Scorched // Thomas (The Scorch Trials)

II

Ariella and Minho looked up when a man, holding a gun to his chest, called attention to the kids. "You and your friends have all been cleared to join the others. Soon you'll all be moving on the greener pastures."

"Wait. Others?" Newt asked, not receiving an answer.

They, and the rest of the Gladers, followed him to a dining hall.

Ariella's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked for Thomas, but he was nowhere to be seen. There were at least 30 other kids with trays in front of them; most of them were boys.

A voice caught Ariella's attention and she heard Minho say, "Hey, Thomas!"

Thomas smiled. "Hey, Minho, what's going on? Ari, hi."

She returned his smile as Minho said, "We weren't the only maze." Minho started explaining how he had talked to others in the maze.

As it turned out, each group had received a video message from Ava Paige telling them that they had completed the Maze Trials, and they were relocated to the very same building that Thomas and the Gladers now found themselves at.

Thomas frowned as Newt asked, "What about the rest? The other people left behind in the maze, what happened to them?"

From across the group, a dark-skinned boy said, "We don't know. I guess WICKED still has them."

Ariella caught a twinge of sadness in his voice, and her heart broke. She wasn't in the Maze for as long as some of the others, but she could imagine that it hurt to leave those you spent months, if not years with.

She stabbed her fork into a pile of mashed potatoes as she asked, "How long have you been here?"

The boy met her eyes. "Not long. A day or two at most." He looked back at a skinny boy sitting alone. A hoodie covered his hair so it was hard to see what he looked like. "That kid over there has been here the longest. Almost a week. His maze was nothing but girls."

One of the Gladers' eyes widened. "Really?"

The boy turned back to Ariella. "Some guys have all the luck. And what about you?"

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "She's with us. Don't lay a hand on her."

Janson stood up at the front and said, "Good evening, gentlemen. Ladies. You all know how this works. If you hear your name called...please rise in an orderly fashion, join my colleagues behind me...where they will escort you to the eastern wing."

Ariella frowned, wondering what that meant. Janson opened a file and fished through it a moment before saying, "Connor." A boy stood up, and was congratulated by those around him.

"Evelyn." A girl from the table next to them stood up.

"Justin." A chubby boy smiled proudly as he stood up.

"Peter." A brunette boy stood up and was patted on the back.

"Allison." A girl with dark curls stood up, seemingly less excited than the others, which Ariella found strange.

"Squiggy." A muscular guy stood up and made his way to the other kids. There were sniggers and Janson frowned. "Alright, settle down."

"Franklin." Janson said, pausing a moment for the boy to join. "And Abigail." He closed the file and groans echoed in the room. "Now, now, don't get discouraged. If I could take more, I would. There's always tomorrow. Your time will come. Go on, eat up."

Janson and the group of kids he'd called left the room. Immediately, Minho asked, "Where are they going?"

"Far from here." The kid answered, turning to his friend. "Lucky bastards."

His friend nodded. "Some kind of farm. A safe place. They can only take in a couple of people at a time."

Ariella looked up as a guard walked up to her. "Ariella?"

She frowned. "Yes?"

"Janson requires your presence."

She nodded and whispered to Thomas, "I'll be fine. If I'm in trouble, I'll scream."

Ariella, once again, was led through the building in silence. When they reached the room, the guard opened the door to reveal a plain room with a table and two chairs. "Janson will be with you shortly. Go ahead and have a seat." She did as instructed and drummed her fingers on the table.

The doorknob turned and immediately, Ariella's head turned towards it, despite the fact she knew who was entering.

Janson held up a manila folder as he walked up to the table. He sat opposite the girl and smiled. "I'm so sorry you had to wait. I was having trouble locating your file. Thank you for meeting me."

Ariella scoffed. "I didn't exactly have much choice. What do you want?"

"Tough girl. All I want is to ask you a few questions. Well, one. What do you remember about WICKED?" Ariella frowned, wondering of all the questions to ask, why he chose that one. "Don't worry, we're just trying to understand a few things."

Ariella let out another scoff. "Understand what exactly?"

Janson laughed softly and said, "Thomas said the same thing. We're trying to understand who's side you're on."

"Well, I know I worked for WICKED. I know they sent me in the Maze; my mother, more specifically. I watched my friends die in front of me. So, I'm on their side. And if you don't like that, too bad."

Janson smirked. "Interesting. You say you worked for WICKED, for your mother, but she sent you into the maze. Why would she do that?"

Ariella shook her head. "I have no idea. You know, that would have been a good question to ask before you killed them."

Janson let out a sigh. "You and Thomas have very similar answers. It's very intriguing. I'll keep that in mind. Do me a favor and enjoy the rest of your stay."

"Wait. That's all?"

Janson nodded. "Yeah, you've clearly told me all you know."