Treasure Hunt {Maze Runner}

t w o

"He wasn't the only one who
could lie that easily."

•••

THE NEXT MORNING at breakfast, everyone was talking about Vera. Juno felt guilty; they had left her behind, running to save their own lives. She felt even worse that she was able to sleep that night, although having given someone's life up. Hally had tried to convince the brunette that what they did was best; if they had all been caught, they would all be dead. But Juno wasn't convinced. Was Vera going to be with those bodies being pushed into the laboratory tonight? Or did they dispose of her body? Or was she still alive?

She didn't bother paying attention to anyone around her until Hally leans forward, snapping her fingers in front of her face. "Listen up." She speaks lowly so only the girls can hear her. "We're never going to speak of that. To anyone." Her eyes roam over the girls, searching nods from all of them. "Promise each other." The other girls nod, all murmuring their promises. Hally's eyes stop on June. "Promise us, Juno."

The use of her full name startles June a little because no one ever called her that. "Yeah." She nods as they all watch her. "I promise."

"Good." Hally nods. "I'm going to go hang with the other girls." She gestured towards a table of boys and girls, walking over to sit with them.

Luna's the first to speak. "She's changed since we got out of the Maze."

Kiko grumbles. "I think it's the boys."

"Well whatever it is, she's a stick in the arse." Reese rolls her eyes.

Juno didn't bother looking up from her tray of food. All of a sudden, she had lost her appetite. Instead, when she looked at the food, she felt nauseas. "I need to go." She gets up, walking towards the doors.

The guards stop her. "Excuse me, miss, we can't let you through."

"I don't feel good. I just need to go to the washroom."

The guard shakes his head. "I can't let you go. You'll have to wait until breakfast is done."

"You don't understand, I really have to." Juno can feel the vomit rising in her throat. Vera was the only thing on her mind. It was all her fault.

"Miss," The guard speaks louder. "You'll have to wait."

"No!" She exclaims, attracting the attention of a group of people outside the cafeteria.

Janson, being a part of that group, approaches the door. "What's going on?"

"I don't feel good, I think I'm going to throw up." Juno speaks quickly, not pausing for breath. "Please, I just need to go to the washroom."

"Let her through." Janson nods. "I'll take her." He places his hand on her back, leading her through the the hall and towards the washroom. He stops beside the door. "I'll be waiting here." He smiles reassuringly.

Juno pushes the door open and closes it quickly, locking the door. Was he going to take her to? To wherever they had taken Vera after she got caught? Or had Vera told him about them? No. She would never.

June lunges for the toilet, throwing up the little food she had eaten earlier. When there was nothing to come up anymore, she gagged over the toilet until she could pull herself back. Flushing the toilet, she goes to lean over the sink. "Fuck me. Fuck me." She whimpers over and over again. She refuses to let tears cloud her vision. She wasn't going to cry over something she couldn't change.

There was a knock on the door, startling Juno. "Are you okay in there?" Janson calls out.

Juno clears her throat. "Yeah, just a minute." She splashed her face with water then dries is with a piece of brown paper towel.

She walks over to the door, then stops. She gives herself a moment to breath before unlocking and opening it.

Janson searches her face for something, any hint. Juno doesn't give any to him. "I want to talk with you." Her heart drops to her stomach, but she doesn't show it. "Come with me." He leads her to a door down the hall. Unlocking it with his key card, he ushers her into the room. It's a small, grey room with a table and two chairs. An interrogation room. "Take a seat." June sits on one side of the table and Janson sits across from her. "I assume you've heard of what happened to the girl from your Maze?"

Juno nods slowly. "Everyone's heard of it."

Janson nods. "That's true." He watches her, not speaking up.

Juno sits up straighter in her chair. "I have a question, if that's okay." Janson nods. "If all you're doing is sending us to safe-havens, then what happened to Vera? What would she even have found that would make her disappear?"

Janson smiles. "I knew you were a smart one, June." He stands up. "You're right: there was nothing for her to find. She happened to come across the kids boarding the berg." Janson was so convincing that if Juno hadn't been there, she would have believed him. She wondered how long he practiced this answer. "She was desperate, and scared. We let her board the berg and leave to the safe-haven with them."

Juno forces herself to smile. He wasn't the only one who could lie that easily. "That was really nice of you to let her leave." She nods. "I don't doubt she was scared. Ever since we had made the plan to leave the Maze, Vera worried a lot. All she could think of was if something went wrong." That wasn't a lie, Vera was a worrier.

Janson presses his lips together, nodding. That's not the answer he was looking for. Juno could tell. "I'll get a guard to bring you to your room. Breakfast should be over soon."

She nods. A guard escorts her back to her room, and closes the door behind her. She hears the lock click and the guard's footsteps get farther away.

Juno stands in the middle of the room, letting her thoughts take over. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to kill Janson and tear this place apart. But she knew she wouldn't do any of that. She was a well-composed girl who kept herself from revealing it all. She never affected others, and kept to herself although she wanted to break through. Her every thought was on what she would do. She wasn't confident in herself, and it made her close herself down. If you wanted to learn more about Juno, you'd have to put in the work and climb the tall walls she had built for herself. She never cried, because crying would mean opening up. She had expectations of herself, and she held them high. It could mean disappointment in herself, but she was hard on herself. She blamed herself for other people's problems, even if she wasn't the real cause. No matter what she told herself, those dark negative thoughts clouded her brain. Every step was a cautious one. From the outside, Juno looked so friendly that anyone would talk to her. She kept that facade on, for herself and her friends. She was strong, but her strength was fragile. The Maze Trials had put her and her family through so much.