ASUNDER (I) : tmr newt

26: I'm Not Purple

26 Dawn

It's hard to see the stars through the tree branches. I'm not sure why I find myself in the Deadheads so much. It might be because the Deadheads provide the perfect cover for me to hide in. Not that I am one for secrets, or for protecting myself in them.

I much prefer the open air, and wide space. However, I don't really have the luxury of those in the Glade. Especially not if I am sneaking around seeing a boy in secret.

"Hey," I hear his voice.

I spin around to see Minho approaching me. He smiles when I make eye-contact with him, and I shake my head to the side as I smile at him.

"Hello," I smile back at him.

He wipes his chin as he moves closer to me, trying to bite back the smile on his face. "Took you a while to get in here. Worried about someone seeing you?"

"I wasn't planning on meeting you," I nod at him, pressing my back into the tree behind me.

"I guess it's purely a happy coincidence that you did," Minho smiles. "I can't say I'm upset to see you."

"Thought you might be," I begin, watching him freeze. "After the other night."

He doesn't acknowledge my words. As if he is more fascinated by the chill of the breeze in the absence of the sun. I wait for him to say anything about that conversation, but he doesn't. Instead, his eyes hit the ground.

"It's fine," I whisper, my eyes falling down.

Minho grabs my arm, and my eyes fly up to him. He looks at my face. I can't tell if he is studying me, but I'm studying him. Brown eyes which crease. Cheeks tinged pink in the cold. Skin soft and sturdy.

"It's not fine," he manages. "It just is."

I don't want to carry on this conversation, so I move past it. "Why were you so late today."

"Someone found something today." Minho notes, shrugging over his shoulder. He recoils from me, closing up. "In the end, it turned out to be that he just ran into the wrong section, but we were pouring over the maps for hours. Stupid klunk."

Right, he still runs out in that Maze every day. While I'm stuck in here, baking in front of hot ovens, he is sprinting through freedom. I can only imagine what the feeling must be like in his fingertips, since I haven't tasted it since I got back to the Glade.

"How does it feel?" I ask.

He cracks a laugh, before stepping even closer. "Being here with you? Pretty spectacular, a bit dangerous, and pretty cold."

"Being a Runner," I ignore him, even though he has moved so close I can feel his breath on my face. "You know, being out there. No Gladers, no rules, no responsibilities."

"You're shucking crazy if you think I'm not worrying out there."

He's mostly kidding, and he doesn't say it with any animosity, but I can't imagine that he is right. Trapped between these Walls, it's a wonder I haven't got mad yet.

"There's nothing in here." I tell him, looking around. "I'd kill to be out there."

He shakes his head, before sitting down in front of me. I follow him down to the ground.

"The Maze is shucking awful," He doesn't look at me, but as he speaks I can feel his hands fiddling with the cuff on the bottom of my pants. "Really."

"Yeah, I saw those Grievers," I begin.

He shakes his head, as his hand migrates to the laces on my shoes. My eyes flicker to his, but he doesn't watch me. Maybe he doesn't realise he is touching me."It's not like that. Those damn Grievers ain't the whole problem."