A Way Back - The Maze Runner (♡Newt)

Chapter 25

Cally's pov

Two weeks had passed since I had woken up with a concussion. I tried my hardest to remember what had happened in the Maze. Now and then I dreamed something that could be a memory.
     Up until now I remembered crashing into Newt; him telling me that I should be in bed, but then I ran off again. I could remember the feeling, the horrifying feeling of not being able to move, even though I did. Fighting for control over my own body. I remember the pain I felt as my body ran, it should've been too much for me to stand straight, but still, the voice in my head told me to run and I did. I had no choice.
     That voice. I remember hearing a voice in my head. It was a weird voice, it didn't sound human, but at the same time it did. At first I thought I remembered it wrong, but the more I remembered how clearer the voice became until I could no longer deny it had been real.
     The voice talked to me, that it was okay, that jumping was okay. That it would all be over once I did. I was terrified, the voice seemed to have more control over me than I did. 
     I remember trying to scream, but not knowing if the screams came from my mouth or if they're just in my head.
     I remembered bashing my head against the wall, trying to stop the voice; and I remember Newt pulling me away from it.
     Even though I thought these were memories, I wasn't sure. It could've been just weird dreams I had. Everything was blurry. Just like the memories I saw during the Changing. Those may have freaked me out more than not knowing what happened that day.
     Some of the things I had seen during the Changing were memories, no doubt. I already knew those, but others... I'd never seen them before. I hadn't lived that. I never had been in a hospital like that, and I most definitely never have been on the run for the army with Ezra. It was all just so confusing...
     Almost every day since I had woken up there came somebody visiting me. It made me feel that they actually cared for me. Most of the time, it was Minho, but sometimes Fred, Alby, Gideon, and even Gally. Only Gally claimed he just came for Bark, but I didn't mind he said that. I knew somewhere deep down he cared just a little for me.
     The only person that hadn't come visiting me who I consider a friend was Newt. Ever since he came by that morning before I freaked out, I hadn't seen him. It worried me a little. Why hadn't he come to visit me? Was he okay? Did I do something wrong? Of all people, he could tell me if what I assumed were memories actually where memories. It was really getting to me, the not knowing. And honestly, I missed his company.
     I wasn't allowed to leave the Med-room, except for when I needed to go to the toilet. At first, I didn't mind that much. My whole body hurt, and it was quiet in the room. At least as long as the other Gladers didn't fuck shit up and had to come here. But now those four walls were driving me insane.
     Clint and Jeff think I should stay because they're scared that I would freak out again. At first I was too, but after four days of lying in bed that fear had disappeared. Right now I just wanted to go outside.
     I was sitting on one of the beds with Bark and looked out of the window. Earlier that day the sirens had gone off again. There was a new Greenie, I hadn't had a good look at him yet since there was a large group of guys surrounding the box at the moment he had come in. Right now I looked at the Gladers who were working in the Gardens and I could see the Builders working on something. 
     The opening of the door behind me got me to turn around. Clint had walked in.
     "Soooo," I started, "can I leave?"
     Clint sighed, clearly irritated by my constant pleading. "That's the 16th time you've asked me that question in the past two days."
     "So, may I?" I shot him the biggest smile I could manage. I knew I looked ridiculous, but at this point I didn't really care anymore.
     To my surprise, Clint actually grinned back at me. "Just because you're complaining so much we've decided to let you go."
     I jumped up from the bed. "Really?" My voice filled with excitement as I looked at him with big eyes.
     "Yes. But! You can't go to work. And we need to be able to hold an eye on you."
     My enthusiasm faded away, making place for annoyance. "So, I get a babysitter?"
     Clint laughed. "What? No. I just mean you need to stay close to the Homestead, or make sure there's somebody around."
     I glared at him. "Clint, we literally  live in a big square, filled with guys and surrounded by four walls. Where do you think I'm going?"
     "The Maze," he answered simply.
