The Maze Runner

Part 9

"I can't believe he just ran in there." I say pacing back and forth.
"That was a stupid move." Newt adds.
"Stupid?" Gally starts as he stands. "It's suicide. We told him whoever stays a night in the Maze has never returned in the morning."
"We could've warned him a little-" I start before Newt and Gally look at me.
"He knew Adriana, stop making excuses for him." Newt mentions.
"If by the small chance he survives, along with Minho and Alby, what are we going to do with him?" I ask looking between them.
"Order; he has to be punished obviously." Gally says. "We have three rules and he obviously can't follow something as simple as those rules, then he has to suffer the consequences."
I shake my head, frowning before walking out of Homestead; I walk over by the window on the side of the Maze looking through it, hoping to see any form of human life in there, but it was useless. I sigh and sit under the window bringing my knees under my chin.
"You like him, don't you?" Newt asks standing a few meters away from my sitting spot against the wall.

"I shouldn't." I mumble. "He's new and I don't even know him."
"You can't help who you fall for, Adri." Newt says sitting down beside me, putting an arm around my shoulders.
"Gally and I have been friends with benefits for two years now, it'd make more sense if I was falling for him instead of Thomas." I say leaning against Newt's side.
"Thomas is a nice guy." Newt starts. "And I bet that Thomas likes you too."
I look at Newt with a slight laugh.
"What? He doesn't like me." I shake my head getting the thought out of my head.
"Talk to him if he returns tomorrow, you might be surprised." Newt says stroking my arm.
"Yeah, IF he returns." I mumble sighing.

THE NEXT MORNING

The Gladers are all awake and waiting for, hoping to see three faces at the entrance of the Glade wall. Nothing. The walls are open, they have been for 15 minutes and nothing.
"Told you." Gally said before turning around and walking away.
Most of the Gladers followed Gally, Newt wraps an arm around my shoulder before turning around and walking away.
"There! Oh my god!" Frypan yells making everyone turn around.
At the end of the Maze hall is Minho and Thomas who is carrying Alby.
"Holy shit." I hear Newt mumble as they come out of the Maze pulling Alby over to the two Med-jacks.
"I'm so glad you guys made it." I run over wrapping my arms around Thomas.
"You're also an idiot, what the hell is wrong with you?" I ask stepping back and slapping him across the face.
Thomas looks at me confused as he holds his cheek.
"You can't just run off like that, I thought the rules were clear to you." I state rolling my eyes before looking at Minho. "I'm glad you're okay too."
He shook his head with a slight, tiresome laugh leaving his lips. I give Minho a soft hug with a smile on my face; Minho returns the hug with a squeeze.
"So what happened out there?" Newt asks as he watches Alby get taken away by Jeff and Slint.
"Yesterday, when Alby and I went to check on that dead Griever." Minho breathes out. "Turns out, the shank played us and stung Alby before running off."
I look back at Thomas before looking at Minho.
"But we didn't come back with nothing." Thomas adds as I look back at Thomas confused.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Minho says reaching into his backpack. "This fell off the leg of the Griever yesterday that was playing dead, the shank must've been injured and yeah."
"This is amazing." One of the Gladers mumble.
"The main thing is you're all safe now." I say before glancing back into the Maze and walking into the Keepers Keep.
30 minutes later, everyone is in the Keepers Keep as Newt and I are leaving against the larger logs that are holding up the roof. Thomas is sitting down on a chair behind Gally.
"Things are changing." Gally states. "And this shank...this shank thinks it's okay to help the change. He ran into the Maze when the Runners are the only ones allowed to be in the Maze."
"But he saved Alby's life." Frypan chimes in behind Newt.
"Did he? Did he really?" Gally asks cocking a brow. "Whether he saved Alby or not, he has to be punished."
"Minho, you were there. What do you think?" I ask looking over at Minho, who's at the back of the Keepers Keep.
Everyone turned around and looked at Minho as he slowly makes his way to the front of the hut. Minho breathes in heavily as he addresses the Gladers.
"Thomas ran in to help Alby after being told never to go past those walls." Minho starts as he points to Thomas. "There was a time in the Maze where I decided to turn tail and run but this shank, stayed behind to help Alby. If he didn't stay back while I ran off, Alby wouldn't be here right now. All I know is, we found something, that's more than we've found in the past two years. I don't know if he's brave or just stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it. I say we make him a Runner."
I look at Thomas with a shocked and excited expression on his face. Gally looks upset with the lack of consequences Thomas should be getting instead of being rewarded. Newt looks at Minho with a laugh looking at him as if he were crazy. Everyone looks at Minho as if he were joking; but he wasn't. He was serious.
"We can not just allow him to get rewarded for breaking the ruled!" Gally argues as the Gladers soon become quiet. "He broke the rules! He needs to be punished! You know if Alby were here now, he'd agree! Order is what we live by and we cannot change that not."
I look around at the Gladers before I look over at the Keepers.
"Obviously we need to settle this, Keepers and Thomas, you stay." I order. "Gladers, get back to work."
The Gladers soon leave as I look at the Keepers.
"We obviously need a clean choice on this." I say looking at Thomas.
"He needs to be punished." Gally bluntly states.
I nod slightly.
"You're right, we can't have the Gladers think that they can do whatever they want whenever they want." Newt adds.
I look towards Thomas before looking at Minho.
"Thomas' punishment will be one night in the put no food." Newt starts before Gally throws his arms in the air.
"Come on Newt, one night in the pit? That's not going to stop him from running into the Maze." Gally argues.
"Exactly and we can't just have Non-Runners running into the Maze whenever they feel like it." I add standing up straight. "So let's make this official, yeah? Starting tomorrow, he's a Runner."
Gally looks at me, upset, angry, annoyed, betrayed, full of emotion; Gally soon storms out of the hut. The other Keepers follow.
"Thanks Adriana." Thomas mumbles with a slight smile.
I just nod slightly and look away from him; Newt rubs my shoulder as Minho smiles.
"You did the right thing." Minho mentions before walking out of the Keepers Keep.

TO BE CONTINUED