It Wasn't Real

Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everyone! I want to thank all of you for the lovely reviews! You guys are amazing!! Here is chapter 1, I hope you like it!

Newt was in the common room conversing with Alby, when the simulation doctor walked in, smiling.

"Attention please!" She called.

Everyone went quiet, looking at her curiously. "I am proud to say, the simulation has been successfully completed. You will be reunited with your friends soon."

The Gladers cheered, Chuck bounced in place, and Newt smiled softly.

However, it dropped when he remembered what he told Thomas before he died. What if Tommy told Minho? What if he told everyone? 'Stop it.' He told himself. 'Tommy would never tell anyone my secret.' The secret only he, Alby, Minho and Tommy knew. He would never betray Newt like that.

Newt felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Alby smiling sadly at him.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked. "Alone?"

Newt nodded and followed Alby to a vacant room. It was dimly lit, and the walls and ceiling were painted an ugly eggplant purple. The room felt small and empty, the only pieces of furniture being two old maroon couches facing each other and a small cherry coffee table in between them. Two dusty lamps were hidden in the corners of the far wall, their light doing nothing to help the dimness of the room. It clearly hadn't been used or even cleaned in a while.

Newt sat down on one of the couches, and Alby moved to sit on the other.

"What do you want to talk about?" Newt asked, nervous.

Alby sighed. "Newt, you haven't been yourself since you woke from the simulation."

Newt snorted dryly. "No one is acting the same, Alby."

"I know that, but you just look like you did before, you know." He gestured to Newt's left leg, making Newt wince "You always look like you're going to cry, when you think no one is looking."

Alby leaned forward. "Please Newt, tell me what happened."

Newt closed his eyes. "I wasn't immune." He whispered.

"What was that?" Alby asked.

"I wasn't immune to the Flare, I was going crazy. I didn't want to turn into one of those Cranks. I left Tommy and Minho to go to the Crank Palace, where other non-immunes with the Flare were. I didn't want them to watch me go crazy. I would never forgive myself if I hurt them." Newt let out a dry sob.

Alby got up and walked around the table to sit next to Newt. He placed a hand on the Brit's shoulder. "It's okay. It was just a simulation."

"Felt bloody real to me." Newt mumbled.

Knowing where this conversation was going, Alby changed the subject back to Newt's story. "What happened next?"

Newt sighed. "They came to get me, the Shanks. They wouldn't leave without me, and the things I said, Alby. I know I hurt them, but I couldn't stop. Couldn't go back with them."

"What did they do?" Alby asked, shocked.

"They left. I threatened to shoot Minho with a Launcher, and Tommy made them leave. You want to know the worst part? If they had stayed, I would have shot him." Newt mumbled.

"No you wouldn't. I know you."

Newt snapped his head up. "But I would have! You don't understand, you never saw a Crank before! Never had the Flare, I couldn't control my thoughts, my actions, anything." His voice dropped to a desperate whisper at the end.