Different | The Maze Runner / Newt ¹ ✓

{0.8}

Disclaimer:

I do not own The Maze Runner. If I did, I'd make Wes Ball give Teresa more screentime in the first movie.

-✼-

When the alarm finally stopped, there was a loud ringing in my ears. It rattled my eardrums and pierced my skull like a knife. I shook my head to try and get it to go away, sighing in relief when it started to subside.

Someone tapped Thomas and I on the shoulders. We turned to see Chuck with a benign smile on his face. "How goes it, Greenbeans?"

"Fine," I grumbled, though everything was far from it. I rubbed the painful red mark on my arm, wishing it would fade.

Thomas pointed to the doors of the Box with his usual expression of confusion. "Why is everyone freaking out? Isn't this how you all got here?"

"Alby said Newbies come every month," I reminded him. "Newt just said this has never happened before, remember?"

Chuck nodded in agreement of my statement. "Guess it's always been real regular-like. One a month, every day, same day. Maybe whoever's charge realized that Dylan wasn't supposed to be here, sent another up to replace her."

I couldn't tell if he was serious or joking, but the high-pitched snicker he made as he elbowed me in the ribs only made me like him more for some reason.

"You're annoying," I sighed jokingly, shooting him a fake glare. "Seriously."

"Yeah, but we're all buddies now, right?" Chuck laughed this time, a sort of squeaky snort that was adorable.

"Looks like you're not giving us much of a choice on that one," Thomas deadpanned. But when I looked at him, he was smiling, and I could tell he had taken a liking to Chuck just as I had.

The kid folded his arms across his chest, looking extremely satisfied. I wondered if anyone had tried being friends with him before. "Glad that's settled. Everyone needs a buddy in this place."

Thomas grabbed Chuck by the collar jokingly. I played along and ruffled his curly hair as Thomas spoke. "Okay, buddy, then call us by our names. Thomas. Dylan. Or we'll throw you down the hole after the Box leaves." Sudden realization hit him and he let Chuck go. "Wait a minute, have you guys ever--"

"Tried it," Chuck interrupted hastily, not even letting him finish his epiphany.

"Tried what?"

"Going down in the Box after it makes a delivery," Chuck answered concisely. "It won't do it. Won't go down until it's completely empty."

"I already knew that, but what about--"

"Tried it."

This was all very amusing to me- watching Thomas get frustrated at Chuck for interrupting him every time he tried to give an idea.

"Man, you're hard to talk to," he sighed, tilting his head in what appeared to be annoyance. "Tried what?"

"Going through the hole after the Box goes down. Can't. Doors will open, but there's just emptiness, blackness, nothing. No ropes, nada. Can't do it."

How was that possible? I opened my mouth so speak before Thomas could. "Did you--"

"Tried it."

I understood Thomas's frustration when Chuck cut me off. I groaned in frustration and closed my eyes. "Okay, what?"

"We threw some things into the hole. Never heard them land. It goes on for a long time."

I remembered how long it took while we were in the Box. It seemed like hours we were sitting there, not knowing where we were heading. Was that only yesterday? It seemed like forever ago.