The Destroyed Girl

Chapter 5: Better

QUILL'S POV
When I saw her face, I couldn't believe it was her. She was so beautiful, the hurt so evident in her eyes, which shone so brightly against her pale skin. I was shaken to the core by how her scar looked, how horrifying and beautiful it was at the same time.

Horrified by the emotion I her eyes. The pain, the hurt and all the suffering. I couldn't believe how I treated my friend. My friend for more than three years. Over a boy. It seems so ridiculous now that I feel so stupid. I remember Rhea telling me something similar back in the Scorch, and she was right.

"We shouldn't have left."

I stop walking and frown. That was Minho. Minho's voice, coming from the cave right in front of me.

"They're going to hunt us down. We can't let them get anyone else. You know what they did to us. They'll do it to them. I couldn't stand it if any of them had to go through that pain. Especially the girls, Aris, Newt and Thomas," Rhea says, and I wonder if my ears are tricking me when I detect something like fear in her voice.

"What should we do?" Minho asks, sounding equally as frantic.

"I feel as if I should give myself up. Let them run their stupid tests on me, let them find a cure. We can't be that selfish. Even if we escape, the chances of dying increases everyday with the Cranks running around," Rhea says, a clear hesitation in her voice.

Minho's silent for a while.

"Why do you want a cure?" He finally asks.

Rhea doesn't reply.

"You have a reason don't you?" Minho asks.

"I have a reason for everything, Minho. Yes, I do," She says, her voice now firmer.

"Okay. But we need to think this through more carefully," Minho says.

That's when I decide to stop eavesdropping. I walk over to the girls, feeling so confused about Minho's and Rhea's conversation.

"There's no way we're going back there," Newt is saying to Thomas.

I walk up to him and Newt.

"Going back to WICKED? Why would you?" I ask, my eyes narrowing.

"Teresa. Have you seen Minho or Rhea? We need to ask them something," Thomas says.

"They were in the caves last I heard them," I reply, shrugging.

I glance behind, my thumb already jerking to the direction of the cave, only for me to see Minho and Rhea casually coming out of the cave slowly. Minho is making some dramatic hand actions while Rhea tucks her hands into the pockets of her jacket, nodding along.

"They seem close," I state for no apparent reason.

"What do you expect? They were cell mates who had to help each other out the whole time there. Of course they are," Sonya says, walking up with Harriet by her side.

Maria and June join us as well.

We form a loose circle, Rhea between Minho and Newt, and I don't fail to notice the way Rhea leans towards Newt, as if drawn to him without even realising it.

"So?" Minho crosses his arms. "What's our plan now? I thought I heard someone mention Teresa."

Rhea leans forward slightly, turning her head to Thomas. "No. I know what you're thinking, and it's a bad idea."

Thomas fidgets with his hands, looking to the ground. "You guys don't have to come. I get it-she betrayed us. But she deserves the chance to explain herself."

"WICKED wants us to run experiments on us," Rhea's tone becomes sharp, and it's weird how I missed it. "They put me and Minho through hell. That was Teresa's doing. And now you want to walk back to WICKED for her?" Word by word, Rhea's voice gets more lethal, more dangerous, the challenge underlying her words clearly making Thomas uncomfortable.

"Easy," Newt gently touches her hand with his own, and Rhea lets out a huff, though she doesn't draw away. "Tommy, you know I'm always on your side, but she's right. What if you get caught? WICKED won't spare you because you're on some noble, lovesick mission."

Thomas gives Newt a glare. "Thanks, Newt."

"Anytime, you bloody shank," Newt rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. "Someone here has to keep you on the right path." He glances over at Minho and Rhea, a frown forming on his lips. "And you two need to rest. You shouldn't be up and about so soon."

Minho gives an even more exaggerated eye roll than Newt's earlier one. "We're fine."

"Actually, I'm hungry," Rhea admits, a slightly sarcastic note to her voice. "What do we have in terms of food and provisions?"

"Not much," Harriet admits, a slight grudge in her voice. "We're running pretty low. We'll need to make a trip to the city to stock up real soon."

Newt sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Rhea can take my portion of dinner for today. We'll sort out our supplies tomorrow."

"No-"

"I haven't been bloody half starved for the past three weeks," Newt cuts her off, fixing Rhea with a stern look. "And I won't accept it back."

Rhea, stubborn Rhea who never caves to anyone, is silent for the longest time. Time which Newt refuses to back down, and I wonder if Newt can actually meet her eyes from under the hood. And then something incredible happens. Rhea sighs, looks away. Relents. "Alright," she mutters. "But just for tonight."

Newt's eyes brighten with satisfaction. "Just for tonight," he nods. "Now get her the bloody food, Frypan."

Frypan huffs, signalling for Rhea to follow him. "Come along. I'm not a waiter."

I watch as Rhea follows Frypan away, Minho jogging after them, Thomas following after a glance at Newt.

I look towards the girls, seeing them staring at Rhea's retreating figure in surprise. I understand why they're so shocked. Rhea never backs down from a fight. She doesn't cave, doesn't relent. And yet, she just did.

Sonya's throat clearing breaks the awkward silence that has settled between us. "Newt, you free to talk?"