     "Well, if I'm not allowed to work I can't go inside the Maze. So, problem solved. May I go now?"
     The Keeper shook his head and smiled. "If you want, you can."
    "Ow, hell yeah!" I exclaimed as I almost ran Clint over, Bark following me. I ran downstairs and outside. The moment I got out  of the building I stopped and took a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill my lungs. Bark had used the opportunity to start running around, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as her paws left a trace of trampled grass, forming circles all over the place.
     "So, they led you go?" I looked up to see Fred walking towards me, big grin spread over his face.
    "Yep, took them way too long if you ask me."
    "How're you doing? Feeling okay?"
    "I'm fine. No headaches nor an aching pain in any of my body part." That was a nit of a lie, the muscles in my arms and legs still hurt when I moved them, not as much though.
    "It's good to hear that. What are you going to do?"
    I shrugged, "well, I don't know. Didn't really think further than the break out... Stupid! I should've made an escape route too."
     Snart would be disappointed in me.
     Fred laughed, even though he wasn't in on my inside joke. "Well, I could offer if you would like to help in the kitchen. But we both know that's not a good idea."
     I laughed. "Probably not."
    "But right now I've got nothing to do, so want to go for a walk?"
     I shrugged again, "sure."
     Fred and I walked passed the Gardens and through some parts of the Deadheads. Just not to the Graveyard, Fred says it freaks him out. The rest of the midday I spent with him. We talked and joked around. It actually was a lot of fun, until it was time to get some lunch.
     "You've got to work after?" I asked him while we took our plates outside where we sat down on a picnic tabel. Fred nodded, "I need to do the dishes and then it'll be time to help preparing dinner and after that I'll have to do the dishes again."
     "Well, good luck with that. Of course I could offer to help, but Clint forbid me to work. And I've to do as he says soooo."
     There was a smirk on his face, "you  don't want to help, do you?"
     "No really, I want to help. Being locked up in the Med-room drove me crazy! I want to do something, I'm just not allowed to."
     "Cally?" Fred started, his tone of voice changing from playful to serious.
     "That's my name." I joked, not liking the change of mood. Fred laughed a little before continuing his question.
     "You don't have to answer my question if you don't want to. But, what did you see? During the Changing? What was it like?"
     The smile I had on my lips disappeared. His questions made me think back to it, the weird sensation and the feeling of complete and uther helplessness. Apparently I had zoned out, because Fred pulled me back. "Cally? You okay?"
     "Yes!... um... I uh... I'm fine. Couldn't be better."
     Fred frowned. "You sure?"
     "Yes." I'd never said that word so sharp before, and Fred noticed my displeasure with his question.
     "I'm sorry I asked, I shouldn't have."
     "No, you shouldn't." I sounded a bit harsher then I had intended. "Um... sorry Freddy. I just don't want to talk about it. Okay?"
     Fred nodded, "yeah, of course, sorry."
     I smiled at him, seeing he really regretted his action. "No problem."
     Not that much later Frypan called for Fred. So he went to the kitchen and left me and Bark alone. I was still sitting on the table as I saw a familiar blonde guy passing me by together with a not so familiar face. Assumingly the new Greenie.
     I smiled at them, but only the Greenie seemed to have noticed me. He looked at me with big blue eyes, apparently surprised to see a girl. I smirked at him while pushing some of my purple and brown hair behind my ear. The boy smiled back, but missed the doorway and walked into the wooden wall of the Homestead.
     This made Newt look back, "ya're supposed to walk trough the hole, Shank. It's not that hard."
     I tried to surpress laughing, but I couldn't after Newt's commend and quickly slammed my hand in front of my mouth. Not wanting to make the Newbie feel more embarrassed than he already was. But I was too late, they both looked at me. The guy's face turned red and he quickly  looked to the ground. Newt on the other hand just looked at me without expression for a moment and then walked inside with the Greenie behind him.
     "Poor sheep." I told Bark, who looked up to me with her big brown eyes. "He'll get over it, but still." I sat down in the grass beside the tabel and started petting Bark while she tried to lick my face. "You need to stop doing that girly," I said as I pushed her down again.

