Runner of Group D (Maze Runner fanfic)

Chapter 9

"No, no! You're trying to bang out the dents, not make more!" This was the first thing Sandra heard as she came running back into the Field. She glanced at the Smelters' Hub as she ran to the Map Room. Marge was scolding Leo as he banged on a dented pot, causing more damage than it originally had. Sandra snickered. Scratch Smelter off the list.

She ran into the Map Room and started drawing up her section for today, noticing Paige and Zip in the room too. As she drew it up, she could feel a question coming on.

"So Sandra," Zip's voice rang out, "is there any way I may be able to take tomorrow off?" Called it, Sandra thought. As she finished up outlining her map, she responded.

"If it's for the purpose of watching our new recruit, you get to leave very early tomorrow morning and cut it close on your way back." Zip sighed sadly.

"Never mind." She left the room while Sandra put her map in the chest. Paige was giggling quietly.

"I told her it would never work," she said, "but she just had to try." Sandra smiled at her friend, glad she wasn't blinded by a boy.

"I don't get how all of a sudden a guy shows up and everyone's falling head over heels for him," Sandra commented, truly baffled. Paige laughed a little.

"Yeah. It's not like they haven't seen a boy before. They just can't remember." The girls laughed hysterically, finding the whole thing so funny. They ended up stopping after a while, thinking the last statement over a little more. "Ever wonder what life was like before this?" Paige asked. Sandra shrugged, leaning against the table.

"What about life before?" Paige shrugged back, her brow furrowing a little as she thought about it.

"Well, I'm sure we didn't fight Grievers in the past. Or were trapped in a maze. Or surrounded only by girls." Sandra thought it over, playing with the idea of not being someone's rat in a maze. The idea of not fighting giant slug monsters with crazy arms.

"Sounds a little boring," Sandra finally replied. Paige snickered and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure we did stuff other than kill science projects gone rogue with sharp stuff that was still enjoyable. I don't know what, but we must have done something." Sandra watched her friend carefully, eyeing her actions. Paige let her dark chocolate hair fall forward, hiding the curiosity and sadness in her eyes. Or at least trying to.

"Don't get stung by a Griever just to find out." The girls turned toward the door, not even realizing it had opened. Jen stood there, eyes downcast and gloomy. "Believe me," Jen continued as she stepped further into the room, "it's not worth it." Paige shook her head.

"I wasn't thinking about getting stung. That's just like asking to get tossed in the Maze at night without any weapons." Before Sandra had come along, the common phrase for "crazy" was asking to get tossed into the Maze at night. It had to be extended when Sandra beat the odds with a knife and a few vines. Paige might as well have said get Banished to the Maze, the only difference being your arms were tied to your sides during a Banishment.

Jen stepped forward and started drawing up her map. Sandra noticed how tightly she gripped the pencil, as if it was a weapon. Her drawing came out scratchy and squiggly, the lead on the paper darker than the night.

Sandra looked at Paige and gestured with her head to the door. The girl nodded and stepped out. Sandra turned back to Jen, her hair looking like blood for a moment. Probably only her imagination getting the best of her. But Jen had that "kill first, ask later" look in her eyes. She didn't even know the redhead had that look.