with Minho sometimes. Graces changes directions and begins walking towards him. "Hey, Chuck."

The curly-haired boy looks up. "Hey, Grace."

"Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead." She sits across from him. It had only been a few days since he entered the Glade, but it wasn't easy. It's a hard adjustment.

Grace notices he's fiddling with something. "What is that?"

Chuck looks down at his hands. "Oh." He's holding a piece of wood and a knife. "I was trying-" he stops. "I saw someone else and-" he's struggling. "I wanted to-"