Why Can't I Hate You?

~11~

I stormed out into the deadheads, sliding down the trunk of a tree and holding my legs close to my chest like a shield. Nothing was fair in this damn place. I wanted to stay here in the deadheads forever. Curl up on the ground and waste away. I couldn't remember anything about myself anyway, so what was the point of all this? 

A twig snapped, and I jolted.

"Sorry," Chuck apologised, standing sheepishly. "I saw you come here, and you looked upset."

He sat down next to me, fiddling with a piece of wood in his hands. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

I sighed. "Newt made Thomas a runner, but refused to make me one."

"Why not? I think you'd be a great runner. You survived a whole night in the maze, and no one has ever been able to do that before."

The way he talked about it was as if I were some sort of god. I forgot sometimes how much he looked up to all of us here. Running into the maze wasn't exactly a good role example to set for him, though.

"I don't know, he didn't really give me a proper answer. Well, except for yelling IT'S DANGEROUS!" I mocked his voice.

"That impression was pretty accurate. Maybe he just doesn't want you getting hurt?"

I belly laughed so hard my stomach hurt. "That's a first, Newt not wanting me to get hurt. He'd burn me at the stake if he got the chance."

"I wouldn't let it get you down anyway. Being a medjack means more free time, less work to do."

I smiled. "Should'nt I be the one comforting you, not the other way around?"

"Freindships goes both ways."

I observed the little piece of wood he was fiddling with. Realising it wasn't a random piece of wood at all, it was a carving. "Hey, that's pretty good. What's it for?"

"My parents. If we ever get out of here, and we find them."

My heart hurt. Chuck was so young, far too young. He needed his family, his parents, to look after him. Even if we did escape, they could be anywhere. "I promise that once we get out of here, you'll give it to them. I'll make sure of it."

He hugged me tightly, and I embraced it. Chuck was one of the only people here who didn't judge me, not for being a girl or being a medjack. Just saw me for me. Chuck was one of those people I felt a connection to.

It was difficult to explain, but it just feels like I've known him for years. From the day he came up in the glade, it was like I already knew him, or at least my subconscious mind did.

I felt it with others too, Minho, Jeff, Thomas, Alby. Even Gally. I felt it with the girl too, which is part of why her saying my name in her sleep terrified me so much. Whether I liked to admit it or not, the feeling came with Newt, too. I guess we've hated each other before the maze or something like that.

"Y/N! GET OVER HERE!" Jeff's voice yelled across the glade.

Chuck looked up at me with wide eyes. This couldn't be good. We sprinted towards the glade, where Jeff was standing below the watch tower. Other people heard the commotion and started gathering around.

"What's going on? Is someone hurt?"

"Yeah! Me!" He rubbed the side of his head."The girl woke up, and she was panicking, so I tried to calm her down, but she hit me in the head with a lamp and ran up there!"

I covered my mouth with my hand to stiffle my giggles.

"It's not funny! It really hurt!" He shoved me.