~.~.~

I was standing by the pigs. Looking at the animals as they just did their thing when out of nowhere I got lifted up from the ground and spon around. "HEY! Put me down!" I yelled at my attacker.
     "You sure?" I recognized Minho's voice immediately.
     "Ow, for Gods sake, Minho! Put me down!" The Asian Runner stopped turning and let me down on my feet again. I turned around and hit him on the arm, he crimped in, but not because I hurt him, just as a reflex. A big smile plastered on his face as he laughed.
     Now he had let go of me I could feel his sweat on my back. "Dude! Your sweat is all over me!"
     Minho kept laughing, my response only feeding his amusement. "You're welcome, small one."
     "I didn't thank you, why should I ever thank you for sweating over me!" I was trying not to laugh, even though I was sure he noticed.
     "I'm just happy to see my little sister out and about again, that's all." He said while hooking his arm around my neck, pulling me against his chest and rubbing his fist over the top of my head.
     Now I laughed as well. "Ow my god! Minhooo! Let me go!" I tried to pull myself out of his grasp but he was way stronger than me. I could feel the sweat from beneath his clammy armpit on me, only making my desire to get away from him bigger.
     "Really, Shuckface, let me go! You're still sweating on me. It's disgusting!"
     Minho laughed as he let go of me. The moment I was free I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and wiped most of the sweat off of me.
     Once I was done I Looked back up at Minho's face. He still had that stupid grin on his lips. Ow he really was enjoying this. "Well, I'm sure about one thing now." I said.
     "And that may be?"
     "You, are a jurk." A smile appeared on my face, "but I guess that's what brothers are for."
     Minho's smile got even bigger. After that day in the Maze, when we had talked about how we saw each other he had started calling me little sister. I didn't mind though, but I hadn't called him my brother. It felt weird, as if I was betraying my actual brothers. But it didn't. Especially after seeing the glint in his eyes.
     "I'm starving, you coming with me?" He asked me.
     I smiled and nodded. "I already ate, but I'll keep you company. It's not like I've got anything better to do."
     "Not allowed to work yet, right?" Minho questioned as we started heading for the Homestead.
     "Nope, but I want to. I'm so freaking booooored. Like seriously, I'm not allowed to do anything!"
     Minho laughed, "You'll be able to work soon enough. Let's first just get your strength back. Not that you had that much to begin with..."
     I slapped his arm again. "Hey! I'm strong!"
     "Of course you are, Cally."
     I glared at him, his sarcasm not going unnoticed. "You may be stronger than me, but that doesn't mean I'm not strong."
     Minho smirked, "If ya say so, Shank."
     After Minho got his plate of food he started walking in the direction of the table Newt, Alby and the Greenie were sitting, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him to an empty table a few feet away.
     "Why are we sitting here?" Minho asked me as I had put him down and took my place in front of him.
     "No reason."
     Minho raised an eyebrow at me. I rolled my eyes but decided to tell the truth. "Okay, so.... I think Newt is angry with me."
     "Angry?" Minho was clearly confused.
     I sighed heavily. "Well, maybe not angry, but there's something. It feels like he's avoiding me."
     "So... You're going to avoid him too now?" Somehow, Minho started to look even more confused.
     "No- well- I don't specifically want to.  But if he's avoiding me, that means there's something wrong, and I don't want to make it worse."
     Minho took a bite from his cauliflower and seemed to think about what I had just said. "I know there's something going on with him since you- you know- ran off."
     I pressed my hands against my face. "How am I supposed to apologize for something if I don't remember what I did wrong?" My question wasn't necessarily aimed at anyone.
     Minho shrugged, "Just talk to him."
     Why do boys think this kind of stuff is so simple?
     When I didn't react, Minho started talking again. "You know what, tomorrow, during the campfire, you two are going to talk about this." My hands slammed down on my legs as I rolled my eyes at him, but he wasn't impressed.
     "You two are going to talk, deal?"
     Again, I led out a heavy sigh. "Fine! But you are staying with us."
     Minho shrugged, "Fine with me."

~.~.~

Published: 22/06/2018

Edited: 03/09/2020