To Love *The Maze Runner/Newt Fanfic*

Chapter 36

~~~Author's Notes~~~

HIIII guys!!! FUN FACT: This chapter is the first chapter I wrote for To Love, before I even knew I was writing a fanfic, haha. I originally planned it as an imagine, but decided later on that a fanfic was more fitting. BUT YAH I WROTE THIS almost exactly a year ago.

It's by far my favorite chapter to date, and I am so incredibly proud of it. And I've saved it for so long, SO ENJOY!

Warning: it's a bit of a tearjerker I THINK, so reading this in the middle of class or around people might be a struggle, BUT ANYWAY ILY ALL!!!

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~~~Brianne's Pov~~~

"Brianne?" I heard Alby call from the hallway.

"Yes?" He slowly came through the door. In the nicest words possible: Alby looked awful. Like it might be a tie between him and me, for worst appearance. His shoulders were slumped and he seemed just out of it to me.

He didn't say anything at first, as he pulled over a chair to sit next to me.

But finally he took a deep breath, "A lot has happened in the Glade," An exhale, "And I absolutely hate to be the bearer of bad news right now- and it really pains me to say this," He looked away without finishing his sentence.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Five Gladers were killed this morning."

"What?"

"We sent a group out to survey the place where we found Newt and a griever attacked them in broad freaking daylight."

"You sent people into the maze to figure out why Newt got hurt?" I couldn't hide the panic in my voice. Nothing happened. Well, nothing happened that could have been controlled. I mean, people died trying to see what happened. If Newt wakes up this will tear him apart.

"Yah, six people went out and only one returned."

"Who went- if you don't mind me asking," Please don't let it be anyone I know; I don't think I could bear that pain right now. I was losing two people already: Newt and myself.

"Minho was the only one to come back."

"Who died, Alby?" I pressed.

"Well, I don't know if you'd know them-" Alby said, side-stepping around the question.

"Who!"

"Nick was in the group," Alby finally spit out, tears gathering in his eyes.

At first I didn't know what to say, "Nick went into the maze to look at the place where Newt got hurt?"

Alby nodded, "He was genuinely concerned. I wanted to go- instead of him- but he kept saying how important it was that he went: to make up for something that he wouldn't tell me about."

"That's awful," I gasped. I decided that there was no point in holding a dead person accountable for the awful things they'd done. Especially now. I strongly disliked Nick, and I mean, didn't we all? But for some reason he hadn't hated me. I still don't get it. But then again, he rigged the council meeting so I'd get banished, but then he felt bad after the fact.

I hate that I can't hate him.

"I don't know what to do! We have no leader, so as of right now, I'm the leader. I'm gonna have to step up and do everything that I did before as second-in-command and everything Nick did when he was in charge- I don't know how I'm gonna do it," Alby trailed off.

"I'm sure, you'll be fine as leader," I said, looking down at my hands and then at Newt.

"It's just gonna be hard doing it alone," Alby sighed, wiping away a tear, "Nick was a buggin' jerk, but he was family to me."