Mended [Book Two] COMPLETED

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"It's just a bloody stick?" Newt asked, waving around his hands. "What the bloody hell is that!"

"Maybe we just have to stay here." Minho said, then checked his watch, which he still had from back in the Glade. "We only have half an hour. Let's wait."

Newt grumbled under his breath, but obeyed. All of the gladers plopped down on the sandy floor and mingled with one another under the harsh rays of the sun.

"What do you think is past this?" Brenda asked, looking up from his hands. Charlotte, Minho, Newt, Brenda, and Jorge all sat in a wide circle that was silent for a little bit until Brenda broke it.

"You promised me a cure, gladers." Jorge said, leaning back and onto the palms of his hands. "That's what I expect."

"No, not that." Brenda said, leg bouncing with anxiety. "After the cure, whats after that?"

"I don't know." Charlotte spoke up, making all heads turn to her. "But whatever it is, we stick together, good or bad." Everyone nodded in agreement. Then, silence fell among them again.

Charlotte kept her eyes locked on her hands, picking at her nails intently. She looked up when Minho said, "Oh, my god."

Over the hills came a group of about fifteen girls with sticks in their hands and bandanas around their necks. Thomas was with them, and stuck out like a sore thumb. He didn't have any of the accessories, and came strutting down with them, side by side with Teresa.

She scrunched up her nose in disgust and looked over to see everyone's reactions, which were exactly the same as hers. "What are they doing here?" She asked.

"They had to come to the safe haven, too. To get the cure." Minho replied, still staring at them in complete awe. "Was it a race?" She asked again, and he only shrugged. "I always just assumed so, but the Ratman never said that it specifically was, I don't think."

She mumbled an oh and looked over to Newt, who was looking down at her. "I have a bad feeling about this." He whispered to only her. She tried to reassure him by smiling gently and saying, "Everything's gonna work out and be okay."

"They're almost here." Minho announced, scratching the back of his head. The girls and Thomas only had one more hill to go over before all of them would meet. "Just ignore them."

In less than five minutes, Group B was walking up to the gladers. "Long time no see." Minho said sarcastically, his eyes filled with a blossoming hate.

"Right back at you." Teresa hissed, her stance confident. Charlotte rolled her eyes and walked away from the two glaring at one another and over to Newt, who was staring at Thomas from a distance.

"Take a picture, it will last longer." She said, and it made him crack a small smile. "I still can't believe him." He whispered. "We stood beside him for this long, and he just abandons us. We gave him everything, food, water, friends, loyalty. . . trust. All for nothing."

"It's not for nothing." She said, tugging on his arm so he'd look down at her. "You don't know what the future holds." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, willing for all of his problems to go away. "I do know that you're in it." He whispered, and she smiled, pecking his cheek. "And right back at you."

"Guys." Thomas breathed, slowing to a stop in front of the two. Minho saw and began to make his way over. Newt quickly pushed Charlotte behind him and glared daggers at his former friend. Minho finally was able to push his way over and stood side by side with Newt, obscuring Charlotte from Thomas's view.

"What do you want, shank." Minho hissed, crossing his buff arms over his chest, like he always did when he went into defensive mode. Thomas parted his lips slightly and stared at his two former buddies in confusion.