Be Mine

Chapter 23

Newt's POV
"Okay, that concludes it," Alby said. "Ben will be Banished tomorrow."
The Keepers all nodded their heads in agreement. I avoided eye contact with all of them.
"What's wrong with you, Newt?" Minho asked me.
Now all eyes were on me. Shuck, I thought. What was I going to say?
"You've been pretty quiet," Alby pointed out. "What's on your mind?"
"Um, can we rethink this?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"What? Why?" Alby asked in confusion.
"Because the Greenie deserved a good scare," Gally sneered.
"Slim it, Gally," Alby snapped. "Newt, we already decided on this. We're not changing it."
I decided to play stupid. "But why?"
"Because Ben attacked another Glader!" Alby said. "He broke the rules, now he has to pay for it."
"Can't we just put him in the Slammer until he calms down?" I suggested.
"Why the shuck would we do that?" Minho asked.
"...because we're nice people who feel empathy for others...?" I didn't know how much longer I could go on like this.
"Okay, really Newt," Alby started. "What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"
"Nothing's wrong," I reassured them. "I'm completely fine."
"No you're not," Minho said. "Come on, you can tell us what's on your mind."
"Please don't banish Ben," I pleaded.
"Why?" Alby asked. "You know he broke the rules and you know this is the consequence. None of us really want to banish him but we know we have to."
"We don't need to banish him," I said.
"Can you give us a reason why?" Alby asked.
"Because he wasn't being himself when he attacked the Greenie," I said.
"That's a good point," Alby agreed. "But, if we let this go, who knows what might happen. We don't want anyone thinking that it's okay to hurt others."
"Of course not," I had to back up my claim. "But we can explain that since Ben was stung, he wasn't being himself and he didn't mean to hurt anyone. He'll go back to being himself in a few days."
"I don't think so," Alby said. "I think it's best to Banish him."
"We can't, okay?" I said. I muttered to myself. "She'll never forgive me."
"What was that?" Minho asked.
"N-nothing."
"Then it's final. We're Banishing Ben tomorrow."
All the Keepers filed out of the room, leaving me alone. My heart sank in my chest. What was Addison going to say? Her and Ben were best friends. I told her not to talk to me anymore so she probably hated me, her only other friend was Ben and now he's going to be gone. I hadn't seen Addison all day and then Alby told me that she was in the Deadheads the same time that Ben and Thomas were. She shouldn't be going out there. What if Ben had accidentally attacked her? I was so lost in thought I didn't realize Minho standing in the doorway.
   "Are you coming?" He asked.
   "Y-yeah."
   "What's wrong?" Minho asked me, closing the door behind him.
   "What'd you do that for?" I asked.
   He looked at me with concern in his eyes. "We're not leaving until I get an answer out of you. Also, the closed door tells you that we're alone. So that whatever you say stays here. I won't tell anyone. I just need you to be honest with me."
   I took a deep breath. I knew that I could trust Minho. "Okay, so you know how Ben and Addison are best friends?"
   Minho nodded. "I see where this is going. You're just worried about how Addison will take this."
   I nodded my head.
   "You know what I think?" Minho asked.
   "What?"
   Minho smirked at me. "I think you should tell her how you really feel and make up."
   "What?"
   "You heard me," Minho said.
   "No. We can't."
   "Why not?"
   "B-because! We just can't."
   "Yes you can."
   "We can't," I knew that she wouldn't forgive me.
   "You guys were made for each other!" Minho said. "You can do this."
   "No."
   "Do you want her to run out into the Maze after Ben?" Minho asked. "Do you want her to live in the Deadheads for the rest of her life?"
   I tried not to imagine that. Those were the worst scenarios ever.
   "Well, do you?"
   I slowly shook my head.
   "Then talk to her."
   "No," I said. "I can't."
   "Why?"
   "Do you really want to know why?" I asked Minho. He was really starting to annoy me. "She has no hope of ever getting out of here. I told her about my limp. I told her to never talk to me again! How am I supposed to go back?"
   "Uh, just go back?"
   "YOU'RE SHUCKING ANNOYING, MINHO!" I shouted.
   "Calm down, I was kidding," Minho laughed. "Without Ben around, you're her only friend."
"And your point is..."
"Come on, Newt," Minho said, rolling his eyes. "We both know you want to be her friend again and we both know that she needs you now more than she ever will. Just talk to her."
I took a deep breath. "Fine."
"Finally," Minho said.
"I'm doing this to show you that she is forever going to be mad at me and that this will fix nothing and this conversation was completely pointless."
Minho sighed. "Whatever you say. Now stop being a slinthead and go find Addison."
"Okay fine," I said.
I walked out of the room with Minho behind me.
"Good luck, shuck face," Minho smirked as he went off toward some of the other Runners.
"Thanks, slinthead," I laughed as I went to ask Chuck if he'd seen Addison.