The Priceless Variable

Hold Her

The Glade

Ben attacked Thomas in the woods earlier on in the day and he was banished at sunset. Teresa and Mallory didn't want to watch that, so they went to their hut.

"Hey, Teresa. Can I ask you something?" Mallory asked.

"Of course." she answered as she lit another candle.

"Just between us?" Mallory asked.

"Just between us." Teresa repeated.

"Do you ever get weird dreams when you're asleep?" Mallory asked.

When she said that, Teresa looked like a deer in the headlights. It took her a second to say something.

"Umm. During my first few nights here, I did. Why? Are you having weird dreams too?" Teresa said.

Mallory nodded.

"What have they been about?" she asked.

Mallory realized that she had said too much.

"Oh. Nothing really. I just wanted to know if that has happened to anybody else in the Glade." she said.

Teresa just shrugged it off and Mallory changed the subject. She told her that she and Newt shared a kiss. They both squealed like little kids.

It was time for dinner. Mallory left to get some food and the two of them were going to eat in the hut. Teresa saw that Mallory left her bag on her bed. Her heart was saying no, but her mind was saying yes. But, she does know that Mallory is hiding something.

'You gotta know.' Teresa's mind told her.

She went over to her friend's bed and looked in her bag. There was an envelope and a cassette player. As she was staring at the objects, she heard footsteps approaching the hut.

"TERESA!" a voice yelled.

She turned around and saw Mallory standing at the door with two plates of food in her hands.

BUSTED!

"What the hell are you doing, going through my stuff!?" Mallory questioned.

"I knew that you're hiding something from me. We're the only girls here, you can talk to me." Teresa stuttered.

"And you think that gives you the right to go through my stuff?" Mallory said.

"No. I figured that you wouldn't have told me if I'd asked. You should know that you can trust me." Teresa said.

"I don't think I can trust you right now." Mallory said.

She sat one plate on the dresser, grabbed her bag, and left the hut. Teresa crashed on her bed and put his face in her hands. She messed up big time.

Mallory walked out to the picnic tables. She ignored everyone who tried to speak to her. She sat down at an empty table and ate in silence. Tears whelped up in her eyes and they slowly rolled down her face. She couldn't believe that her friend snooped around her things. But, she was right about one thing: she wouldn't have told her if she'd asked. Mallory wiped her tears.

She looked back in the direction of the hut. She decided to stay put for a little while. That eventually led to her getting tired, but she was too lazy and stubborn to go back to the hut. Mallory ended up falling asleep at the picnic table.

Another dream formed in her mind. But, something was different. It was slow and beautiful. Mallory seemed to like this one. The two men weren't there, but there were two voices singing another echo.

She was holdin' on so tight
But why do we still have to say goodbye?
She's all alone tonight
There's nothin' I could do to make it right

Is it ever gonna be, ever gonna be brighter?
Is it ever gonna be, ever gonna be easier?

Hold her tonight
Oh, God, would you hold her tonight?
'Cause I'm not there to stay close
Keep watch, tell her she's not alone
Hold her tonight

We're apart but not alone
My love for her is more than she could know
A secret place only we can go
And we'll laugh while we will hope until we're home

Is it ever gonna be, ever gonna be brighter?
Is it ever gonna be, ever gonna be easier?

Hold her tonight
Oh, God, would you hold her tonight?
'Cause I'm not there to stay close, keep watch, tell her she's not alone
Hold her tonight

Steady on, steady on, my love
This shall soon pass
Steady on, steady on, my love
This shall soon pass
Steady on, steady on, my love
This shall soon pass
Steady on, steady on, my love

Hold her tonight
Oh, God, would you hold her tonight?
'Cause I'm not there to stay close
Keep watch, tell her again she's not alone
Hold her tonight
Hold her tonight
Oh, God, would you hold her tonight?
'Cause I'm not there to stay close
Keep watch, tell her she's not alone
Stay close, keep watch, tell her she's not alone
Hold her tonight

~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Alby wanted to run the Maze with Minho to retrace Ben's footsteps after he got banished. They saw someone at the picnic tables. They still had time before the doors opened, so they went over there. As they both got closer, they saw that it was Mallory asleep at the picnic table.

"Mallory? Mallory?" Minho said, shaking her shoulder.

That woke her up. She lifted her head up from the table and rubbed the sleep out of her face.

"Did you fall asleep out here?" Alby asked.

"I guess so. Teresa and I had a little argument." she said.

"I hope everything's okay." Minho said.

"Come on, the doors will be opening soon." Alby said.

"Have a good run." she said as they went towards the doors.

Mallory got up from the picnic table and walked back to the hut. She walked in to see Teresa making up her bed.

"Hey." Mallory softly said.

It looked like Teresa saw her in the corner of her eye.

"Hi." she responded.

There was some silence between them, but they came to the middle of the room and started to talk over one another.

"I'm sorry. Wait? You're sorry?" Mallory and Teresa said at the same time.

"Mallory, you were right. I shouldn't have gone through your things. It was an invasion of your privacy. I hope that one day you can trust me again." Teresa said.

"No, no. You were right. I have been keeping something to myself, but the reason why I haven't talked to anyone is because I don't have all the pieces yet. And, just so you know, I can trust you again." Mallory said.

They both hugged it out.

"Come on. We gotta get to work." Teresa said.

They both walked out of the hut as friends again. Mallory is happy that the only other girl here is going to be there for her.

To talk to, to share feelings, to hold her.