When The Storm Comes (When We're Older alternative ending)

strange faces

Newt

Apio had someone take us to a condo above the alley after we'd spent a couple of hours dancing and talking. I stayed back as everyone blew off steam, thinking of what was to come. My hands grasped the glass of water tightly as I stared off. I'd always had a problem with overthinking, but it'd gotten so much more severe since being without Mae. She always knew how to calm me down, even when I was on the brink of insanity.

It was like her superpower. I don't know how she did it, but she could calm any storm in me with a simple hand on my shoulder. When we were together, I'd often wish I could provide her with the same type of comfort that she did me, but I knew that wasn't possible.

I know now how she felt, for whenever anyone tried to touch me or hug me or tell me it was all going to be okay, I fought the urge to scoff or walk away. Sometimes it helped temporarily, but the pain would always find it's way back, a little worse than before.

We'd been at the port for a couple of days. Ali had trained us how and who to sell to, there were boxes of white powder and alcohol taking up a large space of the room in our condo. We'd sort all the orders during the day, talking and listening to the radio, and then we'd sell them all during the night. It was hard at first, I have to admit I was a little nervous. But then I remembered Apio's words of reassurance. This was a safe place, nobody would recognize us here.

Still, I kept my mask and hood on.

When we were done selling, everyone would go find a dance partner and sway their bodies to the beat of the drums and the rhythm of the guitar. People would gawk at the singer's voice—she sung every night. But while my friends were entertaining themselves, I'd linger in the corner with my book or a cold drink.

It was dusk now, the sun was beginning to set and Brenda was giving everyone haircuts. She'd almost forced me into the chair, saying my hair was getting so long she was surprised I could still see. I rolled my eyes at her and allowed her to make adjustments to my appearance, only slightly nervous about the outcome.

"Ouch!" I flinched as she pulled on my locks. "That hurt!"

"Shut up, you big baby..." She mumbled, continuing to cut. "I'm almost done anyway."

"Hey, hey," Minho turned up the radio. "Anyone recognize this song? Huh? I swear I've heard it before..."

Vince chuckled from his place on the couch. "It's Winds of Change... This song sucks, Minho."

Minho sung along to the cheesy song, ignoring what Vince had said. I shook my head at my friend, wondering how he could like a song like this.

Vince had cheered up a bit after we made the deal with Apio. I think he finally realized that we were one small step closer to saving Mae, or maybe just being in our presence made him realize that maybe all of this wasn't so bad.

Of course, the situation we were in had it's ups and downs...mostly downs. But, there were good moments in it all. Like watching Minho obsess over the girl he'd met on the first day, or watching Thomas and Brenda fall harder for each other every day. Even Teresa was starting to loosen up. Her and Gally seemed to have reconciled, for he was starting to act like less of a dick towards her. Perhaps they'd come to an understanding of some sort when none of us were around.

Gally and I still hadn't spoken since our fight on the first night. I wondered why he had switched up so suddenly—one day he would stop at nothing to save Mae, and the next he was doubting everything. It seemed as though he didn't want to speak to me either, we were hardly in the same room anymore.

"Where's the bread?" Teresa called from the kitchen. She was on the counter, not being able to reach the top shelf with her height.

"Over here." Fry tossed her the bread, taking a bite out of his own sandwich. "Want me to make you something?"