The Maze Runner

Chapter Two

  And so, the bonfire begins. Shouting, dancing, fighting, which I usually end up tending to injuries from.

"You think he's runner material?" I ask Minho, nudging him with my shoulder. He shrugs and takes a drink.

"Not if he keeps face planting like that. But maybe. He's curious. I've never seen that before."

"Really?"

"Well, except maybe you."

"I can't tell if that's a good or bad thing."

"Maybe a little of both."

I laugh at his words. I glance over to see Newt sitting beside the new greenie on one of the logs circling around the campfire.

"What do you think of him?" Minho asks.

"Huh?" I turn my attention away from Newt and back to Minho. "Oh, the boy. I don't know, he seems fine I guess. I don't really know what type of opinion I should have of him." I laugh. Minho shrugs again and takes another drink.

I hear a glader swear across the fire and roll my eyes. "If I have to tend to one more person for burns I swear I'm going to lose my klunk," I mutter. Minho laughs while leaning into me. I see the new boy look over at us and say something to Newt, who then also looks at us.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I ask Minho.

"Us."

"Well, obviously, I meant- ugh nevermind," I sigh and Minho laughs at me. I step on his foot.

"That would work better if you weren't a ninety pound tiny angel," He tells me. "I don't know, Newt's probably threatening him about you more."

"Ha ha, very funny. I'm serious!" I bump his arm.

"Me too, he threatens everyone about you. Maybe the new greenie's asking why we're so close." Eh, he's probably right. Newt usually goes mad if a boy even steps within ten feet of me, nevermind gets close enough to touch me.

Newt starts to get up and pull the new boy with him. Newt pulls him to the fight circle. Oh no. My job is about to get a hell of a lot harder.

"Greenie! Greenie! Greenie!" the boys start to chant. Gally's his opponent, standing across from him and starting to circle him, as a hawk circles it's prey. Newt joins me by my side and pulls his arm around me.

"This is not going to end well," I look up at him.

"Eh, they'll be fine." He takes a drink of Gally's "special recipe."

"How can you drink that stuff?" I ask him, disgusted. I tried it once at a bonfire, then ended up puking until morning.

He laughs, kissing the top of my head.

The boys start to lunge at each other and Gally takes the new boy down.

"How's that, greenie?" he says triumphantly. The rest of the boys cheer.

"Stop calling me greenie," the new boy says. The crowd "ooohs" and Gally turns to them, asking them if they think he looks like a shank. One swipe under his legs and the new greenie is flat on the ground. He hits his head hard, and I start to move over to him but Newt holds my arm back.

"He's alright," He tells me.

"Thomas..." He whispers, so I could just barely hear him.

"What?"

"I remember my name! I'm Thomas!" He shouts. The gladers fall silent until Alby yells.

"Thomas!" The boys cheer and congratulate him on his memory.

"Welcome home, Thomas!" Frypan says, giving him a glass. But then a screech is heard, distant and deep into the maze.

"Let's call it a night," Alby says. The boys start on their way back to the hammocks, and I start to follow before someone catches my wrist. I turn my head.

"Come on," Newt says, pulling me in the complete opposite direction of the hammocks. I raise my eyebrows at him. He rolls his eyes.

"Just trust me."