WICKED told them the Trial was over -no more tests, no more lies, but Frankie had been deceived enough to know that the statement alone could never be true.
Truthfully, she wanted to die. She wanted to leave this cruel world of being experimented an...
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"WHY ARE YOU laughing?!" Reggie pointed his index finger at her accusingly, just like her brother did over the cereal incident, "It's awesome, okay! It's a three-syllables name with one-syllable nickname. Come on, France, call me Will."
That only brought more chuckles from her lips.
"Marla!"
"You're jacked in the head, Will."
"YES!" Reggie exclaimed triumphantly, "See, I am destined to be cool."
Frankie smiled. Reggie was one of the few people who could make her laugh freely like this every once in a while.
"Seriously, though. How are you?" Without erasing his cocky smile, Reggie's tone lowered, indicating that the warm-up was over. "Why did those suckers keep us separated for a whole month? You were in a terrible condition after we fight those shuck monsters in the Scorch. We honestly thought that you died and they just didn't have the heart to tell us."
"Shuck?" Frankie raised her eyebrow, "That's new."
"Perks of being locked up with your friends. Don't be surprised if Minho use the word 'sticks' and 'freaks' every once in a while."
"I made a deal to stay isolated until I can walk on my own," Frankie admitted, hugging her pillow tighter.
"What? Why?"
"As you said, I wasn't in a good condition."
She recalled the moment she entered the auditorium, earlier that day. How everybody was gasping, widening their eyes as they saw her crippled leg, orthosis, and fresh raw skin.
"Hey, that's messed up," Reggie frowned, "Whatever condition you're in, we would feel better if you're there."
If her current condition was surprising, she couldn't imagine how her friends would react if they had seen her heavily bandaged body laying hopelessly on a hospital bed.
"No, you wouldn't. I'm just locked up here alone, basically," Frankie shrugged, "Recovering. What about you?"
"Except for the roll call, they let us hang around. It was weird, after everything they put us through. I mean, the food is incredible. There's warm water, freaking games, snacks. We shared stories and joke around every day until we're practically bored of each other."
"Roll call?"
"Yeah... The Third Trial," Reggie quietened, "Did you go through it, too?"
Frankie nodded, "The room with blue lights, isn't it? I felt like I was back in the Maze."
"We all did it. Marie said I was gone for three days. Your boy holds the record —besides you and Thomas, of course. Eight days. I think Newt's was six."
"I was in the simulation for five."
"Not everybody like talking about it. But, from what I gathered, we all face different things and the test ended when you overcame it. If you fought against it hard enough."
