Stars ➳ TMR, Thomas [1] ✓

Chapter {17}

"Well, good morning, sleeping beauty." Minho's voice, laced with sarcasm shook me awake, along with sleepiness that still rested over my eyes. Opening them I noticed faint light that danced on stone walls. The night that seemingly made them black faded into day, as they now weren't the color or shadows, but pure glistening stone whose gray color reflected the sun.

Groggily I propped myself up, feeling pain flow through my bones after every move I've made. Aching in my neck seemed to intensify no matter the angle I craned my neck in, just so I'd get a clear view of Minho who was crouched down just outside the prison cell. His lips have twitched into a small smile, black hair as usual sticking up as a huge wooden key jingled on his fingers.

"What's the time?" Slowly dragging toward the wooden cell door I put my hands onto the wood.

"Runners are leaving in about twenty minutes." Minho smiled knowingly, shuffling closer as he opened the door.

"That's early." Heaving myself up through the square opening between two walls and leaving the prison behind, I didn't even give the uncomfortable walls a second glance over my shoulder as I shuffled my legs a few times, so I'd get the sleep out of them.

"You should be happy, Gally doesn't have any reason to lock you up again." He stated, slamming the doors back shut, not caring for any loud sounds they made as he locked them before joining me toward Fry's kitchen.

Continuing in silence, that not only embraced our steps, but also the Glade that still hasn't woken up completely, whose walls remained closed and still air that not even swayed by wind turned, despite the early hour of the day, somehow warm. Our whole way, Minho has stared at the front, focused deeply onto something I could only guess what it was. Possibly the exit, only a thought that stirred my brain almost a month back when I found myself in the Glade or just the peculiarity of the fact that soon we wouldn't have to wake up with hopelessness crawling through our veins at every sight of those walls.

Damp grass beneath our feet lightly squeaked with every move of our shoes, wetting their leather outer sole in the process as its green strands glistened with crystalline drops of morning dew that was surely to be dried off soon. In the distance, what only seemed as muttering of small talks between Gladers was heard, increasing in volume as Minho and I slowly neared the kitchen area.

Arriving there, Minho parted ways with me, carrying on toward the table he has reserved for us as I took the way toward Fry's kitchen, already itching with willingness to finally satisfy the gnawing beast inside my stomach that has been trying to burrow its way out. I haven't eaten in two days, if you count out the piece of cookie I've shared with Chuck after waking up safely, back in the Glade.

Line in front of me dispersed quickly, boys speeding out of the kitchen even before they have arrived, which left me alone with Fry. Cook's stubble covered features stayed scrunched, eyes hollow and uninterested as he completely absent, threw away the burned part of what looked like a portion on scrambled eggs. Close to him, Nico, as happy as always, danced along the line between the counter top that Fry used to serve food and counters where Cooks worked to a obviously imaginary melody.

"What's with sad faces?" Entering the kitchen, I let my lips twitch into a smile, despite all pain sleeping in Slammer has caused me as my legs carried me toward the boys, one dragging slightly behind that still limp from the injury even hurt a little bit.

"Aria!" I heard Fry yell, seconds later thumping of his footsteps on wooden floorboards as he swept me into a tights hug that squeezed my bones and almost all the air out of my chest.

"It's nice to see you too, Fry." I patted the boy's stained shirt lightly. "But I can't breath."

"Right, sorry," He took my forearm, motioning me to sit down into a chair near the counter on which previously bowl of scrambled eggs stood. "I brought you food, but you were already asleep. So, I kept it."