teenage wasteland ;; the maze runner

1.20

    when it was time, florence had to leave thomas. the boy was pulled away and out of the pit quickly, aggressively, by gally's most loyal minions, teresa grunting and struggling against the tight grip of others.

    "he's not awake yet!" florence yelled, eyes wide as she watched them carry the comatose body of thomas, feet dragging on the ground. "this isn't fair—"

    a head whipped around at that. "he's dying either way." antony's eyes flared at the sight of her, and she was sure her own surprise didn't mask itself. the boy paused in his movement, gazes locked as they took each other in. neither of them had really spoken to each other since they ran together through the wasteland the night before, and though it was only just hours ago, it felt like a thousand years.

    florence watched his face, his eyes carefully. they almost seemed... regretful. he hatred what he was doing, he hated what gally was asking of him, but he also hated betraying a friend. antony was... loyal to a fault, florence knew, just as she was independent, or perhaps stubborn is the better word, to a fault.

    "i'm sorry," antony breathed, voice quiet. she would've missed the words if it hadn't been for the overarching silence that plagued the glade. no wind, not even a slight breeze, just still air and a whole lot of dread.

    he didn't give florence a moment to respond before he started to drag thomas away again, although that didn't stop him from throwing one last look over his shoulder. this time, when their gazes met, florence recognized something different in the way he stared at her, something deeper. he almost... pleaded with her, but florence had no idea what that could've meant.

    florence also didn't have the time to try and decipher his look, not when the surviving members of the glade were gathering at that moment, a crowd forming right outside the doors to the maze.

    she could see the small figures in the distance, antony, thomas, teresa, and the rest of the boys seeming to shrink in a very similar fashion the further they got.

    florence grunted as she pulled herself out of the pit, arm shaking as she still hadn't fully figured out whatever issue plagued her one injured arm. when she finally found herself on the normal ground, she only shook her head at the sight that beheld her.

    "you ready?" a voice asked, causing her head to swing to one side. she locked eyes with newt as he approached her from the shadows he'd previously been standing in, minho close behind him.

    she shrugged. "as ready as i can be," she admitted. her eyes traveled a bit further to catch sight of chuck and sammy who still seemed to hide behind the two older boys. her serious expression melted into one of kindness. "and you two better be ready," she teased.

    "uh, duh," chuck insisted, rolling his eyes playfully. "we'll do anything to help thomas, and also to help get out of here."

    sammy blinked. "we'd do anything as long as it doesn't risk our life," sammy corrected. "and we are more than ready to help from a distance."

    the smile on flo's face reflected off of both newt's and minho's, the boys pleasantly amused. sammy, the cautionary, always keeping himself safe. "exactly," flo agreed with a nod. "from a distance, waiting until we need you."

    "and when you need us, we'll be ready to whatever ensures our escape!" chuck added enthusiastically.

    sammy nodded in tandem, before he also made an addition of his own. "we'll be ready to give you the tools that ensure our escape as we still watch from a distance and make sure we don't get hurt!"

    if it were any other time, if they were in any other situation, florence knew she'd be on the floor in stitches. "thank you, sammy. you are very brave." she nodded, stifling her grin.