Why Can't I Hate You?

~34~

We sat together, waiting. Unsure how long they would be. There wasn't anything to really do to pass the time.  

"This Chuck kid." Brenda said to me."Thomas mentioned him back at the right arm, but he didn't have all that much to say. He said he didn't know him as long as you."

I avoided eye contact with her. Why the sudden interest?

"What was he like?"

I swallowed hard to get rid of the lump in my throat. "Why do you care?"

"It seems like he meant a lot to all of you. I mean, Thomas punched a guy in the jaw earlier."

"He did. He was just a kid." I picked at my fingernail."All he wanted was to see his parents. He needed them. Even though he couldn't remember them, he needed them just like every child. Wicked stole that from him. Then they stole him from us. From me."

She placed her hand on my arm, and I felt the warmth of her touch on my skin. "I know what it's like to lose the people you love. We're gonna evenge him. All of them. I promise."

I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

About an hour or two passed before the boys returned. Gally took us to a separate part of the building to talk about his plan. It involved Teresa and getting her to remove our tags so we can get into the building. Thomas, however, didn't seem too keen on the idea "No. There's got to be another way."

"You've seen the building. She's our only way in." Gally said.

"She's not just gonna help us."

"I didn't exactly plan on asking for her permission."

"I don't understand the problem here. This is the same girl who betrayed us, correct? Same dick?" Brenda imputted.

Gally holded his palm out to agree, "I like her."

"Thomas. What's going on?" She asked him.

Thomas stood with his arms limp at his sides. His mind somewhere else.

"Are you afraid your little girlfriend's gonna get hurt?" Newt spoke for the first time since he'd been sitting there. He looked over at Thomas, accusing him. "Hmm? This has never been just about rescuing Minho, has it?"

Thomas looked dumbfounded and stuttered, struggling to find words. "Newt..."

Newt rose from his chair abruptly, slowly backing Thomas towards the wall as he raised his voice "She's the only reason Minho's missing in the first place, and now we finally have an opportunity to get him back, you don't want to because of her?" Thomas's back was almost touching the wall now."You still care about you, don't you? Just admit it."

"No...I-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Newt grabbed his jacket, pushing him into the wall."DON'T. LIE. TO ME."

The boiling anger began to fade as he moved back, speaking softly again. "I'm sorry." He turned around to look at the rest of us repeating his apology slightly louder.

He left the room, letting the door close behind him and leaving us in silence.

After a few moments, Thomas followed him out.

We sat in silence for the next ten or fifteen minutes before Jorge spoke.

"What now? We're wasting time just sitting here."

I stood up from my chair. "I'll go see what's going on out there."

I walked out, letting the door close behind me. The cold air hit me instantly, not surprising for being so high up. Newt was sitting over the edge, with Thomas standing next to them. I began to approach, then stopped, catching some of their conversation.