I'm a Keeper (Gally and Thomas Fanfic) [#Wattys2016]

Chapter 4

After Alby was done giving Annabel the tour, which she didn't really need anyway, it was already late afternoon. The sun had started to set, and everyone went to Frypan's to have dinner.
Annabel observed everyone whilst sitting on top of the observation tower. Her gaze shifted to the maze, and she wondered when Thomas would be back. Whether he would still remember her. Probably not, she thought. Manon didn't seem to remember her, so why would he?
Her heart leaped when she saw him coming through the doors, together with Minho. He looks so shuckin' good, she thought. She smiled when she realized she used the slang of the Glade like she'd lived here her whole life. In a certain way she had. She held her gaze on the two boys and saw how they ran straight to the map room, not noticing Annabel.
"You coming down or what?" she suddenly heard from below. "Frypan doesn't like latecomers. Plus, we don't want to be late for our own party, now do we?"
Annabel looked over the edge, and saw Manon standing there, hands on her hips. A genuine smile spread across her face. "Coming," she replied, while she started to climb down the wooden stairs.
Once she made her way down, she eyed Manon curiously. "Our party?" she asked, as if the meaning of the words just became clear.
Manon shrugged. "Yeah, don't really know what for. Probably because we're the Newbies," she said, dropping her gaze to the ground. She clearly didn't know how to act around Annabel after what she'd said earlier.
This conversation was getting extremely awkward.
"Right, shall we go then?" Annabel asked, changing the subject.
Manon smiled relieved. "Yeah, let's."

That night every Glader gathered in front of the forest. Alby and Newt had made a huge bonfire and everyone was enjoying themselves, either singing, dancing or chatting with each other.
Annabel watched the Gladers from a safe distance. She wasn't really the type to socialize with strangers. Certainly not boys. But she liked watching them dance and shout. It was almost as if she wasn't there, in the Glade, but back in that room full of monitors. Almost.
She scanned the crowd, and almost immediately found her best friend. Manon was sitting on a log next to Newt, clearly enjoying herself. Annabel envied Manon, that she had been able to adapt so easily to her new surroundings, while she couldn't remember anything.
"Wait, another Greenie?" she suddenly heard behind her, making her jerk.
She turned around, and saw Thomas standing there, together with Minho. A shy smile appeared. "Hi," she just said.
"Hey," Thomas said softly, stretching out his hand. "My name is Thomas, and the shank next to me is Minho."
Minho snickered, and winked at Annabel. "Slinthead, when you try to insult someone, it's just freaking hilarious."
Annabel laughed softly and shook Thomas's hand. "My name is Annabel. I arrived today." He doesn't remember me, it shot through her mind.
"I figured," Thomas said with a smile, ignoring Minho's sarcasm. "So, care for a drink?"
Annabel nodded, and they walked towards some glasses on the ground, leaving Minho behind. Thomas handed one to Annabel, and she thirstily began to drink, only to spit it out a second later. "What is this?" she gasped. She could feel the liquid burn its way down her throat.
Thomas began to laugh. "That," he said, while taking a sip himself, "is Gally's secret recipe. The more you drink it, the better you'll like it, trust me."
Annabel smiled, and took another sip, forcing herself to swallow the liquid. Yuck, she thought. It tastes even nastier than I expected.
"So," Thomas said, motioning for Annabel to sit next to him. "How's your first day?"
Annabel sat down next to Thomas, She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Good, I guess," she then lied. Her first day wasn't good. In fact, it was horrible, finding out that her best friend's memories had been wiped away. And even though Annabel already knew this, it still hurt that Thomas didn't remember her.
"I know, the first couple of days are the hardest. After that, you get used to everything." Thomas put his hand reassuringly on Annabel's shoulder, causing Annabel's cheeks to flush. Annabel quickly looked down, to prevent Thomas from seeing it. "So, you remember anything about your past life?" he continued, clearly not planning to move his hand.
At this, Annabel looked up, straight into his eyes. She thought she saw a hint of recognition, but then it faded. I need to tell him, she thought. He deserves the truth. But she knew he wouldn't believe her. Not yet. First, she had to gain his trust. Just then, Annabel realized she had been staring at him for too long. She quickly averted her eyes, and shrugged. She wanted to see his reaction, to know if he believed her, but she didn't dare look up.
Suddenly, she heard a scream. She looked up, and saw Manon standing in front of Gally, clearly upset about something. She knew Gally all too well, but she also knew that Gally would never hurt Manon. At least, not outside the Glade. Annabel realized with a shock she wasn't sure how he would react here and now, without his memories.
She quickly stood up. "I better go take a look," she mumbled to Thomas, before heading towards the scene.